Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To increase the satisfaction of a user and increase customers who visit an affiliated store.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes: an acquisition unit which acquires, in accordance with a user making an electronic payment using an electronic settlement service at an affiliated store of the electronic settlement service, identification information of the user managed by the electronic settlement service, identification information of the affiliated store related to the electronic settlement, and settlement information including the amount settled; a granting unit which refers to information in which the identification information of the affiliated store is associated with a first provision target, which is provided by the affiliated store and can be used for an electronic payment of the electronic settlement service at the affiliated store or an affiliated store related to the affiliated store, and grants the first provision target specified based on the settlement information to an account of the user of the electronic settlement service; and a display control unit which causes a display unit to display content, when a predetermined region associated with information on the affiliated store is operated, for purchasing the first provision target in an affiliated store associated with the predetermined region.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 payment management device has been disclosed that includes a memory unit that stores user identification information for identifying each user on the device and payment identification information that identifies each electronic payment process on the device, in association with each other; a transmission unit that transmits the payment identification information to a user terminal; a payment processing unit that, when a store terminal acquires a payment request including the payment identification information acquired from the user terminal, performs processing related to electronic payments for the user corresponding to the user identification information stored in the memory in association with the payment identification information included in the payment request; and a transmission unit that, when an inquiry request including the payment identification information is acquired from a privilege granting device, transmits the user identification information stored in the memory in association with the payment identification information to the privilege granting device (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-61238 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional technologies have sometimes been unable to improve user satisfaction and attract more customers to affiliated stores.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can improve user satisfaction and attract more customers to affiliated stores. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that includes: an acquisition unit that acquires payment information including the user's identification information managed by the electronic payment service, the identification information of the affiliated store related to the electronic payment, and the payment amount in response to a user making an electronic payment using the electronic payment service at a member store of the electronic payment service; an assignment unit that refers to information that associates the identification information of the affiliated store with a first offer object provided by the affiliated store that can be used as consideration for an electronic payment payment via the electronic payment service at the affiliated store or a member store related to the affiliated store, and assigns the first offer object identified based on the payment information to the user's account of the electronic payment service; and a display control unit that, when a predetermined area associated with information about the affiliated store is operated, displays content for purchasing the first offer object of the affiliated store associated with the predetermined area on a display unit. [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 improve user satisfaction and attract more customers to affiliated stores. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration for realizing an electronic payment service. [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 point information 173. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of affiliated store / store information 176. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an interface screen IM1 that is displayed when points from an affiliated store are awarded. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an interface screen showing points for each affiliated store. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an interface screen IM4 that is displayed on the display unit when automatic application is performed. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an interface screen IM5 for purchasing points from affiliated stores. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an interface screen IM6. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an interface screen IM7. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an interface screen IM8. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an interface screen IM9. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the payment server 100. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the flow of the process executed by the payment server 100. 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. Various devices, such as the "server" mentioned below, that provide services to users or perform internal analysis may be realized by a group of distributed devices, and each device may be operated by a different business. Furthermore, the owner of the device hardware (the 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) that exists in real space, but may also include a virtual store for e-commerce. A virtual store may also include a store provided by an entity different from the operator of the electronic payment service. In such a case, when paying for purchases at the virtual store, the user is controlled to transition to the interface screen of the electronic payment service. In an electronic payment service, a store is treated as belonging to, for example, an affiliated store (brand), and when a purchase is made at a store, processing such as payment is primarily conducted between the user and the affiliated 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. An 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, and a 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, and a network of a payment system such as a credit card. The electronic payment system or the payment server 100 is an example of an "information processing device."

[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 the payment server 100 may be included in another device.

[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] [Payment server] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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).

[0019] 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.

[0020] [Payment server functional configuration] 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 assigning unit 150, an information processing unit 160, 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 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium), 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.

[0021] 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 including point information 173, content information 174, affiliated store / shop information 176, etc. Some of this information may be stored in the storage unit of the user terminal device 10.

