Information processing device, method and program

Abstract

To provide a technology for achieving use facilitation of a settlement system, reducing a burden of a commission of a store using the settlement system.SOLUTION: In an information processing device calculating a commission to be imposed on a shop with respect to a use of a settlement system pertaining to commercial transaction, the information processing device is configured to comprise: a rate information storage media that stores a preset different commission rate associating attribute information showing an attribute of the commercial transaction; a transaction data acquisition unit that acquires transaction data including attribute information showing an attribute of the commercial transaction for each commercial transaction, and amount information showing a transaction amount regarding the commercial transaction from a store terminal; a commission calculation unit that reads a corresponding commission from the rate information storage media in accordance with the attribute information included in the acquired transaction data, and calculates a commission to be imposed on the store on the basis of the commission rate and the amount information; and an output unit that outputs information showing a calculated commission.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to an information processing device, a method, and a program for use 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. For consumers who use non-cash payment, there are benefits such as not having to carry cash, making it easier to manage spending, and receiving points according to the amount of spending. For affiliated stores that introduce non-cash payment methods, there are also benefits such as not having to prepare change or store large amounts of cash, easing crowding at cash registers, reducing the burden on staff, and attracting customers who want to use non-cash payment.

[0003] Here, when using non-cash payment, the affiliated store must pay an affiliated store fee to the business that provides the payment system. Generally, the fee is calculated for each payment by multiplying the transaction amount related to the payment by a preset fee rate, and is imposed on the affiliated store. Businesses that provide non-cash payment systems use such affiliated store fees as one of their sources of income, and hope to increase the number of stores that introduce the non-cash payment methods they provide.

[0004] However, Japan's merchant commission rates generally tend to be higher than those of other countries, and the reality is that many stores are unable to introduce these non-cash payment methods due to the cost.

[0005] 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]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-197382 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, although the technology of Patent Document 1 has the effect that once a credit card payment method is introduced, affiliated stores will strive to acquire quality customers in the hope of reducing commission rates, at the stage when considering introducing a payment system, it is difficult to predict the effect of reducing commission rates, and there is still the issue that it is difficult to go ahead with the introduction.

[0008] This invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide technology for reducing the fee burden on stores that use payment systems, thereby promoting the use of the payment systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] 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 for use of a payment system related to a commercial transaction, the information processing device comprising: a rate information storage medium that stores different fee rates that are preset in correspondence with attribute information that represents the attributes of the commercial transaction; a transaction data acquisition unit that acquires transaction data for each of the commercial transactions from a terminal of the store, the transaction data including attribute information that represents the attributes of the commercial transaction and value information that represents the transaction value related to the commercial transaction; a fee calculation unit that reads a corresponding fee rate from the rate information storage medium in accordance with the attribute information included in the acquired transaction data, and calculates a fee to be charged to the store based on the fee rate and the value information included in the acquired transaction data; and an output unit that outputs information representing the calculated fee.

[0010] A second aspect of the present invention is such that the attribute information includes date and time information indicating the date and time when the commercial transaction was conducted, and the rate information storage medium stores a commission rate that is set to a different value depending on the date and time information.

[0011] In a third aspect of the present invention, the rate information storage medium stores a commission rate that is reduced from a predetermined standard commission rate for commercial transactions relating to a specific time period, a specific day of the week, a specific date, a specific month, a specific year, or a specific period.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the present invention is one in which the attribute information includes location information indicating the geographical location where the commercial transaction was performed, store attribute information indicating the attributes of the store where the commercial transaction was performed, payment method identification information identifying the payment method related to the commercial transaction, or specific transaction identification information indicating whether the commercial transaction includes a specific product or service, and the rate information storage medium stores a commission rate that is reduced from a predetermined standard commission rate for at least one of commercial transactions related to a specific geographical location, commercial transactions at a store with specific attributes, and commercial transactions including a specific payment method or a specific product or service. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the first aspect of the present invention, when calculating the affiliated store fee, a preset fee rate is obtained based on attribute information included in the transaction data so that the fee rate varies depending on the attribute information, and the fee is calculated based on the obtained fee rate and the price information included in the transaction data. By setting the fee rate according to the attributes of the commercial transaction at each store, it becomes possible to present more appropriate terms of use for each store, and to encourage the introduction of the payment system to the stores.

