Money-collecting system, program and method

Abstract

To provide a money-collecting system allowing a corporation operating a plurality of business offices to smoothly and collectively manage money collecting work in each business office.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM: A program causing a money-collecting system including a processor and used by a corporation managing a plurality of business offices for collecting money from customers in each business office, causes the processor to execute the steps of: receiving input of an instruction to aggregate at least one of information relating to claims to customers in each of the plurality of business offices, and information relating to money-collecting states for the claims from a terminal device used by a charge of a corporation; in response to the reception of the aggregation instruction, aggregating at least one of the information relating to the claims for every office and the information relating to the money-collecting states; and outputting the aggregated information to a terminal device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a bill collection system, program, and method. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a system in which various types of expense claims are issued from a billing source to a payer by electronic data.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that collects billing information issued by a plurality of billing sources and collectively bills a payer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2001-250069 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, conventional systems only managed payment information for each billing source, so for example, a corporation operating multiple business locations had to check the collection status for each billing source business location, leaving room for improvement in terms of centralized management of collection operations at multiple business locations.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a bill collection system that enables a corporation that operates multiple business locations to smoothly and centrally manage bill collection operations at each business location. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A program of one aspect of the present disclosure is a program having a processor and to be executed by a collection system used by a corporation managing multiple business locations to collect payments from customers at those locations, the program causing the processor to execute the following steps: accepting input of a compilation instruction from a terminal device used by a person in charge of the corporation for at least one of information regarding billings to customers at each of the multiple business locations and information regarding the collection status of the billings; in response to accepting the compilation instruction, compiling at least one of information regarding billings for each business location and information regarding the collection status; and outputting the compiled information to the terminal device. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The bill collection system of the present disclosure enables a corporation that operates multiple business locations to smoothly and centrally manage bill collection operations at each of the business locations. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the bill collection system of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a terminal device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a server shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a database that stores information about corporations stored in a storage unit of the server shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a database that stores information related to persons in charge stored in a storage unit of the server shown in FIG. 3; FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a database that stores information on members and payers stored in a storage unit of the server shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a database that stores information related to billing stored in a storage unit of the server shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 8]4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a database that stores information about an operation history stored in a storage unit of the server illustrated in FIG. 3. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a display process of a management screen when a person in charge logs in, among the processes of the bill collection system according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing the process of the bill collection system according to the present invention, from the invoice from the business to the payment by the payer. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the billing process from a corporate employee, which is one of the processes of the bill collection system according to the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the process of tabulating billing and collection status in the process of the bill collection system according to the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a deposit account designation process among the processes of the bill collection system. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first example of a screen in the bill collection system according to the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a second example of a screen in the bill collection system according to the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a third example of a screen in the bill collection system according to the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a fourth example of a screen in the bill collection system according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings for explaining the embodiment, the same components are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and the repeated description will be omitted.

[0011] (1) Overview of System 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a bill collection system 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as system 1) of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the system 1 is used for collection of payments from customers, and is particularly used for collection of payments at business locations by a corporation that manages multiple business locations. In the following description, the configuration of the system 1 will be first described, and then various processes performed using the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0012] (1-1) Overall structure The overall configuration of a system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 1 includes a plurality of terminal devices 10 and a server 20. The multiple terminal devices 10 and the server 20 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network 80. The network 80 is configured by a wired or wireless network.

[0013] In the following description, the terminal devices 10 are classified into the following three types according to the type of user. Corporate terminal 10A used by corporate personnel ·Business terminal 10B used by the person in charge at each business A payer terminal 10C used by the payer

[0014] Here, a corporation is an organization (business operator) that operates any business, and refers to a group that has joined together for a specific purpose. Businesses operated by corporations include various businesses that provide specific services to members, and examples include the following: Educational business: Nursery schools, kindergartens, after-school care, elementary schools, cram schools, various extracurricular activities, etc. Lifestyle-related services: adult schools, training gyms, etc.

[0015] In addition, the business that System 1 targets is preferably one that provides services to members on an ongoing basis and receives regular membership fees from the business. Additionally, in this description, a corporation may include an organization that operates a specific business but does not have legal personality. System 1 may also be used by an individual operating multiple business locations, in which case the individual is considered a legal entity for purposes of this description.

[0016] The system 1 is used by a corporation that operates such various businesses at multiple business locations. In other words, a corporation is an organization that manages and controls the operations of multiple business locations. The relationship between a corporation and business locations is, for example, as follows: Corporation: A school corporation that operates multiple kindergartens · Place of business: Each kindergarten operated by the relevant school corporation

[0017] Here, the types of users of the system 1 are defined. Corporate Personnel: A person who belongs to a corporation and is responsible for the overall management of the operation of multiple business locations operated by the corporation (e.g., corporate employees, corporate representatives, etc.) · Business person in charge: A person who belongs to a business, provides services to members, and manages the operation of the business (e.g., business employee, business representative, etc.) Member: A person who receives services from each business (if the business is a kindergarten, the child) Payer: A member who receives services from a business establishment, or a member's guardian, etc., who pays the consideration for the services received by the member to the business establishment (the parent in the case of a kindergarten) Members and payers are sometimes referred to as customers.

[0018] (1-2) Hardware configuration of terminal device 10 1, the terminal device 10 is an information processing device operated by each user. The terminal device 10 is realized by a desktop PC (Personal Computer), a laptop PC, etc. Alternatively, the terminal device 10 may be a tablet compatible with a mobile communication system, a smartphone, or other portable terminal.

[0019] The terminal device 10 is communicatively connected to the server 20 via a network 80. The terminal device 10 is connected to the network 80 by communicating with communication devices such as a wireless base station 81 compatible with communication standards such as 5G and LTE (Long Term Evolution) and a wireless LAN router 82 compatible with wireless LAN (Local Area Network) standards such as IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal device 10 includes a communication IF (Interface) 12, an input device 13, an output device 14, a memory 15, a storage unit 16, and a processor 19.

[0021] The communication IF 12 is an interface for inputting and outputting signals so that the terminal device 10 can communicate with an external device. The input device 13 is an input device (for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a touch pad, a pointing device such as a mouse, etc.) for receiving an input operation from a user.

[0022] The output device 14 is an output device (such as a display and a speaker) for presenting information to a user. The memory 15 is for temporarily storing programs and data to be processed by the programs, and is a volatile memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0023] The storage unit 16 is a storage device for saving data, such as a flash memory or a hard disk drive (HDD). The processor 19 is hardware for executing an instruction set written in a program, and is composed of an arithmetic unit, a register, peripheral circuits, and the like.

[0024] (1-3) Hardware configuration of server 20 As shown in FIG. 1, the server 20 is an information processing device that supports the collection of membership fees from members at a business establishment. The server 20 is a computer connected to a network 80. The server 20 includes a communication IF 22, an input / output IF 23, a memory 25, a storage 26, and a processor 29.

[0025] The communication IF 22 is an interface for inputting and outputting signals so that the server 20 can communicate with external devices. The input / output IF 23 functions as an interface with an input device for receiving an input operation from a user and an output device for presenting information to the user.

[0026] The memory 25 is for temporarily storing programs and data to be processed by the programs, and is a volatile memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The storage 26 is a storage device for saving data, such as a flash memory or a hard disk drive (HDD). The processor 29 is hardware for executing an instruction set written in a program, and is composed of an arithmetic unit, a register, peripheral circuits, and the like.

