Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide useful information to a user.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises: an acquisition unit which acquires authorization information related to approval of a transaction using a credit card transmitted in response to use of the credit card by a user in an affiliated store of the credit card; a reward processing unit which determines rewards likely to be granted upon confirmation of sales using the approval related to the authorization information on the basis of the authorization information; and a display control unit which displays a content of the rewards likely to be granted in a display unit of a user's terminal device on which an application program is installed in cooperation with the application program associated with the credit card.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] A point system that provides technology for processing both credit card points and other points has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This point system is configured so that, on a predetermined deadline (processing date), the sales amount for each membership number is read from the sales data table and totaled, the number of points is calculated based on this total, and the calculated number of points is stored in association with the membership number. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-350597 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional techniques have sometimes been unable to provide useful information to users.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can provide useful information to users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that includes an acquisition unit that acquires authorization information regarding approval of a transaction using a credit card that is sent in response to a user using a credit card at a credit card affiliated store, a benefit processing unit that determines, based on the authorization information, a benefit that will be granted when sales are confirmed using the approval related to the authorization information, and a display control unit that, in cooperation with an application program associated with the credit card, displays the content of the benefit that will be granted on a display unit of the user's terminal device on which the application program is installed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can provide useful information to a user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an electronic payment system in which an electronic payment service is realized. [Figure 2] This is a sequence diagram (part 1) illustrating the general flow of electronic payment. [Figure 3] This is a sequence diagram (part 2) illustrating the general flow of electronic payment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a payment server 100. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of user information 172. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of affiliated store / store information 176. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing an example of an interface screen IM1 provided on the display unit of the user terminal device 10. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram showing an example of an interface screen IM2 provided on the display unit of the user terminal device 10. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an interface screen. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a notification screen in a comparative example. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a service different from the service of the present embodiment and the service of the present embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a flow of processing executed by a payment service or the like. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of authorization information and sales information. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence information 180. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a process in which the payment server 100 identifies a provisional benefit. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a process in which the payment server 100 confirms a provisional benefit as a regular benefit. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an interface screen. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an interface screen. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining differences. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be described. The various devices and servers described below, which provide services to users and perform internal analysis, may be implemented as a distributed device group, and each device may be operated by a different business. Furthermore, the hardware owner (cloud server provider) and the business that actually operates the device may also be different. An application program and a payment server work together to provide an electronic payment service. In the following description, the application program is referred to as a payment app. An electronic payment service is a service that supports payments for the purchase of goods and services at a store. A store is, for example, a physical store (real-world store) existing in real space, but may also include a virtual store for e-commerce. Virtual stores may also include stores operated by entities other than the operator of the electronic payment service. In such cases, when making a payment for a purchase at a virtual store, the user is controlled to transition to an interface screen for the electronic payment service. In an electronic payment service, a store is treated as belonging to, for example, a member store (brand), and when a purchase is made at a store, processing such as payment is primarily conducted between the user and the member store. Alternatively, processing such as payment may be conducted between the user and the store.

[0010] [Electronic payment service] FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an electronic payment system in which an electronic payment service is realized. The electronic payment service is realized mainly by a payment server 100. The electronic payment system that realizes the electronic payment service includes, for example, one or more user terminal devices 10, one or more first store terminal devices 50, one or more second store terminal devices 70, a card store terminal device 80, an acquirer server 82, a card server 84, and the payment server 100. These devices communicate, for example, via a network NW. The network NW includes, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless base station, a provider device, etc.

[0011] Some or all of the functional components included in the electronic payment system may be distributed across multiple devices in any form, or may be integrated into any device. For example, some or all of the functional components of card server 84 may be included in the configuration of payment server 100, and some or all of the functional components of payment server 100 may be included in the functional configuration of card server 84. In addition, one or both of acquirer server 82 and card server 84 may be omitted.

[0012] [User terminal device] The user terminal device 10 is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. The user terminal device 10 is a computer device having at least an optical reading function, a communication function, a display function, an input acceptance function, and a program execution function. In the following description, components for realizing these functions are referred to as a camera, a communication device, a touch panel, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc. In the user terminal device 10, a processor such as a CPU executes a payment app 20, which operates in cooperation with the payment server 100 to provide electronic payment services to users. The payment app 20 is installed on the user terminal device 10 from, for example, an application store, and controls the camera, communication device, touch panel, etc.

[0013] [First store terminal device] The first store terminal device 50 is installed, for example, in a store. The first store terminal device 50 is a computer device having at least a product price acquisition function, an optical reading function, a program execution function, and a communication function. The first store terminal device 50 includes a so-called POS (Point of Sale) device, and the product price acquisition function and the optical reading function may be realized by the POS device. The store code image 60 is placed in the store and is a code image such as a QR code (registered trademark) printed on a paper or plastic medium. The store code image 60 may be displayed on a display placed in the store (which may be the display of a terminal device such as a smartphone).

[0014] [Second store terminal device] The second store terminal device 70 is used by the operator of the affiliated store. The second store terminal device 70 is a smartphone, tablet terminal, personal computer, etc. An interface for affiliated stores 72 runs on the second store terminal device 70. The interface for affiliated stores 72 may be an app for affiliated stores or a browser. The interface for affiliated stores 72 accepts coupon settings and the like from the operator of the affiliated store and transmits them to the payment server 100. The second store terminal device 70, which is a smartphone, has the function of displaying a code image corresponding to a store code image and reading the code image displayed by the user terminal device 10 by executing the app for affiliated stores.

[0015] [Store terminal for card use] The card store terminal device 80 is a terminal device used at credit card member stores. The card store terminal device 80 acquires information on the credit card presented by the user and transmits the acquired information to the acquirer server 82.

[0016] [Acquirer Server] The acquirer server 82 is a server device managed by the affiliated store contracting company. The acquirer server 82 provides the information provided by the card store terminal device 80 to the card server 84.

