Commodity sales data processing apparatus and method

Abstract

To enable a cashier to easily confirm whether the total amount of purchased commodities is within a tax exemption range without performing complicated operation.SOLUTION: If the determination section determines that the customer is the tax-exempt person, the identification section identifies the tax-exempt commodity from the commodities purchased by the customer based on the reading result of the reading section. Then, the addition section (addition module) adds the amount of money of the commodity for each tax exemption division, and the comparison section (comparison module) compares the addition result by the addition section with the tax exemption range for each tax exemption division. As a result of the comparison by the comparison unit, if the addition result is within the tax-exempt range, the display unit (display means) causes the cashier display unit to display that the addition result is within the tax-exempt range. Alternatively, if the addition result is less than the lower limit value of the tax-exempt range, the display unit causes the cashier display unit to display the shortage amount with respect to the lower limit value of the tax-exempt range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a product sales data processing device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] With the recent increase in foreign tourists visiting Japan, retailers such as convenience stores and supermarkets are increasingly finding themselves having to process tax-free orders when selling products.

[0003] In the tax-free process, the range of tax-free amounts is determined according to the type of tax-free item. Therefore, customers pay attention to completing their shopping so that they stay within the tax-free range, but it is difficult to add up the amounts for each type of item while shopping and confirm whether they are within the tax-free range. Therefore, when registering purchased items at the register, customers ask the cashier whether the purchased items are within the tax-free range. In response to the customer's inquiry, the cashier had to identify tax-free items from among the purchased items, calculate the total amount of those tax-free items, and confirm whether they were within the tax-free range. This hindered the smooth progress of the product registration process at the register and made it difficult to respond to customer inquiries promptly.

[0004] To address these issues, a technology has been proposed in the past in which the price of the product to be purchased is read using a mobile terminal given to the customer, and the amount that is short of the tax-free limit is displayed on the mobile terminal to inform the customer (for example, Patent Document 1). Another technology has been proposed in which the amount that is short of the tax-free limit is displayed on a POS terminal to inform the cashier (for example, Patent Document 2). However, the display was not necessarily easy to understand so that the cashier could immediately determine the amount. Furthermore, there was no mention of what information should be displayed when tax-free status is established. Therefore, there was a need for an interface that could clearly display both the amount that is short of the tax-free limit and the fact that tax-free status has been established. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To provide a product sales data processing device and a program that can easily confirm whether the total amount of purchased products is within the tax-free range without requiring a cashier to perform complicated operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A product sales data processing device according to an embodiment includes a reading means, a determination means, an identification means, an addition means, a comparison means, and a display means. The reading means reads product information on products purchased by a customer. The determination means determines whether the customer is eligible for tax-exempt processing. The identification means, on the condition that the determination means has determined that the customer is eligible for tax-exempt processing, identifies tax-exempt products from among the products purchased by the customer based on the reading result of the reading means. The addition means adds up the prices of the tax-exempt products for each tax-exempt category. The comparison means compares the addition result by the addition means with the tax-exempt range for each tax-exempt category. The display means, on the condition that the addition result is within the tax-exempt range as a result of the comparison by the comparison means, displays that the tax-exemption has been achieved, and, on the condition that the addition result is short of the lower limit of the tax-exempt range, displays the shortfall amount relative to the lower limit of the tax-exempt range. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external view of a POS terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a hardware block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the POS terminal. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the tax-free category table. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the tax-free range table. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the POS terminal. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data configuration of the product master file. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on the cashier display unit of the POS terminal before the tax exemption conditions are met. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on the cashier display unit of the POS terminal when the tax exemption conditions are met. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on the cashier display unit of the POS terminal when the tax exemption limit has been exceeded. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the display screen shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the POS terminal of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the POS terminal of the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the POS terminal of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] (First embodiment) A POS (Point Of Sales) terminal, which is an example of a product sales data processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an external view of a POS terminal 10a according to the first embodiment.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, the POS terminal 10a is equipped with a card reader / writer (R / W) 11 and a keyboard 13. The card R / W 11 reads and writes card information to cards such as credit cards and point cards for payment. The keyboard 13 has a numeric keypad, department key, subtotal key, deposit / cash total key, receipt issue key, settlement key, tax exemption declaration key, and item list output key, among others. The POS terminal 10a also has a cashier display unit 15 and a customer display unit 16, both of which are liquid crystal displays, as well as a printer 17 that prints sales information on long receipt paper and issues it as a receipt from a receipt issuing slot 18.