[0027] (2) Functional Configuration of Terminal Device 10 Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the terminal device 10 constituting the system 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the terminal device 10 includes a plurality of antennas (antenna 111, antenna 112), wireless communication units (first wireless communication unit 121, second wireless communication unit 122) corresponding to the respective antennas, an input receiving unit 130 (including a keyboard 131 and a display 132), a voice processing unit 140, a microphone 141, a speaker 142, a camera 150, a storage unit 160, and a control unit 170.

[0028] The terminal device 10 also has functions and configurations (such as a battery for storing power, a power supply circuit for controlling the supply of power from the battery to each circuit, etc.) that are not specifically shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, each block included in the terminal device 10 is electrically connected by a bus or the like.

[0029] The antenna 111 emits a signal generated by the terminal device 10 as a radio wave. The antenna 111 also receives a radio wave from space and provides the received signal to the first wireless communication unit 121.

[0030] The antenna 112 radiates a signal generated by the terminal device 10 as a radio wave. The antenna 112 also receives the radio wave from space and provides the received signal to the second radio communication unit 122.

[0031] The first wireless communication unit 121 performs modulation and demodulation processing and the like for transmitting and receiving signals via the antenna 111 so that the terminal device 10 can communicate with other wireless devices. The second wireless communication unit 122 performs modulation and demodulation processing and the like for transmitting and receiving signals via the antenna 112 so that the terminal device 10 can communicate with other wireless devices.

[0032] The first wireless communication unit 121 and the second wireless communication unit 122 are communication modules including a tuner, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) calculation circuit, a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) calculation circuit, a high-frequency circuit, etc. The first wireless communication unit 121 and the second wireless communication unit 122 perform modulation / demodulation and frequency conversion of wireless signals transmitted and received by the terminal device 10, and provide the received signals to the control unit 170.

[0033] The input reception unit 130 has a mechanism for receiving an input operation by a user. Specifically, the input reception unit 130 includes a keyboard 131 and a display 132. Note that the input reception unit 130 may be configured as a touch screen that detects a user's contact position on a touch panel by using, for example, a capacitive touch panel.

[0034] The keyboard 131 accepts input operations by the user of the terminal device 10. The keyboard 131 is a device for inputting characters, and outputs input character information to the control unit 170 as an input signal.

[0035] Display 132 displays data such as images, videos, and text in response to control by control unit 170. That is, display 132 also functions as an output unit that outputs information to the user. Display 132 is realized by, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display.

[0036] Storage unit 160 is configured with, for example, a flash memory, and stores data and programs used by terminal device 10. In one aspect, storage unit 160 stores user information 161.

[0037] The user information 161 is information about a user who uses the system 1 by using the terminal device 10. The user information 161 includes information for identifying the user, the user's name, account information of a messaging app used by the user, information about the user's contact information such as an email address, and the like.

[0038] The control unit 170 reads a program stored in the storage unit 160 and executes instructions included in the program to control the operation of the terminal device 10. The control unit 170 is, for example, an application program that is pre-installed in the terminal device 10. The control unit 170 operates according to the program to fulfill the functions of an operation reception unit 171, a transmission / reception unit 172, a data processing unit 173, and a display processing unit 174.

[0039] The operation reception unit 171 performs processing for receiving input operations by the user via an input device such as the keyboard 131 .

[0040] The transmission / reception unit 172 performs processing for the terminal device 10 to transmit and receive data to and from an external device such as the server 20 in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0041] The data processing unit 173 performs a process of performing calculations on the data that the terminal device 10 accepts as input in accordance with a program, and outputs the calculation results to a memory or the like.

[0042] The display processing unit 174 performs processing to present information to the user. The display processing unit 174 performs processing to display a display image on the display 132, and the like.

[0043] (3) Functional configuration of server 20 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the server 20 constituting the system 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the server 20 exerts the functions of a communication unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a control unit 203.

[0044] The communication unit 201 performs processing for the server 20 to communicate with external devices.

[0045] (3-1) Configuration of storage unit 202 The storage unit 202 stores data and programs used by the server 20. The storage unit 202 stores the following databases. 1) A database that stores information about corporations ·Corporate Database (Corporate DB) 2021 ·Business Information Database (Business DB) 2022 · Deposit Account Database (Deposit Account DB) 2023 2) A database that stores information about personnel ·Personnel Database (Personnel DB) 2024 Role Database (Role DB) 2025 3) A database that stores information about members and payers. ·Member Database (Member DB) 2026 ·Payer Database (Payer DB) 2027 4) A database that stores information about claims ·Billing Database (Billing DB) 2028 5) A database that stores information about the operation history of the company's personnel ·Billing history database (Billing history DB) 2029 · Designated Account Master Database (Designated Account Master DB) 2030 Each of these databases will be described in detail later.

[0046] (3-2) Configuration of the control unit 203 The control unit 203 shown in Figure 3 functions as various modules such as a transmission / reception control module 2031, an acquisition module 2032, an account authentication module 2033, a billing module 2034, a deposit module 2035, a tallying module 2036, and an output module 2037, as a result of the processor 29 of the server 20 performing processing according to a program.

[0047] The transmission / reception control module 2031 controls the processing in which the server 20 transmits and receives signals from external devices in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0048] The acquisition module 2032 acquires various information received by the transmission / reception control module 2031, and controls the recording process in the corresponding database.

[0049] The account authentication module 2033 authenticates the login by using the account information entered by the person in charge when logging in to the system 1. The account authentication module 2033 switches the management screen, which will be described later, by determining the authority of the person who logged in. That is, the account authentication module 2033 outputs an operation screen for the person in charge of the corporation to the corporate terminal 10A, on the condition that the person in charge has been granted a predetermined authority (corporate authority).

[0050] The billing module 2034 generates billing information. The billing module 2034 creates billing information for each member of the establishment in accordance with the invoice issuance time registered in the establishment DB 2022.

[0051] The deposit module 2035 accepts payment information from an external electronic payment means and updates the billing database. The deposit module 2035 accepts payment information for each payment ID issued by the external electronic payment means and updates the columns related to deposits in the billing DB 2028. At this time, the payment module 2035 clears the billing information. That is, the payment module 2035 refers to the billing DB 2028 to check whether the cost of the corresponding invoice has already been paid. The payment module 2035 records the result of the check as a new record in the item "Deposit or not" in the billing DB 2028. The deposit module 2035 refers to the designated account master DB 2030 for the expenses deposited by the payer, and transmits instructions to the financial institution to deposit the amount into the corresponding deposit account.

[0052] The tallying module 2036 tallys up outstanding payments. Specifically, the tallying module 2036 refers to billing information and identifies outstanding invoice numbers for which payment has not been received beyond the due date. The tallying module 2036 identifies the member ID corresponding to the outstanding invoice number, and identifies the payer ID by referring to the member DB 2026. The tallying module 2036 refers to the payer DB 2027 and identifies billing information corresponding to the identified payer ID. The tallying module 2036 transmits the outstanding billing information and billing information to the output module 2037.