[0017] [Card Server] Card server 84 is a server device of a credit card issuing company (issuer) related to the electronic payment service. Card server 84 performs predetermined processing on information acquired from acquirer server 82, and transmits the information acquired from acquirer server 82 to payment server 100.

[0018] The payment server 100 realizes electronic payment based on payment information received from the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50. The first store terminal device 50 may include a POS device and an affiliated store server, in which case payment information is sent from the POS device via the affiliated store server to the payment server 100. In the following explanation, this distinction will not be made and it is assumed that payment information is sent from the first store terminal device 50.

[0019] 2 and 3 are sequence diagrams illustrating the general flow of electronic payment. There may be two patterns for electronic payment: Pattern 1 and Pattern 2.

[0020] In the case of pattern 1 (hereinafter referred to as user scan) shown in FIG. 2, the user terminal device 10, with the payment application 20 running, decodes the store code image 60 using its optical reading function (S1). The store code image 60 includes store URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information. This store URL is the domain of the electronic payment service to which store identification information has been added, and is associated with an affiliated store ID, store ID, etc. in the payment server 100 (described below). The payment application 20 sends first payment information including the store URL and account ID to the payment server 100 (S2). The payment server 100 searches for store information (described below) using the affiliated store ID and store ID corresponding to the store URL, acquires the affiliated store name and store name information (S3), and sends this to the payment application 20 (S4). The user enters the payment amount into the user terminal device 10 on the screen displaying the affiliated store name and store name (S5). Then, the user terminal device 10 generates second payment information including at least the payment amount and sends it to the payment server 100 (S6). The payment server 100 makes the electronic payment based on the received second payment information (S7). The payment server 100 then sends a payment completion notice (information for displaying a payment completion screen) to the payment app 20 (S8), and the payment app 20 displays the payment completion screen (S9). Note that when the store code image 60 is displayed on a display installed in the store, the store code image 60 may include information on the payment amount in addition to the store URL. In this case, the step of the user inputting the payment amount is omitted, and the payment amount information is included in the first payment information and sent to the payment server 100. Information on the affiliated store name and store name may be included and displayed on the payment completion screen.

[0021] In the case of pattern 2 (hereinafter referred to as store scan) shown in FIG. 3, the payment app 20 sends a request to issue a one-time code to the payment server 100 when the payment app 20 is launched, when a payment operation is performed in the payment app 20, at the automatic update timing (e.g., every minute), and at other timings (S11). The payment server 100 generates a one-time code (S12) and sends it to the payment app 20 (S13). The payment app 20 displays a code image, such as a QR code or barcode, generated based on the one-time code (S14). The user holds (presents) the display surface of the user terminal device 10 over the first in-store terminal device 50, and the first in-store terminal device 50 decodes the code image using its optical reading function and obtains the one-time code, etc. (S15). The first in-store terminal device 50 then generates payment information including the one-time code, payment amount, affiliated store ID, store ID, etc., and sends it to the payment server 100 (S16). The payment amount information is acquired in advance by reading a barcode, manually entering it, etc. Based on the received information, the payment server 100 identifies the user corresponding to the one-time code and performs electronic payment (S17). Then, the payment server 100 sends a payment completion notice to the payment application 20 (S18), and the payment application 20 displays a payment completion screen (S19).

[0022] Note that electronic payment may be performed using only one of the above patterns. Furthermore, the "account ID" described in FIG. 2 may be other information (e.g., a phone number) that can be used as user identification information. Furthermore, issuing a one-time code may be omitted in store scanning, and the payment application 20 may display a code image generated based on the user's account ID. In this case, the payment server 100 identifies the user corresponding to the account ID instead of identifying the user corresponding to the one-time code.

[0023] [Payment server] 4 is a configuration diagram of the payment server 100. The payment server 100 includes, for example, a communication unit 110, a content providing unit 120, a payment processing unit 130, an information management unit 140, an information processing unit 150, and a storage unit 170. The components other than the communication unit 110 and the storage unit 170 are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an SOC (System On Chip), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the storage device by inserting the storage medium into a drive device. The information management unit 140 is an example of an "acquisition unit," the information processing unit 150 is an example of a "benefit processing unit," and the content providing unit 120 is an example of a "display control unit."

[0024] The storage unit 170 is a HDD, flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage unit 170 may be a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device that the payment server 100 can access via a network. The storage unit 170 stores information such as user information 172, content information 174, affiliated store / shop information 176, benefit information 178, and support information 180. Some of this information may be stored in the storage unit of the user terminal device 10.

[0025] The communication unit 110 is a communication interface for connecting to the network NW, and is, for example, a network interface card.

[0026] The content providing unit 120 has, for example, a web server function, and provides information (content) for displaying various screens of the electronic payment service to the user terminal device 10. The content providing unit 120 reads out necessary content from the content information 174 as appropriate and provides it to the user terminal device 10. The user terminal device 10 accepts various inputs from the user while content is being played by the payment application 20, and transmits the above-mentioned payment information and the like to the payment server 100. The above content may be generated by the payment application 20. In this case, the content providing unit 120 provides the payment application 20 with information necessary for generating the content.

[0027] The payment processing unit 130 performs payment processing based on the payment information transmitted by the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50. The payment processing unit 130 performs payment processing while referring to the user information 172.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of user information 172. User information 172 is an example of user registration information. User information 172 includes, for example, a user URL, account ID, telephone number, and password, as well as associated information such as email address, user ID, name, address, date of birth, registration date, charge balance, credit card payment settings, credit card limit, credit card payment amount, available credit card payment amount, payment method settings, bank account, credit card number, charge history information, payment history information, and user benefit information. The user URL is used for remittance processing between users. When registering for the electronic payment service, registration of a phone number and password is required. The account ID is issued to the user by the payment server 100, and the user ID can be set by the user (or does not have to be set). The email address, name, address, and date of birth are also information that can be set by the user (or do not have to be set). The registration date is the date on which the user registered for the electronic payment service (the date on which the account was created). Hereinafter, the user's instance (electronic payment account) to which this information is associated will be referred to as an account.

