Information processing device, terminal device, information processing method and program

Abstract

To achieve facilitation of using cashless settlement processing or point processing, reducing a burden of a commission of a store using both cashless settlement processing and point processing.SOLUTION: An information processing device, which calculates a commission to be imposed on a store capable of using both cashless settlement processing pertaining to commercial transaction and point processing, is configured to comprise: a rate information storage media that stores a preset different commission rate associating presence or absence of both usage; a transaction data acquisition unit that acquires transaction data including settlement information on settlement for each commercial transaction and addition information showing the presence or absence of both usage from a terminal of the store; a commission rate calculation unit that reads a corresponding commission rate from the rate information storage media in accordance with the presence or absence of both usage shown by the addition information, and calculates a commission to be imposed on the store on the basis of the commission rate and the settlement information; and an output unit that outputs information showing a calculated fee.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to an information processing device, a terminal device, an information processing method, and a program used in an information processing system related to commercial transactions. [Background technology]

[0002] Non-cash payment methods such as credit cards and electronic money are widely used when paying for goods and services. Point services that give points as rewards to customers who use stores are also becoming popular.

[0003] Non-cash payments have the following advantages for consumers: no need to carry cash, easier management of spending, and the ability to receive rebates according to the amount of spending. Point services also have the advantage for consumers, as they can use accumulated points as part of the price, and can receive gifts or services according to the number of points accumulated.

[0004] For stores, the use of non-cash payment or point services offers many benefits, including differentiating themselves from other stores, attracting customers who want to use non-cash payment or point services, and preventing customers from churn by giving back points to loyal customers.

[0005] When using non-cash payments, merchants must pay merchant fees to the payment system provider. Generally, fees are calculated for each payment by multiplying the transaction amount by a preset fee rate, and are charged to merchants.

[0006] Similarly, when using a point service, a participating store must pay a fee to the service provider. In general, the fee is calculated by multiplying the transaction amount or the number of points awarded for each payment by a preset fee rate, and is then charged to the participating store.

[0007] Companies that provide non-cash payment systems or point-granting systems for point services rely on these merchant fees as one of their sources of income, and hope to attract more stores to adopt the systems they provide.

[0008] However, Japan's merchant fee rates for the use of non-cash payment systems generally tend to be higher than in other countries, and the reality is that many stores are unable to introduce these non-cash payment methods due to the cost.

[0009] In this situation, if stores that have already implemented non-cash payment methods were to also introduce point services in order to attract customers, they would end up incurring further fees.

[0010] Meanwhile, in credit card transactions, a technique is known in which a fee is calculated for each member based on the card member's card usage, rather than a fee rate determined for each affiliated store (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-197382 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] However, although the technology of Patent Document 1 has the effect that once a credit card payment method is introduced, member stores will strive to acquire quality customers in the hope of reducing the commission rate, at the stage when considering introducing a payment system, it is difficult to predict the effect of reducing the commission rate, and there is still a problem that it is difficult to go ahead with the introduction. In addition, the problem of increased commission burden due to the use of a point service remains unresolved.

[0013] This invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide technology that reduces the fee burden on stores when non-cash payment processing and point processing are used in combination in commercial transactions, and promotes the use of non-cash payment processing or point processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In order to solve the above problem, a first aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that calculates a fee to be charged to a store that can use non-cash payment processing and point processing in combination for a commercial transaction, the information processing device comprising: a rate information storage medium that stores different fee rates that are preset in correspondence with whether or not the non-cash payment processing and the point processing are used in combination; a transaction data acquisition unit that acquires transaction data from a terminal of the store for each of the commercial transactions, the transaction data including payment information regarding the payment of the commercial transaction and additional information indicating whether or not the non-cash payment processing and the point processing are used in combination for the commercial transaction; a fee calculation unit that reads out a corresponding fee rate from the rate information storage medium depending on whether or not the combination is used as indicated by the additional information included in the acquired transaction data, and calculates a fee to be charged to the store based on the fee rate and the payment information included in the acquired transaction data; and an output unit that outputs information indicating the calculated fee.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that calculates a fee for credit payment processing to be charged to a store that allows credit payment processing and point processing in connection with a commercial transaction, the information processing device comprising: a rate information storage medium that stores different fee rates that are preset in correspondence with whether or not the credit payment processing and the point processing are used in combination; a transaction data acquisition unit that acquires transaction data from a terminal of the store, the transaction data including value information for each commercial transaction that indicates the transaction price that is the subject of the credit payment processing in connection with the commercial transaction, and additional information that indicates whether or not the credit payment processing and the point processing are used in combination for the commercial transaction; a fee calculation unit that reads a corresponding fee rate from the rate information storage medium depending on whether or not the credit payment processing and the point processing are used in combination as indicated by the additional information included in the acquired transaction data, and calculates a fee for the credit payment processing based on the fee rate and the value information included in the acquired transaction data; and an output unit that outputs information indicating the calculated fee.

[0016] In a third aspect of the present invention, the rate information storage medium stores a first commission rate set corresponding to a case where the credit payment processing and the point processing are not used in combination, and a second commission rate set to a value lower than the first commission rate corresponding to a case where the credit payment processing and the point processing are used in combination, and the commission calculation unit calculates the commission to be charged to the store by multiplying the commission rate read from the rate information storage medium by the transaction amount represented by the price information.

[0017] A fourth aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that calculates a fee for point processing to be charged to a store that allows credit card payment processing and point processing in combination for a commercial transaction, the information processing device comprising: a rate information storage medium that stores different fee rates that are preset in correspondence with whether or not the credit card payment processing and point processing are used in combination; a transaction data acquisition unit that acquires from a terminal of the store transaction data that includes, for each of the commercial transactions, value information that indicates the transaction amount related to the commercial transaction, point processing information that includes information regarding the awarding of points related to the commercial transaction, and additional information that indicates whether or not the credit card payment processing and the point processing are used in combination for the commercial transaction; a fee calculation unit that reads out a corresponding fee rate from the rate information storage medium in accordance with whether or not the credit card payment processing and the point processing are used in combination as indicated by the additional information included in the acquired transaction data, and calculates a fee for the point processing based on the fee rate and at least one of the value information and the point processing information included in the acquired transaction data; and an output unit that outputs information indicating the calculated fee.

[0018] A fifth aspect of the present invention is such that the rate information storage medium stores a first commission rate set corresponding to a case where the credit payment processing and the point processing are not used in combination, and a second commission rate set to a value lower than the first commission rate corresponding to a case where the credit payment processing and the point processing are used in combination, and the commission calculation unit calculates the commission related to the point processing by multiplying the commission rate read from the rate information storage medium by the transaction amount represented by the value information or the number of points awarded calculated based on the point processing information.

[0019] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a terminal device installed in a store, used together with an information processing device that calculates a fee to be charged to a store that allows non-cash payment processing and point processing in combination for a commercial transaction, using different fee rates that are preset in accordance with whether the non-cash payment processing and the point processing are used in combination, the terminal device having a payment information acquisition unit that acquires payment information regarding the payment of each commercial transaction, a combination determination unit that determines whether the non-cash payment processing and the point processing are used in combination for each commercial transaction, a payment data generation unit that generates payment data including the payment information and additional information indicating whether the non-cash payment processing and the point processing are used in combination for each commercial transaction, and an output unit that outputs the generated payment data. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to a first aspect of the present invention, in an information processing device that calculates a fee to be charged to a store that can use non-cash payment processing and point processing in combination for a commercial transaction, transaction data including payment information related to the payment of the commercial transaction and additional information indicating whether or not non-cash payment processing and point processing are used in combination for each commercial transaction is acquired from a store terminal, and the fee is calculated based on the payment information included in the transaction data and a fee rate that is preset in association with whether or not non-cash payment processing and point processing are used in combination. In this way, by setting different fee rates according to the additional information indicating whether or not non-cash payment processing and point processing are used in combination, the fee burden on the store due to the combined use of non-cash payment processing and point processing can be appropriately and easily reduced, and the use of non-cash payment processing and point processing can be promoted.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the present invention, in an information processing device that calculates a fee for credit payment processing, transaction data including information indicating the transaction amount of the credit payment processing for each commercial transaction and additional information indicating whether or not credit payment processing and point processing are used in combination for the commercial transaction is acquired from a store terminal, and the fee for the credit payment processing is calculated based on the information indicating the transaction amount included in the transaction data and a fee rate that is preset in association with whether or not credit payment processing and point processing are used in combination. In this way, by setting different fee rates according to the additional information indicating whether or not credit payment processing and point processing are used in combination as the fee rate for calculating the fee for credit payment processing, the fee burden on the store due to the combined use of non-cash payment processing and point processing can be appropriately and easily reduced, and the use of non-cash payment processing and point processing can be promoted.