[0022] The communication unit 110 is a communication interface for connecting to the network NW, and is, for example, a network interface card.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] [User information] 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, and payment history information. The user URL is used for remittance processing between users. Registration of a telephone number and password is required when registering for an electronic payment service. 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). Similarly, the email address, name, address, and date of birth 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.

[0026] 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.).

[0027] The user information 172 includes point information 173. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the point information 173. The point information 173 is, for example, information in which a user ID is associated with a member store ID and points that can be used at the member store of the member store ID, and information in which points awarded by an administrator of the electronic payment service in electronic payments made by the electronic payment service are associated with the user ID. The points awarded by the administrator of the electronic payment service are points funded by the electronic payment service. Other points may also be associated with the user ID. These other points are common points that can be awarded and used across multiple services. Note that in this embodiment, the awarding and management of electronic payment service points or common points may be omitted, and only member store points may be awarded and managed.

[0028] [Partner / Store Information] 7 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), a third table 176C in which a store ID is associated with a store name, and affiliated store point information 170D in which an affiliated store ID is associated with information indicating the point award rate (or award degree) when an electronic payment using an electronic payment service is made at the affiliated store. In addition to this information, the affiliated store / store information 176 may also include information such as the affiliated store or store category, the store's location, and payment patterns.

[0029] 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.

[0030] [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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] When a user makes an electronic payment using the payment application 20, the payment processing unit 130 refers to the point information 173, checks whether there are any points available at the affiliated store where the electronic payment was made, and makes the electronic payment using the points.

[0033] When a user makes an electronic payment using the payment application 20, the granting unit 150 refers to the affiliated store point information 176D, checks the affiliated store points that can be acquired at the affiliated store where the electronic payment was made, and grants the affiliated store points to the user.

[0034] The information processing unit 160 executes various processes related to the information held by the payment server 100 .

[0035] [overview] When a user makes an electronic payment using an electronic payment service at a member store of the electronic payment service, the payment server 100 acquires payment information including the user's identification information, the identification information of the member store related to the electronic payment, and the payment amount, all of which are managed by the electronic payment service. The payment server 100 references member store point information 176D, which associates the member store's identification information with member store points (first provision object) provided by the member store that can be used as consideration for payment via the electronic payment service at the member store or a member store related to the member store (e.g., affiliated or group member stores), and grants the points (first provision object) identified based on the payment information to the account of the user of the electronic payment service. Member store points are, for example, points provided to users in exchange for funds provided by the member store. The content of the benefits, such as the redemption rate of the member store points, is determined, for example, by the member store.

[0036] In this embodiment, the benefits to be awarded are described as points, but other benefits may be awarded instead of (or in addition to) points, such as vouchers or coupons.

[0037] [Earn points for electronic payment services] Based on the payment information, the payment server 100 further grants electronic payment service points to the user's account, which are provided by the electronic payment service and can be used as consideration for electronic payments at affiliated stores of the electronic payment service. These electronic payment service points are points funded by the electronic payment service. In Figure 8, which will be described later, "XXX Exclusive Benefit" is the electronic payment service point.

[0038] When electronic payment is made and points of the affiliated store are to be awarded to the user, the payment server 100 displays the interface screen IM1 shown in Fig. 8 on the display unit of the user terminal device 10. The interface screen IM1 includes information on the points of the electronic payment service to be awarded to the user and information on the points of the affiliated store.

[0039] The content provider 120 of the payment server 100 displays points of multiple affiliated stores on the display unit in response to user operations. The affiliated store points are point information of the affiliated store that associates information about the affiliated store with points that the user has at the affiliated store (see IM3 in Figure 9). The affiliated store points are sometimes referred to as "gift certificates" that can be used at affiliated stores (see Figure 9, and Figures 11 and 12 described below).

[0040] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an interface screen showing points for each affiliated store. The payment server 100 sends, for example, information about points for an affiliated store (such as information that the expiration date is approaching) by push notification to the user terminal device 10 of a user who has points for the affiliated store. Interface screen IM1 is an interface screen that includes information from the push notification. When a user performs a predetermined operation on interface screen IM1 (or when a user performs a predetermined operation on another interface screen), the payment server 100 displays interface screen IM2 on the display unit. Interface screen IM2 includes information about points for the affiliated store. Interface screen IM2 includes information that associates information about multiple affiliated stores with information about points for the affiliated store that the user has corresponding to each of the multiple affiliated stores. On interface screen IM2, information indicating the points for the affiliated store is associated with the name and logo of the affiliated store.