[0029] The charge balance indicates the balance of electronic money set by the user by transferring funds to the account in advance. Transfer methods include transfers from a designated bank's ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) or from a registered bank account. The credit payment setting indicates whether the settings for electronic credit payment have been completed and is set to either "Completed" or "Not Completed." The credit payment limit is the monthly credit payment limit. The credit payment amount is the amount of credit payment already used in the current month. The available credit payment amount is the amount of credit payment available in the current month, calculated by subtracting the credit payment amount from the credit payment limit. While the figure shows only one credit payment limit, in reality, there may also be daily limits, and the lower of these may be set as the credit payment limit. Further details on credit payments will be discussed later. The payment method setting indicates whether the user will currently make electronic payments using the charge balance or by credit payment. The bank account and credit card number are information on the bank account or credit card number (account number, card number) that can be used to deposit funds into the electronic payment service. The charge history information is a history of the user's previous transfers to the electronic payment service to increase the charge balance. The payment history information is information that shows the breakdown of payments made by the user for each payment (date and time, store ID of the store where the purchase was made, payment amount, payment method, etc.).

[0030] The user benefit information includes information on the affiliated store where the user made an electronic payment, information on the benefit that has been (or will be) granted in response to the user making a payment at the affiliated store, and the status of the benefit. The benefit status includes, for example, a status indicating whether the benefit is a benefit that will be granted in response to authorization information, a status indicating whether the benefit has been granted in response to sales information, or a status indicating whether the benefit has been granted in response to making an electronic payment using the payment application 20. The payment server 100 changes the status of the benefit in response to the acquired information (see FIG. 15 and its description below for details).

[0031] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of affiliated store / store information 176. The affiliated store / store information 176 includes, for example, a first table 176A in which an affiliated store ID and a store ID are associated with a store URL, a second table 176B in which an affiliated store ID is associated with an affiliated store name and sales amount (described above), and a third table 176C in which a store ID is associated with a store name. In addition to this information, the affiliated store / store information 176 may also include information such as the category of the affiliated store or store, the store location, and payment patterns. The above-mentioned affiliated store name may be, for example, information registered by the affiliated store or by an administrator of the electronic payment service. The above-mentioned affiliated store name and store name may be managed in an integrated manner. The above-mentioned affiliated store name may be, for example, a combination of the affiliated store name and the store name. It is preferable that the above-mentioned affiliated store name be an official name or a detailed name. In the affiliated store / store information 176, an affiliated store icon or other detailed information about the affiliated store may be associated with the affiliated store ID or store ID.

[0032] The information management unit 140 acquires information provided by other server devices and terminal devices. The information management unit 140 manages user information 172 and affiliated store / store information 176 based on information acquired from the user terminal device 10 and the second store terminal device 70. The information management unit 140 adds new records to, edits, deletes, etc., the user information 172 and affiliated store / store information 176.

[0033] [Electronic Payment] When payment information is acquired from the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50, the payment processing unit 130 references the user information 172 to acquire the "payment method setting" of the user. For users whose "payment method setting" is set to "charge balance," the payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment as follows: For example, the payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment by decreasing the charge balance managed in association with the user ID and increasing the item value of the affiliated store's sales proceeds. The item value of the affiliated store's sales proceeds is not itself used as electronic money, for example, but rather the amount corresponding to the item value of the sales proceeds is transferred to a bank account in a cycle according to an agreement between the affiliated store and the electronic payment service.

[0034] The payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payments for users whose "setting information" is set to "credit card payment" as follows. Credit card payment is a payment method in cooperation with a credit card company, which is a separate entity from the operator of the electronic payment service. The operator of the electronic payment service acts as the creditor, allowing electronic payments within the credit card payment limit and independent of the remaining balance. To receive the credit card payment service, a user may be required to obtain a credit card provided by the operator of the electronic payment service. The amount used for credit card payment is settled in full on the following month's payment date, for example, by debit from a bank account. In this case, the payment processing unit 130 makes a provisional payment by adding the payment amount to the credit card payment amount and subtracting the same amount from the available credit card balance. On the closing date, the payment processing unit 130 performs the process described above to debit the current month's payment on the following month's payment date, or requests the credit card company operator to perform this process. If the payment amount exceeds the available credit card balance at the time of provisional payment, an error notification is returned to the payment app 20.

[0035] [overview] The information management unit 140 acquires authorization information (details of which will be described later) regarding approval of a transaction using a credit card, which is transmitted when a user uses a credit card at a credit card affiliated store. Based on the authorization information, the information processing unit 150 determines a benefit that will be granted when sales are finalized using the authorization related to the authorization information.

[0036] The payment server 100 displays the contents of the benefit that will be given on the display unit of the user's terminal device in which the application program associated with the credit card is installed.

[0037] The application program may be any application program that provides electronic payment services, including electronic payment methods other than electronic payment by credit card. The application program may be, for example, a payment application 20 that provides electronic payment services, including electronic payment using a charge balance stored in an electronic wallet, or may be another application program. In the following description, the application program is assumed to be payment application 20.

[0038] A benefit is a special treatment or right, such as the right to draw various electronic lotteries, awarded points, vouchers, coupons, stamps on a stamp card, various campaigns, or other rights that are beneficial to the user. These benefits may also be awarded when an electronic payment is made using payment application 20. These benefits are, for example, benefits that can be used in electronic payment services. Specifically, the benefits that may be awarded are coupons, points, vouchers, etc., as described above, and are associated with the user's identification information managed in electronic payment services, including electronic payments using the balance charged to the electronic wallet, and are benefits that the user can use in electronic payment services.

