Funding systems and programs

Abstract

In providing funding by purchasing future deposit information for businesses' accounts, when making a deposit, it is possible to consolidate at least one of the deposit account or withdrawal account into a single account, thereby improving convenience for the user. [Solution] The funding system comprises a reception unit that receives funding applications from businesses operating business entities, and an account selection unit that selects an account designated by the business operator from among multiple accounts to be either an account to which funds are deposited by purchasing deposit information which is aggregated from future deposit information of multiple accounts, or an account from which funds are withdrawn from the business entity's sales.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a funding system and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a system for providing funds based on the predicted sales value of a store or the like has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In such a funding system, in the funding by purchasing the future deposit information of the merchant's account, when making a deposit, it is preferable that at least one of the deposit account or the debit account can be consolidated into one account.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a funding system and a program that can consolidate at least one of the deposit account or the debit account into one account when making a deposit in the funding by purchasing the future deposit information of the merchant's account, and can improve the convenience for the user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) One aspect of the present invention is a funding system comprising: a reception unit that receives applications for funding from businesses operating a business entity; and an account selection unit that selects an account from among the multiple accounts designated by the business entity as either an account to receive funds by purchasing deposit information which is aggregated future deposit information from multiple accounts, or an account from which funds will be withdrawn from the business entity's sales. (2) One aspect of the present invention is a fund provision system described in (1) above, further comprising a fund provision processing unit that provides funds to the account selected by the account selection unit by purchasing deposit information which is an aggregate of future deposit information from the plurality of accounts. (3) One aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to perform the following actions: to receive an application for funding from a business operator operating a business entity; and to select an account from among the multiple accounts designated by the business operator as at least one of the accounts to which funds will be deposited by purchasing deposit information which is aggregated future deposit information from multiple accounts, or an account from which withdrawals will be made from the sales of the business entity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, in providing funds by purchasing future deposit information from a business operator's account, when making a deposit, at least one of the deposit account or the withdrawal account can be consolidated into a single account, thereby improving convenience for the user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a funding scheme for a funding system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a fund recovery scheme for a fund provision system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the device configuration of a funding system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of a fund provision management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the operation flow (part 1 and part 2) of a funding system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of funding framework information according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a funding conditions input screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of an assessment account candidate screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of an application content display screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of a deposit account candidate screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of an application completion screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of a screen displaying the examination status according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of the operation flow (part 3) of a funding system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of a deposit information display screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This figure shows an example of the operation flow (part 4) of a funding system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This figure shows an example of a withdrawal confirmation screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This figure shows an example of the correspondence between the amount received and the amount withdrawn in a funding agreement according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] This figure shows an example of a withdrawal completion screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to the following embodiments. In all the drawings for explaining the embodiments, those having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted. In addition, "based on XX" as used in this application means "based at least on XX", and includes cases where it is based on another element in addition to XX. Also, "based on XX" is not limited to the case of directly using XX, and includes cases where it is based on something obtained by performing operations or processing on XX. "XX" is an arbitrary element (for example, arbitrary information).

[0010] (Embodiment) The fund - providing system 1 according to this embodiment provides funds to the business operator CL1 and recovers the provided funds. Specifically, the fund - providing system 1 provides funds to the business operator CL1 in a lump sum and recovers the provided funds by dividing them. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the fund - providing scheme and the fund - recovery scheme according to this embodiment will be described respectively. The fund - providing system 1 according to this embodiment includes the business operator CL1, the fund provider A1, the deposit - handling service provider B1, and the buyer business operator CL2. First, each of the business operator CL1, the fund provider A1, the deposit - handling service provider B1, and the buyer business operator CL2 will be described.

[0011] The fund - providing system 1 of this embodiment provides, to the business operator, an amount corresponding to a part of the amount that will be deposited into the account of the business operator CL1 in the future due to the business carried out by the business operator CL1, based on the application of the business operator who conducts the business. In this embodiment, the business operator is also referred to as the user of the fund - providing service, the applicant for the fund - providing contract, or simply the user or the customer.

[0012] The business operated by operator CL1 is conducted by managing one or more stores. In this embodiment, "store" broadly includes organizations that are expected to generate future sales. For example, "store" in this embodiment includes not only retail stores for general goods, but also accommodation facilities such as inns and hotels, food and beverage establishments such as restaurants and bars, information provision facilities such as travel agencies, real estate agencies, job placement agencies, wedding venue referral services, and cram schools, goods rental facilities such as car rental and equipment rental, buy and sell facilities for used goods, and experience provision facilities such as amusement parks. Furthermore, "store" may include not only so-called physical stores but also virtual stores configured on a network.

[0013] Funder A1 provides funds to business operator CL1. Funder A1 also recovers the funds provided from business operator CL1. Funder A1 determines the amount of funds to provide based on the deposit and withdrawal information (deposit history into the account and withdrawal history from the account) of the account into which the sales of the business operated by business operator CL1 are deposited. Funder A1 recovers a portion of the sales that business operator CL1 earns through its business from payment collection service provider B1. Specifically, Funder A1 purchases the receivables associated with business operator CL1's sales (business operator CL1's future receivables) and provides (a portion of) the purchased receivables to business operator CL1 as funds. If business operator CL1 operates multiple businesses, Funder A1 may also purchase the receivables related to those multiple businesses.