[0022] According to a third aspect of the present invention, when calculating the fee for credit card payment processing to be charged to a store, a second fee rate set to a lower value than the first fee rate set for a transaction in which credit card payment processing and point processing are not used in combination is applied to a transaction in which credit card payment processing and point processing are used in combination. The fee is calculated by multiplying the transaction amount by this fee rate. This makes it possible to reduce the burden of fees that are levied on a store when credit card payment processing and point processing are used in combination. In addition, since the fee is calculated by multiplying the transaction amount by the fee rate, it is easy to grasp the effect of reducing the fee by reducing the fee rate, making it possible to encourage stores to use credit card payment processing and point processing.

[0023] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in an information processing device that calculates a fee for point processing, transaction data including, for each transaction, value information indicating the transaction value for the transaction, point processing information regarding the granting of points, and additional information indicating whether or not credit payment processing and point processing are used in combination for the transaction is acquired from a store terminal, and the fee for point processing is calculated based on at least one of the value information and the point processing information, and a fee rate that is preset in association with whether or not credit payment processing and point processing are used in combination. In this way, by setting different fee rates according to the additional information indicating whether or not credit payment processing and point processing are used in combination as the fee rate for calculating the fee for point processing, the fee burden on the store due to the combined use of non-cash payment processing and point processing can be appropriately and easily reduced, and the use of non-cash payment processing and point processing can be promoted.

[0024] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in calculating the fee for point processing to be charged to the store, for a transaction in which credit card payment processing and point processing are used in combination, a second fee rate set to a value lower than the first fee rate set for a transaction in which credit card payment processing and point processing are not used in combination is applied. The fee is calculated by multiplying the transaction amount or the number of points awarded by this fee rate. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden of fees that are charged to the store in duplicate when credit card payment processing and point processing are used in combination. In addition, since the fee is calculated by multiplying the transaction amount or the number of points awarded by the fee rate, it is easy to grasp the effect of reducing the fee by reducing the fee rate, and it is possible to encourage stores to use credit card payment processing and point processing.

[0025] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in a terminal device installed in a store, which is used with an information processing device that calculates a fee to be charged to a store that can use non-cash payment processing and point processing in combination for a commercial transaction using different fee rates preset in accordance with whether or not the non-cash payment processing and point processing are used in combination, payment information regarding the payment is acquired for each of the above commercial transactions, whether or not the non-cash payment processing and point processing are used in combination is determined, and payment data including additional information indicating whether or not the non-cash payment processing and point processing are used in combination and the payment information is generated and output. As a result, with a relatively simple configuration and without the need for complex setting changes, the fee calculation process in the information processing device can be performed using the payment data output from the terminal device installed in the store.

[0026] That is, according to each aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that can reduce the fee burden on the store when non-cash payment processing and point processing are used in combination in commercial transactions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system including a terminal device and an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a software configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a software configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure and processing contents of the terminal device shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure and processing contents of the information processing device shown in FIG. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a diagram showing a first example of a commission rate table that specifies a commission rate according to additional information. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a diagram showing a second example of a commission rate table that specifies a commission rate according to additional information. [Figure 8C] FIG. 8C is a diagram showing a third example of a commission rate table that specifies a commission rate according to additional information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [One embodiment] [Example 1] (1-1) Configuration (1-1-1) System FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a system including a terminal device and an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] This system comprises a store terminal STT of an affiliated store ST that uses a non-cash payment system and a points awarding system for commercial transactions, a payment service provider server PASV of a payment system provider PA that offers the non-cash payment system, and a point server SPSV of a point provider SP that offers the points awarding system, all connected via a network NW.

[0030] The network NW is composed of, for example, a relay network and multiple access networks for accessing the relay network. For example, a public network or a closed network using the Internet Protocol is used as the relay network. For example, a LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless LAN, a mobile phone network, a wired telephone network, a FTTH (Fiber To The Home), or a CATV (Cable Television) network is used as the access network.

[0031] The payment system provider PA includes any business that provides a non-cash payment system, such as credit card companies, electronic money businesses, etc. The payment system provider PA has a payment service provider server PASV and a transaction database PAD.

[0032] The payment service provider server PASV is configured by a server computer or a personal computer operated by the payment system provider PA. In order to realize the provision of a cashless payment system, the payment service provider server PASV receives payment data transmitted from a store terminal STT and executes a settlement process between the store ST and the customer CS. The payment service provider server PASV according to the first embodiment may include an information processing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing device 1 will be described in further detail later.

[0033] The transaction database PAD includes a transaction database that links the payment data transmitted from each store terminal STT with each store ST, an affiliated store database that stores various information regarding each store ST, and a member database that stores each member's identification number as a customer, personal information, card number, payment details, payment history, etc.

[0034] The point business operator SP is an operator that operates a point service (point awarding system) that issues points unique to a store or common to multiple stores and awards them to customers in response to store usage such as visiting a store or paying for a purchase. The point business operator SP includes a point server SPSV and a point database SPD.

[0035] The point server SPSV is composed of a server computer or a personal computer operated by the point business operator SP. In order to provide the point giving system, the point server SPSV receives point processing data transmitted from the store terminal STT and executes point settlement processing between the store ST and the customer CS.

[0036] The point database SPD includes a transaction database that links the point processing data transmitted from each store terminal STT with each store ST, an affiliated store database that stores various information regarding each store ST, and a member database that stores the identification number, personal information, point history information, etc. of each point member as a customer.

[0037] The store terminal STT is a POS (Point of Sale) terminal installed in the store ST, a communication terminal that operates in conjunction with a POS terminal, or a mobile information terminal that is used in place of a POS terminal. The store terminal STT may include a terminal device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The terminal device 100 will be described in more detail later.

[0038] The store terminal STT may be a device that manages multiple POS terminals in the store ST. The store ST is not limited to a brick-and-mortar store, and may be a storeless store such as an online store. When the store ST is an online store, the store terminal STT may be implemented as a sales management application having the same functions as a POS terminal.

[0039] In reality, many terminals of many affiliated stores are connected to the payment system provider PA's payment service provider server PASV and the point provider SP's point server SPSV, but for convenience, FIG. 1 shows only one store terminal STT of one store ST. Similarly, for convenience, FIG. 1 shows only one customer CS, but in reality, there may be many customers CS. In addition, in reality, the payment system provider PA often does not directly communicate with the affiliated store ST but instead performs settlement processing via a payment agent, but for simplicity, the explanation here will omit intermediaries such as the payment agent. Below, an overview of the processing will be given assuming that the payment system provider PA in FIG. 1 is the credit card company PA.