[0039] The credit card is not limited to a physical credit card, and may be a virtual credit card. The processing in this embodiment may be performed when the credit card is used for online shopping.

[0040] [Interface screen (1) when electronic payment is made using the charge balance] When an electronic payment is made using the charge balance, the payment server 100 grants a benefit corresponding to the electronic payment, rather than a benefit that would otherwise be granted to the user's identification information related to the electronic payment managed by the electronic payment service. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of an interface screen IM1 provided on the display unit of the user terminal device 10. The interface screen IM1 includes, for example, information IF1 to information IF6. Information IF1 is an icon of the affiliated store where the electronic payment was made. Information IF2 is the name of the affiliated store. Information IF3 is the date and time when the electronic payment was made. Information IF4 is the amount related to the electronic payment. Information IF5 is the method of the electronic payment. Information IF6 is information indicating the benefit obtained through the electronic payment.

[0041] The above-mentioned affiliated store icon and affiliated store name are information identified by the payment server 100 based on the affiliated store ID and store ID provided by the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50, and the affiliated store / store information 176. In the example of FIG. 7 and the example of FIG. 8 described later, the information indicating the benefit is information indicating that a first prize has been won in a lottery that can be entered by making an electronic payment. The payment server 100 uses the payment app 20 to display content including the identified affiliated store icon and name on the display unit.

[0042] As described above, when electronic payment is made using payment application 20, payment server 100 can provide useful information to the user.

[0043] [Interface screen (2) when electronic payment is made using a credit card] When a user makes an electronic payment using a credit card, the payment server 100 assigns the benefits that would be granted in accordance with the use of the credit card to the user's identification information related to the electronic payment, which is managed by the electronic payment service.

[0044] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of interface screen IM2 provided on the display unit of user terminal device 10. The following description focuses on the differences from interface screen IM1. Interface screen IM2 is, for example, an interface screen that is displayed in real time in response to the transmission of authorization information, as will be described later. Interface screen IM2 includes, for example, information IF5# instead of information IF5. Information IF5# is information indicating that a credit card payment has been made. The credit card in question is a credit card associated with a user managed in the electronic payment service. For example, it is a credit card associated with a credit card number managed in user information 172.

[0045] As described above, even when a credit card is used, the payment server 100 can provide the user with content including various information as if electronic payment had been made using the charge balance.

[0046] Here, "First Prize Winner" is displayed in information IF6, but this first prize is "a benefit that will be awarded." As will be described later, the first prize is not confirmed at the stage when the user makes an electronic payment, and the awarding of the benefit is confirmed when the sales are confirmed (when sales information is acquired) (details will be described later).

[0047] Furthermore, when the user performs a predetermined operation on interface screen IM2 of payment application 20, interface screen IM3 shown in FIG. 9 is displayed on the display unit. Interface screen IM3 includes, for example, buttons for displaying credit card usage amounts, billing amounts, revolving credit balances, and transaction history, as well as information on the credit card usage amounts. Interface screen IM3 may also include information included on interface screen IM2 described above, as well as information such as the number of times the affiliated store has been used to date. Interface screen IM3 includes information on payments for which sales have been confirmed, as well as information on payments before sales have been confirmed.

[0048] As described above, a user can use payment application 20 to view information related to credit card usage in real time without delay in relation to the usage of the credit card.

[0049] The granularity of the merchant name and / or the merchant icon on the interface screens IM1 and IM2 are the same. As a comparative example, FIG. 10 shows an example of a notification screen IM# based on a message (authorization information) sent in response to credit card usage. When a credit card is used, the message (authorization information) sent in response to credit card usage only includes the credit card usage amount and date and time, and does not include the merchant name or merchant icon at the granularity of the interface screen IM2. However, the payment server 100 (information processing device) of this embodiment can provide the merchant name and icon at the above granularity by using the correspondence information 180 described below (see FIGS. 14-16 and their descriptions).

[0050] As described above, the payment server 100 displays content (IM1, IM2) of the same format on the display unit when an electronic payment is made using a charge balance and when a credit card is used. Content of the same format is content in which the arrangement of information about the name of the affiliated store related to the electronic payment is the same, the arrangement of the affiliated store icon is the same, and the arrangement of information about the benefits that will be granted or will be granted in response to the electronic payment is the same. Content of the same format may be partially or completely different in arrangement, but some or all of the other elements may be the same. Content of the same format may be, for example, in a form that allows a user to recognize it as content of the same or similar format.

[0051] As described above, payment server 100 provides the user with benefit information, names and icons of affiliated stores with similar granularity, and content in a similar format, regardless of whether the electronic payment is made by credit card or using payment app 20. This allows the user to have a payment experience that is independent of the payment method, improving user convenience.

[0052] [Services different from those of this embodiment] 11 is a diagram illustrating a service different from the service of this embodiment and the service of this embodiment. In the service different from the service of this embodiment, when an electronic payment related to a charge balance is used, payment application 20 is used to instantly reflect transaction history information related to the electronic payment (information on the name of the affiliated store used, its icon, and the amount used) in the electronic payment service and provide it to the user, and further information on benefits (information on points to be awarded, benefits from campaigns, etc.) can also be provided to the user (see FIG. 7).

[0053] However, when using electronic payments involving credit cards, transaction history information related to the electronic payments cannot be immediately reflected in the electronic payment service using payment app 20, and may not be provided to the user, and information about benefits may not be provided to the user. This is because, while authorization information is provided immediately with electronic payments involving credit cards, this information alone does not identify the information that would be provided with electronic payments involving a charge balance. For example, authorization information only includes simple information about affiliated stores, and this information makes it difficult to identify which affiliated store in the electronic payment service is the affiliated store where the electronic payment involving the credit card was made. As a result, it is not possible to identify the name or icon of the affiliated store used in the electronic payment service or to confirm the application of benefits in the electronic payment service.