[0010] The POS terminal 10a further includes a barcode reader 22 and a passport reader 23. The barcode reader 22 reads product information contained in a barcode attached to a product purchased by customer C and transmits the information to a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 31 (FIG. 2). The passport reader 23 is a reader device that reads information held in the passport of customer C. In this embodiment, the passport reader 23 has an optical character recognition (OCR) function that optically reads character strings written on the passport and transmits the information to the CPU 31 (FIG. 2).

[0011] (Explanation of the hardware configuration of the POS terminal) Fig. 2 is a hardware block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the POS terminal 10a. As shown in Fig. 2, the POS terminal 10a has a computer-configured control unit 30 made up of a CPU 31, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 33, etc. The CPU 31 executes various arithmetic processes and controls each unit. The ROM 32 permanently stores and saves fixed data. The RAM 33 stores rewritable variable data and is used as a work area. The CPU 31, ROM 32, and RAM 33 are connected via a bus line 34.

[0012] When the POS terminal 10a performs product registration processing, a tax exemption amount table T that tally up the total prices of tax exempt products is created in the RAM 33. This will be described in detail later.

[0013] In addition, peripheral devices such as a keyboard 13, a cashier display unit 15, a customer display unit 16, a printer 17, a card R / W 11, a barcode reader 22, and a passport reader 23 are connected to the POS terminal 10a via a controller 35. The operations of these peripheral devices are all controlled by the control unit 30.

[0014] The keyboard 13 has various keys arranged in blocks. The various keys include, for example, quantity keys for inputting product codes and amounts, a subtotal key for declaring the calculation of the total sales amount, a current total key for declaring cash closing in the sales process, a PLU (Price Look-Up) key for specifying various products, a confirmation key for confirming the quantity input using the quantity keys, a clear key, etc. The keyboard 13 also has operators necessary for performing tax exemption processing, such as a tax exemption declaration key K1. The tax exemption declaration key K1 is an operator for declaring that tax exemption processing will be performed for the transaction.

[0015] Furthermore, the POS terminal 10a is provided with a communication interface (I / F) 24 for data communication with a store server 4, which is a higher-level device, via a network 3 provided within the store. This communication interface 24 is also connected to the bus line 34.

[0016] The control unit 30 is also connected to a memory unit 26, which is a storage device, via a bus line 34. The memory unit 26 is composed of an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), flash memory, etc., and maintains its stored contents even when the power is cut off.

[0017] The memory unit 26 stores an operating system, a control program 27 such as various computer programs, and various data files. The data files include a product master file F1, a tax-free category table F2, and a tax-free range table F3, etc., which are distributed from the store server 4. The contents of each will be described later.

[0018] The control program 27 executed by the POS terminal 10a of the embodiment is provided as a file in an installable or executable format recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

[0019] The control program 27 executed by the POS terminal 10a of the embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. The control program 27 executed by the POS terminal 10a of the embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0020] The control program 27 executed by the POS terminal 10a of the embodiment may be provided by being pre-installed in the ROM 32.

[0021] (Tax exemption process explanation) Next, we will briefly explain the tax exemption process, which is a feature of this embodiment. When a person of foreign nationality makes a purchase in Japan, if certain conditions are met, they are exempt from paying taxes, i.e., they can receive a so-called tax exemption measure.