[0014] Note that fund provider A1 and payment collection service provider B1 may be operated by different businesses or by the same business. If fund provider A1 and payment collection service provider B1 are operated by the same business, fund provider A1 and payment collection service provider B1 shall be considered the same, and Figures 1 and 2 shall be interpreted as transactions between business CL1 and fund provider A1 (or payment collection service provider B1).

[0015] Here, buyer company CL2 purchases the receivables from company CL1 associated with its sales (future receivables of company CL1). As a result, company CL1 incurs accounts receivable from buyer company CL2. A portion of the sales that company CL1 earns through its business is obtained as collection of accounts receivable from buyer company CL2.

[0016] [Funding scheme] Figure 1 shows an example of a funding scheme for the funding system according to this embodiment. The funding scheme is carried out in the following steps, for example, (1) to (5). In Figure 1, the cash flow is shown by solid arrows. Note that steps (1) to (5) do not specify the timeline of the processing performed by the funding system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0017] (1) Funder A1 first conducts a preliminary assessment of business operator CL1. Funder A1 inquires about the deposit and withdrawal information of the account designated by business operator CL1. The deposit and withdrawal information includes one or more of the following: deposit history into the account and withdrawal history from the account.

[0018] (2) Funder A1 conducts a preliminary assessment of business operator CL1 by forecasting future sales over a predetermined period of time based on account deposit and withdrawal information. The predetermined period of time is, for example, two years. However, the predetermined period of time may be shorter or longer than two years.

[0019] Based on the preliminary assessment, the maximum amount of funding that can be provided to business operator CL1 is calculated. The amount of future receivables of business operator CL1 is predicted, and the maximum amount of funding is calculated based on this. Fund provider A1 may simplify the assessment after receiving a funding application from business operator CL1 by only offering funding to business operator CL1 that meets the screening criteria during the preliminary assessment process.

[0020] (3) Business operator CL1 obtains accounts receivable from buyer business operator CL2 by selling business operator CL1's future receivables. Business operator CL1's future receivables are receivables related to sales that business operator CL1 will earn through its business (future accounts receivable).

[0021] Funder A1 presents candidate funding amounts to business operator CL1 based on the upper limit of funding calculated in the preliminary assessment process in (1).

[0022] (4) Business operator CL1 notifies funder A1 of the amount it wishes to provide within the amount offered. This means that business operator CL1 will sell a portion of the receivables (future receivables) relating to sales to be deposited into the trading account in the future to funder A1. In this embodiment, business operator CL1 may select multiple trading accounts. If multiple trading accounts are specified, the sales to be deposited into the multiple trading accounts in the future will be combined into one and sold to funder A1 as a receivable. Furthermore, fund provider A1 may directly purchase (a portion of) future receivables from business operator CL1. The amount of future receivables to be sold may be equal to the amount of funding provided, or it may be the amount of funding provided plus a commission.

[0023] (5) Fund provider A1 provides funds to business operator CL1 as consideration for future receivables sold by business operator CL1.

[0024] [Fund recovery scheme] Figure 2 shows an example of a fund recovery scheme for the fund provision system according to this embodiment. The fund provision scheme is carried out in the following steps, for example, (1) to (6). In Figure 2, the cash flow is shown by solid arrows. Note that steps (1) to (6) do not specify the timeline of the processing performed by the fund provision system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0025] (1) Funder A1 entrusts business operator CL1 with the collection of future receivables that funder A1 has purchased.

[0026] (2) Business operator CL1 invoices buyer business operator CL2, who has purchased the future receivables. Buyer business operator CL2 deposits the payment for the purchase of the future receivables into business operator CL1's account.

[0027] (3) Business operator CL1 provides funder A1 with information about deposits into the account (deposit data).

[0028] (4) Fund provider A1 calculates the withdrawal amount. Fund provider A1 calculates the withdrawal amount by determining, for example, the withdrawal rate and the withdrawal frequency (for example, three times a month). The withdrawal rate and withdrawal frequency may be determined between business operator CL1 and fund provider A1.

[0029] (5) Fund provider A1 notifies payment collection service provider B1 of the amount to be withdrawn.

[0030] (6) Payment collection service provider B1 debits the notified withdrawal amount from business CL1's account. Fund provider A1 recovers the funds by having payment collection service provider B1 perform the withdrawal. For example, fund provider A1 receives from business CL1's account an amount obtained by multiplying business CL1's sales by the withdrawal rate determined at the time of funding. In this case, fund provider A1 may also recover an amount equivalent to the commission in addition to the above amount from business CL1's account.

[0031] Furthermore, steps (5) and (6) in the fund recovery scheme are repeated based on the withdrawal frequency (e.g., three times a month) determined at the time of fund provision. The fund recovery scheme process ends when business operator CL1 has paid fund provider A1 the amount received plus a fee.

[0032] [Configuration of the funding system] Figure 3 shows an example of the device configuration of the fund provision system 1 of this embodiment. The fund provision system 1 comprises a user terminal device 10, a fund provision management device 20, and a user information server 30.

[0033] The user terminal device 10 is a computer device such as a personal computer, tablet, or smartphone. The user terminal device 10 includes a display unit 11 and an operation unit 12. The display unit 11, for example, is equipped with a liquid crystal display and displays various images. In the following description, the display of an image by the display unit 11 is also referred to as presenting an image to the user. The control unit 12, for example, is equipped with a touch panel and detects user operations.

