Information processing apparatus and computer program

Abstract

To improve adjustment processing in settlement by an electronic settlement service.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus for executing a settlement process for a wallet account of a member store for managing a monetary value in an electronic payment service with respect to a payment process by the electronic payment service performed by a consumer at the member store, the information processing apparatus comprising: The first total amount is transferred to the wallet account when the first upper limit amount is not exceeded, the first excess amount exceeding the first upper limit amount is held as a first transfer amount to the bank account of the affiliated store when the first upper limit amount is exceeded, and the amount excluding the first excess amount from the first total amount is transferred to the wallet account when it is determined that the first upper limit amount is exceeded.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, the use of electronic payments through electronic payment services has become widespread, and payment methods such as credit card payments, code payments, and electronic transportation money payments are widely used (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In this type of payment method, cash is not paid directly to the store, but is generally settled by being transferred to a bank account at a later date. Therefore, the store does not receive any income until the settlement is made, and there is a risk that the store will not have enough cash available to make any payments. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-151465 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for improvements in the settlement process for payments made using electronic payment services. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention to solve the above problem is an information processing device that executes a settlement process for a wallet account of an affiliated store for managing monetary value in an electronic payment service, for a payment process performed by a consumer at an affiliated store using the electronic payment service, and a receiving means for receiving payment information relating to the payment processing carried out at the member store; a first calculation means for calculating a first total amount by adding up payment amounts within a first period based on the payment information; a first determination means for determining whether depositing the first total amount into the wallet account will cause the balance of the wallet account to exceed a first upper limit of the wallet account; depositing means for depositing the first total amount into the wallet account when the first determination means determines that the first upper limit amount is not exceeded; a holding means for holding a first excess amount that exceeds the first upper limit of the first total amount as a first transfer amount to the bank account of the affiliated store when the first determination means determines that the first upper limit of the first total amount will be exceeded; When the first determination means determines that the first upper limit will be exceeded, the deposit means deposits the amount of the first total amount minus the first excess amount into the wallet account. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for improving the settlement process in payments made using electronic payment services. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a settlement system 100. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of each device. [Figure 4] 3A to 3C are diagrams showing examples of data configurations of various data tables. [Figure 5] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of an exemplary process executed between a member store terminal 120 and a server 140. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a flow diagram showing an example of exemplary processing performed in a user terminal 110, a payment terminal 130, and a server 140. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an exemplary process performed in the server 140. [Figure 8] A diagram to explain how to calculate the total amount received and what to do if the total amount received exceeds the upper limit (THm). [Figure 9] A diagram to explain how to calculate the wallet balance and what to do when the wallet balance exceeds the upper limit (THw). [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of additional exemplary processing performed at server 140. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] <System configuration> 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a settlement system 100 according to this embodiment. The settlement system 100 is configured by interconnecting a user terminal 110, a member store terminal 120, a payment terminal 130, a server 140, and a bank system 150.

[0011] The user terminal 110 is an information processing device owned by a consumer (user) who purchases products or the like at a member store, and can communicate with the server 140 via the network 160.

[0012] A payment application (payment app) for receiving the electronic payment service corresponding to this embodiment is installed on the user terminal 110, and the payment app can be used to make payment for purchasing goods using monetary value recognized by the electronic payment service. The user terminal 160 can be, for example, a communication terminal such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal.

[0013] The payment method can be an MPM method in which a two-dimensional barcode such as a QR code (registered trademark) installed in a store (for example, printed on a printed material and installed in the store) or a two-dimensional barcode displayed on the display of the payment terminal 130 is read by the camera of the user terminal 110 to identify the store, and then the amount is entered to complete the payment. In this case, either a static MPM method in which the two-dimensional barcode is fixed, or a dynamic MPM method in which the two-dimensional barcode is variable, can be used. Alternatively, a CPM method can be used in which a two-dimensional barcode is displayed on the user terminal 110, and the payment terminal reads it to process the payment.

[0014] In the MPM system, payment information including consumer information, payment amount, and affiliated store information is transmitted from the user terminal 110 to the server 140 via the network 160. The network 160 can receive and process the payment information. In the CPM system, the payment information is transmitted from the payment terminal 130 to the server 140 via the network 160.

[0015] The affiliated store terminal 120 is an information processing terminal capable of communicating with the server 140 via the network 160. The affiliated store terminal 120 is mainly operated by an affiliated store administrator or the like, and is used to register in advance with the server 140 the necessary information related to payment processing in accordance with the electronic payment service corresponding to this embodiment. The affiliated store terminal 120 may be any information processing terminal, such as a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet terminal. A wallet account for the affiliated store is opened by the affiliated store terminal 120. The wallet account is issued by the server 140 and is an account for managing value (or electronic money), which is monetary value that can be used in the electronic payment service. The wallet account can be charged by converting cash into value from the affiliated store's bank account or cash card.