[0040] In the system shown in FIG. 1, assume that a customer CS selects credit card payment to pay for a product or service at a store ST. The store terminal STT obtains information related to the transaction, for example, by a clerk at the store ST operating a code reader attached to the store terminal STT to read a product identification barcode attached to the product, or by the clerk inputting product information via a keyboard attached to the store terminal STT. Product information includes the type, name, unit price, quantity, etc. of the product or service. Furthermore, the store terminal STT obtains information on the credit card used to pay the price, for example, by a clerk at the store ST using a card reader to read the IC chip or magnetic stripe of the credit card presented by the customer CS. (Arrow S1)

[0041] The store terminal STT performs processing for sales management and inventory management based on the acquired product information and credit card information, and also generates payment data to be sent to the payment service provider server PASV of the credit card company PA for settlement. For example, the store terminal STT generates and accumulates payment data for each payment (transaction) including information for identifying the payment, such as a serial number, and payment information such as the date and time of the payment, the transaction amount, credit card information (card number, expiration date, security code, etc.), and payment method (lump sum payment / installment payment / revolving payment), and aggregates the accumulated payment data at regular intervals or regular amounts and transmits it to the payment service provider server PASV of the credit card company PA for settlement (arrow S2).

[0042] When the payment service provider server PASV receives the payment data sent from the store terminal STT, it adds the identification information of the store ST and stores it in the transaction database PAD as transaction data, and then prepares for billing the customer CS linked to the credit card information and for payment to the store ST as an affiliated store, as follows:

[0043] First, the payment service provider server PASV refers to the member database and bills the customer CS according to the contract details and payment method of each customer CS (arrow S3). In response, the customer CS pays the billed amount to the credit card company PA by bank transfer or withdrawal from a bank account (arrow S4). Note that the steps S3 and S4 indicated by dotted lines are not essential for the processing of the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0044] Meanwhile, for the store ST, the payment service provider server PASV performs a process to pay the billed amount based on the payment data to the store ST based on the affiliated store database in parallel with the steps of arrows S3 and S4, or at an appropriate timing after the completion of those steps (arrow S5). At this time, the amount paid to the store ST is the amount billed minus the commission to be charged to the affiliated store of the non-cash payment system.

[0045] Similarly, in the system shown in Fig. 1, assume that the customer CS, when purchasing the above-mentioned product, further indicates his / her intention to use the point service and presents the point card. The store terminal STT acquires the point card information by, for example, a store clerk at the store ST operating a card reader or scanner attached to the store terminal STT to read the IC chip, magnetic stripe, QR code (registered trademark), etc. of the point card (arrow S1).

[0046] The store terminal STT generates point processing data including point processing information that associates the acquired point card information with the acquired product information, etc., and transmits it to the point server SPSV of the point business operator SP (arrow S6). The point processing data includes, for example, point processing information such as information for identifying a payment, such as a serial number for each payment, the date and time of the payment, information for identifying the target customer (member ID, point card number, etc.), and the type of points, as well as product information such as the name and type of the product related to the transaction and the transaction price.

[0047] When the point server SPSV receives point processing data sent from the store terminal STT, it adds identification information of the store ST and stores the data in the point database SPD as transaction data, and performs processing for the customer CS as a point member and the store ST as an affiliated store as follows.

[0048] First, the point server SPSV calculates the number of points to be awarded to the customer CS based on the point processing data and on predetermined conditions. Next, the point server SPSV reads the point balance of the customer CS from the member database, generates point awarding data including the calculated number of points to be awarded, the point type, the point balance after the addition, etc., and transmits it to the store terminal STT (arrow S7). The store terminal STT that has received the point awarding data generates output data based on the received point awarding data, prints it on a receipt to be given to the customer CS, or displays it on a display and presents it to the customer CS. The point server SPSV also stores the calculated number of points to be awarded and the point balance after the addition in the point database SPD, linking them to the member database or transaction data.

[0049] The point server SPSV also reads out the point processing data stored in the point database SPD at regular intervals or at regular intervals, and calculates the point fee to be charged to the store ST according to the transaction amount or the number of points awarded. The calculated point fee is charged to the store ST together with, for example, a fixed monthly usage fee.

[0050] In one embodiment, when non-cash payment and a point service are used in combination in a single commercial transaction (payment), additional information is added to the payment data sent to the payment service provider server PASV for settlement by the store terminal STT. When the payment service provider server PASV receives the payment data, it determines the presence or absence of the above-mentioned additional information for each payment when calculating the affiliated store commission, and calculates the commission by applying a different commission rate depending on the presence or absence of the additional information. Here, the "commission rate" refers to a value applied when calculating the commission, and is expressed, for example, as a percentage (%) of the amount or an equivalent amount of points (yen / point).

[0051] In addition, even if the payment system provider PA is an electronic money provider (prepaid / postpaid) or a debit card (instant payment), the processing outline can be explained using a flow similar to that shown in Figure 1.

[0052] With regard to the arrow S2, the store terminal STT may transmit payment data to the payment service provider server PASV in real time for each payment, or may accumulate payment data and transmit it periodically, for example, for each week or each month, collectively to the payment service provider server PASV. Similarly, with regard to the arrow S5, the payment service provider server PASV may calculate a fee for each payment every time it receives payment data from the store terminal STT and impose the fee on the store terminal STT for each payment, or may calculate a fee for each week every time it receives, for example, one week's worth of payment data from the store terminal STT, or may receive and accumulate payment data for one week at a time from the store terminal STT and calculate a fee on a monthly basis.

[0053] Similarly, with regard to the arrow S6, the store terminal STT may transmit point processing data to the point business server SPSV in real time for each payment, or may accumulate point processing data and transmit it periodically, for example, for each week or each month, all at once to the point business server SPSV. Similarly, with regard to the arrow S7, the point business server SPSV may calculate a fee for each payment every time it receives point processing data from the store terminal STT and impose the fee on the store terminal STT for each payment, or may calculate a fee for each week every time it receives point processing data for, for example, one week from the store terminal STT, or may receive and accumulate point processing data for one week at a time from the store terminal STT and calculate a fee on a monthly basis.

[0054] Furthermore, the arrows S2 and S6 may be performed at different times or simultaneously, and similarly, the arrows S5 and S7 may be performed at different times or simultaneously.

[0055] (1-1-2) Terminal device (i) Hardware Configuration 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the terminal device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The terminal device 100 is used as a part of a store terminal STT installed in each store ST. Note that the terminal device 100 may be implemented as a separate device that functions in conjunction with the store terminal STT.

[0056] The terminal device 100 includes a hardware processor 120A such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc. A program memory 120B, a data memory 130, a communication interface 111, and an input / output interface 112 are connected to the hardware processor 120A via a bus 150.

[0057] The input device 102 and the display device 103 attached to the terminal device 100 are connected to the input / output interface 112. The input / output interface 12 takes in operation data input by an operator through the input device 102 such as a keyboard, a touch panel, or a mouse, and performs processing to output display data generated by the terminal device 100 to the display device 103 using a liquid crystal or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc., for display. The input device 102 may include a card reader, a code reader, a scanner, etc. connected to the store terminal STT. The input device 102 and the display device 103 may use devices built into the terminal device 100, or may use input devices and display devices of other information terminals that can communicate via the network NW.

[0058] The communication interface 111 includes, for example, one or more wired or wireless communication interfaces, and enables transmission and reception of information to and from external devices. As the wired interface, for example, a wired LAN is used, and as the wireless interface, for example, an interface that adopts a low-power wireless data communication standard such as wireless LAN or Bluetooth (registered trademark) is used.

[0059] The communication interface 111 transmits data between the payment service provider server PASV and the point server SPSV in accordance with a communication protocol defined by the network NW. For example, TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) or the like is used as the communication protocol, but it is not limited to this.

[0060] The program memory 120B is a storage medium that combines a non-volatile memory that can be written to and read from at any time, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), with a non-volatile memory such as a ROM, and stores programs necessary for executing various control processes according to one embodiment.

[0061] The data memory 130 is a storage medium that combines a non-volatile memory such as an HDD or SSD that can be written to and read from at any time with a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and is used to store various data acquired and created in the course of performing various information processing including the calculation of fees.