[0022] Specific conditions are set for each customer C making a purchase and the product being purchased. For example, to receive tax exemption in Japan, customer C must have a foreign nationality other than Japanese, and must also have a short-term stay visa that has been in place for less than six months since the date of landing. Whether these conditions are met can be determined by reading the information on the passport held by customer C.

[0023] Furthermore, when shopping in Japan, you must purchase certain items (tax-exempt items) within a certain price range. Tax-exempt items are further divided into consumables (food, beverages, cosmetics, medicines, etc.) and general goods (non-consumable items such as clothing and miscellaneous goods). You are eligible for tax-free exemption, which means you are exempt from paying consumption tax (tax-free), or exempt from paying consumption tax, customs duty, tobacco tax, and liquor tax (duty-free), only when the total amount (excluding tax) of consumables purchased at the same store on the same day is between 5,000 and 500,000 yen, or when the total amount (excluding tax) of general goods is 5,000 yen or more.

[0024] In this embodiment, the tax exemption category table F2 is a table that defines information that identifies whether a product is eligible for tax exemption, whether it is a general product, or whether it is a consumable product. The tax exemption range table F3 is a table that defines the price range (excluding tax) for which tax exemption is available for general products and consumable products.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the tax-free category table F2. As shown in FIG. 3, the tax-free category table F2 defines tax-free category names in association with tax-free category codes. The tax-free category names are "consumables," "general goods," and "non-tax-free." "Consumables" are tax-free goods such as food, beverages, medicines, and cosmetics. "General goods" are tax-free goods other than consumables that are used for everyday life. "Non-tax-free" are goods that are not tax-free and are not eligible for tax-free exemption. The tax-free category code for "consumables" is "01." The tax-free category code for "general goods" is "02." The tax-free category code for "non-tax-free" is "03." These tax-free category codes are assigned to each product registered in the product master file F1, which will be described later.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the tax-free range table F3. As shown in FIG. 4, the tax-free range table F3 defines a set value indicating the tax-free range in association with the tax-free range code. The set value indicates the range of amounts for which tax exemption is available in each category. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the tax-free range code "01" defines that the tax-free range for consumables is between 5,000 yen and 500,000 yen excluding tax. Furthermore, the tax-free range code "02" defines that the tax-free range for general goods is 5,000 yen or more excluding tax.

[0027] (Explanation of the functional configuration of the POS terminal) 5 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the POS terminal 10a. The CPU 31 of the POS terminal 10a operates in accordance with the control program 27 to function as the reading unit 40, the determining unit 42, the identifying unit 44, the adding unit 46, the comparing unit 48, the display unit 50, and the accounting unit 52 shown in FIG.

[0028] The reading unit 40, which is an example of a reading means, causes the barcode reader 22 (FIG. 2) to read the product information of the product that the customer C is to purchase.

[0029] The determination unit 42, which is an example of a determination means, determines whether the customer C is eligible for tax exemption processing based on the passport information of the customer C read by the passport reader 23 (FIG. 2).

[0030] The identification unit 44, which is an example of an identification means, identifies tax-exempt products from among the products purchased by customer C based on the reading result of the reading unit 40, on the condition that the determination unit 42 has determined that customer C is eligible for tax-exempt processing. Specifically, the identification unit 44 refers to the tax-exempt category code C2 of the product corresponding to the reading result of the reading unit 40 in the product master file F1. Then, based on the tax-exempt category code C2, it identifies whether the product purchased by customer C is a tax-exempt product.

[0031] The adding unit 46, which is an example of adding means, adds up the amounts of tax-exempt products for each tax-exempt category. The added results are written into the tax-exempt amount table T formed in the RAM 33 (FIG. 2) for each tax-exempt category.

[0032] The comparison unit 48, which is an example of a comparison means, compares the result of addition by the addition unit 46 with the tax exemption range for each tax exemption category contained in the tax exemption range table F3.

[0033] The display unit 50, which is an example of a display means, performs an addition result display process on the cashier display unit 15 to display that the addition result by the addition unit 46 is within the tax-free range, or the amount by which the addition result is short of the lower limit of the tax-free range, or the amount by which the addition result is in excess of the upper limit of the tax-free range.