[0053] The tallying module 2036 tally up the payment statuses of multiple members as a total of the payment status for each establishment. Specifically, the tallying module 2036 displays the percentage of payment completion for multiple payers as the collection status. The tallying module 2036 also displays the payment status for each group divided based on the attributes of the payers. The tallying module 2036 also displays the collection status for each common expense item.

[0054] In addition, the tallying module 2036 tally up at least one of the billing information and the collection status information for each business location in response to a tallying instruction from the person in charge of the corporation. At this time, the tallying module 2036 tally up the billing information and the collection status for all business locations managed by the corporation.

[0055] The output module 2037 notifies the payer terminal 10C of the billing information as a bill. At this time, the output module 2037 notifies the payer terminal 10C of the URL related to the external electronic payment means together with the billing information. The output module 2037 notifies the business terminal 10B of the receipt from the payer. The output module 2037 issues a receipt to the payer terminal 10C. Furthermore, the output module 2037 outputs the collected information on the billing and collection status for each establishment to the corporate terminal 10A.

[0056] (4) Database data structure Next, the configuration of each of the above-mentioned databases will be explained in order. Note that these explanations are merely examples, and the structure of the databases can be changed as desired.

[0057] (4-1) Database that stores information about corporations First, the database that stores information about corporations will be described. 4A is a diagram showing a database for storing information about corporations, in which FIG. 4A shows a corporation DB 2021, FIG. 4B shows an establishment DB 2022, and FIG.

[0058] (4-1-1) Corporate DB2021 The corporate DB 2021 shown in FIG. 4A is a database that records information (corporate information) about corporations that use the system 1. New records are recorded in the corporate DB 2021 when a corporation registers a new user when using the system. The corporate DB 2021 can be viewed and edited by the administrator of the system 1.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 4A, each record of the corporate DB 2021 includes the items "corporate ID", "corporate name", "headquarters address", and "representative name".

[0060] The item "Corporate ID" is identification information for identifying a corporation. The corporate ID is assigned to each corporation as a unique value.

[0061] The item "corporate name" is information that indicates the name of the corporation corresponding to the corporation ID.

[0062] The item "head office location" is information that indicates the location of the head office of the corporation corresponding to the corporation ID.

[0063] The item "representative name" is information that indicates the name of the representative of the corporation corresponding to the member ID. In addition, the corporate DB 2021 may manage other data items.

[0064] (4-1-2) Business establishment DB2022 4B is a database for holding information (establishment information) about establishments that use the system 1. A new record is recorded in each record of the establishment DB 2022 when a new establishment that uses the system 1 is registered. The establishment DB 2022 can be viewed and edited by the administrator of the server 20 and the person in charge of the corporation.

[0065] As shown in Figure 4B, each record in the business DB2022 includes the following items: "business ID," "corporate ID," "business name," "location," "representative name," "contact information," and "invoice issuance date."

[0066] The item "establishment ID" is identification information for identifying an establishment. The establishment ID is assigned to each establishment as a unique value.

[0067] The item "Corporate ID" is identification information of the corporation to which the establishment corresponding to the establishment ID belongs.

[0068] The item "establishment name" is information that indicates the name of the establishment corresponding to the establishment ID.

[0069] The item "location" is information that indicates the location of the establishment corresponding to the establishment ID.

[0070] The item "representative name" is information that indicates the name of the representative of the establishment corresponding to the establishment ID.

[0071] The item "Contact Information" is information relating to contact information such as a telephone number or email address of the establishment corresponding to the establishment ID.

[0072] The item "Invoice issue time" is information registered as the time when an invoice is issued at the establishment corresponding to the establishment ID. The item "Invoice issue time" is applied to invoices that are issued periodically. In addition, invoices can be issued each time a charge is incurred. The establishment DB 2022 may also manage other data items.

[0073] (4-1-3) Deposit account DB2023 The deposit account DB2023 shown in Fig. 4C is a database for holding information (deposit account information) regarding deposit accounts that use the system 1. A new record is recorded in each record of the deposit account DB2023 when a new deposit account to be used in the system 1 is registered. The process of registering a deposit account will be described later. The deposit account DB2023 can be viewed and edited by the administrator of the server 20 and the person in charge of the corporation.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 4C, each record in the deposit account DB 2023 includes the items "account ID", "account number", and "corporate ID".

[0075] The item "Account ID" is identification information for identifying a deposit account. The deposit account ID is assigned to each deposit account as a unique value.

[0076] The item "account number" is information regarding the account number managed by a financial institution for the deposit account corresponding to the deposit account ID.

[0077] The item "Corporate ID" is identification information of the corporation that uses the deposit account corresponding to the deposit account ID. In addition, other data items may be managed in the deposit account DB 2023.

[0078] (4-2) Database that stores information about personnel Next, the database that stores information about the person in charge will be described. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the person in charge DB 2024, which is a database that stores information about persons in charge. Of these, FIG. 5A is a diagram showing the person in charge DB 2024, and FIG.

[0079] (4-2-1) Personnel DB2024 5A is a database for holding information (personnel information) about the persons in charge of the corporations and the persons in charge of the business establishments that use the system 1. A new record is recorded in each record of the person in charge DB 2024 when a new person in charge who uses the system 1 is registered. The person in charge DB 2024 can be viewed and edited by the administrator of the server 20 and the persons in charge of the corporations.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 5A, each record in the person in charge DB 2024 includes the following items: "person in charge ID," "name," "login pass," "corporation," "business establishment," and "authority type."

[0081] The item "Person in Charge ID" is identification information for identifying the person in charge. The person in charge ID is assigned to each person in charge so that it is a unique value.

[0082] The item "name" is information about the name of the person in charge corresponding to the person in charge ID.

[0083] The item “Login Pass” is a password that is required to be input when the person in charge corresponding to the person in charge ID logs in to the system 1.

[0084] The item "Affiliated Corporation" is identification information of the corporation to which the person in charge corresponding to the person in charge ID belongs.

[0085] The item "affiliated establishment" is identification information of the establishment to which the person in charge corresponding to the person in charge ID belongs. Note that if the person in charge is a corporate person in charge, this item may be null.

[0086] The item "role" is information indicating the role set for the person in charge corresponding to the person in charge ID. There are two roles for the person in charge: Corporate representative ·Business personnel The person in charge DB 2024 may also manage other data items.

[0087] (4-2-2) Role DB2025 5B is a database for holding information (role authority information) regarding the authority of the role of a person in charge of using the system 1. Each record of the role DB 2025 is set in advance when the system 1 is constructed. The role DB 2025 can be viewed and edited by an administrator of the server 20.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 5B, each record of the role DB 2025 includes the items "role name" and "authority."

[0089] The item "role name" defines the name of the role set for the person in charge.

[0090] The item "authority type" is information indicating the authority given to the role corresponding to the role name. The authority of the person in charge includes corporate authority set for the person in charge of the corporation and business authority set for the person in charge of the business. The difference between these authorities will be described later. It should be noted that the role DB 2025 may manage other data items.

[0091] (4-3) Database that stores information on members and payers Next, the database that stores information about members and payers will be described. 6A and 6B are diagrams showing databases for storing information on members and payers, in which Fig. 6A shows a member DB 2026 and Fig. 6B shows a payer DB 2027.