[0062] (ii) Software configuration FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the terminal device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention in association with the hardware configuration shown in FIG.

[0063] In the storage area of ​​the data memory 130, a payment information storage unit 131 is provided.

[0064] The payment information storage unit 131 is used to store the acquired payment information. However, the payment information storage unit 131 is not a required component, and may be provided in, for example, an external storage medium such as a USB memory, or a storage device such as a database server arranged in the cloud.

[0065] The control unit 120 is composed of the hardware processor 120A and the program memory 120B, and includes, as software processing function units, a payment information acquisition unit 121, a payment data generation unit 122, a combined use determination unit 123, and an output control unit 124. All of these function units are realized by causing the hardware processor 120A to execute a program stored in the program memory 120B. The control unit 120 may also be realized in various other forms, including integrated circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0066] The payment information acquisition unit 121 acquires payment information related to each transaction, such as the date and time of the payment, the transaction amount, credit card information, and payment method, from the store terminal STT or through a code reader or barcode scanner as an input device 102, and stores the information in the payment information storage unit 131.

[0067] The payment data generation unit 122 reads out the payment information stored in the payment information storage unit 131, and performs processing to generate payment data to be transmitted to the business server PASV of the credit card company PA for settlement.

[0068] The combination use determination unit 123 determines for each transaction whether a credit card and a point service have been used in combination, and performs processing to add additional information based on the determination result to the payment data generated by the payment data generation unit 122 and pass it to the output control unit 124.

[0069] The output control unit 124 generates output data based on the received payment data, and outputs the data via the communication interface 111 or the input / output interface 112 .

[0070] (1-1-3) Information processing device (i) Hardware Configuration 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing device 1 is used as a part of the payment business operator server PASV. Alternatively, the information processing device 1 may be implemented as a separate device that functions in cooperation with the payment business operator server PASV.

[0071] The information processing device 1 includes a hardware processor 20A such as a CPU, etc. A program memory 20B, a data memory 30, a communication interface 11, and an input / output interface 12 are connected to the hardware processor 20A via a bus 50.

[0072] An input device 2 and a display device 3 attached to the information processing device 1 are connected to the input / output interface 12. The input / output interface 12 takes in operation data input by an operator through the input device 2 such as a keyboard, touch panel, or mouse, and performs processing to output display data generated by the information processing device 1 to the display device 3 using a liquid crystal or organic electroluminescence (EL) device, for example, for display. The input device 2 and the display device 3 may use devices built into the device 1, or may use an input device and a display device of another information terminal that can communicate via the network NW.

[0073] The communication interface 11 includes, for example, one or more wired or wireless communication interfaces, and enables transmission and reception of information to and from external devices. As the wired interface, for example, a wired LAN is used, and as the wireless interface, for example, an interface that adopts a low-power wireless data communication standard such as wireless LAN or Bluetooth is used.

[0074] The communication interface 11 transmits data to and from the store terminal STT in accordance with a communication protocol defined by the network NW. As the communication protocol, for example, TCP / IP or the like is used, but it is not limited to this.

[0075] The program memory 20B is a storage medium that combines a non-volatile memory such as an HDD or SSD that can be written to and read from at any time with a non-volatile memory such as a ROM, and stores the programs necessary to execute various control processes according to one embodiment.

[0076] The data memory 30 is a storage medium that combines a non-volatile memory such as an HDD or SSD that can be written to and read from at any time with a volatile memory such as a RAM, and is used to store various data acquired and created in the course of performing various information processing including the calculation of fees.

[0077] (ii) Software configuration FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the information processing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention in association with the hardware configuration shown in FIG. The storage area of ​​the data memory 30 includes a transaction data storage unit 31, a rate information storage unit 32, and a fee storage unit 33.

[0078] The transaction data storage unit 31 is used to store the acquired transaction data (or payment data).

[0079] The rate information storage unit 32 is used to store, in the form of a fee rate table, fee rate information used for calculating fees.

[0080] The fee storage unit 33 is used to store the calculated fee.

[0081] However, the above-mentioned storage units 31 to 33 are not essential components, and may be provided in, for example, the above-mentioned transaction database PAD, an external storage medium such as a USB memory, or a storage device such as a database server located in the cloud.

[0082] The control unit 20 is composed of the hardware processor 20A and the program memory 20B, and includes, as software processing function units, a transaction data acquisition unit 21, an additional information extraction unit 22, a rate information acquisition unit 23, a fee calculation unit 24, and an output control unit 25. All of these function units are realized by causing the hardware processor 20A to execute a program stored in the program memory 20B. The control unit 20 may also be realized in a variety of other forms, including integrated circuits such as ASIC and FPGA.

[0083] The transaction data acquisition unit 21 accesses the transaction database PAD to acquire transaction data (or settlement data) to be subject to the fee calculation process, and stores the data in the transaction data storage unit 31.

[0084] The additional information extraction unit 22 extracts value information indicating the transaction value for each settlement (transaction) from the transaction data stored in the transaction data storage unit 31, and performs processing to determine whether or not there is additional information associated with the value information. The additional information extraction unit 22 also performs processing to extract the additional information if the additional information exists, and if the additional information does not exist, to pass information indicating that fact to the rate information acquisition unit 23. The additional information extraction unit 22 also performs processing to pass the extracted value information to the fee calculation unit 24.

[0085] The fee information acquisition unit 23 reads out the corresponding fee rate from the fee rate table stored in the fee information storage unit 32 based on the information received from the additional information extraction unit 22 , and passes it to the fee calculation unit 24 .

[0086] The fee calculation unit 24 calculates a fee based on the fee rate received from the rate information acquisition unit 23 and the price information received from the additional information extraction unit 22, and stores the calculated fee in the fee memory unit 33.

[0087] The output control unit 25 reads out the information stored in the fee memory unit 33 , generates output data, and outputs it via the communication interface 11 or the input / output interface 12 .

[0088] (1-2) Operation Next, an information processing operation by the terminal device 100 and the information processing device 1 configured as above will be described.

[0089] (1-2-1) Terminal device First, a description will be given of the processing operation of the terminal device 100 that functions as a part of the store terminal STT installed in the store ST. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure and processing contents of such a terminal device 100.

[0090] In one embodiment, the terminal device 100 monitors the presence or absence of a trigger to start the generation and output process of payment data to be transmitted to the business server PASV in step S101. In this state, for example, when an operator inputs a request to instruct the generation and output of payment data via the input device 102 and the terminal device 100 receives this request as a start trigger, the terminal device 100 executes the process as follows.

[0091] First, in step S102, under the control of the control unit 120, the terminal device 100 receives the payment information acquired by the store terminal STT through the input / output interface 112 or the communication interface 111 by the payment information acquisition unit 121, and stores it in the payment information storage unit 131. Alternatively, the terminal device 100 may acquire the payment information directly from a card reader or scanner serving as the input device 102. The payment information is information related to a payment related to a single commercial transaction, and includes information on the date and time when the payment was made, transaction amount information related to the payment, credit card information (credit card number, expiration date, security code, payment method, etc.) if a credit card payment was made, and information related to the point service (point card number, membership number, point type, etc.) if a point service was used.

[0092] Next, in step S103, under the control of the control unit 120, the terminal device 100 reads out the payment information stored in the payment information storage unit 131 by the payment data generation unit 122, and generates payment data to be transmitted to the business server PASV. The payment data is generated according to a data format designated in advance by the credit card company PA.