[0034] The accounting unit 52 performs tax exemption processing to settle the payment for the products purchased by the customer C. If the customer C is not eligible for tax exemption, the accounting unit 52 performs tax exemption processing to settle the payment for the products purchased by the customer C.

[0035] (Explanation of product master configuration) Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the product master file F1. As shown in Fig. 6, the product master file F1 stores product information such as the product name, product price (unit price), classification code (classification 1 code, classification 2 code), and tax-free category code C2 in association with the product code C1 of each product to be registered for sale.

[0036] Products are classified by multiple classification codes, and these classifications are structured hierarchically. That is, as shown in Figure 6, products are classified into multiple categories based on Classification 1 (higher classification), which is a broad classification. Furthermore, each Classification 1 is further classified into Classification 2 (lower classification), which is a more detailed classification.

[0037] The tax-free category code C2 assigned to each product is a code defined in the tax-free category table F2 described above.

[0038] (Explanation of addition result display process) Next, the addition result display process performed by the display unit 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 7 to Fig. 10. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen M1 displayed by the display unit 50 on the cashier display unit 15 (Fig. 2) before the tax exemption conditions are met. The display screen M1 shows a state in which one item A to be purchased by customer C has been registered.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 7, the display screen M1 has a serial number column E1 that displays registered product information, a product name column E2, a unit price column E3, a quantity column E4, and an amount column E5. The display unit 50 displays the serial number assigned to the registered product in the serial number column E1. The product name column E2 displays the product name of the registered product A. The unit price column E3 displays the unit price (tax included) of product A. The quantity column E4 displays the registered quantity of product A. The amount column E5 displays the integrated value (tax included) of the unit price and quantity of product A.

[0040] Furthermore, the display screen M1 has a tax-exempt total amount column N1, a tax-inclusive total amount column N2, and a tax-exemption status display column N3. The display unit 50 displays the tax-exempt total amount of the registered products in the tax-exempt total amount column N1. The display unit 50 also reads the amount (including tax) of the tax-exempt products added by the adding unit 46 from the tax-exempt amount table T and displays it in the tax-inclusive total amount column N2. Furthermore, the comparing unit 48 compares the addition result by the adding unit 46 with the tax-exemption range for each tax-exempt category held in the tax-exemption range table F3. The display unit 50 then displays the comparison result of the comparing unit 48 in the tax-exemption status display column N3. That is, the tax-exemption status display column N3 displays the determination result as to whether the total amount of the registered products is within the tax-exemption range.

[0041] The display screen M1 shows in the tax-free status display field N3 that the total price of the registered products is 4,760 yen (including tax) short of the lower limit of the tax-free range. This tax-free status display field N3 is updated every time a new product is registered.

[0042] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen M2 when the tax exemption conditions are met, which is displayed on the cashier display unit 15 by the display unit 50. The display screen M2 has the same configuration as the display screen M1.

[0043] Display screen M2 shows the state in which customer C has registered 10 items to purchase. The total purchase amount is 5,926 yen, as displayed in the tax-excluded total amount column N1. All 10 items to be purchased are tax-exempt items (consumables).

[0044] At this time, since the total amount of the products purchased by customer C is within the tax-free range for consumables, the tax-free status display field N3 displays "tax-free status achieved" as shown in Fig. 8. At this time, the display unit 50 may color the background of the tax-free status display field N3 to emphasize that tax-free status has been achieved. The cashier may then notify customer C that tax-free status has been achieved.

[0045] 9 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen M3 when the tax-free limit is exceeded, which is displayed on the cashier display unit 15 by the display unit 50. The display screen M3 has the same configuration as the display screen M1.

[0046] Display screen M3 shows the state in which customer C has registered 39 items to purchase. The total purchase amount is 502,930 yen, as displayed in the tax-excluded total amount column N1. All 39 items to be purchased are tax-exempt items (consumables).