[0034] The user terminal device 10 includes an arithmetic unit 100 and a storage unit 150. The arithmetic unit 100 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), and operates based on programs and data stored in the storage unit 150, providing various functions. The storage unit 150 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive or semiconductor memory (flash memory, RAM, ROM), and stores various types of information, such as programs and data read by the arithmetic unit 100. The storage unit 150 may also be implemented by a virtual storage device, such as a cloud server, located outside the user terminal device 10.

[0035] The fund management device 20 is a computer device operated by the organization (for example, a funding company) that operates the fund provision system 1.

[0036] The fund provision management device 20 comprises a calculation unit 200 and a storage unit 250. The arithmetic unit 200 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), and operates based on programs and data stored in the storage unit 250, providing various functions.

[0037] Figure 4 shows an example of the functional configuration of the fund provision management device 20 of this embodiment. The calculation unit 200 of this embodiment includes, as its functional units, a reception unit 201, a calculation unit 202, a proposal unit 203, an account selection unit 204, a confirmation unit 205, a fund provision processing unit 206, and a display control unit 207.

[0038] The storage unit 250 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive or semiconductor memory (flash memory, RAM, ROM), and stores various types of information, such as programs and data read by the arithmetic unit 200. The storage unit 250 may also be implemented by a virtual storage device, such as a cloud server, located outside the fund management device 20.

[0039] Returning to Figure 3, the user terminal device 10 and the fund management device 20 described above can communicate with each other via network NT1. Network NT1 includes the internet, WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), public lines, provider equipment, dedicated lines, wireless base stations, etc.

[0040] Furthermore, the user terminal device 10 or the user information server 30 may also have some of the functions of the fund management device 20 described below.

[0041] The user information server 30 is configured, for example, as a cloud server and manages various types of user information.

[0042] In one example of this embodiment, the user utilizes the sales settlement system 2 at the store. For example, the sales settlement system 2 comprises a settlement server 50 and a store terminal device 60. The settlement server 50 and the store terminal device 60 are connected by a network NT2. The store terminal devices 60 are, for example, placed in each store. For example, if a user operates k stores (where k is a natural number), then k store terminal devices 60, from store terminal device 60-1 to store terminal device 60-k, are connected to the sales settlement system 2. In the following description, when the k devices from store terminal device 60-1 to store terminal device 60-k are not distinguished, they are collectively referred to as store terminal devices 60. This sales settlement system 2 records, for example, a log of cash deposits for each store (i.e., a log of sales amounts for each store) when the price of goods is paid by cashless payment.

[0043] In the sales settlement system 2 of this embodiment, the transaction account of the financial institution into which the store's sales proceeds are deposited is linked to each store terminal device 60. For example, a store operated by a user may occupy multiple floors of a building, with a store terminal device 60 installed on each floor. In this case, a trading account is linked to each store terminal device 60 installed on each floor, i.e., each floor. Furthermore, a user may operate multiple types of businesses, such as restaurants, retail stores, and service providers like hotels and beauty salons. In this case, a separate transaction account is linked to each store terminal device 60 installed in each store, i.e., each store individually.

[0044] In this embodiment, the transaction accounts linked to each store, the store terminal devices 60 (payment terminals) installed at each store, and the payment accounts linked to the payment terminals are collectively referred to as payment methods. These payment methods are linked to identification information that identifies the user (for example, the user ID of sales settlement system 2). In other words, in this embodiment, multiple payment methods are linked to identification information that identifies the user.

[0045] The accounting server 70 is configured, for example, as a cloud server and manages deposits and withdrawals to and from trading accounts. The accounting server 70 is equipped with an application for accounting management. The accounting server 70 may also be equipped with an API (Application Programming Interface) provided by a financial institution such as a bank.

[0046] The payment collection system 80 is configured, for example, as a cloud server, and acts on behalf of fund provider A1 to collect funds and withdraw them from the transaction account.

[0047] Buyer terminal device 90 is a terminal device used by Buyer CL2. Buyer CL2 uses Buyer terminal device 90 to purchase future receivables from CL1. Buyer terminal device 90 is a computer device such as a personal computer, tablet, or smartphone.

[0048] Funding system 1 can communicate with sales settlement system 2, accounting server 70, payment collection system 80, and buyer business terminal device 90 via network NT3. The user information server 30 of funding system 1 acquires logs recorded by accounting server 70. These logs contain deposit and withdrawal information for users' trading accounts. The deposit data includes sales amount information for each store terminal device 60 (i.e., payment terminal).

[0049] Furthermore, the fund management device 20 is pre-configured to access user information (deposit and withdrawal information) from the accounting server 70. This configuration may include, for example, ID linking or data linking. It is preferable that the fund management device 20 is notified of any changes made to the user ID or password if one or more of them are changed on the accounting server 70.

[0050] The funding system 1 of this embodiment provides funds to users, collects funds from users, and collects fees in the following four stages. (i) Setting of funding framework (b) Acceptance and review of applications for funding (h) Provision of funds (ii) Deduction from sales proceeds

[0051] The funding system 1 of this embodiment can simultaneously enter into multiple funding agreements C for the sales of a single business entity (for example, a store). Hereinafter, a business entity may be referred to as a "facility" or a "store." In other words, "facility" and "store" are examples of business entities.

[0052] [Operation Flow of Funding System 1] Figure 5 shows an example of the operation flow (part 1 and part 2) of the funding system 1 of this embodiment.