[0016] The payment terminal 130 is an information processing device for performing payment processing, installed in an affiliated store (for example, a store where a consumer intends to purchase a product, or a restaurant where a consumer intends to dine, etc.). The payment terminal is configured to be able to perform code payment, and performs payment processing with the consumer's user terminal 110. When code payment is performed using the CPM method, the payment terminal 130 transmits payment information to the server 140 via the network 160.

[0017] Server 140 is an information processing device that receives payment information from user terminal 110 and payment terminal 130, manages payment information for each affiliated store, and executes settlement processing. Server 140 also manages information on the payment app executed on user terminal 110, and can communicate with affiliated store terminal 120 to set and register information necessary for settlement processing. Server 140 can also function as a management server for managing wallet accounts. Note that although server 140 is described as an integrated unit, the server that mainly executes settlement processing, the server that exchanges payment information, registration information, etc. between user terminal 110, affiliated store terminal 120, and payment terminal 130, and the server that manages wallet accounts may be configured separately.

[0018] The bank system 150 is an information processing device that manages the bank accounts of consumers who are users of the user terminals 110 and of affiliated store managers who are users of the affiliated store terminals 120. When a transfer request to a bank account is received from the server 140, the bank system 150 transfers the specified amount to the specified bank account.

[0019] Network 160 is a communication network for interconnecting each node from the above-mentioned user terminal 110 to bank system 150, and can include the Internet, as well as an intranet, LAN, WAN, mobile communication network (mobile phone communication network), etc.

[0020] <Configuration of information processing device> Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the terminals and information processing devices that make up the system corresponding to this embodiment will be described. The configuration shown in Fig. 2 shows a typical hardware configuration of each device, described as an information processing device, that makes up the settlement system 100, from the user terminal 110 to the bank system 150, and some of the hardware configuration may not be essential depending on the type of device.

[0021] 2, a CPU 201 executes application programs, an operating system (OS), control programs, etc. stored in a ROM 203 or an internal storage device 204 (to be described later), and controls temporary storage of information, files, etc. required for executing the programs in a RAM 202. Note that the processes described below are also realized by the CPU 201 functioning as a control unit or a processing unit by executing corresponding processing programs.

[0022] The RAM 202 temporarily stores various data and functions as the main memory, work area, etc. of the CPU 201. The ROM 203 internally stores various programs such as basic I / O programs, font data used during processing, template data, and other various data. The internal storage device 204 uses a hard disk (HD) that functions as a large-capacity memory. The internal storage device 204 stores application programs, an OS, control programs, related programs, various control data, etc. Note that a non-volatile storage device such as flash (registered trademark) memory may be used instead of a hard disk.

[0023] The input unit 205 corresponds to a keyboard, a pointing device (such as a mouse), a touch panel, etc. Using the input unit 205, a user can input commands and the like to control the information processing device. The output unit 206 is configured to include a display that outputs video, a speaker that outputs audio, a printing unit that prints out two-dimensional barcodes, etc. The communication interface (I / F) 207 performs data communication with external devices via the network 160 in accordance with various communication protocols. The external storage device 208 is configured as a database and stores data tables necessary for processing executed in the information processing device.

[0024] The information acquisition unit 209 can function as a reader for acquiring information from, for example, a two-dimensional barcode. The information acquisition unit 209 may also be configured to acquire credit card information from an IC chip of a credit card by short-range wireless communication, or may be configured to acquire credit card information from a magnetic stripe of a credit card.

[0025] <Functional Configuration of User Terminal 110 and Member Store Terminal 120> 3(A), an example of the functional configuration of the user terminal 110 and the affiliated store terminal 120 will be described. The user terminal 110 and the affiliated store terminal 120 (hereinafter referred to as the user terminal 110, etc.) can be configured to include, for example, a control unit 301, a communication unit 302, an operation unit 303, and a display unit 304.

[0026] The control unit 301 controls the overall operation of the user terminal 110, etc. The CPU 201 in Fig. 2 can function as the control unit 301 by executing a program stored in the internal storage device 204, etc. The communication unit 302 communicates with each device via the network 160. The CPU 201 can function as the communication unit 302 by controlling the communication interface 207.

[0027] The operation unit 303 is a user interface such as a touch panel or buttons provided on the user terminal 110, etc., and the input unit 205 in FIG. 2 can function as the operation unit 303. The display unit 304 is a display that displays predetermined information for operation input, etc. The output unit 206 in FIG. 2 functions as the display unit 304.