[0041] As described above, the payment server 100 provides the user with a list of points for each affiliated store, allowing the user to easily check the points for each affiliated store, thereby improving user convenience.

[0042] When a predetermined area associated with information about an affiliated store is operated, the payment server 100 displays content for purchasing points for the affiliated store associated with the predetermined area on the display unit. For example, when a predetermined area AR1 near the name or logo of the affiliated store is operated, an interface screen IM5 that allows purchasing points for the affiliated store is displayed on the display unit (see FIG. 11, which will be described later).

[0043] As described above, the payment server 100 provides content for purchasing points from affiliated stores in response to user operations, allowing users to easily purchase points from affiliated stores.

[0044] [Use points at affiliated stores] If the user has points for the affiliated store where the electronic payment was made, the payment server 100 automatically applies the points to the electronic payment. Figure 10 shows an interface screen IM4 that is displayed on the display unit when the points are automatically applied. Interface screen IM5 includes information indicating that 525 yen has been paid with points from the affiliated store for a payment amount of 725 yen, for example.

[0045] As described above, the payment server 100 can improve user convenience by automatically applying points of affiliated stores in electronic payments.

[0046] [Purchase points from affiliated stores] The payment server 100 displays on the display unit an interface screen (content) including information on multiple combinations of points of the affiliated store to be purchased and points of the affiliated store to be added by the purchase. In response to a user's operation, the payment server 100 displays on the display unit an interface screen IM5 for purchasing points of the affiliated store shown in FIG. 11 ("Gift Certificate (Affiliated Store Points Added with Bonus Points)" in FIG. 11). For example, in response to a predetermined operation such as an operation on the interface screen IM4 or an operation on the interface screen IM3 described above, the interface screen IM5 is displayed on the display unit. The interface screen IM5 includes an operation area for purchasing points of a predetermined affiliated store, such as "500 points," "1000 points," etc. When this operation area is operated, the user can purchase points (gift certificates) of the affiliated store corresponding to the operation area using the balance of the electronic payment service, a credit card, or points of the electronic payment service. For example, when the affiliated store points reach a predetermined number, the user can exchange them for a gift certificate (affiliated store points) of the affiliated store with bonus points. This gift certificate may be exchanged for points from the affiliated store only, or may be exchanged for points from the affiliated store in combination with other items (charge balance or points from an electronic payment service).

[0047] For example, points from affiliated stores are awarded to users by adding a predetermined number of points to the purchase amount. For example, if a user purchases points from an affiliated store worth 500 yen, the payment server 100 adds 5% of the purchase amount and awards the points to the user.

[0048] As described above, the payment server 100 purchases points from affiliated stores in response to user operations, allowing users to earn points from affiliated stores at a better rate.

[0049] Furthermore, points at the above affiliated stores can be purchased with points from the electronic payment service, allowing users to earn points at frequently visited affiliated stores under more favorable conditions. For example, information about points at the electronic payment service may be included on interface screen IM5, making it easier for users to recognize points at affiliated stores that can be purchased with points from the electronic payment service.

[0050] Instead of (or in addition to) points from the electronic payment service, the charge balance and / or the amount that can be purchased using a credit card payment may be included on the interface screen IM5. This allows the user to easily recognize the points of affiliated stores that can be purchased using the current charge balance and the available credit payment amount.

[0051] The payment server 100 may display on the display unit, on the interface screen IM5, the amount of points of the affiliated store that the user can purchase. "Available for purchase" means that the points can be purchased using any of the following methods: the points of the electronic payment service that the user holds, the charge balance, or the amount that can be purchased using credit card payment, or by combining the amounts of multiple methods. For example, the payment server 100 may prioritize displaying on the display unit information about points of the affiliated store that can be purchased with "500 P" of the electronic payment service points, or may prioritize displaying on the display unit information about points of the affiliated store that can be purchased with "2500" obtained by combining "500 P" of the electronic payment service points and the charge balance of "2000 yen."