[0014] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the commission can be calculated using a commission rate set according to the information on the date and time of the transaction as attribute information. This can encourage stores to introduce a payment system in which a more appropriate commission rate is set according to the business situation that changes depending on the date and time. Generally, transaction data sent from a store's terminal to a system provider contains date and time information for each payment, so if the date and time information is used as attribute information for setting the commission rate, it is possible to utilize information contained in previous transaction data without requiring new settings for each store. In addition, by variably setting the commission rate according to the date and time information, it may be possible to encourage stores to make business efforts during specific time periods, and as a result, to distribute the system load over time.

[0015] According to the third aspect of the present invention, a commission rate lower than a predetermined standard commission rate is applied to transactions during a specific time period, specific day of the week, specific date, month, or year, or specific period. This makes it possible to present stores with commission rates that are flexibly and precisely set according to their business format, encouraging them to introduce the payment system.

[0016] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when calculating the commission, a commission rate lower than a predetermined standard commission rate is applied to a specific geographic location where the transaction was made, a specific attribute of the store, a specific payment method, or a transaction that includes a specific product or service. This makes it possible to present a commission rate that is more appropriately set according to the type of business of each store, encouraging the introduction of the payment system.

[0017] That is, according to each aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for promoting the use of the payment system by reducing the fee burden on stores that use the payment system. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system including 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 an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a software configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure and processing contents of the information processing device shown in FIG. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a first example of a commission rate table that specifies commission rates according to attribute information. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a second example of a commission rate table that specifies commission rates according to attribute information. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a diagram showing a third example of a commission rate table that specifies commission rates according to attribute information. [Figure 5D] FIG. 5D is a diagram showing a fourth example of a commission rate table that specifies commission rates according to attribute information. [Figure 5E] FIG. 5E is a diagram showing an example of a table that associates area divisions as attribute information with each store. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [One embodiment] [Example 1] (composition) (1) System FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a system including an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] This system is constructed by connecting, via a network NW, a store terminal STT of an affiliated store ST that uses a payment system for commercial transactions, and a payment service provider server PASV of a payment system provider PA that provides the payment system.

[0021] 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.

[0022] The payment system provider PA includes any business that provides a payment system, such as a credit card company, an electronic money business, etc. The payment system provider PA includes a payment business server PASV and a transaction database PAD.

[0023] 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 the payment system, the payment service provider server PASV receives payment data transmitted from the store terminal STT and executes a settlement process between the store ST and the customer CS. The payment service provider server PASV 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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 be a device that manages multiple POS terminals in the store ST. Furthermore, the store ST is not limited to a physical store, and may be a storeless type such as an online shop. When the store ST is an online shop, the store terminal STT may be implemented as a sales management application having the same functions as a POS terminal.

[0026] In reality, many terminals of many affiliated stores are connected to the payment system provider PA's payment service provider server PASV, 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 performs settlement processing via a payment agent without directly interacting with the affiliated store ST, but for simplicity, the explanation here will omit intermediate businesses such as the payment agent. In the following, in the first embodiment, an overview of the processing will be explained assuming that the payment system provider PA in FIG. 1 is a credit card company PA.

[0027] 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. In this case, the store terminal STT obtains information related to the transaction by a clerk at the store ST operating a code reader associated with the store terminal STT to read a product identification barcode attached or printed on the product, or by the clerk inputting product information via an input device such as a keyboard associated with 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 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).

[0028] 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 payment system provider PA for billing. For example, the store terminal STT 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 for a certain period or amount, aggregates the accumulated payment data and transmits it to the payment service provider server PASV of the credit card company PA for settlement (arrow S2).

[0029] 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 prepares for billing the customer CS linked to the credit card information and payment to the store ST as follows.

[0030] 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 (its payment service provider server PASV) 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 to implement this embodiment.

[0031] Meanwhile, for the store ST, the payment service provider server PASV performs a process to pay the billing 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 of the billing amount minus the commission fee to be charged to the affiliated store of the payment system.