[0028] <Functional configuration of server devices such as server 140> 3(B), an example of the functional configuration of a server device such as server 140 and bank system 150 will be described. Each server device can be configured to include, for example, a control unit 311, a communication unit 312, a processing unit 313, and a database 316.

[0029] The control unit 311 controls the overall operation of each server device. The CPU 201 in Fig. 2 can function as the control unit 311 by executing a program stored in the internal storage device 204 or the like. The communication unit 312 communicates with each device via the network 160. The CPU 201 can function as the communication unit 312 by controlling the communication interface 207.

[0030] The processing unit 313 has a function of executing various processes performed in each server device. The CPU 201 in Fig. 2 can function as the processing unit 313 by executing a program stored in the internal storage device 204 or the like.

[0031] The operation unit 314 is an operation unit that allows a user of the server device (for example, an operator of the server device) to input operations to the server device, and includes a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc. The input unit 205 in FIG. 2 can function as the operation unit 314. The display unit 315 is a display that displays predetermined data handled in the server device. The output unit 206 in FIG. 2 functions as the display unit 315. The database 316 is a database that stores and manages various data used by the processing unit 313, and the external storage device 208 in FIG. 2 functions as the database 316.

[0032] <Functional configuration of payment terminal 130> 3(C), an example of the functional configuration of payment terminal 130 will be described. Payment terminal 130 can be configured to include, for example, control unit 321, communication unit 322, operation unit 323, output unit 324, and information reading unit 325.

[0033] Control unit 321 controls the overall operation of payment terminal 110. CPU 201 in Fig. 2 can function as control unit 321 by executing a program stored in internal storage device 204 or the like. Communication unit 322 communicates with server 140 via network 160. CPU 201 can function as communication unit 322 by controlling communication interface 207.

[0034] The operation unit 323 includes an operation unit operated by a user of the payment terminal 130 (e.g., a store clerk at an affiliated store) to input product information about the product the consumer wishes to purchase and information about the payment amount. It may also include an operation unit operated to input the personal identification number of the credit card used by the consumer. The input unit 205 in FIG. 2 can function as the operation unit 323.

[0035] The output unit 324 can include a display that displays various information including payment amount information, and a receipt output unit that prints out receipts. In addition, in MPM code payment, a two-dimensional barcode can be displayed on the display or printed out. The output unit 206 in Figure 2 functions as the output unit 324. The information reading unit 325, as a two-dimensional barcode reader, can acquire information from the two-dimensional barcode displayed on the user terminal 110 in CPM code payment. It can also read chip information and magnetic information from credit cards.

[0036] <About data tables> Next, we will explain the configuration of the data tables registered in the database 316 of the server 140. Figures 4(A) to 4(D) show examples of the data configuration of each data table.

[0037] FIG. 4(A) shows an example of the configuration of a data table 400 of information managed in association with information on a member store's wallet account. Member stores are assigned member store identification information to uniquely identify them, and this information is registered as store ID 401 in data table 400. Information related to member stores can be managed separately. While SID1 to SID3 are shown in FIG. 4(A), the information actually registered can be any combination of letters, numbers, symbols, etc. Next, wallet ID 402 information is registered to identify the wallet account assigned to the store. Wallet ID 402 is unique information linked to wallet account information. Wallet account information can be managed separately. The registered data is shown as WID1 to WID3, but like SID, the registered information can be any combination of letters, numbers, symbols, etc.

[0038] Next, a monthly upper limit 403 is registered. The monthly upper limit is the upper limit of the amount of the monthly value settlement for the corresponding member store registered in the process described with reference to FIG. 5. Bank account information 404 is registered with information on a bank account (e.g., account number, etc.) for transferring the settlement amount exceeding the value settlement limit. In an embodiment in which a monthly upper limit is not set, the item for monthly upper limit 403 is not present. Other information may be registered in the data table 400. For example, user-related information such as a login ID and password associated with a store ID may be registered.

[0039] Next, with reference to Figure 4 (B), the configuration of data table 410 for managing information related to payment amounts at affiliated stores will be described. Store ID 411 is registered in data table 410. The same content as store ID 401 in data table 400 is registered in store ID 411. Information on the date and time when the payment process was executed and information on the payment amount, which are included in the payment information received from affiliated store terminal 130, are registered as payment date and time 412 and payment amount 413.

[0040] When server 140 receives payment information, it sequentially registers the information contained in the received payment information in data table 410 until the daily closing time arrives. While FIG. 4(B) shows a case where multiple store IDs are registered in a common table, a separate data table may be created and registered for each store ID. When the daily closing time arrives, server 140 calculates the total amount for that day by adding up the amounts registered in payment amount 413 for each store ID. After calculating the total amount, the information in data table 410 may be retained for a certain period of time, and then the information registered in the table may be reset at any time.

