An online Gift Registry Service provides registration of information for a gift registrant and allows access to the registry by potential gift giver users. In addition, users can tag items of interest at participating
Service Provider (SP) sites and the SP sites will register these items with the Gift Registry Service on the user's behalf. It further provides a streamlined checkout process for
purchasing these gift items with the registered SP sites (e.g.
World Wide Web sites) over a distributed
public network. Users and Service Providers (SP) initially register with the Gift Registry Service and are provided additional functionality. For users, a reminder service is provided to notify individuals automatically upon the trigger of certain events, such as important dates or product sales from online merchants. In addition, there are various occasion planning services available such as distribution lists, discussion groups, and other related resources for multiple events including weddings, baby showers, etc. These other resources include sending out announcements, reserving halls, and contracting services of related businesses for the occasion. A distinct
advantage of this
system is that users can perform all the planning for the event online in the comfort of their home or office. Service Providers on the other hand, can register
system notification messages to be triggered on pre-determined events. In addition, Service Providers can obtain marketing information to tailor their products and services.