[0047] At this time, the total amount of the products purchased by customer C exceeds the tax-free range for consumables, so the tax-free status display field N3 displays that the total amount exceeds the upper limit of the tax-free range by 2,930 yen (including tax), as shown in Fig. 9. At this time, the display unit 50 may color the background of the tax-free status display field N3 to emphasize that the tax-free range has been exceeded. The cashier may then notify customer C that the tax-free range has been exceeded.

[0048] Next, Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of another display screen M4 displayed by the display unit 50 on the cashier display unit 15. As shown in Fig. 10, the display screen M4 is an example in which the tax-free achievement status display field N3 divides tax-exempt products into consumables and general goods, and displays the achievement status of the tax-free range for each tax-free category.

[0049] Figure 10 shows that customer C has registered nine items for purchase. The total purchase amount is 2,890 yen, as displayed in the total amount excluding tax column N1. Of the nine items to be purchased, 1,540 yen (excluding tax) is consumables, and the remaining 1,350 yen (excluding tax) is general goods.

[0050] At this time, the adding unit 46 adds up the prices of the tax-exempt products for each consumable item and for each general item. Then, the comparing unit 48 compares the adding results for consumable items and general items with the tax-exempt ranges for each tax-exempt category in the tax-exempt range table F3. Then, the display unit 50 displays the tax-exempt achievement status for consumable items and general items separately in the tax-exempt achievement status display field N3. In the example of Figure 10, the tax-exempt achievement status display field N3 displays that consumable items are 3,737 yen (tax included) short of the lower limit of the tax-exempt range, and that general items are 3,942 yen (tax included) short of the lower limit of the tax-exempt range.

[0051] (Explanation of the processing flow performed by the POS terminal) Next, the flow of processing performed by the POS terminal 10a will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the POS terminal 10a. The content of the processing will be described below for each step.

[0052] The determination unit 42 (FIG. 5) determines whether customer C is eligible for tax exemption processing (step S10). Specifically, the determination unit 42 determines whether customer C is eligible for tax exemption processing based on the passport information of customer C read by the passport reader 23 (FIG. 2). If customer C is eligible for tax exemption processing (step S10: Yes), the process proceeds to step S12.

[0053] The control unit 30 (FIG. 2) detects that the cashier has pressed the tax exemption declaration key K1 on the keyboard 13 (FIG. 2), and then declares tax exemption registration (step S12).

[0054] The reading unit 40 (FIG. 5) performs a product registration process to register the product information read by the barcode reader 22 (FIG. 2) (step S14).

[0055] The recognition unit 44 (FIG. 5) recognizes whether the product purchased by customer C is a tax-exempt product based on the reading result of the reading unit 40 (step S16). If the product purchased by customer C is a tax-exempt product (step S16: Yes), the process proceeds to step S18.

[0056] Furthermore, the recognition unit 44 recognizes whether the product purchased by the customer C is a consumable product (step S18). If the product purchased by the customer C is a consumable product (step S18: Yes), the process proceeds to step S20.

[0057] The adding unit 46 (FIG. 5) adds the amount of the consumables purchased by the customer C (step S20).

[0058] The comparison unit 48 (FIG. 5) determines whether the total amount of consumables purchased by customer C exceeds the lower limit of the tax-exemption amount (step S22). If it is determined that the total amount exceeds the lower limit of the tax-exemption amount (step S22: Yes), the process proceeds to step S24.

[0059] Furthermore, the comparison unit 48 determines whether the total amount of consumables purchased by customer C exceeds the upper limit of the tax-free range (step S24). If it is determined that the total amount exceeds the upper limit of the tax-free range (step S24: Yes), the process proceeds to step S26.

[0060] The display unit 50 (FIG. 5) displays the excess amount in the tax exemption achievement status display field N3 on the display screen (for example, display screen M3) displayed on the cashier display unit 15 (FIG. 2) (step S26).