[0052] [Providing map information where points can be used at affiliated stores] The payment server 100 displays information on the display unit of the user terminal device 10 that associates map information with affiliated stores in the vicinity of the user's location where the points held by the user can be used. Specifically, the payment server 100 displays information on the display unit of the user terminal device 10 that associates map information with location information of affiliated stores that correspond to points granted to the user's account of the electronic payment service and where the points can be used, and information on the points that can be used at the affiliated stores. The payment server 100 acquires the user's location information from the payment app 20, and displays an interface screen IM6 on the display unit based on the acquired location information and the location information of affiliated stores that offer affiliated store points stored in the memory unit 170.

[0053] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing interface screen IM6. For example, when a user performs a predetermined operation, location information of affiliated stores for which the user holds points is displayed on map information, and information on available points for affiliated stores is displayed on the display unit. When a user selects a specific affiliated store from among the affiliated stores for which the user holds points, payment server 100 displays the location information of the selected affiliated store together with the points for the affiliated store in association with map information. Specifically, when a user selects an affiliated store on a screen listing affiliated stores and points for each affiliated store, as in interface screen IM3, payment server 100 displays map information indicating the locations of affiliated stores where the points for the selected affiliated store can be used on the display unit. Furthermore, payment server 100 displays the points for this affiliated store on the display unit.

[0054] As described above, by providing the above-mentioned map information to the user by the payment server 100, the user can easily check the locations of affiliated stores where the points of the affiliated stores can be used, thereby improving convenience for the user.

[0055] [Processing to give points to affiliated stores] As shown in interface screen IM7 of FIG. 13, the payment server 100 may give points of the affiliated store to another user in response to a user's operation on the payment app 20. For example, the payment server 100 gives points designated by the user from among the points given to the user's account to the account of another user designated by the user. For example, the points of the affiliated store are given to the recipient by using the recipient's code information or the recipient's user identification information (phone number, user ID). Furthermore, the points of the affiliated store may be given to the recipient by generating a link on SNS, email, etc.

[0056] For example, when a user operates the payment app 20 to display points for a specified affiliated store, the payment server 100 displays an interface screen IM8 shown in FIG. 14 on the display unit. The interface screen IM8 includes information about points for the specified affiliated store and a designation area for designating which points from the affiliated store to give as a gift. When a user designates points for the affiliated store to give as a gift and performs a predetermined operation, the payment server 100 sends the points for the designated affiliated store to another designated user in accordance with the operation. For example, the payment server 100 executes a process of deleting the points for the designated affiliated store by associating the points for the gift sender with the user ID of the gift recipient.

[0057] As described above, when giving points from a member store, a user can purchase points from the member store and give them as shown on interface screen IM5 in Figure 11, or can give points from the member store that the user owns.

[0058] As described above, the payment server 100 allows users to gift points from affiliated stores to other users, thereby improving user convenience. For example, when a user gifts a charge balance or points from an electronic payment service to another user, the user may feel burdened depending on the intention of the gift and the user's relationship with the other user. In contrast, affiliated store points are points that can be used at the affiliated store or related affiliated stores, making them a gift that is different from more versatile items such as currency, reducing the burden felt by the recipient. Furthermore, affiliated store points can be earned through electronic payments in addition to purchases, and other users do not know how the gifted affiliated store points were earned. For example, if the affiliated store points are considered to be points acquired through electronic payments, they can be considered additionally acquired by the user, and other users are less likely to feel burdened when receiving the affiliated store points. As such, the service of gifting affiliated store points is a highly useful feature for users. Furthermore, using affiliated store points as gifts encourages use of affiliated stores, which is also beneficial for affiliated stores.