[0032] In one embodiment, the payment service provider server PASV calculates the affiliated store commission for each payment by obtaining a corresponding commission rate from a preset commission rate table based on information representing attributes of the commercial transaction related to the payment, and multiplying the obtained commission rate by the transaction amount to calculate the commission. This process will be described in more detail later. Here, the "commission rate" refers to a value applied when calculating the commission, and is expressed as a percentage (%) of the amount, for example. Note that even when the payment system provider PA is an electronic money provider (prepaid / postpaid) or a debit card (instant payment), the same flow as the system shown in FIG. 1 can be used for explanation.

[0033] 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.

[0034] (2) Information processing device (2-1) Hardware Configuration 2 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 service provider server PASV. Alternatively, the information processing device 1 may be implemented as a separate device that functions in cooperation with the payment service provider server PASV.

[0035] The information processing device 1 includes a hardware processor 20A such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), 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.

[0036] 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 outputs display data to the display device 3 using liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) for display. The input device 2 and the display device 3 may use devices built into the device 1, or may use input devices and display devices of other information terminals that can communicate via the network NW.

[0037] The communication interface 11 includes, for example, one or more wired or wireless communication interface units, and enables transmission and reception of information to and from external devices. As a wired interface, for example, a wired LAN is used, and as a 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.

[0038] 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 (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) or the like is used, but it is not limited to this.

[0039] The program memory 20B is a storage medium that combines a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD) that can be written to and read from at any time with a non-volatile memory such as a ROM, and stores programs necessary to execute various control processes according to one embodiment.

[0040] 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 (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.

[0041] (2-2) Software configuration FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a 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.

[0042] The transaction data storage unit 31 is used to store the acquired transaction data (or payment data).

[0043] 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.

[0044] The fee storage unit 33 is used to store the calculated fee.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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 attribute 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 an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) and an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0047] The transaction data acquisition unit 21 accesses the transaction database PAD to acquire transaction data to be used for the fee calculation process, and stores the data in the transaction data storage unit 31 .

[0048] The attribute information extraction unit 22 extracts attribute information necessary to obtain the commission rate and value information representing the transaction amount for each settlement (transaction) from the transaction data stored in the transaction data memory unit 31, and passes the attribute information to the rate information acquisition unit 23 and the value information to the commission calculation unit 24.

[0049] Based on the attribute information received from the attribute information extraction unit 22, the rate information acquisition unit 23 reads out the commission rate corresponding to the target payment from the commission rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32, and passes it to the commission calculation unit 24.

[0050] The fee calculation unit 24 calculates a fee for each payment based on the fee rate received from the rate information acquisition unit 23 and the price information received from the attribute information extraction unit 22, and stores the calculated fee in the fee memory unit 33.

[0051] 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 .

[0052] (operation) Next, an information processing operation by the information processing device 1 configured as above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0053] In one embodiment, the information processing device 1 monitors the presence or absence of a trigger to start the fee calculation process in step S101. 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.

[0054] First, in step S102, 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.

[0055] Next, in step S103, 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 attribute information extraction unit 22, and extracts date and time information and transaction amount information as attribute information, along with information identifying the payment and information identifying the store ST.

[0056] In step S104, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 causes the rate information acquisition unit 23 to acquire rate information indicating a corresponding commission rate from a commission rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32 based on the date and time information as attribute information and the identification information of the store ST. The commission rate table may be a data table set for each store ST or a data table set for each store type. Alternatively, the rate information acquisition unit 23 may acquire the rate information from another database managed by the credit card company PA. 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 credit card companies PA and is collectively managed by another business (not shown).

[0057] The commission rate is set to a different value for each attribute information. In one embodiment, the attribute information is date and time information, and the commission rate is set to a different value according to various date and time information, such as daytime and nighttime, weekdays and holidays, or late night hours and specific days of the week. For example, in the food and beverage industry, the average customer price is generally higher during nighttime hours than during daytime hours, and the rate of credit card payments during nighttime hours is higher. Therefore, as an example, a predetermined standard commission rate can be set for the nighttime hours from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and a commission rate lower than the predetermined standard commission rate can be set for the daytime hours from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. As a result, it is expected that stores that have not introduced credit card payments because they feel the commission charged during the daytime hours when the average customer price is low will find the low commission rate attractive and consider introducing it.