[0061] The cashier determines whether there is a next product for customer C to purchase (step S28). If there is a next product (step S28: Yes), the process returns to step S14; otherwise (step S28: No), the process proceeds to step S30.

[0062] The accounting section 52 (FIG. 5) performs tax exemption processing to settle the payment for the products purchased by the customer C (step S30). Then, the POS terminal 10a ends the processing of FIG.

[0063] In step S10, if customer C is not eligible for tax exemption (step S10: No), the reading unit 40 performs a product registration process to register the product information read by the barcode reader 22 (step S32).

[0064] The cashier determines whether there is a next product for customer C to purchase (step S33). If there is a next product (step S33: Yes), the process returns to step S32; otherwise (step S33: No), the process proceeds to step S35.

[0065] In step S33, if there is no next product for customer C to purchase (step S33: No), the accounting unit 52 performs accounting processing to settle the product purchased by customer C (step S35). Then, the POS terminal 10a ends the processing in FIG. 11.

[0066] In step S16, if the product purchased by customer C is not a tax-exempt product (step S16: No), the process proceeds to step S28.

[0067] In step S18, if the product purchased by customer C is not a consumable item (step S18: No), that is, if the product purchased by customer C is a general item, the adding unit 46 adds the amount of the general item purchased by customer C (step S34).

[0068] The comparison unit 48 determines whether the total amount of the general goods purchased by customer C exceeds the lower limit of the tax-exemption amount (step S36). If it is determined that the total amount exceeds the lower limit of the tax-exemption amount (step S36: Yes), the process proceeds to step S38.

[0069] The display unit 50 displays that the tax exemption has been achieved in the tax exemption achievement status display field N3 on the display screen (for example, display screen M2) displayed on the cashier display unit 15 (step S38). After that, the process proceeds to step S28.

[0070] In step S36, if the total amount of the general goods purchased by customer C does not exceed the lower limit of the tax-exemption amount (step S36: No), the display unit 50 displays the shortfall amount against the lower limit of the tax-exemption amount in the tax-exemption achievement status display field N3 on the display screen (for example, display screen M1) displayed on the cashier display unit 15 (step S40). Then, proceed to step S28.

[0071] In step S22, if the total amount of consumables purchased by customer C does not exceed the lower limit of the tax exemption amount (step S22: No), the display unit 50 displays the shortfall amount against the lower limit of the tax exemption amount in the tax exemption achievement status display field N3 on the display screen (for example, display screen M1) displayed on the cashier display unit 15 (step S44). Then, proceed to step S28.

[0072] In step S24, if the total amount of consumables purchased by customer C does not exceed the upper limit of the tax-free range (step S24: No), the display unit 50 displays that tax-free status has been achieved in the tax-free status display field N3 on the display screen (for example, display screen M2) displayed on the cashier display unit 15 (step S42). Then, the process proceeds to step S28.

[0073] In the first embodiment, the display unit 50 displays the tax-exemption achievement status on the cashier display unit 15, but the same information may be displayed on the customer display unit 16 (FIG. 2). This allows the customer C to immediately understand the tax-exemption achievement status.

[0074] (Second embodiment) Next, we will explain the POS terminal 10b, which is an example of a product sales data processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The POS terminal 10b is the POS terminal 10a described in the first embodiment, to which a hold function that allows the product registration process to be temporarily held midway is added. This POS terminal 10b has the same hardware configuration as the POS terminal 10a.

[0075] First, the functional configuration of the POS terminal 10b will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the POS terminal 10b. As shown in Fig. 12, the POS terminal 10b has a functional configuration in which a holding unit 54 is added to the POS terminal 10a.

[0076] The holding unit 54, which is an example of a holding means, temporarily holds the product registration process for the product purchased by customer C. The holding unit 54 also issues a receipt on which identification data for identifying the temporarily held transaction data is printed. The holding unit 54 also resumes the temporarily held product registration process. Specifically, the holding unit 54 is realized by a hold key and a resume key (both not shown) provided on the keyboard 13 (FIG. 2).