[0053] [(i) Setting of funding framework] Step S311: The accounting server 70 provides deposit and withdrawal information to the fund management device 20. Step S211: The fund management device 20 obtains deposit and withdrawal information from the accounting server 70. Step S212: The fund management device 20 calculates the fund allocation limit FL based on the deposit and withdrawal information. The fund management device 20 uses a predetermined algorithm to make future sales forecasts for each store based on the deposit and withdrawal information (i.e., past sales performance) for each user store. The fund management device 20 calculates the fund allocation limit FL for each store based on the sales forecast results. The fund management device 20 stores the calculated fund allocation limit FL as fund allocation limit information 301 in the storage unit 250.

[0054] Therefore, the calculation unit 202 calculates the amount of funds provided based on the deposit and withdrawal information of the accounts (assessment accounts) selected by the account selection unit 204. Multiple assessment accounts may be selected. In that case, the calculation unit 202 calculates the amount of funds provided based on the deposit and withdrawal information of the multiple accounts selected by the account selection unit 204.

[0055] In the following explanation, the upper limit of the fund provision limit FL for a particular store is also referred to as the store-specific upper limit fund provision limit FL1. In other words, the fund provision management device 20 calculates the store-specific upper limit fund provision limit FL1 based on deposit and withdrawal information.

[0056] Figure 6 shows an example of the funding limit information 301 in this embodiment. The funding limit information 301 stores the user ID, store ID, account ID, and store-specific maximum funding limit FL1, which are associated with each store.

[0057] A user ID is information that identifies an individual user. For example, a user ID is information associated with the login name for funding system 1. User ID:U001 is the user ID that identifies the first user. User ID:Un(n is a natural number) is the user ID that identifies the nth user (i.e., the nth user).

[0058] A store ID is information that identifies an individual store. Store ID: SP101 is the store ID that identifies the first store for the first user. Store ID: SPnm (where m is a natural number) is the store ID that identifies the m-th store for the n-th user (i.e., the m-th store).

[0059] An account ID is information that identifies the deposit account for the funds being provided. In the fund provision system 1 of this embodiment, each deposit account is associated with a store terminal device 60 (i.e., a payment terminal).

[0060] In one example of this embodiment, the user operates multiple business entities. In this case, the identification information that identifies each of the multiple business entities is linked to the user ID (identification information) that identifies the user. Each of these multiple entities is linked to a specific deposit account. In other words, the account ID is information that identifies the deposit account linked to each of these multiple entities. Furthermore, the deposit account and the trading account may be the same account. In this case, the account ID serves as both the information identifying the deposit account and the information identifying the trading account.

[0061] As an example of this embodiment, the per-store maximum funding limit FL1 for store ID: SP101 (i.e., the first store of the first user) is per-store maximum funding limit FL1-101 (300,000 yen). Note that the amount of per-store maximum funding limit FL1 is merely an example. The maximum fund allocation limit FL1 for store ID: SP102 (i.e., the first user's second store) is FL1-102 (200,000 yen). The maximum fund allocation limit FL1 for store ID: SP103 (i.e., the first user's third store) is FL1-103 (200,000 yen). Similarly, the per-store maximum funding limit FL1 for the store with store ID:SPnm (i.e., the mth store of the nth user) is per-store maximum funding limit FL1-nm.

[0062] As mentioned above, the per-store maximum funding limit FL1 is set based on the sales information of each store. Sales figures may differ between stores operated by the same user. As a result, even between stores operated by the same user, the per-store maximum funding limit FL1 may have different values. For example, the per-store maximum funding limit FL1 for store ID: SP201 (i.e., the second user's first store) is per-store maximum funding limit FL1 - 201 (400,000 yen). The per-store maximum funding limit FL1 for store ID: SP202 (i.e., the second user's second store) is per-store maximum funding limit FL1 - 202 (500,000 yen).

[0063] Furthermore, deposits and withdrawals in trading accounts may fluctuate depending on the type of store, season, weather, economic conditions, and surrounding environment of the location. The fund provision management device 20 may be configured to update the store-specific maximum fund provision limit FL1 by reacquiring deposit and withdrawal information in trading accounts at predetermined timings.

[0064] In addition to the example above, the timing for updating the store-specific maximum funding limit FL1 may also be configured to be calculated each time a user applies for funding, based on deposit and withdrawal information for a period of any length prior to that time.

[0065] In this embodiment, the fund provision management device 20 includes a calculation unit 202. This calculation unit 202 calculates a combined fund provision limit, i.e., a combined upper limit fund provision limit FL1A, which is the sum of the predetermined fund provision limits for each of the multiple business entities.

[0066] In the example shown in Figure 4, the first user (User ID: U001) operates three stores: the first store (Store ID: SP101), the second store (Store ID: SP102), and the third store (Store ID: SP103). The maximum funding limit FL1 for each store is 300,000 yen for the first store, 200,000 yen for the second store, and 200,000 yen for the third store. In this case, the combined maximum funding limit FL1A, which is the sum of the maximum funding limits FL1 for the stores operated by the first user (i.e., the stores linked to the first user's User ID: U001), is 700,000 yen. In this example, the calculation unit 202 calculates the combined limit, assuming that the combined maximum funding limit FL1A for the first user (user ID: U001) is 700,000 yen. [(2) Acceptance and review of applications for funding] Step S121: Returning to Figure 5, the user operates the user terminal device 10 to apply for funding. The user terminal device 10 notifies the funding management device 20 that the user has applied for funding.