[0058] Fig. 5A shows an example of a commission rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32. In this commission rate table, date and time information is specified as attribute information, and different commission rates are set for daytime and nighttime periods. In Fig. 5A, the commission rate is set to 3.0% for the daytime period from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and the commission rate is set to 5.0% for the nighttime period from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM. Note that, although an example is shown in which one commission rate table is set per affiliated store ID, a common commission rate table may be set for the same business type.

[0059] Fig. 5B shows another example of a commission rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32. In this commission rate table, date and time information is specified as attribute information as in Fig. 5A, and different commission rates are set depending on the day of the week. For example, there may be industries such as clothing wholesale and beauty salons where sales tend to increase toward the weekend rather than on Mondays. For such industries, as shown in Fig. 5B, it may be preferable to set the same commission rate from Monday to Wednesday, slightly higher commission rates on Thursday and Friday, and even higher commission rates on Saturday and Sunday.

[0060] FIG. 5C shows another example of the commission rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32. In this commission rate table, the commission rate is set according to whether or not a specific product or service is included in the commercial transaction related to the unit payment as attribute information. For example, the store ST may want to promote the sale of a specific product or service at the request of a company or for the public interest, such as a product in a campaign by a specific manufacturer, a product of a company related to a credit card company, a product with environmental measures, a product close to its expiration date, or a service in which a part of the payment is returned to a local government. In such a case, the store ST can support the introduction of credit card payments by setting a reduced commission rate for payments including such products or services in a single commercial transaction. The store ST can, for example, attach a flag to the payment data indicating that the transaction is related to the target product or the like (a transaction including a product or service that is subject to a reduced commission rate) and transmit the data to the credit card company PA. The flag can be easily set by setting a predetermined value in an empty area included in the payment data. The information processing device 1, which acquires payment data (or transaction data), determines whether or not a flag (value) is present as attribute information, and refers to a pre-set commission rate table depending on whether or not the flag is present, acquires a commission rate, and calculates a commission for each payment.

[0061] 5D shows another example of a commission rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32. In this example, the commission rate table is shared among a plurality of stores ST, and commission rates are set according to area classifications A to D of the stores ST as attribute information. For example, areas classified as "A" have the highest commission rate, and areas classified as "D" have the lowest commission rate. For example, areas with the best location conditions, such as large cities and areas in front of train stations with many users, are classified into "A," while areas with decreasing population density are classified into "B," "C," and "D," in that order.

[0062] FIG. 5E shows yet another example of a table that associates the area classification shown in FIG. 5D with each store. The table in FIG. 5E is set for a single business operator that operates multiple stores. A store ID is assigned to each store, and an area classification according to its location is assigned. The area classification may be set arbitrarily by the administrator of the information processing device 1, or may be automatically assigned based on the location. For example, according to FIG. 5E, the area classification "A" is assigned to "XYZ Drugstore △△ Station Front Store" of the store ID "DG6001", and when the commission rate table of FIG. 5D is referred to based on this area classification "A", a commission rate of "4.0%" is set. Therefore, the rate information acquisition unit 23 acquires "commission rate 4.0%" according to the area classification "A" extracted based on the store ID "DG6001".

[0063] In this way, it is possible to make the commission rate different depending on the geographic location information of the transaction. For businesses such as drugstores and supermarkets that operate many stores nationwide, it is possible to provide incentives for businesses or each store to introduce a payment system by offering different commission rates for stores in densely populated areas and stores in sparsely populated areas. Specifically, it is possible to set a higher commission rate for stores in densely populated areas and a lower commission rate for stores in sparsely populated areas.

[0064] Next, in step S105, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 causes the fee calculation unit 24 to calculate the affiliated store fee for each payment based on the price information extracted in step S103 and the rate information acquired in step S104.

[0065] 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 fee is calculated as 10,000 yen x 0.03 = 300 yen. 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 separate from the transaction data for each store ST.

[0066] In step S106, 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. 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 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 perform any process, such as making a payment to the store ST or checking the amount against the remittance details.

[0067] The above steps S101 to S106 may be performed on any data unit at any timing. For example, the start of the fee calculation process described in step S101 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.

[0068] [Example 2] An information processing device 1 according to an embodiment can be applied to any information processing system or payment system in which a usage fee is charged to a member store. In the second embodiment, as another example of such a payment system, an information processing device 1 used in a system that provides a point service (point program) that gives points as a privilege to customers who use a store will be described.