[0077] The functions other than the holding unit 54 shown in FIG. 12 are the same as those of the POS terminal 10a described above, and therefore will not be described here.

[0078] (Explanation of the processing flow performed by the POS terminal) Next, the flow of processing performed by the POS terminal 10b will be described with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the POS terminal 10b. Below, the content of the processing will be described for each step. In order to simplify the explanation, in the flowchart of FIG. 13, explanations of the processing for determining whether customer C is eligible for tax exemption and the processing for identifying whether the product purchased by customer C is eligible for tax exemption will be omitted. Furthermore, explanations of the processing in the case where customer C is not eligible for tax exemption will be omitted. Each of the omitted processing steps is executed in the same way as explained in FIG. 11.

[0079] The reading unit 40 (FIG. 12) performs a product registration process to register product information of the tax-exempt product read by the barcode reader 22 (FIG. 2) (step S50).

[0080] The display unit 50 (Fig. 12) displays the shortfall or excess amount relative to the tax exemption range, or the fact that tax exemption has been achieved, in the tax exemption achievement status display field N3 of the display screen (for example, display screens M1, M2, M3, M4) displayed on the cashier display unit 15 (Fig. 2) (step S52). Note that the specific processing performed in step S52 is the same as the processing in steps S26, S38, S40, S42, and S44 described in Fig. 11.

[0081] The control unit 30 (FIG. 2) of the POS terminal 10b determines whether the reservation unit 54 (FIG. 12) has instructed to reserve the product registration (step S54). If the reservation of the product registration has been instructed (step S54: Yes), the process proceeds to step S56. At this time, the cashier informs the customer C of the shortfall in the tax-free allowance and asks whether he / she would like to purchase additional products.

[0082] The holding unit 54 causes the POS terminal 10b to temporarily hold the product registration process (step S56). At this time, the holding unit 54 issues a receipt to customer C on which identification data for identifying the temporarily held transaction data is printed. The cashier hands the issued receipt to customer C. Customer C returns to the store and purchases additional products to make up for the shortfall in the tax-free allowance. After the holding unit 54 temporarily holds customer C's product registration process, the POS terminal 10b can carry out product registration and accounting for another customer.

[0083] The control unit 30 of the POS terminal 10b determines whether the holding unit 54 has issued an instruction to release the product registration from the hold (step S58). If it is determined that the holding unit 54 has issued an instruction to release the product registration from the hold (step S58: Yes), the process proceeds to step S60; otherwise (step S58: No), the process returns to step S56.

[0084] The reservation unit 54 causes the POS terminal 10b to release the temporary reservation of the product registration process (step S60).

[0085] The cashier determines whether there is a next product for customer C to purchase (step S62). If there is a next product (step S62: Yes), the process returns to step S50; otherwise (step S62: No), the process proceeds to step S64.

[0086] In step S62, if there is no next product (step S62: No), the accounting unit 52 (FIG. 12) performs tax exemption processing to settle the purchase of the product purchased by customer C (step S64). Then, the POS terminal 10b ends the processing in FIG. 13.

[0087] In step S54, if suspension of product registration is not instructed (step S54: No), the process proceeds to step S62.

[0088] As described above, according to the POS terminal 10a of the first embodiment, if the determination unit 42 (determination means) determines that customer C is eligible for tax exemption processing, the identification unit 44 (identification means) identifies tax-exempt items from among the items purchased by customer C based on the reading result of the reading unit 40 (reading means). Then, the addition unit 46 (addition means) adds up the prices of the tax-exempt items for each tax exemption category, and the comparison unit 48 (comparison means) compares the addition result by the addition unit 46 with the tax exemption range for each tax exemption category. Then, if the comparison result by the comparison unit 48 indicates that the addition result is within the tax exemption range, the display unit 50 (display means) displays on the cashier display unit 15 that the addition result is within the tax exemption range. Alternatively, if the addition result is short of the lower limit of the tax exemption range, the display unit 50 displays on the cashier display unit 15 the shortfall amount relative to the lower limit of the tax exemption range. Therefore, it is possible to easily check whether the total amount of the purchased items is within the tax-free range without requiring the cashier to perform complicated operations.