[0054] In contrast, the service of this embodiment uses a mechanism described below to provide users with content similar to that provided when electronic payment related to a charge balance is made using authorization information. This makes it possible to provide users with useful information in the same way as when electronic payment related to a charge balance is made, even when the user makes electronic payment related to a credit card.

[0055] Furthermore, in services different from the service of this embodiment, information about benefits is not provided to users promptly in accordance with the timing when an electronic credit card payment is made and authorization information is provided, but in the service of this embodiment, information about benefits that will be granted in connection with an electronic credit card payment is provided to users promptly in accordance with the timing when an electronic credit card payment is made and authorization information is provided, so that it is possible to provide useful information to users in the same manner as described above. Details of this process are described below.

[0056] [Sequence diagram] Fig. 12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed by a payment service, etc. First, the overall flow will be explained, and then the details of the processing of the payment server 100 will be explained with reference to Figs. 15 and 16 described later. Prior to explaining Fig. 12, the authorization information and sales information that appear in the explanation of Fig. 12 will be explained.

[0057] FIG. 13 shows an example of authorization information and sales information. The authorization information includes, for example, identification information of the card store terminal device 80, a store ID (a store ID different from the store ID in the affiliated store / store information 176), the name of the affiliated store (a simpler name than the name of the affiliated store in the affiliated store / store information 176, for example, a name consisting only of alphabets or limited to a predetermined number of characters), the affiliated store's contract number, the business code, and payment information (for example, the transaction amount and the date and time of the transaction). The sales information includes, for example, the name of the affiliated store (for example, the name in kanji or katakana) and payment information (for example, the transaction amount and the date and time of the transaction). In addition to the above, the authorization information and sales information also include information for identifying the user, such as the credit card number used.

[0058] Returning to Figure 12, when a user presents (or inserts) a credit card to card store terminal device 80, card store terminal device 80 acquires information about the credit card and transmits the acquired information together with a request for approval (authorization) to acquirer server 82 (S100). Upon acquiring the information transmitted in S100, acquirer server 82 determines whether the credit card is a usable credit card based on the acquired information, and if it determines that the credit card is usable, transmits approval information indicating approval to card store terminal device 80 (S102), and further transmits authorization information to card server 84 and payment server 100 (S104).

[0059] Next, the payment server 100 uses the authorization information to identify the affiliated store (S106) and further identifies the details of the provisional benefit (the benefit that will be granted) (S108). Next, the payment server 100 provides content including the information of the affiliated store identified in S106 and the details of the provisional benefit identified in S108 to the payment application 20 (S110). The payment application 20 displays the provided content on the display unit (S112).

[0060] As a result, when an electronic payment is made using a credit card, the name of the affiliated store with which the transaction was made, the icon of the affiliated store, and the details of the provisional benefits are provided to the user in real time.

[0061] After the above process is performed, acquirer server 82 acquires sales information sent from a predetermined terminal device (for example, a server of an affiliated store) (S200), and sends the sales information to card server 84 (S202). Next, card server 84 compares the sales information with the authorization information to determine whether they match, and if they match, sends the sales information to payment server 100 (S206).

[0062] When the payment server 100 acquires the sales information (in other words, when the sales information matches the authorization information or when the electronic payment transaction related to the credit card is confirmed), the payment server 100 confirms the provisional benefit as a genuine benefit (S208). In response to the successful matching of the authorization information with the sales information indicating that sales have been confirmed using the approval related to the authorization information in S204, the payment server 100 decides to grant to the user a benefit corresponding to the benefit that would have been granted. Based on the time when the authorization information is matched with the sales information (or based on the time when information indicating that the match is successful is acquired), the payment server 100 decides whether to confirm the granting to the user of a benefit corresponding to the benefit that would have been granted for using the credit card.

[0063] Next, the payment server 100 provides content including the confirmed details of the benefit to the payment application 20 (S210). The payment application 20 displays the provided content on the display unit (S212).

[0064] This allows the user to easily recognize that the benefit has been granted.

[0065] [Payment server processing details] As described in Figures 14 to 16, the payment server 100 grants the benefits that will be granted to the user or confirms the benefits that will be granted. The payment server 100 also identifies the name and icon of the affiliated store from the authorization information. For example, when an electronic payment is made using the charge balance in the electronic wallet, the payment server 100 refers to affiliated store / shop information 176 (first correspondence information) in which the identification information of the affiliated store is associated with the name of the affiliated store, identifies the name of the affiliated store that corresponds to the identification information of the affiliated store transmitted from the affiliated store's terminal device or application program, and displays content (e.g., IM1 in Figure 7) including the name of the affiliated store and information about the electronic payment (e.g., the payment amount) on the display unit of the user's terminal device on which the application program is installed, in cooperation with the application program.

[0066] When an electronic payment is made using a credit card, the payment server 100 refers to correspondence information 180 (second correspondence information) in which information for identifying the affiliated store contained in the authorization information is associated with the name of the affiliated store managed by the electronic payment service, identifies the name of the affiliated store corresponding to the information for identifying the affiliated store contained in the authorization information sent from the affiliated store's terminal device or another server device, and displays content (e.g., IM2 in Figure 8) including the name of the affiliated store and information regarding the electronic payment (e.g., the payment amount) in cooperation with the application program on the display unit of the user's terminal device on which the application program is installed.

[0067] The payment server 100 refers to correspondence information 180, which corresponds information for identifying the affiliated store contained in the authorization information with information about affiliated stores managed by an electronic payment service that includes an electronic payment method other than electronic payment by credit card, to identify information about the affiliated store that corresponds to the information for identifying the affiliated store contained in the obtained authorization information, and displays information about the authorization information (e.g., payment amount, etc.) and information about the identified affiliated store (e.g., information such as the name and icon of the affiliated store that is more detailed than the information about the affiliated store in the authorization information) on the display unit of the user's terminal device on which the application program is installed in cooperation with an application program that provides an electronic payment service that is associated with a credit card and includes an electronic payment method other than electronic payment.