[0041] Next, referring to FIG. 4(C), the configuration of data table 420 for managing information about wallet accounts for each affiliated store will be described. Wallet ID 421 is registered in data table 420. The same content as wallet ID 402 in data table 400 is registered in wallet ID 421. In period 422, a reference period is registered for calculating the total amount registered in total amount received 423. For the total amount received, if a monthly upper limit 403 is set, the total amount received in the wallet account for a one-month period must be calculated in relation to that upper limit. Therefore, information for identifying a one-month period is registered in period 422. The method for registering information about period 422 is arbitrary, as long as it can identify the period from the previous monthly closing point to the monthly closing point immediately following the previous monthly closing point. For example, December 2023 may be registered, or 2023 / 12 / 01 to 2023 / 12 / 31 may be registered, or other formats are also possible.

[0042] Next, the total amount of value received paid to the wallet account of the affiliated store identified by the wallet ID 421 within the period specified by the period 422 is registered in the total amount received 423. The value of the total amount received 420 is updated each time a payment of value is made. Furthermore, the current balance of the wallet account is registered in the balance 424. The balance 424 changes not only when the amount received is deposited, but also when the wallet account owner makes a payment using value. A real-time balance value is registered in the balance 424. A value indicating whether the wallet account is available or suspended is registered in the status 425. In this embodiment, a wallet account is suspended for example when there is a fraudulent transaction, a retention restriction, a violation of the terms of use, or the like. However, even if the status 425 is suspended, the status may be restored to available if the cause of the suspension is resolved.

[0043] Next, with reference to Figure 4(D), the configuration of data table 430 for managing information related to bank accounts will be described. Bank account information 431 is registered in data table 430. The same content as bank account information 404 in data table 400 is registered in bank account information 431. The balance amount in the bank account is registered in bank balance 432. Furthermore, the amount held as the amount held as the amount held as the amount fixed in the settlement process in Figure 7, which will be described later, is registered in confirmed held amount 433. The amount held as the amount not fixed in the settlement process in Figure 7, which will be described later, is registered in unconfirmed held amount 434.

[0044] <Processing flow in settlement system 100> The processing flow in the settlement system will be described below. First, referring to FIG. 5, a process for setting a monthly upper limit, which is the upper limit of the monthly value settlement amount, from the affiliated store terminal 120 to the server 140 will be described. In this embodiment, a maximum value settlement amount (limit amount) can be set for each affiliated store. Specifically, after the daily closing timing arrives and the day's sales are closed, value corresponding to the day's sales amount is charged to the wallet account of the affiliated store terminal 120. At this time, control is performed so that the total amount of value charged in one month does not exceed the maximum amount. For example, if the maximum amount is set to 500,000 yen, the server 140 deducts a certain fee based on the total daily sales and charges the remaining amount to the wallet of the affiliated store administrator. By repeating this process, charging will be performed every day within 500,000 yen in one month. Note that in this embodiment, setting a monthly value settlement limit is optional and does not have to be set.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing an example of this monthly upper limit setting process. First, in S501, the member store terminal 120 sends a request to set a monthly upper limit to the server 140. Upon receiving the setting request, the server 140 sends screen information in response to the setting request to the member store terminal 120 in S502. The member store terminal 120 displays the received screen information on the display unit 304 of the member store terminal 120 in S503 and accepts input of the monthly upper limit. Note that the amount accepted at this time must not exceed the upper limit of the funds transfer business balance (e.g., 1 million yen). The accepted upper limit information is associated with the member store information corresponding to the store ID 401, and is sent from the member store terminal 120 to the server 140 in S504. The server 140 registers the information received from the member store terminal 120 in the data table 400. If a monthly upper limit has already been registered, the registered value is updated. Note that in embodiments in which a monthly upper limit is not set, this process is omitted.

[0046] Next, Fig. 6 is a flow diagram showing an example of payment processing carried out between the user terminal 110 at the affiliated store and the payment terminal 130. The example shown in Fig. 6 describes a case where the CPM method is adopted, that is, a case where a two-dimensional barcode is displayed on the user terminal 110 side, and the two-dimensional barcode is read by the information reading unit 325 of the payment terminal 130 and payment information is transmitted to the server 140.