[0092] (4-3-1) Member DB2026

[0093] 6A is a database for holding information (member information) about members who receive services from each establishment. Each record in the member DB 2026 is recorded based on information entered by the establishment when registering a new establishment member. In the member DB 2026, information relating to its own members can be viewed by each establishment.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 6A, each record in member DB2026 includes the items "member ID", "business ID", "member name", "attributes", "payer name", "payer ID", etc.

[0095] The item "member ID" is information for identifying a member who receives services from a business. A business ID is assigned to each member as a unique value.

[0096] The item "establishment ID" is information that indicates the ID of the establishment to which the member corresponding to the member ID belongs.

[0097] The item "member name" is information indicating the name of the member corresponding to the member ID. For example, if the business is a nursery school, the members correspond to the students (kindergarteners) attending the nursery school.

[0098] The "attribute" item is information indicating attributes set by the establishment for the member corresponding to the member ID. For example, if the establishment is a nursery school, the attributes would correspond to class names such as "older Rose Class" or "younger Sakura Class." For example, if the establishment is a music school, the attributes may be courses taken such as "advanced class" or "beginner class." Furthermore, if the establishment is a fitness gym, the attributes may be information regarding the contract details such as "full-time membership" or "weekday membership." The "attribute" item is automatically changed when a member (kindergartener) advances to the next grade or when the member's contract details change.

[0099] The item "Payer Name" is information indicating the name of the party to whom the member corresponding to the member ID pays for services provided by the establishment. The "Payer Name" may be the name of the member, or, for example, if the establishment is a nursery school, it may be the name of the member's (student's) guardian. In addition, in the case of a corporate contract, the "Payer Name" may be the name of the corporation.

[0100] The item "Payer ID" is information for identifying the payer. The payer ID is set when the payer's name is registered. The payer ID may be a string of random numbers or letters. It should be noted that the member DB 2026 may also manage other data items.

[0101] (4-3-2) Payer DB2027

[0102] The payer DB2027 shown in FIG. 6B is a database for holding information (payer account information) about payers who use the system 1. Each record in the payer DB2027 is recorded in response to the registration of billing information from a new payer. Each record in the payer DB2027 can be changed according to the needs of the payer. Information about payers for their own members in the payer DB2027 can be viewed by each business establishment.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 6B, each record in the payer DB 2027 includes an item "payer ID", an item "payer name", an item "registration password", an item "billing information", and the like.

[0104] The item “Payer ID” is information citing the payer ID set in the member DB 2026 .

[0105] The item "payer name" is information that indicates the name of the payer corresponding to the payer ID.

[0106] The item "Registration password" is information related to the password used by the payer corresponding to the payer ID when registering account information. The registration process of billing information using the registration password will be described later.

[0107] The item "billing information" is information about the billing destination registered by the payer corresponding to the payer ID. In this embodiment, the process of registering the account information of a messaging app that the payer normally uses as billing destination information is taken as an example. The billing destination information may be information about an email address or a contact that can receive billing information by other electronic means. The billing information may be a token for identifying the payer's account information in the messaging app. It should be noted that the payer DB 2027 may manage other data items.

[0108] (4-4) Database that stores information related to claims Next, the billing DB 2028 that stores information related to billing will be described. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the billing database.

[0109] (4-4-1) Billing DB2028 The billing DB2028 shown in FIG. 7 is a database for holding invoice information (billing information) relating to expenses billed from a business to a payer by the system 1. Each record in the billing DB2028 is recorded based on payment information notified from an external electronic payment means when an invoice is issued and when payment is made by an external electronic payment means described below. The invoice issuance process will be described later. Each record in the billing DB2028 can be changed according to the needs of the business. The payment process by an external electronic payment means will be described later. Within the billing DB 2028, information relating to one's own bills can be viewed by each business establishment.

[0110] As shown in Figure 7, each record in billing DB2028 includes the following items: "invoice number," "business ID," "billing date," "payment due date," "expense item," "billing amount," "member ID," "payment ID," "deposit date," "deposit method," "deposit amount," and "whether or not payment was made."

[0111] The item "invoice number" is information for identifying an invoice.

[0112] The item "establishment ID" is information for identifying the establishment that issued the invoice corresponding to the invoice number.

[0113] The item "billing date" is information indicating the date on which the cost to be billed in the invoice corresponding to the invoice number occurred. The billing date may be information indicating a period such as a month or a week.

[0114] The item "payment due date" is information that indicates the payment due date set for the invoice corresponding to the invoice number.

[0115] The item "expense item" is information that indicates the details of the expenses to be invoiced in the invoice corresponding to the invoice number. If the business is a nursery school, the expense items would be "nursery school fees" and "teaching materials fees", etc.

[0116] The item "billing amount" is information indicating the amount of the fee billed by the invoice corresponding to the invoice number.

[0117] The item "member ID" is information that identifies a member who has received services from a business in return for the cost claimed on the invoice corresponding to the invoice number.

[0118] The item "Payment ID" is information for identifying a payment transaction. The payment ID is assigned in correspondence with the invoice number.

[0119] The item "invoice number" is information that identifies the invoice number for the payment ID.

[0120] The item "payment date" is information that indicates the date on which payment was made for the invoice number corresponding to the payment ID. The item "payment date" may also include information related to time.

[0121] The item "payment method" is information that indicates the means by which the payment for the invoice number corresponding to the payment ID was made. Examples of the item "payment method" include "credit card" and "convenience store payment".

[0122] The item "Amount Deposited" is information that indicates the amount actually deposited in the payment related to the invoice number corresponding to the payment ID.

[0123] The item "Payment" is information indicating the payment status of the fee claimed by the invoice corresponding to the invoice number. In addition, the billing DB 2028 may manage other data items.

[0124] (4-5) A database that stores information about the operation history of the company's personnel Next, a database that stores information regarding the operation history of the person in charge of the corporation will be described. Fig. 8 shows databases that store information about operation history by personnel in charge of a corporation. Of these, Fig. 8A shows a billing closing processing history DB, and Fig. 8B shows a designated account master database.

[0125] (4-5-1) Billing history DB2029 The billing closing history DB2029 shown in Fig. 8A is a database that records the history of billing closing processes performed by the person in charge of the corporation using the system 1. A new record is recorded in each record of the billing closing history DB2029 when the person in charge of the corporation performs billing closing processes. The billing closing history DB2029 can be viewed and edited by the administrator of the server 20 and the person in charge of the corporation.

[0126] As shown in FIG. 8A, each record in the billing closing history DB2029 includes the following items: "billing closing history ID," "corporate ID," "business establishment ID," "target tally month," "person in charge ID," and "closing processing date and time."

[0127] The item "Billing closing history ID" is identification information of the billing closing process that can identify the billing closing process. The billing closing history ID is assigned to each billing closing process so that it is a unique value.

[0128] The item "Corporate ID" is identification information of the corporation that performed the billing closing process corresponding to the billing closing history ID.

[0129] The item "establishment ID" is identification information of the establishment that was the subject of the billing closing process corresponding to the billing closing history ID.

[0130] The item "target tally month" is information related to the tally month in which billing was closed by the billing closing process corresponding to the billing closing history ID.

[0131] The item "Person in Charge ID" is identification information of the person in charge at the corporation who inputs an instruction operation regarding the billing closing process corresponding to the billing closing history ID.

[0132] The item "Closing processing date and time" is information related to the date and time when the billing closing processing corresponding to the billing closing history ID was instructed. In addition, other data items may be managed in the billing closing history DB 2029.