[0068] When an electronic payment related to a credit card is made, the payment server 100 uses authorization information and correspondence information 180 to provide various information to the user via the payment application 20. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence information 180. The correspondence information 180 is, for example, information in which authorization information, sales information, and affiliated store information managed by the electronic payment service (e.g., affiliated store ID, store ID, affiliated store name, affiliated store icon, and other detailed information about the affiliated store) are associated with each other. The correspondence information 180 is, for example, information generated by integrating (1) past authorization information, (2) past sales information corresponding to the past authorization information, and affiliated store information corresponding to information (1) and (2). The correspondence information 180 is a database created to provide the same information as when an electronic payment related to a charge balance is made, even when an electronic payment related to a credit card is made. In addition to the above information, the correspondence information 180 may also include information on benefits that are (or will be) granted when an electronic payment is made at an affiliated store.

[0069] 15 is a diagram for explaining the process of identifying a provisional benefit by the payment server 100. When the payment server 100 acquires authorization information (S300), it refers to the correspondence information 180 and identifies the affiliated store corresponding to the affiliated store information (store ID and affiliated store name) included in the authorization information (S302).

[0070] Next, the payment server 100 refers to the benefit information 178 to determine whether the identified affiliated store is a target affiliated store that will grant a benefit to the user when electronic payment is made (S304). The benefit information 178 is information in which information for identifying the affiliated store is associated with information indicating whether the affiliated store is a target affiliated store that will grant a benefit. Note that if benefit information is associated with the correspondence information 180, the benefit is identified by referring to the correspondence information 180.

[0071] If the affiliated store is a target store to which a benefit is to be granted, the payment server 100 provides information about the benefit to the payment application 20 (S306). In this process, the payment server 100 may identify the name and icon of the affiliated store in the correspondence information 180 from the authorization information, and provide the identified name and icon of the affiliated store together with the benefit information to the payment application 20. In this case, the name of the affiliated store obtained from the sales information in the correspondence information 180 (a name that is more detailed than the name in the authorization information) may be used as the name of the affiliated store to be identified. In other words, in this process, the information in the correspondence information 180 is referenced using the authorization information as a key, and the information to be provided to the user is identified.

[0072] As described above, the payment server 100 can use the correspondence information 180 to identify the affiliated store from the authorization information, and provide the payment application 20 of the user who used the credit card with information on benefits corresponding to the affiliated store.

[0073] 16 is a diagram for explaining the process of finalizing a provisional benefit into a regular benefit by the payment server 100. When the payment server 100 acquires sales information (S400), it refers to the correspondence information 180 and identifies the affiliated store from the information for identifying the affiliated store included in the sales information (S402).

[0074] Next, since the payment has been confirmed, the payment server 100 identifies the user who made the payment at the identified affiliated store and to whom the provisional benefit was granted, and confirms the provisional benefit of the identified user as a regular benefit (S404). Next, the payment server 100 provides information indicating that the benefit has been confirmed to the payment application 20. In this process, the payment server 100 identifies the name and icon of the affiliated store in the correspondence information 180 from the information for identifying the affiliated store in the correspondence information 180, and provides the name and icon of the identified affiliated store together with the benefit information to the payment application 20.

[0075] In addition, if the correspondence information 180 includes the affiliated store ID and store ID but omits other affiliated store information, various information about the affiliated store may be identified from the affiliated store / store information 176 using the affiliated store ID or store ID as a key in the processing of S302 and S402 described above.

[0076] As described above, the payment server 100 can use the correspondence information 180 to identify affiliated stores from sales information, and provide information indicating that the provisional benefit has been confirmed as a genuine benefit to the payment application 20 of the user who used the credit card.

[0077] [Interface screen according to authorization information or sales information] When the payment server 100 acquires authorization information, it displays content in a first display mode on the display unit of the user's terminal device, and when it acquires sales information indicating that sales have been confirmed using the approval related to the authorization information, it displays content in a second display mode in which some elements of the first display mode (for example, certain elements such as the background or background color) have been changed on the display unit of the user's terminal device.

[0078] With reference to Figs. 17 and 18, the interface screens provided in response to processing will be described. As shown in Fig. 17, when a user makes a payment using a credit card, a push notification is received by the payment application 20. In response to obtaining authorization information, the payment server 100 displays an interface screen including the payment amount and the like on the display unit of the user terminal device 10. Furthermore, at this time, the payment server 100 displays information regarding the provisional benefit on the display unit. In the example of Fig. 17, the user can draw a scratch lottery ticket.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 18, when a user performs a predetermined operation on the payment application 20, transaction history information is displayed on the display unit. The transaction history includes a first transaction history (A in the figure) in which authorization information has been obtained but sales information has not been acquired, and a second transaction history (B in the figure) in which authorization information and sales information have been acquired. When a user performs an operation to display details of the first transaction history, the payment application 20 displays content in a first display mode on the display unit. When a user performs an operation to display details of the second transaction history, the payment application 20 displays content in a second display mode on the display unit.

[0080] The content of the second display mode is a mode in which some elements of the content of the first display mode are different from the elements corresponding to the above elements of the content of the second display mode. For example, the background color of a predetermined area is different, or the color of a predetermined area is different. The display modes of the content of the first display mode and the content of the second display mode are essentially the same or similar in most respects, but some elements of the display mode are different so that the user can easily recognize the status of the transaction (whether authorization information has been sent, or whether sales information has been sent and sales have been confirmed).