[0047] In S601, code payment processing is executed between the user terminal 110 and the payment terminal 130. Specifically, when the user terminal 110 reaches the payment stage, it uses the payment app to display a two-dimensional barcode indicating consumer information on the display unit 304. The payment terminal 130 reads the two-dimensional barcode using the information reading unit 325 and acquires the consumer information from the user terminal 110. In the following S602, payment information including the acquired consumer information, payment amount, payment date and time, and affiliated store information is sent to the server 140.

[0048] In S603, the server 140 receives the transmitted payment information and updates the contents of the data table 410 based on the received payment information. Specifically, the server 140 identifies the store ID based on the affiliated store information, and registers information on the payment date and time 412 and payment amount 413 in the data table 410 in association with the store ID. The process then proceeds to the settlement process in S604. Details of the settlement process will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0049] 6, the CPM code payment has been described, but the MPM payment method can also be processed in a similar manner. Specifically, the payment information in S602 is sent from the user terminal 110 to the server 140, but the processing of the payment information on the server 140 side can be carried out in the same way. Furthermore, apart from the settlement processing in S604, the processing from S601 to S603 can be repeatedly executed between any user terminal 110 and payment terminal 130, and the respective payment information is stored in the server 140.

[0050] Next, the flow of the settlement process in S604 will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. The settlement process is executed by server 140. Figure 7 shows an example of a flowchart of the settlement process. The flowchart in Figure 7 is realized by control unit 311 of server 140 controlling the operation of each block.

[0051] First, in S701, the control unit 311 determines whether the daily closing timing (daily closing point) has arrived. In this embodiment, the settlement process is performed based on the settlement amount between the previous daily closing timing and the daily closing timing immediately following the previous daily closing timing. Therefore, the settlement process in FIG. 7 is a process that is mainly started in response to the arrival of the daily closing timing. Here, the daily closing timing may be, for example, 24:00 when the date changes, or any other timing. Furthermore, for example, the daily closing timing may be set by the affiliated store. When the daily closing timing arrives, the process proceeds to S702. If the daily closing timing has not arrived, the process waits for the timing to arrive.

[0052] In S702, the control unit 311 calculates the total payment amount for that day, which is registered in association with the store ID, which is the identification information of the affiliated store to be processed, from the data table 410. The time base for calculating the total amount is from the previous daily closing timing to the current daily closing timing, which is one day in this case, but it may also be a longer period such as seven days. This total payment amount is set as the amount received X by the affiliated store. Note that the amount received X may also be calculated by subtracting a specified fee from the total amount, but since the fee is a procedural matter unrelated to the essence of the invention, its explanation will be omitted in this embodiment. The same applies hereafter.

[0053] In the next step S703, the control unit 311 reads the total settlement amount deposited to the wallet account of the affiliated store that month from the total settlement amount 423 in the data table 420 and updates it using the calculated amount of receipt X (Xsum → Xsum + X). It then determines whether the updated total amount of receipt Xsum exceeds the monthly upper limit (THm) for settlement amounts set in the processing of FIG. 5. The monthly upper limit can be the value of the monthly upper limit 403 registered in the data table 400. In an embodiment in which a monthly upper limit (THm) is not set, the processing of S703 can be skipped and the processing can proceed to S706. In this case, the processing of S704 and S705 is also omitted, and processing for amount of receipt X is performed from S706 onwards.

[0054] If the total receivable amount Xsum exceeds the upper limit THm, processing proceeds to S705 for the excess portion of the total receivable amount Xsum. On the other hand, if the total receivable amount Xsum does not exceed the upper limit THm as a whole, or for the non-excess portion of the total receivable amount Xsum, processing proceeds to S706. In S705, the control unit 311 adds the amount exceeding the upper limit to the amount held as the amount received via the bank account. If the monthly upper limit THm is exceeded, value settlement is impossible, so settlement will be via the bank account. Therefore, for the amount exceeding the monthly upper limit, a separate amount is accumulated and held for transfer to the bank account. Thereafter, processing proceeds to S711. Here, the amount received via the bank account in S705 is determined to be settled via the bank account because the total value settlement amount has already exceeded the monthly upper limit. In this embodiment, this held amount is called the confirmed amount. If the confirmed amount is changed, the control unit 311 updates the value of the confirmed held amount 433 in the data table 430.

[0055] Now, with reference to Figure 8, we will explain how to calculate the total amount received and what happens when the total amount received exceeds the upper limit (THm). In Figure 8(A), the total amount received has some margin relative to the upper limit THm, so even if the amount received for that day X is added, the total amount received Xsum does not reach the upper limit THm. On the other hand, in Figure 8(B), the total amount received does not have much margin relative to the upper limit THm, so if the amount received for that day X is added, the total amount received Xsum will exceed the upper limit THm. In this case, the excess amount will be held as a confirmed amount. Then, since the total amount received thereafter matches THm, all remaining amounts received for that month will be transferred to a bank account.