[0067] Step S221: The receiving unit 201 of the fund provision management device 20 receives a fund provision application from a user. As described above, the user ID (identification information) of a user is linked to multiple business entities (for example, store IDs).

[0068] In other words, the reception unit 201 accepts applications for funding from users who possess identification information linked to multiple business entities.

[0069] In other words, reception desk 201 accepts applications for funding from businesses operating as entities.

[0070] Step S222: The fund provision management device 20 notifies the user terminal device 10 of the total limit calculated in step S212 (i.e., the total upper limit fund provision limit FL1A).

[0071] The proposal unit 203 of the fund provision management device 20 makes a fund provision proposal to the user based on the calculated total limit (i.e., the total upper limit fund provision limit FL1A). The fund provision proposal includes, for example, displaying the fund provision condition input screen P1 on the display unit 11 of the user terminal device 10.

[0072] Step S122: The user terminal device 10 receives the combined maximum fund provision limit FL1A from the fund provision management device 20. The user terminal device 10 displays the fund provision condition input screen P1, which includes the received combined maximum fund provision limit FL1A, on the display unit 11.

[0073] Figure 7 shows an example of the funding conditions input screen P1 of this embodiment. The funding conditions input screen P1 includes a combined store funding conditions display field P11, a usage amount selection field P12, a withdrawal rate selection field P13, an assessment account selection field P14, and an application button P15.

[0074] The Store-Combined Funding Conditions Display Section P11 shows the funding conditions when funding is provided based on the user's current selections in the Funding Amount Selection Section P12 and the Withdrawal Rate Selection Section P13. The funding conditions include the amount of fees associated with the funding, and the simulation results of the withdrawal amount and timing.

[0075] For example, the combined store funding conditions display field P11 shows the combined upper limit funding amount FL1A (for example, 700,000 yen) calculated in step S212.

[0076] When a user changes their selection in the usage amount selection field P12 or the withdrawal rate selection field P13, the display content in the store combined funding conditions display field P11 is immediately updated to reflect the changes. In the example in Figure 5, the store combined funding conditions display field P11 shows the funding conditions when the usage amount is set to "700,000 yen" and the withdrawal rate is set to "25%".

[0077] In this embodiment, "withdrawal" refers to the process where, when the sales proceeds from the store are deposited into the user's account from the sales settlement system 2 contracted by the user, the organization operating the fund provision system 1 deducts a portion of the deposited amount as a fee for providing the funds. Here, the fee for providing the funds includes the amount recovered from the funds provided and a fee for providing the funds. In other words, the amount deposited into the user's deposit account is the amount after the withdrawal (i.e., the amount after the amount recovered from the funds and the fee have been deducted) of the sales proceeds from the store.

[0078] The P12 section for selecting the amount to be used presents options for the amount of funding to be received (i.e., the amount to be used). In the example shown in the diagram, four options are presented: 50,000 yen, 200,000 yen, 350,000 yen, and 700,000 yen.

[0079] The receiving unit 201 of the fund provision management device 20 accepts an amount selected from among several candidate amounts as the fund provision amount.

[0080] The spending amount selection field on page 12 should always display the maximum amount available at that time. If the user does not select the maximum amount, the difference between the maximum amount and the amount selected by the user will be considered the "unused amount."

[0081] The fund provision management device 20 calculates the available amounts based on the unused portion of the combined maximum fund provision limit FL1A. For example, if the unused portion of the combined maximum fund provision limit FL1A is 700,000 yen, the available options will be the unused amount (700,000 yen), half the unused amount (350,000 yen), the minimum amount to be used (50,000 yen), and the median between half the amount and the minimum amount (200,000 yen).

[0082] The withdrawal rate selection field P13 is a field that presents options for the withdrawal rate. In this embodiment, the "withdrawal rate" is the percentage deducted as a funding fee from the amount deposited into the trading account. In other words, the "withdrawal rate" is a value represented by (funding fee / amount deposited into the trading account). For example, if the withdrawal rate is 25%, the funding fee is an amount equivalent to 25% of the amount deposited into the trading account.

[0083] In the example shown in the figure, the fund management device 20 displays two options for the withdrawal rate: "25%" and "70%". The withdrawal rate options can be arbitrarily set by the fund provider, or the withdrawal rate options can be calculated each time based on the expected sales of the store, which are estimated based on past sales information. For example, the fund management device 20 calculates the withdrawal rate at which the maximum amount of the amount of use (e.g., 700,000 yen) presented in the amount of use selection field P12 will be withdrawn within a predetermined period (e.g., 3 months) as the first option (e.g., 70%). The fund management device 20 also calculates the withdrawal rate at which the maximum amount of the amount of use (e.g., 700,000 yen) presented in the amount of use selection field P12 will be withdrawn within a predetermined period longer than the above period (e.g., 12 months) as the second option (e.g., 25%).

[0084] If the withdrawal rate is high, a large portion of the sales amount will be deducted to recover the funds received, which carries the risk of significantly reducing the amount deposited into the store's account as sales. On the other hand, there is the advantage of being able to reduce the fees associated with providing funds, so for stores with a certain level of business stability, choosing a high withdrawal rate can be very beneficial. Conversely, for stores that are not yet financially stable, or when using the service during off-season periods when sales are low, choosing a low withdrawal rate to secure the amount of sales deposited (although this will result in a longer withdrawal period and thus a higher total amount of fees) can be very beneficial.