[0133] (4-5-2) Designated Account Master DB2030 The designated account master DB 2030 shown in Fig. 8B is a database that records master data of accounts (designated accounts) to which collected fees are to be deposited, designated by the person in charge of the corporation using the system 1. A new record is recorded in each record of the designated account master DB 2030 when the person in charge of the corporation designates an account to which the fees are to be deposited. The designated account master DB 2030 can be viewed and edited by the administrator of the server 20 and the person in charge of the corporation.

[0134] As shown in FIG. 8B, each record in the designated account master DB2030 includes the following items: "designated account master ID," "corporate ID," "business establishment ID," "designated expense item," "account ID," "person in charge ID," and "designated date and time."

[0135] The item "designated account master ID" is identification information of the designated account master that can identify the designated account master. The designated account master ID is assigned to each designated account master so as to be a unique value.

[0136] The item "Corporate ID" is identification information of the corporation to which the designated account master corresponding to the designated account ID applies.

[0137] The item "Establishment ID" is identification information of the establishment to which the designated account master corresponding to the designated account ID is applied.

[0138] The item "designated expense item" is information related to the invoice item of the invoice to which the designated account master corresponding to the designated account master ID is applied.

[0139] The item "account ID" is identification information of the deposit account to which the funds are to be deposited in the designated account master corresponding to the designated account master ID.

[0140] The item "person in charge ID" is identification information of the person in charge of the corporation who registered the designated account master corresponding to the designated account master ID (designated the deposit account).

[0141] The item "designated date and time" is information regarding the date and time when the designated account master corresponding to the designated account master ID was registered (the deposit account was designated). In addition, other data items may be managed in the designated account master DB 2030.

[0142] (5) System 1 Processing Next, the control process of the system 1 will be described.

[0143] (5-1) Display of the management screen by the person in charge logging in First, the account authentication process performed when logging in to the system 1 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flow diagram showing the display process of the management screen when a person in charge logs in.

[0144] As shown in FIG. 9, in the display process of the management screen, first, the corporate terminal 10A or the establishment terminal 10B accepts a login operation input from a person in charge (step S101). Specifically, the terminal device 10 acquires account information including the person in charge ID and the login password accepted by the operation acceptance unit 171, and transmits the account information to the server 20 via the transmission / reception unit 172.

[0145] After step S101, the server 20 accepts a login operation (step S221). Specifically, the transmission / reception control module 2031 of the server 20 receives information regarding the account operation included in the login operation transmitted from the terminal device 10 in step S101. The data acquisition unit acquires the account information of the person in charge included in the information regarding the account operation, and inputs the information to the account authentication module 2033.

[0146] After step S201, the server 20 performs account authentication (step S202). Specifically, the account authentication module 2033 of the server 20 refers to the person in charge DB 2024 for the person in charge account information input from the data acquisition unit in step S201, and determines whether or not a person in charge account including the corresponding person in charge ID and login password exists. At this time, the account authentication module 2033 determines the user authority. That is, it identifies the role of the person in charge linked to the corresponding person in charge ID in the person in charge DB 2024, and identifies the authority granted to the person in charge by referring to the role DB 2025.

[0147] After step S202, the server 20 outputs a management screen (step S203). Specifically, the output module 2037 of the server 20 outputs a management screen in accordance with the authority of the person who logged in to the terminal device 10. In other words, when the person in question has been granted corporate authority (predetermined authority), the output module 2037 outputs a corporate management screen to the corporate terminal 10A. On the other hand, if the person in question is not granted corporate authority but granted establishment authority, the output module 2037 outputs an establishment management screen to the establishment terminal 10B.

[0148] That is, in the system 1, the following two management screens are set up, and the display can be switched depending on the user's authority. -Corporate management screen: This is the screen where you can check the billing information of all business locations managed by the corporation, and is the screen where you can enter instructions for billing closing processing (described later) and for tallying up billing information for each business location. -Business Management Screen: A screen where you can check billing information within a business and edit individual billing information within the business The corporate management screen can only be viewed and edited by corporate personnel, while the business establishment management screen can be viewed and edited by both corporate and business establishment personnel.

[0149] After step S203, the terminal device 10 displays the management screen (step S102). Specifically, the display processing unit 174 of the terminal device 10 displays the management screen output in step S203 on the display 132 of the terminal device 10. That is, in step S102, a corporation management screen is displayed on the corporation terminal 10A. A specific display form of the corporation management screen will be described later as a first screen example D1. Also, in step S102, a business establishment management screen is displayed on the business establishment terminal 10B. A specific display form of the business establishment management screen will be described later as a second screen example D2. This completes the management screen display process.

[0150] (5-2) Issuance of invoices from business establishments and payment processing by payers Next, the process of issuing an invoice from a business will be described. 10 is a flow diagram showing the process from the business establishment's invoice to the payer's payment. This process can be performed from the business establishment management screen displayed on the business establishment terminal 10B.

[0151] As shown in FIG. 10, in the invoice issuing process, first, invoice information is entered at the business terminal 10B (step S111). Specifically, while logged in, the business staff member inputs information into the business terminal 10B about billing items incurred at the business that are not scheduled to be billed on a regular basis (such as overtime fees at a nursery school).

[0152] After step S111, the server 20 accepts billing information (S211). Specifically, the transmission / reception control module 2031 of the server 20 receives information about each item of the billing information transmitted from the business terminal 10B in step S111.

[0153] After step S211, the server 20 creates billing information (step S212). Specifically, the acquisition module 2032 of the server 20 acquires the billing information received by the transmission / reception control module 2031 in step S211, and records it as a new record in the billing DB 2028. The billing module 2034 creates billing information based on the newly recorded billing information in the billing DB 2028. In addition, for items that are set to be billed periodically, the billing module 2034 automatically creates billing information for each member in accordance with the conditions for the invoice issuance period set in the establishment DB 2022.

[0154] After step S212, the server 20 issues an invoice (step S213). Specifically, the output module 2037 of the server 20 transmits an invoice based on the generated billing information to the payer terminal 10C. At this time, the output module 2037 transmits the invoice to the payer's message app account by referring to the payer ID stored in the billing information and the billing destination information stored in the payer DB 2027. The output module 2037 also notifies the payer of a URL related to an external electronic payment method together with the invoice.

[0155] After step S213, the payer terminal 10C receives the invoice (step S311). Specifically, in the payer terminal 10C, the message app receives the invoice. The payer checks the invoice received by the message app and understands the details of the bill.

[0156] After step S311, the payer executes the payment (step S312). Specifically, the payer performs the payment using an external electronic payment means to which the payer is redirected from the notified URL. An external electronic payment method is, for example, an online payment system that cooperates with a payment agent system for credit card payments, payments at convenience stores, etc., as a deposit method. When the payer selects credit card payment or payment at a convenience store as the payment method according to the instructions displayed on the payer terminal 10C, the external electronic payment means provides an input form for inputting the credit card information to be used for payment, or information such as a payment number to be used when paying at a convenience store. The external electronic payment means issues a payment ID in response to payment by the selected payment method.

[0157] After step S312, the external electronic payment means notifies the server 20 of the payment information (step S411). Specifically, the external electronic payment means transmits the payment information to the server 20 for each issued payment ID.