[0056] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 7, in S706, the control unit 311 checks the wallet account status of the relevant affiliated store based on the status 425 to determine whether it is suspended. If the status 425 is not suspended, the process proceeds to S707. On the other hand, if the status 425 is suspended, the process proceeds to S710, where the excess portion of the total amount received Xsum is held as the amount received in the bank account. Note that in an embodiment where a monthly upper limit (THm) is not set, if the processes from S703 to S705 are skipped, the amount received X is held as the amount received in the bank account in S710. In S707, the control unit 311 checks the wallet balance of the relevant affiliated store. The current wallet balance is obtained from the balance 424 of the data table 420. The amount received X (or the amount received minus the amount determined to be the excess amount in S704) is added to this balance to calculate the expected wallet balance W after the amount received X is paid. In the next step S708, the control unit 311 determines whether the calculated expected wallet balance W exceeds the upper limit (THw) of the balance that can be held in the wallet.

[0057] In this embodiment, it is assumed that an upper limit THw of the value balance that can be held in the wallet is set in advance. For example, it is assumed that the upper limit is 1 million yen, and value beyond this limit cannot be held. In S708, it is determined whether the wallet balance W does not exceed this upper limit of 1 million yen.

[0058] If the upper limit has been exceeded, processing proceeds to S709. On the other hand, if the upper limit has not been exceeded, processing proceeds to S714. First, in S709, the control unit 311 calculates the amount of the excess. The excess can be calculated by subtracting the upper limit value THw from the wallet balance W described above. The non-excess amount can be calculated by subtracting the excess from the amount received X. For example, if the wallet balance W becomes 1,010,000 yen by adding the amount received X, subtracting 1,000,000 yen results in an excess of 10,000 yen. For example, if the amount received X is 30,000 yen and the excess is 10,000 yen, the excess is 10,000 yen and the non-excess amount is 20,000 yen.

[0059] From S709 onwards, processing differs between excess and non-excess amounts. For excess amounts, processing proceeds to S710. In S710, the excess amount is held as the amount to be received by the bank account. This amount to be received by the bank account can be used to replenish the wallet balance if it falls below 1 million yen in the future due to the use of value by the affiliated store administrator, etc., so it is not yet determined whether or not to settle the amount by the bank account. Therefore, it is called the unconfirmed amount. When the unconfirmed amount is changed, the control unit 311 updates the value of the unconfirmed held amount 434 in the data table 430.

[0060] Here, referring to Figure 9, we will explain how to calculate the wallet balance and what happens when the wallet balance exceeds the upper limit (THw). In Figure 9(A), the wallet balance has some margin above the upper limit THw, so even if the amount received X for that day is added, the wallet balance W is still below the upper limit THw. On the other hand, in Figure 9(B), the total amount received is not very large compared to the upper limit THw, so if the amount received X for that day is added, the wallet balance W will exceed the upper limit THw. In this case, the excess amount is held as an unconfirmed amount. At this point, the wallet balance W matches THw, but if value is subsequently used, the wallet balance will fall below the upper limit THw, so the amount received can be added to make up for the shortfall.

[0061] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 7, in the next S711, the control unit 311 determines whether the monthly closing timing (monthly closing time) has arrived. If the monthly closing has arrived, the process proceeds to S712, where the amount held as unconfirmed and the amount held as confirmed are combined and transferred to the bank account. The monthly closing is the closing for a one-month period and can be set for each affiliated store. The transfer process is performed by the server 140 sending a transfer request to the bank system 150. After the transfer process has been performed, or if the monthly closing has not arrived, the process returns to S701.

[0062] For the non-excess amount in S709, in S713 the control unit 311 performs wallet deposit processing. Then in S717, the value of wallet balance 424 registered in data table 420 is updated. Then in S718, the control unit 311 updates the value of total amount received 423 registered in data table 420 based on the wallet deposit amount.

[0063] If it is determined in S708 that the upper limit has not been exceeded, then in S714 an additional deposit amount Y is calculated. The additional deposit amount is the amount to replenish the wallet deposit amount, based on the amount held in the unconfirmed account, within the range that does not reach the upper limit. For example, if the wallet balance upper limit is 1 million yen and the wallet balance W is 800,000 yen, there is a surplus of 200,000 yen. If the amount held in the unconfirmed account is 100,000 yen, then the 100,000 yen can be used as the additional deposit amount Y. On the other hand, if the wallet balance W is 950,000 yen and the amount held in the unconfirmed account is 100,000 yen, then 50,000 yen of the 100,000 yen can be used as the additional deposit amount Y.