[0093] In step S104, under the control of the control unit 120, the terminal device 100 uses the combination use determination unit 123 to determine whether or not a preset combination condition is met, that is, whether or not a point service is used along with a credit card payment. In one embodiment, the combination use determination unit 123 determines that the combination condition is met in response to the inclusion of both specific credit card information related to a specific credit card company PA and specific point card information related to a specific point business operator SP in the payment information related to a single commercial transaction. If it is determined that the combination condition is met, the process proceeds to step S105, and if it is determined that the combination condition is not met, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0094] In step S105, under the control of the control unit 120, the terminal device 100 causes the use-along determination unit 123 to add additional information indicating that the use-along condition is satisfied to the payment data generated by the payment data generation unit 122. The additional information can be added by any method. For example, if there is free space in the data format for the payment data, a specific value can be set in this free space, and this value can be shared between the terminal device 100 and the payment business operator server PASV, thereby allowing it to be used as additional information indicating that the use-along condition is satisfied.

[0095] Next, in step S106, under the control of the control unit 120, the terminal device 100, by the output control section 124, outputs the payment data with or without the additional information added thereto.

[0096] The above steps S101 to S106 may be performed on any data unit at any timing. For example, the start of the generation and output process of the payment data described in step S101 does not have to be in response to an instruction from the operator, but may be triggered at regular intervals by an internal timer of the terminal device 100, and the process may be started periodically in response to the trigger, or may be performed every time data is received from the store terminal STT. Alternatively, the store terminal STT may accumulate unprocessed payment information in a storage unit (not shown), monitor the storage unit, and instruct the terminal device 100 to start the generation and output process of the payment data every time a certain amount of unprocessed payment information is accumulated.

[0097] (1-2-2) Information processing device Next, the processing operation of the information processing device 1 functioning as a part of the payment operator server PASV will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure and processing contents of such an information processing device 1.

[0098] In one embodiment, the information processing device 1 monitors the presence or absence of a trigger to start the fee calculation process in step S201. In this state, for example, an operator inputs a request to instruct fee calculation via the input device 2, and when this request is received as a start trigger, the information processing device 1 executes the fee calculation process as follows.

[0099] First, in step S202, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 reads out necessary transaction data from the transaction database PAD by the transaction data acquisition unit 21 and stores it in the transaction data storage unit 31. For example, the transaction data acquisition unit 21 accesses the transaction database PAD and extracts transaction data corresponding to the identification information of the store ST designated by the operator and the designated period. Each record included in the transaction data corresponds to a unit payment related to a unit commercial transaction and includes at least date and time information and transaction price information related to the transaction. The transaction data acquisition unit 21 may acquire payment data from the store terminal STT via the network NW, and use the payment data as transaction data to be used for calculating the commission. In this case, the transaction data acquisition unit 21 assigns the identification information of the store ST to the acquired payment data and stores it in the transaction data storage unit 31.

[0100] Next, in step S203, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 reads out the record stored in the transaction data memory unit 31 using the additional information extraction unit 22, extracts the transaction amount information together with information identifying the payment and information identifying the store ST, and passes it to the fee calculation unit 24.

[0101] In step S204, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 determines whether or not additional information is present for the record read from the transaction data storage unit 31 in step S203 by the additional information extraction unit 22. If it is determined that there is no additional information, the process proceeds to step S206.

[0102] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S204 that there is additional information, the information processing device 1 proceeds to step S205, where the additional information extraction unit 22 extracts the additional information and passes it to the rate information acquisition unit 23. In one embodiment, the additional information is identified as a value set in an empty area of ​​a data format specified in advance between the credit card company PA and the store ST. The additional information extraction unit 22 extracts this value as the additional information and passes this value to the rate information acquisition unit 23.

[0103] In step S206, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 causes the charge rate information acquisition unit 23 to acquire charge rate information representing a corresponding charge rate from a charge rate table stored in the charge rate information storage unit 32 based on the identification information of the store ST and the presence or absence of additional information (or a value extracted as the additional information). The charge rate table may be a data table individually set for each store ST, or a data table commonly set for each store type. Alternatively, the charge rate information acquisition unit 23 may acquire the charge rate information from another database managed by the credit card company PA. Alternatively, the charge rate information acquisition unit 23 may acquire the charge rate information by accessing a database that stores charge rate tables shared among a plurality of credit card companies PA and is collectively managed by another business (not shown).

[0104] The commission rate is set to a different value depending on the additional information. In one embodiment, when there is additional information, that is, when a point service is used in addition to credit card payment, the commission rate is set to be lower than when there is no additional information.

[0105] FIG. 8A shows an example of a commission rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32. This commission rate table is set for a specific affiliated store (ID=B00XX01), and the presence or absence of additional information is classified as "Y (additional information present)" or "N (no additional information)", and the commission rate to be applied in each case is shown. In the example of FIG. 8A, when the additional information is "Y", a point service was used along with a credit card payment, so the commission rate applied to the calculation of the credit card commission is set to 2.8% to reduce the burden on the affiliated store. On the other hand, when the additional information is "N", a credit card payment was made but a point service was not used, so the standard commission rate of 3.5% is applied as is.

[0106] FIG. 8B shows another example of the commission rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32. This commission rate table is set for a specific affiliated store (ID=B00XX05), and the additional information is divided into "Condition 1", "Condition 2", and "N / A (not applicable)", and the commission rate to be applied in each case is shown. For example, "Condition 1" is set as a case where a point service is used together with a credit card payment, and points are awarded at a predetermined award rate according to the transaction amount, "Condition 2" is set as a case where a point service is used together with a credit card payment, but bonus points unrelated to the transaction amount are awarded, and "N / A" is set as a case where a point service is not used together with a credit card payment. Such condition division can be easily implemented by the terminal device 100 setting different "values" in the free space for the case where "Condition 1" applies and the case where "Condition 2" applies when generating payment data, and sharing these values ​​with the credit card company PA. According to this method, more detailed conditions can be set by setting multiple conditions.

[0107] By setting the commission rate table as above in advance, the affiliated store can reduce at least the commission amount charged by the credit card company PA for transactions in which the point service is used along with credit card payment. Therefore, by presenting the commission rate table as above, it is possible to provide an incentive to further encourage the introduction of the point service to affiliated stores of the credit card payment system. In addition, as shown in Fig. 8B, by presenting detailed conditions according to the business form of each store, it is possible to further encourage the introduction of the point service to the store ST.

[0108] Next, in step S207, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 causes the fee calculation unit 24 to calculate an affiliated store fee based on the price information extracted in step S203 and the rate information acquired in step S206.

[0109] In one example, the fee calculation unit 24 calculates the affiliated store fee for each payment by multiplying the transaction amount obtained from the price information by the fee rate. For example, if the transaction amount is 10,000 yen and the acquired fee rate is 3.0%, the fee is calculated as 10,000 yen x 0.03 = 300 yen.

[0110] The fee calculation unit 24 associates the calculated fee with the transaction data and stores it in the fee storage unit 33. The calculated fee may be stored in association with each record of the transaction data (i.e., for each payment), or may be stored as a data table for each store ST separate from the transaction data.

[0111] In step S208, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 can generate output data using the output control unit 25 based on the information read from the fee storage unit 33, and output the data via the communication interface 11 or the input / output interface 12. For example, the output control unit 25 periodically reads out transaction data for each store ST, including information on the calculated fee, and generates output data that presents the amount obtained by subtracting the total fee from the total amount billed by the store ST as the amount to be paid to the store ST. This output data can then be sent to the store ST via the network NW, and output to the display device 3 for presentation to an operator. The operator who receives the data can then perform any process, such as making a payment to the store ST or checking the amount against the remittance details.

[0112] The above steps S201 to S208 may be performed on any data unit at any timing. For example, the start of the fee calculation process described in step S201 does not need to be in response to an instruction from an operator, but may be triggered at regular intervals by an internal timer of the information processing device 1, and the process may be started periodically in response to the trigger, or may be performed every time data is received from the shop terminal STT. Alternatively, the payment service provider server PASV may monitor the data stored in the transaction database PAD, and instruct the information processing device 1 to start the fee calculation process every time a certain amount of data for which the fee has not been calculated is accumulated.