[0158] After step S411, the server 20 accepts payment information (step S209). Specifically, the acquisition module 2032 of the server 20 records a new record in the billing DB 2028 based on the payment information received from the external electronic payment means. The deposit module 2035 also settles the billing information. That is, the deposit module 2035 refers to the payer DB 2027 and checks whether the cost of the corresponding invoice has already been paid based on the payment ID. The deposit module 2035 records the result of the check as a new record in the item "Deposit or not" in the billing DB 2028.

[0159] After step S214, the server 20 notifies the business terminal 10B of the receipt of the payment (step S215). Specifically, the output module 2037 of the server 20 notifies the business terminal 10B of the receipt of the payment. The output module 2037 may also issue a receipt to the payer terminal 10C. In addition to issuing the receipt, the output module 2037 may also notify information regarding the payment history. This completes the invoice issuing and payment process.

[0160] (5-3) Invoice settlement processing by corporate personnel Next, the billing closing process from the corporate staff will be described. This process can be performed from the corporate management screen displayed on the corporate terminal 10A. Here, the necessity of the billing closing process will be described.

[0161] In a corporation that manages multiple business locations, when a corporate employee performs accounting for each location, if the employee at the location changes the billing information for the billing period that is the subject of closing, a discrepancy will occur between the billing amount recorded by the corporate employee in the accounting process and the actual billed amount that is subsequently changed, causing the accounting process to have to be reworked.

[0162] For this reason, in System 1, the person in charge of the corporation can specify the billing period and business location when performing accounting processing for each business location, or perform billing closing processing for all business locations at once. Executing billing closing processing has the following effects. - Creation of new invoices (addition of billing information) will be restricted for the billing period that is being closed. -Changes to invoices (changes to billing information) that have already been issued for the billing period that is being consolidated are restricted.

[0163] The billing period does not necessarily have to be monthly. Also, the specification of the billing period may be omitted, and monthly aggregation may be set as the default. The process flow for such billing closing processing will be described below. FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing the closing process for invoices from corporate personnel.

[0164] As shown in FIG. 11, in the billing closing process, first, input of billing closing operations is accepted on the corporate management screen displayed in step S102 of FIG. 9 (step S121). Specifically, the operation reception unit 171 of the corporate terminal 10A receives the billing closing operation input by the corporate staff member. The corporate terminal 10A transmits the input billing closing processing operation to the server 20. The specific display mode of the corporate management screen at this time will be described later as the third screen example D3.

[0165] After step S121, the server 20 accepts a billing closing operation (step S221). Specifically, the transmission / reception control module 2031 of the server 20 accepts the billing closing operation transmitted from the corporate terminal 10A in step S121. At this time, the billing closing operation includes the following information: · The person in charge ID and company ID of the person in charge of the corporation who performed the billing operation - Business ID for which billing is to be processed - The month of calculation (billing period) that is subject to billing closing processing - Operation date and time when billing was processed

[0166] After step S221, the server 20 performs billing closing processing (step S222). Specifically, the acquisition module 2032 of the server 20 acquires various information included in the bill closing operation accepted by the transmission / reception control module 2031 in step S221, and records a new record in the bill closing history DB2029. This completes the invoice closing process by the corporate staff.

[0167] Next, the effect of such billing process will be described. In the illustrated example, a situation is assumed in which, after billing closing processing has been performed, billing information relating to the corresponding billing period is viewed on the business terminal 10B.

[0168] After step S222, an instruction to display billing information is input from the business person in charge to the business terminal 10B (step S131). Specifically, the operation reception unit 171 of the business establishment terminal 10B receives an input of a display instruction for billing information operated by the corporation's person in charge on the business establishment management screen. The business establishment terminal 10B transmits the display instruction for billing information to the server 20. The display instruction includes the following information: Invoice number

[0169] After step S131, the server 20 receives an instruction to display the billing information (step S223). Specifically, the transmission / reception control module 2031 of the server 20 receives the instruction to display the billing information transmitted from the business terminal 10B in step S131. The acquisition module 2032 of the server 20 acquires the instruction to display the billing information and inputs it to the output module 2037.

[0170] After step S223, the server 20 outputs billing information (step S224). Specifically, the output module 2037 of the server 20 uses the invoice number included in the display instruction for the billing information input from the acquisition module 2032 in step S223 to refer to the billing DB 2028 to identify the corresponding billing information, and outputs it to the business terminal 10B. At the same time, the output module 2037 outputs a message to the effect that changes to the billing information are restricted.

[0171] After step S224, the business establishment terminal 10B displays the billing information (step S132). Specifically, the display processing unit 174 of the establishment terminal 10B displays the billing information output from the server 20 in step S224 on the display 132 of the establishment terminal 10B together with a message indicating that changes to the billing information are restricted. The specific display mode of the establishment management screen at this time will be described later as a fourth screen example D4. In this manner, restrictions are imposed on changes to billing information due to billing closing processing.

[0172] (5-4) Calculation by corporate personnel Next, the tallying process performed by the corporate staff will be described. This process can be performed from the corporate management screen displayed on the corporate terminal 10A. In the system 1, the corporate staff uses the corporate terminal 10A to execute tallying at least one of information regarding billings to customers at each of a plurality of business locations and information regarding the collection status of the billings. FIG. 12 is a flow diagram showing the process of tabulating the billing and collection status for each establishment.

[0173] As shown in FIG. 12, in the process of tallying up billing information and collection information, first, a tally instruction is input to the corporate terminal 10A (step S141). Specifically, the operation reception unit 171 of the corporate terminal 10A receives a tally instruction input by a corporate employee. The corporate terminal 10A transmits the input tally instruction to the server 20.

[0174] After step S141, the server 20 receives a tally instruction (step S241). Specifically, the transmission / reception control module 2031 of the server 20 receives the tally instruction transmitted from the corporate terminal 10A in step S141. At this time, the tally instruction includes the following information: · Person in charge ID of the person in charge of the corporation who instructed the calculation, corporation ID - Business ID to be counted · The month of calculation (billing period) that will be used for calculation · Aggregation items (billing information, collection status) The operation date and time when the aggregation process was entered

[0175] After step S241, the server 20 executes a counting process (step S242). Specifically, the tallying module 2036 of the server 30 refers to the billing DB 2028 and performs tallying of the specified tally items. Here, the collection status may include the collection rate for each business location and a breakdown of the customer's payment method.

[0176] After step S242, the server 20 outputs the counting result (step S243). Specifically, the output module 2037 of the server 20 outputs the results of the aggregation by the aggregation module 2036 to the corporate terminal 10A.

[0177] After step S242, the corporate terminal 10A displays the tally result (step S142). Specifically, the display processing unit 174 of the corporate terminal 10A displays the information on the tally results output from the server 20 in step S243 on the display 132 of the corporate terminal 10A. This allows the corporate staff member to check the billing and collection status for each business location. This completes the process of tabulating the billing and collection status for each business establishment.

[0178] (5-5) Designation of deposit account by corporate staff Next, the process of designating a deposit account by a corporation employee will be described. This process can be performed from the corporation management screen displayed on the corporation terminal 10A. Here, the necessity of designating a deposit account for each expense item will be described.