[0064] In the following S715, the control unit 311 subtracts the amount recognized as additional deposit amount Y in S714 from the unconfirmed amount, and updates the value of the unconfirmed amount held 434 in the data table 430. In the following S716, the control unit 311 deposits the total amount of received amount X and additional deposited amount Y into the wallet. Thereafter, in S717, the value of the wallet balance 424 registered in the data table 420 is updated. In the following S718, the control unit 311 updates the value of the total received amount 423 registered in the data table 420 based on the wallet deposit amount.

[0065] In the explanation of Fig. 7 above, the total amount received Xsum in S703 was calculated by taking into consideration only the amount received X calculated in S702. However, the amount held in the unconfirmed holdings 434 in the data table 430 may also be taken into consideration.

[0066] Next, an example of additional processing executed by the server 140 in relation to the settlement processing of Fig. 7 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The flowchart of Fig. 10 is realized by the control unit 311 of the server 140 controlling the operation of each block.

[0067] In the process shown in FIG. 10, if the value of the wallet account balance matches the upper limit of the wallet balance THw, it is determined whether there has been a change therefrom, i.e., whether the wallet balance has been reduced due to the use of value, and if there has been a reduction, the undetermined amount is deposited into the wallet account.

[0068] First, in S1001, the control unit 311 determines whether there has been a change in the wallet account balance. The latest balance is registered in the balance 424 of the data table 424, and by referencing this value, it is possible to determine whether there has been a change. Note that "change" here refers to a change from the situation where the wallet balance matches the upper limit THw, i.e., a reduction in the balance.

[0069] In S1001, if there is no change in the balance, monitoring of the change continues. On the other hand, if a change is detected, the process proceeds to S1002. In S1002, the control unit 311 calculates the change in the balance V. In the following S1003, the control unit 311 determines whether an amount equivalent to the calculated change V can be secured from the amount held as the undetermined amount. Note that even if the entire amount of the change V is not held as the undetermined amount and only a portion can be secured, it is sufficient to secure that portion.

[0070] Next, the process proceeds to S1004, where the control unit 311 subtracts the fluctuation amount from the undetermined holding amount 434 in the data table 430, and performs a deposit process to deposit the subtracted amount into the wallet account in S1005. Next, in S1006, the value of the wallet account balance 424 in the data table 420 is updated, and in S1007 the value of the total amount received 423 is updated.

[0071] According to the settlement system corresponding to the embodiment described above, settlement processing is performed daily according to the total daily payment amount, so that affiliated stores can reliably collect profits and eliminate concerns about running out of funds. Furthermore, the settlement processing of this embodiment can combine value settlement performed using value, which is monetary value that can be used in electronic payment services, with settlement by cash transfer to a bank account. In addition, an upper limit for value settlement can be set arbitrarily. This allows for flexible response according to the size of the affiliated store.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the settlement amount exceeding the upper limit of the wallet account can be held as an undetermined amount as long as it does not exceed the upper limit of the value settlement. As a result, when the balance of the wallet account reaches the upper limit, the affiliated store can continue to receive deposits by value settlement by using the value. In this way, flexible value settlement according to the balance of the wallet account is possible.