[0069] As with credit card payments, when using a point service, the affiliated store must pay an affiliated store fee to the business providing the point service. 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 charged to the affiliated store. As with the first embodiment, the fee rate used to calculate this fee can be set in advance to be different in association with attribute information that represents the attributes of the commercial transaction. The "fee rate" in the second embodiment is expressed, for example, as a percentage (%) of the amount or an equivalent amount of points (yen / point).

[0070] More specifically, when the information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment calculates a fee to be charged to a store for use of a point service as a payment system for commercial transactions, the following process is performed in the system shown in FIG.

[0071] When a customer CS indicates his / her intention to use the point service when purchasing a product and presents his / her point card, the store terminal STT obtains the point card information, for example, by 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. on the point card (arrow S1).

[0072] The store terminal STT generates point processing data including point processing information that associates the acquired point card information with the product information acquired in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and transmits the generated data to the payment system provider PASV, which is the point provider (arrow S2). The point processing data includes, for example, information for identifying a payment, such as a serial number for each payment, point processing information such as the date and time of the payment, information for identifying the target customer (member ID, point card number, etc.), and type of points, and product information such as the name and type of the product related to the transaction and the transaction price.

[0073] When the payment service provider server PASV receives the point processing data sent from the store terminal STT, it adds identification information of the store ST and stores it in the transaction database PAD as transaction data, while performing processing for the customer CS as a point member and the store ST as an affiliated store as follows.

[0074] First, the payment service provider server PASV calculates the number of points to be awarded to the customer CS based on the point processing data and on predetermined conditions. Next, the payment service provider server PASV 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 S5). 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 payment service provider server PASV also stores the calculated number of points to be awarded and the point balance after the addition in the transaction database PAD, linking it to the member database or transaction data.

[0075] The payment service provider server PASV also reads out the point processing data stored in the transaction database PAD 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 (arrow S5).

[0076] As explained in relation to the first embodiment, with respect to the arrow S2, the store terminal STT may transmit point processing data to the payment service provider server PASV in real time for each payment, or may accumulate point processing data and transmit it periodically, for example, for each week or each month, in a lump to the payment service provider server PASV. Similarly, with respect to the arrow S5, the payment service provider server PASV 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.

[0077] The operation of the information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment will be further described. The information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment can have the same hardware and software configurations as those shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Then, when the information processing device 1 receives a trigger to start a fee calculation process in step S101 shown in Fig. 4, it executes the fee calculation process as follows.

[0078] First, in step S102, the information processing device 1, under the control of the control unit 20, 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 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 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.

[0079] Next, in step S103, 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 attribute information extraction unit 22, and extracts date and time information as attribute information, and transaction amount information or the number of points awarded, along with information identifying the payment and information identifying the store ST.

[0080] In step S104, under the control of the control unit 20, the information processing device 1 acquires, by the rate information acquisition unit 23, rate information representing a corresponding commission rate from the commission rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32 based on the date and time information as attribute information and the identification information of the store ST. As in the first embodiment, the commission rate table may be a data table set for each store ST or a data table set for each store type. Alternatively, the rate information acquisition unit 23 may acquire the rate information from another database managed by the payment system provider PA as a point service business operator. 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 payment system providers PA, which are collectively managed by another business operator (not shown).

[0081] The commission rate is set to a different value for each attribute information. As in the first embodiment, the attribute information includes any attribute information, such as date and time information indicating the date and time when the commercial transaction was performed, location information indicating the geographical location where the commercial transaction was performed, store attribute information indicating the attributes of the store where the commercial transaction was performed, payment method identification information identifying the payment method related to the commercial transaction, or specific transaction identification information indicating whether or not a specific product or service is included in the above-mentioned commercial transaction. As in the first embodiment, the store terminal STT assigns a flag (value) indicating the attribute information to the point processing data transmitted from the store terminal STT to the payment service provider server PASV, so that the attribute information can be easily included in the transaction data.

[0082] Next, in step S105, 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 price information or the number of points awarded extracted in step S103 and the rate information acquired in step S104.