[0113] [Example 2] In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the information processing device 1 has been described as being implemented as a part of the payment service provider server PASV of the credit card company PA. However, the information processing device 1 may be implemented as a part of the point server SPSV of the point provider SP. The information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0114] (2-1) Configuration The information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment is used as a part of the point server SPSV. Alternatively, the information processing device 1 may be implemented as a separate device that can function in cooperation with the point server SPSV.

[0115] (i) Hardware Configuration The information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment can employ the same hardware configuration as that described in the first embodiment.

[0116] (ii) Software configuration The information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment can employ the same software configuration as that described in the first embodiment with reference to Fig. 5. Specific functions of each functional unit that differ from those in the first embodiment will be described below.

[0117] The transaction data acquisition unit 21 accesses the point database SPD to acquire the transaction data to be used for the fee calculation process, and stores the data in the transaction data storage unit 31 .

[0118] The additional information extraction unit 22 extracts value information indicating the transaction amount or the associated number of points awarded for each payment (transaction) from the transaction data stored in the transaction data storage unit 31, and performs a process of determining whether or not there is additional information associated with it. The additional information extraction unit 22 also performs a process of extracting the additional information if there is additional information, and if there is no additional information, passing information to the rate information acquisition unit 23 indicating that there is no additional information. The additional information extraction unit 22 also performs a process of passing the extracted value information or the number of points awarded to the fee calculation unit 24.

[0119] The fee information acquisition unit 23 reads out the corresponding fee rate from the fee rate table stored in the fee information storage unit 32 based on the information received from the additional information extraction unit 22 , and passes it to the fee calculation unit 24 .

[0120] The fee calculation unit 24 calculates a fee based on the fee rate received from the rate information acquisition unit 23 and the price information received from the additional information extraction unit 22, and stores the calculated fee in the fee memory unit 33.

[0121] The output control unit 25 reads out the information stored in the fee memory unit 33 , generates output data, and outputs it via the communication interface 11 or the input / output interface 12 .

[0122] (2-2) Operation Next, the information processing operation of the information processing device 1 configured as above will be described with reference to FIG. 7, similarly to the first embodiment. The terminal device 100 used together with the information processing device 1 of the second embodiment operates in a manner generally similar to that of the terminal device 100 described in the first embodiment. However, the point processing data that the terminal device 100 transmits to the point business operator SP is generated according to a data format designated in advance by the point business operator SP. Then, similar to the first embodiment, when the combined use determination unit 123 of the terminal device 100 determines that both specific point card information and specific credit card information are included in the payment information relating to a single commercial transaction, the payment data generation unit 122 sets a specific value in the free space of the point processing data.

[0123] As in the first embodiment, the information processing device 1 monitors the presence or absence of a trigger to start the fee calculation process in step S201. In this state, for example, an operator inputs a request to instruct fee calculation via the input device 2, and when this request is received as a start trigger, the information processing device 1 executes the fee calculation process as follows.

[0124] First, in step S202, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 reads out necessary transaction data from the point database SPD by the transaction data acquisition unit 21 and stores it in the transaction data storage unit 31. For example, the transaction data acquisition unit 21 accesses the point database SPD and extracts transaction data corresponding to the identification information of the store ST designated by the operator and the designated period. Each record included in the transaction data corresponds to a unit payment related to a unit commercial transaction, and includes date and time information related to the commercial transaction, transaction amount information, information identifying the point member, and the number of points awarded. The transaction data acquisition unit 21 may obtain payment data from the store terminal STT via the network NW, and use the payment data as transaction data to be used for calculating the commission. In this case, the transaction data acquisition unit 21 adds the identification information of the store ST to the obtained payment data and stores it in the transaction data storage unit 31.

[0125] Next, in step S203, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 reads out the record stored in the transaction data memory unit 31 using the additional information extraction unit 22, extracts the number of points awarded or the transaction amount information along with information identifying the payment and information identifying the store ST, and passes it to the fee calculation unit 24.

[0126] In step S204, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 determines whether or not additional information is present for the record read from the transaction data storage unit 31 in step S203 by the additional information extraction unit 22. If it is determined that there is no additional information, the process proceeds to step S206.

[0127] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S204 that there is additional information, the information processing device 1 proceeds to step S205, where the additional information extraction unit 22 extracts the additional information and passes it to the rate information acquisition unit 23. In one embodiment, the additional information is identified as a value set in an empty area of ​​a data format specified in advance between the point business operator SP and the store ST. The additional information extraction unit 22 extracts this value as additional information and passes this value to the rate information acquisition unit 23.

[0128] In step S206, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 acquires, by the rate information acquisition unit 23, rate information indicating a corresponding commission rate from a commission rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32 based on the identification information of the store ST and the presence or absence of additional information (or a value extracted as the additional information). The commission rate table may be a data table individually set for each store ST, or a data table commonly set for each store type. Alternatively, the rate information acquisition unit 23 may acquire the rate information from another database managed by the point business operator SP. Alternatively, the rate information acquisition unit 23 may acquire the rate information by accessing a database that stores commission rate tables shared among a plurality of point business operators SP and is collectively managed by another business operator (not shown).

[0129] The commission rate is set to a different value depending on the presence or absence of additional information. In one embodiment, when additional information is present, i.e., when a point service is used and a credit card payment is made, the commission rate is set to be lower than when no additional information is present.

[0130] For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, when a credit card is used in conjunction with the point service (Y (additional information present)), a lower fee rate is applied to calculate the point service fee than when a credit card is not used in conjunction with the point service (N (no additional information)).

[0131] Also, when multiple conditions are set as shown in FIG. 8B, for example, "Condition 1" can be set as the case where a credit card payment is used for installment payment together with the presentation of a point card, "Condition 2" can be set as the case where a credit card payment is used for lump-sum payment together with the presentation of a point card, and "N / A" can be set as the case where a point card is presented but a credit card payment is not used (payment is made in cash). Such conditioning can be easily implemented by setting different "values" in the free space for the cases corresponding to "Condition 1" and "Condition 2" when the terminal device 100 generates point processing data, and sharing these values ​​with the point business operator SP. This method allows more detailed conditioning by setting multiple conditions.

[0132] Fig. 8C shows another example of the commission rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32 of the information processing device 1. This commission rate table is set as a common table for the member store group (ID=B001X01 to B001X99), and like Fig. 8A, the additional information is classified as "Y" or "N", and the commission rate to be applied in each case is shown as the amount per 1 point (PT). In Fig. 8C, in the case of "Y", i.e., when the point service and credit card payment are used in combination, a commission rate of 1.5 yen / PT is applied to the number of points awarded, and in the case of "N", i.e., when the point service and credit card payment are not used in combination, a commission rate of 2.2 yen / PT is applied.

[0133] By setting the commission rate table as above in advance, the affiliated store can reduce at least the commission amount charged by the point provider SP for transactions in which the point service is used together with credit card payment. Therefore, by presenting the commission rate table as above, it is possible to provide an incentive for the affiliated stores of the point service to further promote the introduction of a credit card payment system. In addition, as shown in Fig. 8B, by presenting detailed conditions according to the business form of each store, it is possible to further promote the introduction of a credit card payment system at the store ST.

[0134] Next, in step S207, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 calculates, by the fee calculation unit 24, an affiliated store fee based on the number of awarded points or value information extracted in step S203 and the rate information acquired in step S206.

[0135] In one example, the fee calculation unit 24 calculates the affiliated store fee for each payment by multiplying the transaction amount obtained from the value information by the fee rate. For example, if the transaction amount is 10,000 yen and the obtained fee rate is 3.0%, the calculation is 10,000 yen x 0.03 = 300 yen. Alternatively, the fee calculation unit 24 calculates the affiliated store fee for each payment by multiplying the number of points awarded by the fee rate. For example, if the number of points awarded is 10 points and the obtained fee rate is 1.5 yen / PT, the calculation is 10PT x 1.5 yen / PT = 15 yen.