[0081] In the above example, it was described that content in the first display mode and content in the second display mode are displayed in the transaction history, but the payment server 100 may display content in the first display mode on the display unit in response to obtaining authorization information, and may display content in the second display mode on the display unit in response to obtaining sales information.

[0082] The payment server 100 stores and manages the status of each transaction in the user information 172. When a specific transaction history is selected from the transaction history, the payment server 100 determines whether to provide content in the first display mode or content in the second display mode based on the status associated with the selected transaction history.

[0083] As described above, the payment server 100 provides the user with content according to the status of the transaction, so that the user can easily recognize the status of the transaction.

[0084] [Benefits processing] The payment server 100 determines the reward rate to be applied to the user after the expiration of a predetermined period based on the usage amount related to the authorization information of the electronic payment using the credit card used by the user and the usage amount of the electronic payment using the charge balance charged to the electronic wallet during the predetermined period. After acquiring sales information after the expiration of the predetermined period, the payment server 100 grants the reward to the user at the reward rate determined using the authorization information for the predetermined period, and the sales information acquired after the expiration of the predetermined period is information indicating that sales have been confirmed using the approval related to the authorization information of the electronic payment using the credit card used to determine the reward rate for the predetermined period.

[0085] The payment server 100 may increase the degree or rate of awarding benefits (e.g., points) when the usage modes of the target multiple payment methods satisfy conditions. The multiple payment methods include payment methods using credit cards, payment methods using charge balances, and payment methods using credit card payments. The conditions are to satisfy some or all of the following (1) to (3) within a specified period of time.

[0086] (1) The number of electronic payments made in the current month (or a certain period) using one of multiple payment methods (or a specified payment method) in which the payment amount is equal to or greater than a specified amount is equal to or greater than a specified number. (2) The total amount (payment amount) paid using electronic payment services (charge balance or credit card) for the current month's payments must be equal to or greater than the specified amount. (3) Either or both of (1) and (2) above have continued for the specified period. If the above conditions are met, the payment server 100 increases the rate of awarding the benefit at a predetermined timing.

[0087] The differences between the above processing and the present embodiment will be described below with reference to a comparative example. FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the differences. In the comparative example, the return rate (award rate) was increased based on the time when the sales information was acquired. Specifically, as in the comparative example (pattern 1), if authorization information is acquired on September 15th and then sales information is acquired on September 29th, and the history of electronic payments for that month, including the electronic payment for the sales information on September 29th, is determined to satisfy the conditions, the award rate will increase from the following month, October.

[0088] As in the comparative example (pattern 2), if authorization information is obtained on September 30th and sales information is obtained on October 15th, and the history of electronic payments for that month, including the electronic payment for the sales information on October 15th, is determined to meet the conditions, the reward rate will be increased from the following month, November. In this case, the electronic payment corresponding to the authorization information on September 30th will not be treated as an electronic payment for September.

[0089] As mentioned above, in the comparative example, whether or not to adjust the return rate was determined based on the sales information. In this case, even if a user makes a payment on September 30th as in Pattern 2, if the sales information crosses over into the next month, the return rate will not increase until November, which may result in the user not being able to fully benefit from the transaction.

[0090] In contrast, in this embodiment, by counting authorizations as described below, the reward rate can be increased early, providing sufficient benefits to users. In this embodiment (pattern 1), if authorization information is acquired on September 15th and the history of electronic payments, including the electronic payments in the authorization information, is determined to satisfy the conditions, the reward rate is increased from the following month, October, because sales information is acquired on September 29th. Note that in pattern 1, the reward rate may be increased the day after the sales information is acquired, or may be increased a predetermined period after the sales information is acquired.

[0091] In this embodiment (pattern 2), if authorization information is acquired on September 30th, the history of electronic payments, including the electronic payment of the authorization information, is determined to meet the conditions, and since sales information is acquired on October 15th, the reward rate is increased from October 16th, the day after October 15th, when the sales information was acquired. In pattern 2, the reward rate may be increased a predetermined period after the date on which the sales information was acquired. In addition, in pattern 1 or 2, the reward rate may be increased on a set date closest to the date on which the sales information was acquired.

[0092] As described above, in this embodiment, the payment server 100 can provide greater benefits to users by counting the electronic payment for the authorization information at the time the authorization information is obtained (at the time the user makes the payment).

[0093] To achieve the above processing, information such as the payment method, payment amount, and payment date for each electronic payment is stored in the storage unit 170 of the payment server 100. The payment server 100 performs statistical processing on the information stored in the storage unit 170 and uses the results of the statistical processing to determine whether the conditions are met.

[0094] According to the embodiment described above, the payment server 100 determines the benefits that will be granted when sales are finalized using the approval related to the authorization information based on the authorization information regarding the approval of a transaction using a credit card that is sent in response to the user using the credit card at the credit card member store, and displays the contents of the benefits that will be granted in cooperation with an application program associated with the credit card on the display unit of the user terminal device 10 on which the application program is installed, thereby providing useful information to the user.

[0095] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 10 User terminal device 20. Payment App 100 Payment Server 120 Contents Provider 130 Payment processing unit 140 Information Management Department 150 Information Processing Department 180 Compatibility Information

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires authorization information regarding approval of a transaction using a credit card, which is transmitted in response to a user using the credit card at a credit card affiliated store; A benefit processing unit that determines a benefit that will be granted when sales are confirmed using the approval related to the authorization information based on the authorization information; a display control unit that displays the contents of the benefit to be granted on a display unit of the user's terminal device in cooperation with an application program associated with the credit card and in which the application program is installed; An information processing device comprising:

2. the application program is an application program for providing an electronic payment service including an electronic payment method other than electronic payment by credit card; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The application program is an application program for providing electronic payment services including electronic payment using a charge balance charged to an electronic wallet. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. The benefit to be granted is associated with the user's identification information managed in an electronic payment service including electronic payment using a charge balance charged to an electronic wallet, and is a benefit that the user can use in the electronic payment service. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. The electronic payment service uses the application program and includes a payment processing unit that executes electronic payments using a charge balance charged to an electronic wallet, When an electronic payment is made using the charge balance, the benefit processing unit grants a benefit corresponding to the electronic payment, instead of the benefit that would have been granted, to identification information of the user related to the electronic payment managed by the electronic payment service, and When the user makes an electronic payment using the credit card, the benefit that would be granted in accordance with the use of the credit card is assigned to the identification information of the user related to the electronic payment, which is managed by the electronic payment service. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. The bonus processing unit: determining, in response to a successful match between the authorization information and sales information indicating that sales have been confirmed using the approval related to the authorization information, to grant to the user a benefit corresponding to the benefit that will be granted; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. The bonus processing unit: determining whether to grant to the user a benefit corresponding to the benefit that will be granted for use of the credit card, based on the time point when the authorization information is matched with sales information indicating that sales have been confirmed using the approval related to the authorization information; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

8. The electronic payment service uses the application program and includes a payment processing unit that executes electronic payments using a charge balance charged to an electronic wallet, the display control unit displays content in the same format on the display unit of the terminal device of the user when electronic payment is made using the charge balance and when the credit card is used; Ru, The information processing device according to claim 1 .

9. The content of the same format is content in which the arrangement of information on the names of affiliated stores relating to the electronic payment is the same, the arrangement of icons of the affiliated stores is the same, and the arrangement of information on benefits that will be granted or will be granted in response to the electronic payment is the same. The information processing device according to claim 8 .

10. The display control unit displays content on the user's terminal device that satisfies either one or both of the following conditions (1) and (2), without distinguishing between an electronic payment using a charge balance charged to an electronic wallet via an electronic payment service at the same affiliated store and an electronic payment using the credit card: (1) The names of affiliated stores of the same granularity are included; (2) The same icon of the affiliated store is included; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

11. The electronic payment service uses the application program and includes a payment processing unit that executes electronic payments using a charge balance charged to an electronic wallet, The display control unit When an electronic payment is made using the charge balance in the electronic wallet, the first correspondence information in which the identification information of the affiliated store is associated with the name of the affiliated store is referenced, the name of the affiliated store corresponding to the identification information of the affiliated store transmitted from the terminal device of the affiliated store or the application program is identified, and content including the name of the affiliated store and information related to the electronic payment is displayed on the display unit of the terminal device of the user on which the application program is installed in cooperation with the application program; When electronic payment is made using the credit card, by referring to second correspondence information in which information for identifying the affiliated store included in the authorization information is associated with the name of the affiliated store managed by the electronic payment service, the name of the affiliated store corresponding to the information for identifying the affiliated store included in the authorization information transmitted from the terminal device of the affiliated store or another server device is identified, and the content including the name of the affiliated store and information related to the electronic payment is displayed on the display unit of the terminal device of the user on which the application program is installed in cooperation with an application program. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

12. The display control unit by referring to correspondence information that associates information for identifying the affiliated store included in the authorization information with information about the affiliated store managed by an electronic payment service that includes an electronic payment method other than electronic payment by credit card, identifying information about the affiliated store that corresponds to the information for identifying the affiliated store included in the obtained authorization information; displaying information related to the authorization information and information related to the identified affiliated store on a display unit of the user's terminal device on which an application program that is associated with the credit card and provides an electronic payment service including the other electronic payment method is installed in cooperation with the application program; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

13. The display control unit When the authorization information is acquired, the content in the first display mode is displayed on a display unit of the terminal device of the user, When sales information indicating that sales have been confirmed using the approval related to the authorization information is acquired, content in a second display mode in which some elements of the first display mode are changed is displayed on a display unit of the terminal device of the user. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

14. The bonus processing unit: determining a reward rate to be applied to the user after the expiration of the predetermined period based on the amount of use related to the authorization information of the electronic payment using the credit card used by the user and the amount of use of the electronic payment using the charge balance charged to the electronic wallet during the predetermined period; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

15. The reward processing unit acquires sales information after the expiration of the predetermined period, and then grants a reward to the user at a grant rate determined using the authorization information for the predetermined period; The sales information acquired after the expiration of the specified period is information indicating that the sales have been confirmed using the authorization information of the electronic payment using the credit card used to determine the reward rate for the specified period. The information processing device according to claim 14.

16. an acquisition unit that acquires authorization information regarding approval of a transaction using a credit card, which is transmitted in response to a user using the credit card at a credit card affiliated store; by referring to correspondence information that associates information for identifying the affiliated store included in the authorization information with information about the affiliated store managed by an electronic payment service that includes an electronic payment method other than electronic payment by credit card, identifying information about the affiliated store that corresponds to the information for identifying the affiliated store included in the obtained authorization information; a display control unit that, in cooperation with an application program that is associated with the credit card and provides an electronic payment service including the other electronic payment method, displays information related to the authorization information and information related to the identified affiliated store on a display unit of the user's terminal device on which the application program is installed; An information processing device comprising:

17. The computer A process of acquiring authorization information regarding approval of a transaction using a credit card, which is sent in response to a user using the credit card at a credit card affiliated store; A process for determining a benefit that will be granted upon finalization of sales using approval related to the authorization information based on the authorization information; a process of displaying the contents of the benefit to be granted on a display unit of the terminal device of the user in cooperation with an application program associated with the credit card and in which the application program is installed; An information processing method that performs the above.

18. On the computer, A process of acquiring authorization information regarding approval of a transaction using a credit card, which is sent in response to a user using the credit card at a credit card affiliated store; A process for determining a benefit that will be granted upon finalization of sales using approval related to the authorization information based on the authorization information; a process of displaying the contents of the benefit to be granted on a display unit of the terminal device of the user in cooperation with an application program associated with the credit card and in which the application program is installed; A program to execute.

Images