[0083] In one example, the fee calculation unit 24 calculates the affiliated store fee by multiplying the transaction amount obtained from the value information by the fee rate for each payment. For example, if the transaction amount is 10,000 yen and the obtained fee rate is 3.0%, the fee is calculated as 10,000 yen x 0.03 = 300 yen. Alternatively, the fee calculation unit 24 can calculate the affiliated store fee by multiplying the number of points awarded by the fee rate for each payment. For example, if the number of points awarded is 10 points and the obtained fee rate is 1.5 yen / PT, the fee is calculated as 10PT x 1.5 yen / PT = 15 yen.

[0084] 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.

[0085] In step S106, 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.

[0086] As explained in the first embodiment, the processing in steps S101 to S106 may be performed on any data unit at any timing. For example, the start of the fee calculation processing explained in step S101 does not have 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 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 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 processing every time a certain amount of data for which the fee has not been calculated is accumulated.

[0087] (effect) As described above in detail, in one embodiment of the present invention, when the information processing device 1 calculates the fee to be charged to the store ST for use of the payment system, it acquires attribute information of the commercial transaction related to each payment, and calculates the fee based on a fee rate table that is preset to a different value depending on the attribute information.

[0088] This makes it possible to flexibly set commission rates for each store ST according to attribute information such as date and time information indicating the date and time when the commercial transaction was performed (such as a time period, day of the week, a specific day, month, year, or specific period), location information indicating the geographical location where the commercial transaction was performed, store attribute information indicating the attributes of the store where the commercial transaction was performed, payment method identification information that identifies the payment method related to the commercial transaction, or specific transaction identification information that indicates whether the above-mentioned commercial transaction includes a specific product or service, thereby encouraging store STs to introduce the payment system.

[0089] For example, a store that has not introduced credit card payments due to high commission rates may decide to introduce them by considering setting a commission rate that matches its business model and transaction status. Also, a store that has been hesitant to accept credit card payments during the daytime due to low average customer spending can be encouraged to introduce credit card payments by setting a lower commission rate for daytime hours compared to nighttime hours. Alternatively, by reducing commission rates for transactions that contribute to the public interest, it is possible to contribute to society and improve the image of the store ST and business PA.

[0090] Similarly, for stores that have not introduced point services due to high commission rates, it is possible to encourage them to introduce point services by offering commission rates that vary according to attribute information, such as setting a lower commission rate for points awarded during daytime hours when average customer spending is lower than at night.

[0091] In the above embodiment, optimization can be easily achieved in response to changes in the transaction status of affiliated stores by simply changing the settings of the commission rate table or by performing simple operations such as adding a flag to the payment data sent from the terminal STT of each store, without changing complex system settings.

[0092] [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 4 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, or the information processing device 1, or the acquired data may be accumulated and batch-processed in a fixed amount or at fixed time intervals.

[0093] Further, 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, but the commission rate table may be stored in any storage medium, including an external database.

[0094] Further, various kinds of information may be considered as attribute information. For example, the commission rate may be different depending on the attributes of each store ST. As in the case of the regional division described above with reference to Figs. 5D and 5E, this can be easily applied by linking the attributes to the store ID included in the payment data. As in the case of convenience stores and drug stores, even the same business operator may have various store attributes, such as whether or not they handle fresh food, whether or not they handle medicines, whether or not they are open 24 hours a day, and whether or not they have unmanned registers. By presenting various commission rates according to such store attributes, it is possible to encourage the introduction of the payment system.

[0095] Alternatively, the commission rate may be different depending on the payment method for each payment data. For example, the commission rate may be set to be different depending on whether it is a lump sum payment or a revolving payment, or the commission rate may be changed 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, so that a commission rate suitable for the business form of each store can be set. Similarly, the commission rate may be different depending on the type of points. For example, different commission rates may be set depending on points awarded according to the transaction amount, points awarded regardless of the transaction amount (store visit points, rainy day points, birth month points, etc.), and campaign points (limited-time points with a limited period of use, store-limited points with a limited store of use). Alternatively, a different monetary threshold may be set for each store, and the commission rate may be reduced if the transaction amount for each payment is less than the threshold.