[0136] The fee calculation unit 24 associates the calculated fee with the transaction data and stores it in the fee storage unit 33. The calculated fee may be stored in association with each record of the transaction data (i.e., for each payment), or may be stored as a data table for each store ST separate from the transaction data.

[0137] In step S208, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 can generate output data based on the information read from the fee storage unit 33 by the output control unit 25, and output the data via the communication interface 11 or the input / output interface 12. In one example, the output control unit 25 reads out transaction data for each store ST including information on the calculated fee at regular intervals, and generates output data to be presented as the amount billed to the store ST together with a fixed usage fee for the store ST. This output data can then be transmitted to the store ST via the network NW, and output to the display device 3 for presentation to the operator.

[0138] As explained in the first embodiment, the processing in steps S201 to S208 may be performed for any data unit at any timing. For example, the start of the fee calculation processing explained in step S201 does not have to be in response to an instruction from the operator, but may be triggered at regular intervals by an internal timer of the information processing device 1, and the processing may be started periodically in response to the trigger, or may be performed every time data is received from the shop terminal STT. Alternatively, the point server SPSV may monitor the data stored in the point database SPD, and instruct the information processing device 1 to start the fee calculation processing every time a certain amount of data for which the fee has not been calculated is accumulated.

[0139] (effect) As described above in detail, in one embodiment of the present invention, the information processing device 1, which calculates the fee to be charged to a store ST that allows both non-cash payment processing and point processing in relation to a commercial transaction, refers to the payment information for each commercial transaction and additional information indicating whether non-cash payment processing and point processing were used in combination, and calculates the fee based on a fee rate that is preset to be a different value depending on the additional information.

[0140] As a result, a store ST capable of using both non-cash payment processing and point processing for commercial transactions will be charged a fee when both non-cash payment processing and point processing are used in combination, which is different from the sum of the fees charged for the use of each processing system alone. Therefore, a store ST that has already introduced either non-cash payment processing or point processing and is considering introducing the other, or a store ST that has not introduced either processing system but is considering introducing both processing systems, can be given an incentive to introduce them by reducing the fee burden.

[0141] For example, if a store that was already using a point service was hesitant to introduce credit card payment due to the burden of double fees, the store may decide to introduce it if it is presented with a setting that reduces the fee rate for transactions that use both the point service and credit card payment.Also, if a store that has not used either the point service or credit card payment is considering introducing both systems at the same time, it is expected that presenting the fee rate table as above will encourage the introduction.

[0142] In the above embodiment, the fee burden on affiliated stores can be easily reduced without requiring complex system changes, by simply changing the settings of the fee rate table or by setting a specific value in the free space in the payment data sent from each store.

[0143] [Other embodiments] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, each process described with reference to Figures 1 to 7 above may be processed sequentially (continuous processing or real-time processing) each time new data is acquired in the store terminal STT, the payment service provider server PASV, the point server SPSV, or the information processing device 1, or the acquired data may be accumulated and batch-processed in a fixed amount or at fixed intervals.

[0144] Also, the payment system provider PA and the point provider SP may be the same provider. Similarly, the payment provider server PASV and the point server SPSV may be integrated into a single device. Alternatively, the payment provider server PASV and the point server SPSV may be capable of exchanging information via a network NW, and may determine whether the combined use condition is satisfied by collating payment data with each other. When the payment provider server PASV and the point server SPSV are a single device, the arrows S2 and S6 shown in FIG. 1 may be implemented as a single data flow. Similarly, the arrows S5 and S7 may also be a single data flow. In this case, either one of the affiliated store fee related to the non-cash payment and the affiliated store fee related to the point service may be reduced according to the combined use condition, or both affiliated store fees may be reduced. For example, the rate information acquisition unit 23 of the information processing device 1 may be configured to read out a plurality of commission rate tables stored in the rate information storage unit 32, and the commission calculation unit 24 may calculate a plurality of affiliated store fees simultaneously, in parallel, or sequentially. That is, the processing of the information processing device 1 described in relation to the first embodiment and the processing of the information processing device 1 described in relation to the second embodiment can be performed simultaneously, in parallel, or sequentially by a single information processing device 1.

[0145] Acquisition of transaction-related information by the store terminal STT or the terminal device 100 is not limited to the above-mentioned examples. The store terminal STT or the terminal device 100 may acquire information by reading JAN codes, QR codes, electronic tags, etc. using a code reader, electronic tag reader, scanner, etc., attached to the store terminal STT or the terminal device 100, or character information may be acquired by image recognition using a camera. Alternatively, a store clerk who operates the terminal may input information by operating a touch panel or buttons, and the input information may be acquired.

[0146] The "concurrent use" described above is not limited to cases where a customer indicates their intention to use a credit card and a point service at the same time when making a payment. If there is a time difference, for example, when a credit card linked to the same customer CS is used and a point service is used on the same day at the same store, it may be set to be regarded as "concurrent use."

[0147] In the above embodiment, the combination use determination unit 123 of the terminal device 100 determines whether the combination use condition is satisfied based on the information included in the payment information, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when paying for a price at the store terminal STT, when a point card is presented at the same time as credit card payment, an operator of the store terminal STT can press a predetermined button on the POS terminal to set a flag indicating that the combination use condition is satisfied for the payment data.

[0148] In the above embodiment, the additional information is added by the use-consumption determination unit 123 of the terminal device 100 when it is determined that the use-consumption condition is satisfied, but this is not limiting. For example, the terminal device 100 may be configured to add additional information only when the use-consumption condition is not satisfied, or may be configured to add different additional information depending on whether the use-consumption condition is satisfied or not.

[0149] Further, although the information processing device 1 has been described as reading the commission rate table from the rate information storage unit 32 of the data memory 30, the commission rate table may be stored in any storage medium, including an external database.

[0150] Furthermore, the commission rate may be different depending on the payment method for each payment data. For example, the commission rate may be different depending on whether it is a lump sum payment or a revolving payment, or various commission rates may be set by carefully setting the classification of the combined use conditions depending on various payment methods, such as the combined use of a gift certificate and a credit card, or the presentation or non-presentation of another membership card. Similarly, the commission rate may be different depending on the type of points. For example, the classification of the combined use conditions may be set depending on whether the points are awarded according to the transaction amount, whether they are awarded regardless of the transaction amount (store visit points, rainy day points, birth month points, etc.), or campaign points (time-limited points with a limited period of use, store-limited points with a limited store of use).

[0151] Generally, the payment data sent from the store ST to the credit card company PA for billing does not include detailed product information. However, for payments related to payment data that includes detailed product information, the commission rate may be further reduced. This allows the credit card company PA to obtain additional so-called POS data, which can be used for marketing.

[0152] Also, while the information processing device 1 has been described as acquiring a commission rate for each unit payment and calculating the commission, this is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to configure the device to group multiple payments that have the same combined use conditions together, acquire a commission rate for each group, and calculate the commission.

[0153] Furthermore, non-cash payments are not limited to credit cards and electronic money. The above embodiment can be applied to any payment system that incurs a usage fee for affiliated stores, such as debit cards, QR code payments, and house electronic money.

[0154] Similarly, the point service or point-granting system is not limited to a system in which points are granted via the point server SPSV as described above. The above embodiment is applicable to any information processing system that employs a similar system. For example, the above embodiment is fully applicable to an instantaneous point cashback or cash cashback system in which processing is completed (or appears to be completed) at a POS terminal or a user terminal and does not involve the point server SPSV, as long as the system incurs a member store fee for use of the information processing system.