[0179] For example, at daycare centers and other businesses run by local governments, childcare fees must be paid into an account managed by the local government, and expenses related to various items used by the children must be paid into an account managed by the business. In this case, in the past, the expenses to be paid to the account managed by the local government were paid in cash from the payer, and the business office had to transfer the money to the relevant local government account individually, which made the collection process complicated. We will explain the function of allocating deposit accounts according to such expense items. FIG. 13 is a flow diagram showing the deposit account designation process.

[0180] In the deposit account designation process, first, a deposit account for each expense item is designated at the corporate terminal 10A (step S151). Specifically, the operation reception unit 171 of the corporate terminal 10A receives an operation to designate a deposit account for each expense item input by the corporate staff. The corporate terminal 10A transmits the operation to designate the deposit account to the server 20.

[0181] After step S151, server 20 accepts the designation of a deposit account (step S251). Specifically, the transmission / reception control module 2031 of the server 20 accepts the designated operation transmitted from the corporate terminal 10A in step S151. At this time, the designated operation includes the following information: - The person in charge ID and company ID of the person in charge of the corporation who performed the specified operation - Business ID to be specified - Items subject to designation - Account ID of the designated deposit account

[0182] After step S251, server 20 performs master registration of the designated account (step S252). Specifically, the acquisition module 2032 of the server 20 acquires the information included in the designated operation received by the transmission / reception control module 2031 in step S251, and records a new record in the designated account master DB2030. This completes the deposit account designation process.

[0183] Next, the effect of such a process of designating a deposit account for each expense item will be described. For example, assume that the payment shown in FIG. 10 (step S312) is executed after the above-mentioned step S252.

[0184] In this case, in step S253, server 20 instructs the financial institution to deposit the money into the designated account as the deposit destination (step S253). Specifically, the deposit module 2035 of the server 20 counts up the expenses paid by the payer to the payment account by expense item, and notifies the financial institution of the deposit to the corresponding designated account. The financial institution deposits the expenses counted by expense item according to the specified contents into the corresponding designated account.

[0185] After step S253, the server 20 issues a deposit notification (step S254). Specifically, the output module 2037 of the server 20 outputs to the corporate terminal 10A a message indicating that the expenses totaled for each expense item have been deposited into the designated account.

[0186] After step S254, the corporate terminal 10A receives a payment notification (step S152). Specifically, the display processing unit 174 of the corporate terminal 10A displays on the display 132 of the corporate terminal 10A a message indicating that a deposit instruction has been issued to the financial institution in step S254. This allows the person in charge of the corporation to confirm that the deposit has been made to the designated account for each expense item. In this manner, system 1 allows a person in charge of a corporation to deposit funds into a designated deposit account for each expense item designated in advance.

[0187] (6) Screen examples Next, an example of a screen of the system 1 will be described.

[0188] (6-1) First screen example D1 A first screen example D1 shown in FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a corporate management screen displayed on the corporate terminal 10A in the display processing of the management screen in step 102 shown in FIG. The corporate management screen displays the billed amount and payment amount (collected amount) for each business location managed by the corporation, as shown in display fields C1 to C3. The corporate staff can click on each display field to move to the management screen for each business location (second screen example D2 described later).

[0189] The corporate management screen also displays a collective closing operation button B1 for performing collective closing processing, and individual closing operation buttons B2 to B4 for performing closing processing for each business location. When the corporate staff clicks the collective closing operation button B1, invoice closing processing for all business locations is executed. On the other hand, when the corporate staff clicks one of the individual closing operation buttons B2 to B4, invoice closing processing for the corresponding individual facility is executed.

[0190] Also, on the corporate management screen, an operation button B5 for downloading billing information for all business locations is displayed. When the corporate staff member clicks the operation button B5, billing information for all business locations is downloaded at once.

[0191] (6-2) Second screen example D2 A second screen example D2 shown in FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the establishment management screen displayed on the establishment terminal 10B in the display process of the management screen in step 102 shown in FIG. On the business establishment management screen, a list of billing information for the current month is displayed, as shown in display field C4. By clicking on each field in the list, the details of each billing information can be displayed.

[0192] In addition, the business establishment management screen displays a collection status display field C5 that shows the collection status of all invoices for the current month at the business establishment. The collection status display field C5 displays the collection status in a pie chart, allowing business establishment personnel and corporate personnel to intuitively grasp the collection status.

[0193] (6-3) Third screen example D3 A third screen example D3 shown in FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a corporate management screen displayed on the corporate terminal 10A during the billing closing operation in step S121 shown in FIG. On this corporate management screen, as shown in the confirmation message field C6, it is displayed that by performing the batch closing process, the operation at the business site regarding the change of the billing information for the billing period that is the subject of closing for all facilities will be restricted. Clicking the execute button B6 executes the billing closing process.

[0194] (6-4) 4th screen example D4 A fourth screen example D4 shown in FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the establishment management screen displayed on the establishment terminal 10B in the display process of the billing information in step S132 shown in FIG. On this business management screen, as shown in the confirmation message field C7, the billing closing process has already been performed, and it is displayed that new billing and changes to billing information are restricted for the billing period that is the subject of closing. By clicking the Re-bill button B7, it is possible to execute re-billing by issuing an invoice again without changing the billing information already created for the billing period that is the subject of closing.

[0195] (7) Summary As described above, according to the system 1 of this embodiment, by accepting input of a compilation instruction regarding billing information and collection status for customers at each of multiple business locations from the corporate terminal 10A, the information is compiled and output to the corporate terminal 10A. This allows corporations that operate multiple business locations to smoothly and centrally manage the collection operations at each location.

[0196] Furthermore, the system 1 determines the user authority given to the person in charge, and if the person in charge has been given the predetermined authority, outputs a corporate management screen to the corporate terminal 10A. Therefore, by separating the management screens that can be viewed and operated depending on the role of the corporate person in charge and the business person in charge, it is possible to encourage appropriate management by the corporate person in charge.

[0197] Furthermore, in the system 1, in response to receiving an input for billing closing processing specifying a billing period from the corporate terminal 10A, changes to billing information during the billing period are restricted. This makes it possible to prevent changes to billing information at the business site after the corporate staff has tallied up the sales for the billing period to be closed, and to avoid inconsistencies in billing amounts caused by subsequent changes to billing information.

[0198] In addition, the system 1 collects information on the collection status including at least one of the collection rate for each business location and the breakdown of the payment methods of the customers. This allows the system 1 to provide information to the corporate personnel after evaluating the collection status from multiple angles.

[0199] In addition, the system 1 can accept the designation of the deposit account to which the payment should be deposited for each expense item from the corporate terminal 10A, and then tally up the expenses received from the customer for each expense item and deposit the funds into the designated deposit account. This makes it possible for a business establishment such as a nursery school managed by a local government to automatically allocate the deposit destinations for expenses such as childcare fees to be paid to the local government and expenses related to various items to be paid to the business establishment. This eliminates the need to transfer the funds from the business establishment to the local government account individually after receiving a cash payment. From the payer's perspective, this also avoids the complication of payments caused by multiple transfers being requested for each expense item.

[0200] (8) Variations Next, a modification of the system 1 will be described. In the above embodiment, a corporation that operates an education business has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The system 1 can be used in corporations that operate various businesses.