[0096] Also, as attribute information, a free space value included in the payment data may be arbitrarily set, allowing a store to set its own flag. For example, a store may be configured to set a flag for transaction data in the case of a payment for a transaction that includes environmentally friendly products or services as described above, or when a customer presents another membership card. Conversely, a flag may be set in response to the absence of a specific service, such as the non-use of plastic bags or the omission of paper receipts due to electronic information. Transaction data to which a flag has been set can be set to have a lower or higher commission rate.

[0097] The attribute information described above can be used in any combination. For example, a commission rate table that combines date and time information, geographical location information, and an amount threshold value can be set for each store. As an example, for a convenience store located in a quiet residential area, the commission rate during the daytime can be set to 3.1% for payments of less than 1,000 yen, and 3.3% for payments of 1,000 yen or more, and the commission rate during the nighttime can be set to a flat 3.5%. For a convenience store located in a downtown area, several levels of commission rates according to the amount threshold value can be set only for the late-night time period from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., and the commission rate can be set to a flat rate for the other time periods.

[0098] Generally, the payment data sent from the store ST to the credit card company PA for billing does not include detailed product information. However, the commission rate may be reduced for payments related to payment data that includes detailed product information. This allows the credit card company PA to obtain additional so-called POS data, which can be used for marketing. Furthermore, if transaction data including detailed product information is provided, it becomes possible to set a more flexible commission rate according to the product information.

[0099] 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 having the same attribute information together, acquire a commission rate for each group, and calculate the commission.

[0100] The information processing system or payment system in which the information processing device 1 is used is not limited to the above-mentioned systems such as credit cards, electronic money, or point services. The above embodiment is applicable to all systems in which a usage fee is charged to affiliated stores, such as debit cards, QR code (registered trademark) payments, house electronic money, and other information processing systems related to commercial transactions.

[0101] The functional units 21-25 of the information processing device 1 may be distributed to a cloud server, an edge server, etc., 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.

[0102] 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.

[0103] 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]

[0104] 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...attribute 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, CS...customer, ST...store, STT...store terminal, NW...network, PA...payment system provider, PASV...payment provider server, PAD...transaction database.

Claims

1. An information processing device that calculates a fee to be charged to a store for use of a payment system related to a commercial transaction, a fee information storage medium that stores different commission rates that are preset in association with attribute information that represents attributes of the commercial transaction; a transaction data acquisition unit that acquires, from a terminal of the store, transaction data including attribute information for each of the commercial transactions that indicates attributes of the commercial transaction and value information that indicates a transaction value related to the commercial transaction; a fee calculation unit that reads out a corresponding fee rate from the fee information storage medium in accordance with attribute 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 price information included in the acquired transaction data; an output unit that outputs information representing the calculated fee; An information processing device comprising:

2. the attribute information includes date and time information indicating the date and time when the commercial transaction was performed, The rate information storage medium stores a fee rate that is set to a different value according to the date and time information. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the rate information storage medium stores a commission rate that is reduced from a predetermined standard commission rate for a commercial transaction relating to a specific time period, a specific day of the week, a specific date, a specific month, a specific year, or a specific period; The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The attribute information includes location information indicating a geographic location where the commercial transaction was performed, store attribute information indicating attributes of a store where the commercial transaction was performed, payment method identification information identifying a payment method related to the commercial transaction, or specific transaction identification information indicating whether or not a specific product or service is included in the commercial transaction; the rate information storage medium stores a commission rate that is reduced from a predetermined standard commission rate for at least one of a commercial transaction related to a specific geographical location, a commercial transaction at a store with specific attributes, and a commercial transaction including a specific payment method or a specific product or service; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. An information processing method is executed by an information processing device that calculates a fee to be charged to a store for use of a payment system related to a commercial transaction, the information processing device having a fee information storage medium that stores different fee rates that are previously set in association with attribute information that represents attributes of the commercial transaction, the information processing method comprising: acquiring, from a terminal of the store, transaction data for each of the transactions, the transaction data including attribute information representing attributes of the transaction and value information representing a transaction value of the transaction; a step of reading out a corresponding commission rate from the rate information storage medium in accordance with attribute information included in the acquired transaction data, and calculating a commission to be charged to the store based on the commission rate and the price information included in the acquired transaction data; outputting information representative of the calculated fee; An information processing method comprising:

6. A program for causing a computer to execute processing by each unit of the device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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