[0089] Furthermore, according to the POS terminal 10a of the first embodiment, if the comparison result by the comparison unit 48 shows that the sum exceeds the upper limit of the tax-free range, the display unit 50 displays the excess amount relative to the upper limit of the tax-free range on the cashier display unit 15. Therefore, the cashier can easily confirm that the upper limit of the tax-free range has been exceeded.

[0090] According to the POS terminal 10a of the first embodiment, the display unit 50 displays the addition result for each tax-free category on the cashier display unit 15. Therefore, the cashier can easily check the achievement status of the tax-free range for each tax-free category.

[0091] Furthermore, according to the POS terminal 10a of the first embodiment, the display unit 50 displays the addition result on the customer display unit 16 for the customer C. Therefore, the customer C can check for himself or herself whether or not the tax-free allowance has been achieved.

[0092] Furthermore, in the POS terminal 10b of the second embodiment, the reservation unit 54 (reservation means) reserves the product registration process for the products purchased by customer C, and when the product registration process is reserved, executes the product registration process for customers other than customer C. Therefore, if the total amount of the purchased products does not reach the lower limit of the tax-free range, customer C can return to the sales floor and purchase additional tax-free products, and can continue the product registration process for another customer.

[0093] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 10a, 10b POS terminal (product sales data processing device) 40 Reading unit (reading means) 42 Judgment unit (judgment means) 44 Identification unit (identification means) 46 Addition unit (addition means) 48 Comparison section (comparison means) 50 Display section (display means) 52 Accounting Department 54 Reservation section (retention means) F1 Product Master File F2 Tax-exempt classification table F3 Tax-free Range Table [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0095] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-99787 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-66353

Claims

1. reading means for reading product information of products purchased by customers; a determination means for determining whether the customer is eligible for tax exemption; an identification means for identifying tax-exempt products from among the products purchased by the customer based on the reading result of the reading means, on the condition that the determination means has determined that the customer is eligible for tax-exemption processing; adding means for adding up the prices of the tax-exempt products for each tax-exempt category; a comparison means for comparing the result of addition by the addition means with the tax exemption range for each tax exemption category; display means for displaying that tax exemption is established on condition that the sum is within the tax exemption range as a result of comparison by said comparison means, and for displaying the shortfall amount relative to the lower limit of the tax exemption range on condition that the sum is short of the lower limit of the tax exemption range; A product sales data processing device comprising:

2. The display means further displays the excess amount relative to the upper limit of the tax-free range on the condition that the addition result exceeds the upper limit of the tax-free range as a result of the comparison by the comparison means.

2. The product sales data processing device according to claim 1.

3. The display means displays the addition result for each tax-free category.

3. The product sales data processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The display means displays the result of the addition to the customer.

4. The merchandise sales data processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

5. The system further includes a holding unit that holds a product registration process for a product to be purchased by the customer and, when the product registration process is held, executes a product registration process for a customer other than the customer.

5. The merchandise sales data processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

6. For computers, reading means for reading product information of products purchased by customers; a determination means for determining whether the customer is eligible for tax exemption; an identification means for identifying tax-exempt products from among the products purchased by the customer based on the reading result of the reading means, on the condition that the determination means has determined that the customer is eligible for tax-exemption processing; adding means for adding up the prices of the tax-exempt products for each tax-exempt category; a comparison means for comparing the result of addition by the addition means with the tax exemption range for each tax exemption category; display means for displaying that tax exemption is established on condition that the sum is within the tax exemption range as a result of comparison by the comparison means, and for displaying the shortfall amount relative to the lower limit of the tax exemption range on condition that the sum reaches the lower limit of the tax exemption range and is insufficient; A program to execute.

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