[0201] Furthermore, the designation of the deposit account for each expense item is not limited to being performed by the person in charge of the corporation, but may be performed by the person in charge of the business through operation of the business terminal 10B. In addition, the deposit account may be designated by business establishment in addition to by expense item, and the designated account master may be registered with further subdivision.

[0202] In addition, the authority of the person in charge is not limited to two, the corporate authority and the business establishment authority, and may be further subdivided. For example, the role name of the role DB 2025 may be subdivided to set three or more roles, and corresponding authority may be set for each role. An example is given below. -Corporate administrator: Has authority to operate all functions on the corporate administration screen Corporate Administrator: Has authority to operate some of the functions on the corporate administration screen. ·Establishment administrator: Has authority to operate all functions on the establishment management screen. · Business establishment manager: Has authority to operate some of the functions on the business establishment management screen.

[0203] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the server 20 is configured to accept information input from the terminal device 10, perform necessary calculations, and then display the information on the terminal device 10, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the terminal device 10 may receive input for some or all of the above functions, process the input within the terminal device 10, and display the input on the display 132 of the terminal device 10. To achieve such a configuration, the user may access the server 20 via the terminal device 10, install a program provided by the server 20 into the terminal device 10, and perform processing within the terminal device 10. In this case, the server 20 may not have to include some or all of the above-mentioned functional modules as its functions.

[0204] Although the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiment, and the present disclosure includes the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. In addition, the configurations of the devices described in the above embodiments and modifications can be partially omitted or combined as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0205] (9) Additional Notes The matters described in the above embodiments will be supplemented below.

[0206] (Additional Note) A program to be executed by a bill collection system, the bill collection system being used by a corporation managing a plurality of business locations to collect bills from customers at the business locations, the program comprising: The program causes the processor to A step of accepting input of a tally instruction for at least one of information regarding billing to customers at each of a plurality of business locations and information regarding the collection status of the billing from a terminal device used by a person in charge of the corporation (step S241); In response to the receipt of the tallying instruction, tallying at least one of information regarding billing for each establishment and information regarding the collection status (step S242); and outputting the collected information to the terminal device (step S243).

[0207] (Appendix 2) The processor further comprises: A step of determining user authority granted to the person in charge (step S202); The program according to claim 1, further comprising: a step (step S203) of outputting to the terminal device, when the person in charge has been granted a specified authority, a management screen for the corporate person in charge, which is a screen for inputting aggregation instructions.

[0208] (Appendix 3) The processor further comprises: A step of accepting an input of a billing closing process specifying a business establishment from a terminal device (step S221); 2. The program according to claim 1, further comprising: a step (step S222) of restricting changes to billing information at the establishment in response to an input for billing closing processing.

[0209] (Appendix 4) The program of claim 1 , wherein the collection status includes at least one of a collection rate by business location and a breakdown of customer payment methods.

[0210] (Appendix 5) The processor further comprises: A step of accepting, from the terminal device, a designation of a deposit account to which payment should be made for each item of the claim (step S251); 2. The program according to claim 1, further comprising: a step of tallying up expenses received from a customer by expense item, and depositing the total amount into a designated deposit account (step S253).

[0211] (Appendix 6) A method executed by a bill collection system for use in collecting bills from customers at a plurality of business locations by a corporation that manages a plurality of business locations, the method comprising: The method includes a processor: A step of accepting input of a tally instruction for at least one of information regarding billing to customers at each of a plurality of business locations and information regarding the collection status of the billing from a terminal device used by a person in charge of the corporation (step S241); In response to the receipt of the tallying instruction, tallying at least one of information regarding billing for each establishment and information regarding the collection status (step S242); and outputting the collected information to the terminal device (step S243).

[0212] (Appendix 7) A bill collection system including a processor and used by a corporation that manages a plurality of business locations to collect bills from customers at the business locations, The bill collection system includes a processor, a means for receiving, from a terminal device used by a person in charge of the corporation, an input of a compilation instruction for at least one of information regarding invoices to customers at each of a plurality of business locations and information regarding the collection status of the invoices; means for tallying up at least one of information regarding billing for each establishment and information regarding the status of collection in response to receipt of a tallying instruction; and means for outputting the collected information to a terminal device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0213] 1. Collection system 10A Corporate Terminal 10B Business terminal 10C Payer Terminal 20 Servers 202 Storage section 203 Control Unit 2031 Transmitting and Receiving Control Module 2032 Acquisition Module 2033 Account Authentication Module 2034 Billing Module 2035 Deposit Module 2036 Counting Module 2037 Output Module

Claims

1. A program to be executed by a collection system equipped with a processor and used for collecting payments from customers at a business establishment, The program is provided to the processor: The steps include receiving input from a terminal device used by a person in charge of the corporation managing the said business establishment, an input of a request to aggregate information regarding at least one of the following: information regarding invoices to the said customers at the said business establishment, and information regarding the collection status of said invoices, In response to receiving the aforementioned aggregation instruction, the steps include aggregating at least one of the information relating to the invoice and the information relating to the collection status, The steps of outputting the aggregated information to the terminal device are performed, The program further provides the processor with: The terminal device receives a designation of a deposit account for each expense item of the invoice, regarding the payment related to the invoice. A program that performs the steps of: aggregating the expenses received from the aforementioned customer for each expense item and depositing the funds into the designated deposit account.

2. The aforementioned processor further includes, The steps include determining the user permissions granted to the aforementioned person in charge, The program according to claim 1, which, when the person in charge has been granted predetermined authority, outputs a management screen for corporate personnel, which is a screen for inputting the aggregation instructions, to the terminal device.

3. The aforementioned processor further includes, The terminal device receives input for the billing closing process specifying the business location, The program according to claim 1, which performs the step of restricting changes to billing information at the business establishment in response to the input of the billing closing process.

4. The program according to claim 1, wherein the collection status includes at least one of the collection rate for each business location and the breakdown of the customer's payment methods.

5. A method performed by a collection system equipped with a processor and used for collecting payments from customers at a business establishment, The above method involves the processor, The steps include receiving input from a terminal device used by a person in charge of the corporation managing the said business establishment, an input of a request to aggregate information regarding at least one of the following: information regarding invoices to the said customers at the said business establishment, and information regarding the collection status of said invoices, In response to receiving the aforementioned aggregation instruction, the steps include aggregating at least one of the information relating to the invoice and the information relating to the collection status, The steps of outputting the aggregated information to the terminal device are performed, The above method further involves the processor, The terminal device receives a designation of a deposit account for each expense item of the invoice, regarding the payment related to the invoice. A method comprising the steps of: aggregating the expenses received from the aforementioned customer for each expense item and depositing them into the designated deposit account.

6. A collection system equipped with a processor, used for collecting payments from customers at a business establishment, The aforementioned collection system includes the processor, A means for receiving input of aggregation instructions from a terminal device used by a person in charge of the corporation managing the said business establishment, regarding at least one of the following: information regarding invoices to the said customers at the said business establishment, and information regarding the collection status of said invoices, In response to receiving the aforementioned aggregation instruction, means for aggregating at least one of the information relating to the claim and the information relating to the collection status, means for outputting the aggregated information to the terminal device, The aforementioned terminal device provides a means for receiving the designation of a deposit account, which is the account to which payment should be made, for each expense item of the aforementioned invoice, A collection system comprising means for aggregating the expenses received from the aforementioned customer for each expense item and depositing them into the designated deposit account.

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