[0059] [Other Processing] The payment server 100 may refer to the achievement conditions associated with each affiliated store and, if the points acquired through an electronic payment at a specific affiliated store and added to the user's account satisfy the achievement conditions associated with the specific affiliated store, add additional points from the affiliated store to the user's account. FIG. 15 shows an interface screen IM9 displayed when points from the affiliated store are added. For example, the interface screen IM9 is a screen displayed when a user makes an electronic payment at an XX affiliated store. For example, the interface screen IM9 may display a message indicating that the points held by the user have reached 500 points through an electronic payment at the affiliated store. In this case, 50 points are added. The points to be added and the conditions for adding points are specified for each affiliated store, and this information is stored in the memory unit 170. The payment server 100 refers to the information and adds points when the conditions are met, and displays information indicating that the points have been added on the display unit.

[0060] For example, points purchased by a user and points acquired by a member store through electronic payment may be managed separately. For example, the payment server 100 may separately manage a first total of points acquired from a member store through purchases and a second total of points acquired by a member store through electronic payment, and when points acquired from a member store through electronic payment, the payment server 100 adds the acquired points to the second total. For example, when the second total meets a condition, the payment server 100 adds points according to the condition to the second total.

[0061] In addition, when automatically applying points from affiliated stores when electronic payments are made, the payment server 100 may prioritize the use of points from affiliated stores in the first total to help the second total meet the achievement conditions.

[0062] As described above, the payment server 100 can provide more beneficial services to users in accordance with the points of affiliated stores and the conditions achieved. Furthermore, the above services are expected to encourage users to actively earn points of affiliated stores, which is expected to promote the use of affiliated stores.

[0063] [Flowchart (part 1)] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the payment server 100. First, the payment server 100 determines whether electronic payment of the electronic payment service has been made (S100). If electronic payment of the electronic payment service has been made, the payment server 100 determines whether the affiliated store related to the electronic payment is eligible for member store points (S102). If the affiliated store related to the electronic payment is eligible for member store points, the payment server 100 awards the points for the electronic payment service and the points for the affiliated store to the user (S104). If the affiliated store related to the electronic payment is not eligible for member store points, the payment server 100 awards the points for the electronic payment service to the user (S106). This completes one routine of the processing of this flowchart. Note that awarding of points for the electronic payment service may be omitted in the processing of S104 or S106.

[0064] As described above, the payment server 100 can improve convenience for users by providing points of affiliated stores to users.

[0065] [Flowchart (part 2)] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing another example of the flow of processing executed by the payment server 100. First, the payment server 100 determines whether or not electronic payment of an electronic payment service has been made (S200). If electronic payment of an electronic payment service has been made, the payment server 100 determines whether or not the user of the electronic payment has points for the affiliated store related to the electronic payment (S202). If the user of the electronic payment does not have points for the affiliated store related to the electronic payment, the processing of one routine of this flowchart ends. If the user of the electronic payment has points for the affiliated store related to the electronic payment, the payment server 100 applies the points of the affiliated store preferentially to the electronic payment and makes the electronic payment (S204). This ends the processing of one routine of this flowchart.

[0066] As described above, the payment server 100 can improve user convenience by automatically applying points of affiliated stores to electronic payments.

[0067] In the above process, points may be used for electronic payments in the following order: points from the affiliated store, then points from the electronic payment service, or points may be used according to a priority set by the user. Furthermore, points from the affiliated store may be accumulated without being used according to the user's settings. For example, a user who wants to accumulate points from the affiliated store and meet the conditions for points to be added may accumulate points, or a user who has accumulated a certain number of points may gift points from the affiliated store to another user.

[0068] In the above example, it was explained that the member store points are funded by a single member store, but the fund may also be funded by multiple member stores. For example, multiple different member bookstores may jointly fund the fund, and member store points may be awarded to users through electronic payments at the bookstore that funded the fund. Also, member stores in a specific shopping district or region may jointly fund the fund in the same manner as above, and member store points may be awarded to users through electronic payments at the shopping district or region that funded the fund.

[0069] According to the embodiment described above, the payment server 100 refers to information that associates the member store's identification information with the first offer provided by the member store that can be used as consideration for electronic payment for the electronic payment service at the member store or a member store related to the member store, and assigns the first offer identified based on the payment information to the account of the user of the electronic payment service, thereby improving user satisfaction and attracting more customers to the member store.