[0073] <Summary of the embodiment> The above-described embodiment discloses at least the following information processing device and computer program. (1) An information processing device that executes settlement processing for a wallet account of a member store for managing monetary value in an electronic payment service performed by a consumer at the member store, the information processing device comprising: a receiving means for receiving payment information relating to the payment processing carried out at the member store; a first calculation means for calculating a first total amount by adding up payment amounts within a first period based on the payment information; a first determination means for determining whether depositing the first total amount into the wallet account will cause the balance of the wallet account to exceed a first upper limit of the wallet account; depositing means for depositing the first total amount into the wallet account when the first determination means determines that the first upper limit amount is not exceeded; an information processing device comprising: a holding means for holding a first surplus amount that exceeds the first upper limit of the first total amount as a first transfer amount to the bank account of the affiliated store when the first determination means determines that the first upper limit of the first total amount will be exceeded; and a deposit means for depositing an amount of the first total amount excluding the first surplus amount into the wallet account when the first determination means determines that the first upper limit of the first total amount will be exceeded. (2) The information processing device of claim (1), wherein, when the first determination means determines that the first upper limit amount is not exceeded, the deposit means deposits into the wallet account an amount of the amount held in the holding means as the first transfer amount that does not exceed the difference between the balance of the wallet account after depositing the first total amount and the first upper limit amount. (3) further comprising a second determination means for determining whether the balance of the wallet account has fallen below the first upper limit; The information processing device according to (2), wherein, when the second determination means determines that the balance of the wallet account has fallen below the first upper limit, the deposit means deposits into the wallet account an amount of the amount held in the holding means as the first transfer that does not exceed the amount by which the balance of the wallet account has fallen below the first upper limit. (4) An information processing device described in any one of (1) to (3), wherein the depositing means executes a process of transferring the amount held in the holding means as the first transfer amount to the bank account of the affiliated store at the end of a second period different from the first period. (5) a second calculation means for calculating a third total amount based on the first total amount and a second total amount of the amount deposited into the wallet account by the settlement process during the second period when a second upper limit amount of the settlement process during the second period is set; a third determination means for determining whether the third total amount exceeds the second upper limit amount; Further provided with When the third determination means determines that the third total amount does not exceed the second upper limit amount, the deposit means deposits the first total amount into the wallet account; When the third determination means determines that the third total amount exceeds the second upper limit amount, the holding means holds a second excess amount of the third total amount that exceeds the second upper limit amount as a second transfer amount to the bank account of the affiliated store; The information processing device according to (4), wherein the depositing means deposits the amount obtained by subtracting the second excess amount from the first total amount into the wallet account. (6) The information processing device according to (5), further comprising an update means for updating the second total amount based on the amount deposited into the wallet account by the deposit means. (7) An information processing device described in (5) or (6), wherein the first upper limit is a common upper limit set for wallet accounts of multiple affiliated stores, and the second upper limit is a upper limit set for each affiliated store. (8) The first period is the period from the first daily closing time to the second daily closing time immediately following the first daily closing time, The information processing device according to any one of (4) to (7), wherein the second period is the period from the first monthly closing point to the second monthly closing point immediately after the first monthly closing point. (9) A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the information processing device according to any one of (1) to (8).

[0074] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

Claims

1. An information processing device that executes settlement processing for a wallet account of an affiliated store for managing monetary value in an electronic payment service, for a payment processing using an electronic payment service performed by a consumer at an affiliated store, a receiving means for receiving payment information relating to the payment processing carried out at the member store; a first calculation means for calculating a first total amount by adding up payment amounts within a first period based on the payment information; a first determination means for determining whether depositing the first total amount into the wallet account will cause the balance of the wallet account to exceed a first upper limit of the wallet account; depositing means for depositing the first total amount into the wallet account when the first determination means determines that the first upper limit amount is not exceeded; a holding means for holding a first excess amount that exceeds the first upper limit of the first total amount as a first transfer amount to the bank account of the affiliated store when the first determination means determines that the first upper limit of the first total amount will be exceeded; When the first determination means determines that the first upper limit amount will be exceeded, the deposit means deposits the amount of the first total amount minus the first excess amount into the wallet account.

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein, when the first determination means determines that the first upper limit amount will not be exceeded, the depositing means deposits into the wallet account an amount of the amount held in the holding means as the first transfer that does not exceed the difference between the balance of the wallet account after depositing the first total amount and the first upper limit amount.

3. further comprising second determination means for determining whether the balance of the wallet account has fallen below the first upper limit; 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein, when the second determination means determines that the balance of the wallet account has fallen below the first upper limit, the depositing means deposits into the wallet account an amount of the amount held in the holding means as the first transfer that does not exceed the amount by which the balance of the wallet account has fallen below the first upper limit.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the depositing means executes a process of transferring the amount held in the holding means as the first transfer amount to the bank account of the affiliated store at the end of a second period different from the first period.

5. a second calculation means for calculating a third total amount based on the first total amount and a second total amount of the amount deposited into the wallet account by the settlement process during the second period when a second upper limit amount of the settlement process during the second period is set; a third determination means for determining whether the third total amount exceeds the second upper limit amount; Further provided with When the third determination means determines that the third total amount does not exceed the second upper limit amount, the deposit means deposits the first total amount into the wallet account; When the third determination means determines that the third total amount exceeds the second upper limit amount, the holding means holds a second excess amount of the third total amount that exceeds the second upper limit amount as a second transfer amount to the bank account of the affiliated store; The information processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the depositing means deposits the amount obtained by subtracting the second excess amount from the first total amount into the wallet account.

6. 6. The information processing device according to claim 5, further comprising: an updating means for updating the second total amount based on the amount deposited into the wallet account by the depositing means.

7. The information processing device according to claim 6 , wherein the first upper limit is a common upper limit set for wallet accounts of a plurality of member stores, and the second upper limit is a separate upper limit set for each member store.

8. The first period is a period from a first daily closing time to a second daily closing time immediately after the first daily closing time, The second period is a period from the first monthly closing time to the second monthly closing time immediately after the first monthly closing time, The information processing device according to claim 4 .

9. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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