[0085] The assessment account selection field P14 is where the user selects the account (assessment account) to calculate the amount of funds to be provided. One or more assessment accounts will be selected from among the one or more trading accounts of business operator CL1. In the example shown, "Store No. 1" is selected as the assessment account in the assessment account selection field P14.

[0086] Figure 8 shows an example of the appraisal account candidate screen P141 of this embodiment. The appraisal account candidate screen P141 displays deposit accounts (i.e., deposit accounts for each store) based on the account ID of each store linked to the user ID. In this example of the embodiment, the appraisal account candidate screen P141 displays a field showing the deposit account of the first store (first appraisal account field P1411), a field showing the deposit account of the second store (second appraisal account field P1412), and a field showing the deposit account of the third store (third appraisal account field P1413).

[0087] The user selects an assessment account to receive an assessment for funding from the list of assessment accounts displayed on the assessment account candidate screen P141. In this embodiment, multiple assessment accounts may be selected.

[0088] The account selection unit 204 selects the transaction account specified by the user from among the candidates for assessment accounts displayed on the application confirmation screen to be assessed for funding. In other words, the account selection unit 204 selects the account specified by the business operator. If multiple assessment accounts are selected, the account selection unit 204 selects all of the accounts specified by the business operator.

[0089] The application button P15 is an operation image that accepts the user's operation to confirm the funding conditions (amount to be used and withdrawal rate) and submit the application. When the display control unit 207 detects the user's operation on the application button P15, it displays the application details screen P2 on the display unit 11 of the user terminal device 10.

[0090] Figure 9 shows an example of the application details display screen P2 of this embodiment. The application details display screen P2 is a screen that displays the details of the user's application for funding. The application details display screen P2 includes a total withdrawal amount display field P21, a deposit account selection field P22, a withdrawal schedule display field P23, and an application confirmation operation button P24.

[0091] The withdrawal amount display field P21 shows the total withdrawal amount. The withdrawal amount includes the amount of funds provided (i.e., the amount used) and the fees for providing the funds. The withdrawal amount display field P21 shows the total withdrawal amount and its breakdown (i.e., the amount used and the fees). In addition, the selected sales type and payment method are displayed in the withdrawal amount display field P21.

[0092] The deposit account selection field P22 is where users select a deposit account. Selecting a deposit account means choosing which of the deposit accounts linked to the user's store will receive the funds.

[0093] When the deposit account selection field P22 is operated, the display control unit 207 displays the deposit account candidate screen P221 on the display unit 11 of the user terminal device 10.

[0094] Figure 10 shows an example of the deposit account candidate screen P221 of this embodiment. The deposit account candidate screen P221 displays deposit accounts (i.e., deposit accounts for each store) based on the account ID of each store linked to the user ID. In this example of the embodiment, the deposit account candidate screen P221 displays a field showing the deposit account of the first store (first deposit account field P2211), a field showing the deposit account of the second store (second deposit account field P2212), and a field showing the deposit account of the third store (third deposit account field P2213).

[0095] The user selects the deposit account from the list of deposit accounts displayed on the deposit account candidate screen P221 to receive the funds (i.e., the account to which the funds will be deposited).

[0096] The account selection unit 204 selects the deposit account specified by the user from among the candidate deposit accounts for the fund recipient displayed on the application confirmation screen, and uses that as the deposit account for the fund recipient. Therefore, the account selection unit 204 selects an account designated by the business operator from among several accounts as the account to which funds will be deposited by purchasing deposit information which is an aggregate of future deposit information from multiple accounts.

[0097] In one example of this embodiment, the deposit account of the selected funding source is set as the withdrawal account. The withdrawal account is the account from which withdrawals are made from the business entity's sales. Note that the deposit account of the funding source and the withdrawal account may be different. In that case, for example, the application details display screen P2 will be provided with a field for accepting the operation of selecting the withdrawal account.

[0098] Furthermore, once a withdrawal account is selected, that account may be set as the deposit account for the fund provider. In that case, for example, the application details display screen P2 will have a field for selecting a withdrawal account, and the field for selecting the fund provider's deposit account (deposit account selection field P22) will be omitted.

[0099] As described above, the account selection unit 204 selects at least one of the deposit account and the withdrawal account for the recipient of funds. Therefore, the account selection unit 204 selects an account designated by the business operator from among multiple accounts as at least one of the accounts to which funds will be deposited by purchasing deposit information which is an aggregate of future deposit information from multiple accounts (trading accounts), or as an account from which withdrawals will be made from the business entity's sales.

[0100] Returning to Figure 9, the withdrawal schedule display section P23 shows the dates on which withdrawals will be made. The start date of withdrawals, the end date of withdrawals, the withdrawal rate, the initial withdrawal amount, and the scheduled date of the initial withdrawal are displayed. The figure shows an example of the display when there are no other funding contracts C in place.

[0101] This example shows that the first withdrawal occurs after a specified period has elapsed from the date of application for funding. The specified period may be defined in funding agreement C. For example, funding agreement C stipulates that the specified period is 12 business days from the day following the date of application for funding. In this example, it shows that the first withdrawal occurs 12 business days after the day following the date of application for funding.