[0070] 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]

[0071] 10 User terminal device 20. Payment App 100 Payment Server 120 Contents Provider 130 Payment processing unit 140 Information Management Department (Acquisition Department) 150 Granting Department 160 Information Processing Section (Processing Section)

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires payment information including user identification information, identification information of the affiliated store related to the electronic payment, and payment amount, which are managed by the electronic payment service, in response to a user making an electronic payment using the electronic payment service at the affiliated store of the electronic payment service; an assigning unit that refers to information that associates the member store's identification information with a first offer that is provided by the member store and can be used as consideration for payment by electronic payment of the electronic payment service at the member store or a member store related to the member store, and assigns the first offer identified based on the payment information to the account of the user of the electronic payment service; a display control unit that, when a predetermined area associated with information of the member store is operated, causes a content for purchasing the first offer item of the member store associated with the predetermined area to be displayed on a display unit; An information processing device comprising:

2. the first object to be provided is points, the display control unit causes the display unit to display the content including a plurality of combination information of the points to be purchased and points to be added by the purchase. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the granting unit grants the points acquired in response to the electronic payment and the points purchased for the content to the account of the user; a processing unit for assigning points designated by the user from among the points assigned to the account of the user to the account of another user designated by the user; The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The first offer is granted to the account based on the payment information corresponding to the affiliated store that grants the first offer, regardless of whether the user holds a coupon of the affiliated store. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. The first offer is points provided to the user in exchange for the member store providing funds. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. The granting unit grants, to the account of the user, a second offer that is further provided by the electronic payment service and can be used as consideration for payment by electronic payment at affiliated stores of the electronic payment service, based on the payment information. The information processing device according to claim 5 .

7. a display control unit that displays a plurality of first information items on a display unit in response to an operation by the user; The first provision object information is information in which information of a plurality of member stores is associated with first provision objects of the member stores held by the user corresponding to each of the plurality of member stores.

6. The information processing device according to claim 5.

8. the first offer is points that can be used as consideration for payment by electronic payment of the electronic payment service at the affiliated store or an affiliated store related to the affiliated store; displaying, on a display unit of a terminal device of the user, information relating to the location information of affiliated stores where the points are assigned to the account of the user of the electronic payment service and where the points can be used, and information relating to the points that can be used at the affiliated stores, in association with map information; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

9. the first offer is points that can be used as consideration for payment by electronic payment of the electronic payment service at the affiliated store or an affiliated store related to the affiliated store; the granting unit refers to the achievement conditions associated with each of the member stores, and if the points of a specified member store acquired through the electronic payment and granted to the user's account satisfy the achievement conditions associated with the specified member store, grants additional points of the member store to the user's account; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

10. The computer When a user makes an electronic payment using an electronic payment service at a member store of the electronic payment service, payment information including user identification information managed by the electronic payment service, member store identification information related to the electronic payment, and a payment amount is acquired; by referring to information that associates the identification information of the affiliated store with a first offer provided by the affiliated store that can be used as consideration for payment by electronic payment of the electronic payment service at the affiliated store or an affiliated store related to the affiliated store, and granting the first offer identified based on the payment information to the account of the user of the electronic payment service; When a predetermined area associated with information on the member store is operated, content for purchasing the first offer item of the member store associated with the predetermined area is displayed on a display unit. Information processing methods.

11. On the computer, a process of acquiring payment information including user identification information, identification information of the affiliated store related to the electronic payment, and payment amount, which are managed by the electronic payment service in response to a user making an electronic payment using the electronic payment service at the affiliated store of the electronic payment service; a process of referring to information that associates the member store's identification information with a first offer provided by the member store that can be used as consideration for electronic payment of the electronic payment service at the member store or a member store related to the member store, and granting the first offer identified based on the payment information to the user's account of the electronic payment service; When a predetermined area associated with information on the member store is operated, a process of displaying content for purchasing the first offer item of the member store associated with the predetermined area on a display unit; A program that executes the following.

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