[0155] The point card for use of the point service is not limited to a tangible card. For example, the customer CS can obtain point card information by having the code reader of the store terminal STT read the QR code displayed on the display of the customer's mobile terminal. Alternatively, the point card information may be registered only in the store terminal STT. For example, the customer CS may verbally state that he or she is a point member together with his or her name and date of birth, which may be regarded as an expression of intent to use the point service, and a flag may be added to the payment data by inputting the information into the store terminal STT by a clerk of the store ST. Alternatively, in the case of online shopping, the customer may check a checkbox "Collect points" as an expression of intent to use the point service, and it may be determined that a credit card and a point service have been used in combination.

[0156] In addition, the use of the point service is not limited to only those that generate points for the purchase price of goods or services. Transactions in which points are awarded for visiting a store regardless of the price can also be included in the scope of application of the above embodiment, or the use of the point service may also include consuming points as part of the price, exchanging points for gifts or cash vouchers, etc.

[0157] The functional units 121-124 of the terminal device 100 and the functional units 21-25 of the information processing device 1 may be distributed to a cloud server, an edge server, or the like, and these devices may work together to perform processing. Furthermore, the commission rate table may be set arbitrarily through discussion between the credit card company PA and the store ST, or a program that analyzes payment data to find an optimal solution may be used.

[0158] In addition, the configuration of the commission rate table and the like can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0159] In short, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment as it is, and in the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0160] 1...information processing device, 2...input device, 3...display device, 11...communication interface, 12...input / output interface, 20...control unit, 20A...hardware processor, 20B...program memory, 21...transaction data acquisition unit, 22...additional information extraction unit, 23...rate information acquisition unit, 24...fee calculation unit, 25...output control unit, 30...data memory, 31...transaction data storage unit, 32...rate information storage unit, 33...fee storage unit, 50...bus, 100...terminal device, 102...input device, 103...display device, 111...communication interface, 11 2...input / output interface, 120...control unit, 120A...hardware processor, 120B...program memory, 121...payment information acquisition unit, 122...payment data generation unit, 123...combined use determination unit, 124...output control unit, 130...data memory, 131...payment information storage unit, 150...bus, CS...customer, ST...store, STT...store terminal, NW...network, PA...payment system provider, PASV...payment provider server, PAD...transaction database, SP...point provider, SPSV...point server, SPD...point database.

Claims

1. An information processing device that calculates a fee to be charged to a store that can use both non-cash settlement processing and point processing related to a commercial transaction, a fee rate information storage medium that stores different fee rates that are preset in association with whether or not the non-cash payment processing and the point processing are used in combination; a transaction data acquisition unit that acquires, from a terminal of the store, transaction data including payment information regarding the payment of the transaction and additional information indicating whether the non-cash payment processing and the point processing are used in combination for the transaction; a fee calculation unit that reads out a corresponding fee rate from the fee rate information storage medium according to the presence or absence of concurrent use represented by additional information included in the acquired transaction data, and calculates a fee to be charged to the store based on the corresponding fee rate and the payment information included in the acquired transaction data; an output unit that outputs information representing the calculated fee; An information processing device comprising:

2. 1. An information processing device that calculates a fee for credit card payment processing, which is charged to a store that allows both credit card payment processing and point processing for a commercial transaction, comprising: a fee rate information storage medium for storing different fee rates preset in association with whether or not the credit card payment processing and the point processing are used together; a transaction data acquisition unit that acquires, from a terminal of the store, transaction data including amount information indicating a transaction amount to be processed by credit card payment for each of the commercial transactions, and additional information indicating whether or not the credit card payment process and the point process are used in combination for the commercial transaction; a fee calculation unit that reads out a corresponding fee rate from the fee rate information storage medium according to the presence or absence of concurrent use represented by additional information included in the acquired transaction data, and calculates a fee for the credit card payment processing based on the corresponding fee rate and the price information included in the acquired transaction data; an output unit that outputs information representing the calculated fee; An information processing device comprising:

3. the rate information storage medium stores a first commission rate set corresponding to a case where the credit settlement processing and the point processing are not used in combination, and a second commission rate set to a value lower than the first commission rate corresponding to a case where the credit settlement processing and the point processing are used in combination; the fee calculation unit calculates a fee to be charged to the store by multiplying the transaction price represented by the price information by the fee rate read from the rate information storage medium; The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. 1. An information processing device that calculates a fee for point processing, which is charged to a store that allows both credit card payment processing and point processing related to a commercial transaction, comprising: a fee rate information storage medium for storing different fee rates preset in association with whether or not the credit card payment processing and the point processing are used together; a transaction data acquisition unit that acquires, from a terminal of the store, transaction data including, for each of the commercial transactions, value information indicating a transaction value related to the commercial transaction, point processing information including information regarding the allocation of points related to the commercial transaction, and additional information indicating whether the credit payment processing and the point processing are used in combination for the commercial transaction; a fee calculation unit that reads out a corresponding fee rate from the fee rate information storage medium according to the presence or absence of concurrent use represented by additional information included in the acquired transaction data, and calculates a fee for the point processing based on the corresponding fee rate and at least one of the value information and the point processing information included in the acquired transaction data; an output unit that outputs information representing the calculated fee; An information processing device comprising:

5. the rate information storage medium stores a first commission rate set corresponding to a case where the credit settlement processing and the point processing are not used in combination, and a second commission rate set to a value lower than the first commission rate corresponding to a case where the credit settlement processing and the point processing are used in combination; the fee calculation unit calculates a fee for the point processing by multiplying the transaction price represented by the value information or the number of points to be awarded calculated based on the point processing information by the fee rate read from the rate information storage medium; The information processing device according to claim 4.

6. A terminal device installed in a store, which is used together with an information processing device that calculates a fee to be charged to a store that allows non-cash settlement processing and point processing related to a commercial transaction to be used in combination with the non-cash settlement processing and point processing, using different fee rates that are preset in correspondence with whether or not the non-cash settlement processing and the point processing are used in combination, a payment information acquisition unit that acquires, for each of the commercial transactions, payment information related to the payment of the corresponding commercial transaction; a combination determination unit that determines, for each of the commercial transactions, whether or not the non-cash payment processing and the point processing are used in combination for the commercial transaction; a payment data generating unit that generates, for each of the commercial transactions, payment data including the payment information and additional information indicating whether or not the non-cash payment processing and the point processing are used in combination; an output unit that outputs the generated payment data; A terminal device comprising:

7. An information processing method is executed by an information processing device having a storage medium that calculates a fee to be charged to a store that allows a combination of non-cash payment processing and point processing related to a commercial transaction, and that stores different fee rates that are preset in association with whether or not the non-cash payment processing and the point processing are used together, acquiring, from a terminal of the store, transaction data for each of the commercial transactions, the transaction data including payment information related to the payment of the commercial transaction and additional information indicating whether or not the non-cash payment processing and the point processing are used in combination for the commercial transaction; a step of reading a corresponding commission rate from the storage medium according to the presence or absence of concurrent use represented by additional information included in the acquired transaction data, and calculating a commission to be charged to the store based on the commission rate and the payment information included in the acquired transaction data; outputting information representative of the calculated fee; An information processing method comprising:

8. 1. An information processing method executed by a terminal device installed in a store and used with an information processing device that calculates a fee to be charged to a store that allows non-cash settlement processing and point processing related to a commercial transaction to be used in combination, using different fee rates that are preset in association with whether or not the non-cash settlement processing and the point processing are used in combination, comprising: for each of said transactions, obtaining payment information relating to the payment of said transaction; determining, for each of the commercial transactions, whether or not the non-cash payment processing and the point processing are used in combination for the commercial transaction; generating payment data for each of the commercial transactions, the payment information including additional information indicating whether or not the non-cash payment process and the point process are used in combination; outputting the generated payment data; An information processing method comprising:

9. 6. A program for causing a processor to execute processing by each unit of the information processing device according to claim 1.

10. A program for causing a processor to execute processing by each unit included in the terminal device according to claim 6.

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