[0102] As described above, a direct debit refers to the process in the sales settlement system 2 where a fund provider deducts an amount corresponding to the amount of funds they have provided from the sales of a business entity (e.g., a store) operated by the user. The user's trading account will then receive the remaining amount after the amount corresponding to the fund provider has been deducted from the sales of the business entity (e.g., a store). The display control unit 207 displays the withdrawal schedule in the withdrawal schedule display field P23.

[0103] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, the display control unit 207 displays the withdrawal schedule in a calendar format showing the dates for each day of the week. The display control unit 207 can display various formats of withdrawal schedules in the withdrawal schedule display field P23.

[0104] The display control unit 207 may be configured to display the withdrawal schedule display field P23 based on user operations. For example, the display control unit 207 may not display the withdrawal schedule display field P23 on the initial screen of the application details display screen P2, but may display the withdrawal schedule display field P23 (for example, by displaying it as a pop-up) when the user performs a predetermined operation.

[0105] The application confirmation button P24 is an image of the operation performed by the user when confirming the application for funding. The application confirmation button P24 is performed by the user when the user accepts the contents shown on the application details display screen P2.

[0106] Step S123: When the user terminal device 10 detects a user action on the application confirmation button P24, it displays the application completion screen P3.

[0107] Figure 11 shows an example of the application completion screen P3 of this embodiment. The application completion screen P3 includes an application completion display field P31, a next application selection button P32, and a close button P33.

[0108] The application completion display section P31 is where information indicating that the funding application process has been completed is displayed. The "Next Application Selection" button (P32) is an image showing the operation performed when submitting another funding application. The close button P33 is an operation image used when you want to end the application process without submitting any other funding applications.

[0109] Furthermore, when the user terminal device 10 receives an operation from the user to accept the contents shown on the application details display screen P2, it transmits information to the fund provision management device 20 indicating that the fund provision conditions have been finalized.

[0110] Step S223: The receiving unit 201 of the fund provision management device 20 receives the application for fund provision. Specifically, the receiving unit 201 receives information transmitted from the user terminal device 10 in step S123 indicating that the fund provision conditions have been finalized.

[0111] The confirmation unit 205 confirms the application based on the application operation on the confirmation screen.

[0112] When the funding management device 20 accepts a funding application, the user terminal device 10 displays the application status screen P4 on the display unit 11.

[0113] Figure 12 shows an example of the review status display screen P4 of this embodiment. The review status display screen P4 includes an application details display field P41 and a status display field P42. The application details display field P41 is a field that shows the details of the funding conditions applied for. The status display field P42 is a field that shows what stage the review and payment procedures have progressed to.

[0114] [(h) Provision of funds] Figure 13 shows an example of the operation flow (part 3) of the funding system 1 of this embodiment. Step S231: If the funding application is approved, the funding management device 20 processes the deposit to the account specified by the user (for example, the deposit account selected in the deposit account selection field P22).

[0115] Therefore, the fund provision processing unit 206 deposits funds into the account (deposit account) selected by the account selection unit 204 by purchasing deposit information that aggregates future deposit information from multiple accounts (trading accounts). In this embodiment, the multiple accounts (trading accounts) are selected by the account selection unit 204 from accounts designated by the business operator. Therefore, the fund provision processing unit 206 deposits funds by purchasing future deposit information from the account (multiple trading accounts) selected by the account selection unit 204.

[0116] In this embodiment, one account is selected as the deposit account for which funds are deposited by purchasing deposit information that aggregates future deposit information from multiple accounts (trading accounts). However, multiple accounts may be selected as the deposit account.

[0117] Step S232: The fund management device 20 notifies the user terminal device 10 of the deposit result. Step S131: When the user terminal device 10 receives a notification of the deposit result from the fund management device 20, it displays a screen indicating that a notification of the deposit result has been received (for example, the deposit information display screen P5).

[0118] Figure 14 shows an example of the deposit information display screen P5 of this embodiment. The deposit information display screen P5 includes a deposit status display field P51 and a deposit account display field P52. The deposit status display section P51 shows the name of the store providing the funds, the deposit amount D, and that the transaction has progressed and the deposit has been completed. The deposit account information section on page 52 displays the name of the financial institution, branch name, account number, and other details of the deposit account.

[0119] [(ii) Deduction from sales proceeds] Figure 15 shows an example of the operation flow (part 4) of the funding system 1 of this embodiment. Step S341: The accounting server 70 provides deposit and withdrawal information to the fund management device 20. Step S241: The fund management device 20 obtains deposit and withdrawal information from the user information server 30.

[0120] Step S242: The fund management device 20 calculates the amount to be withdrawn in advance before depositing funds into the deposit account (i.e., the withdrawal amount WD) from the deposit and withdrawal information of the selected trading account. The withdrawal amount WD is calculated by multiplying the total sales amount, which is the sum of the deposit amounts into multiple trading accounts, by the withdrawal rate described above. For example, if the total sales amount for a predetermined period (e.g., 5 days) is 1 million yen and the withdrawal rate is 25%, the withdrawal amount WD for the total sales amount for that period is calculated to be 250,000 yen.

[0121] More specifically, the fund provision processing unit 206 of the fund provision management device 20 obtains the amount of funds provided (i.e., the deposit amount D1) in the fund provision contract C that the user has entered into. The calculation unit 202 calculates the total amount of withdrawals WD that have been withdrawn during the withdrawal period of the funding agreement C (i.e., the withdrawn amount RA). The Funding Processing Unit 206 obtains the total amount of withdrawals WD that have been withdrawn during the withdrawal period of Funding Agreement C (i.e., the withdrawn amount RA).

[0122] In other words, the funding processing unit 206 obtains the amount of funding based on a combined limit, which is the sum of the funding limits for multiple business entities linked to the identification information that identifies the user. In this context, "business entities" refer to restaurants, beauty salons, retail stores, accommodation facilities, medical facilities, etc. However, as mentioned above, even if it is the same business entity (for example, a store), if multiple payment terminals are installed and different accounts are assigned to each payment terminal, it may be determined that they are "different business entities (for example, stores)" if the accounts are different. In the case where transaction accounts are linked to each store, as in the example of this embodiment, the fund provision processing unit 206 obtains the fund provision amount based on the combined fund provision limit which is the sum of the fund provision limits for each of the multiple stores operated by the user. The Funding Processing Unit 206 obtains the amount deducted from the business entity's sales that corresponds to the amount of funds provided.

[0123] The calculation unit 202 calculates the outstanding balance corresponding to the amount of funds provided, based on the acquired deposit amount D1 and the withdrawn amount RA. For example, the calculation unit 202 calculates the outstanding balance as (deposit amount D1 - withdrawn amount RA).

[0124] Step S243: The fund management device 20 notifies the collection agency system 80 of the amount recovered RA. The collection agency system 80 deposits the amount recovered RA from the amount deposited into the transaction account to the operator of the fund provision system 1 (for example, the fund provision company), and deposits the remaining balance into the account designated by the user of the user terminal device 10.

[0125] In this embodiment, "deposit" may refer to a transfer of money itself, such as a transfer between accounts, or it may refer to a transfer of a right equivalent to money, such as the transfer of monetary claims in cashless payments.

[0126] Step S141: The display control unit 207 of the fund provision management device 20 causes the withdrawal confirmation screen P6, which shows the withdrawal amount WD and the remaining withdrawal amount, to be displayed on the display unit 11 of the user terminal device 10.

[0127] Figure 16 shows an example of the withdrawal confirmation screen P6 of this embodiment. The withdrawal confirmation screen P6 includes the current withdrawal information section P61 and the future withdrawal information section P62. The current withdrawal information section P61 displays the current withdrawal amount WD.

[0128] The upcoming withdrawal information section on page 62 will display the remaining withdrawal amount, the estimated number of remaining withdrawals based on the store's sales performance, and the timing of the withdrawal completion.

[0129] Figure 17 shows an example of the correspondence between the deposit amount D and the withdrawal amount WD in the funding agreement C of this embodiment. In this example, the user of the funding applied for funding in March of a certain year. Based on this application for funding, funding agreement C was concluded. Funding of deposit amount D1 was provided to the combined maximum funding limit FL1A of the user's store. In this example, of the combined maximum funding framework FL1A, the combined funding framework FL2A is an unused funding framework FL.

[0130] Furthermore, the funding agreement C may be made in units of the amount of funding to be provided, or it may be made without specifying an amount, by specifying the "period" for which future receivables will be transferred, for example, "transferring the user's sales (future receivables) for two years from the application date in a lump sum." In the case of a contract that specifies the period for which future receivables will be transferred, if settlement is completed before the end of the period, the future receivables for the remaining period may be returned to the user at the time of settlement completion. As mentioned above, when the transfer period for future receivables is specified in advance, the funder can refer to the sales forecast for the contract period, making it easier to set an upper limit on the amount of funds to be provided within a range that allows for smooth settlement within the contract period.

[0131] In the example shown in the diagram, the withdrawal amount WD is calculated by multiplying the sales revenue SA for each month from April onward by the withdrawal rate specified by the user. The cumulative value of the withdrawal amount WD up to a certain month is the withdrawn amount RA. When the withdrawn amount RA matches the deposit amount D1, the withdrawal for the funding agreement C is completed.

[0132] Although I have omitted the explanation to avoid making it complicated, in reality, a "fee" is incurred for funding under this embodiment. In other words, the amount deducted from the sales amount is the amount of funds provided to the user plus the fee. Therefore, to accurately rephrase the above statement regarding the deducted amount RA, the part that says, "When the deducted amount RA matches the deposit amount D1, the deduction for funding agreement C is completed," should be changed to, "When the deducted amount RA matches the total amount of deposit amount D1 + (the fee that the user must pay) the deduction for funding agreement C is completed."

[0133] In this diagram, withdrawals are shown occurring monthly, but the timing and frequency of withdrawals are not limited to this. For example, withdrawals may occur every 5 days (the so-called "five-tenth day") or every 10 days. Furthermore, the timing of withdrawals may differ from one financial institution to another, or from one type of financial institution to another (for example, city banks, regional banks, second-tier regional banks, credit unions, etc.).

[0134] Step S244: Returning to Figure 15, when the fund management device 20 determines that the withdrawal has been completed, it notifies the user terminal device 10 that the withdrawal has been completed. Step S142: The user terminal device 10 displays the withdrawal completion screen P7 on the display unit 11.

[0135] Figure 18 shows an example of the withdrawal completion screen P7 in this embodiment. The withdrawal completion screen P7 includes information indicating that the withdrawal of the deposit amount D1 based on the funding agreement C has been completed.

[0136] As described above, the fund provision system 1 according to this embodiment includes a reception unit 201, an account selection unit 204, and a calculation unit 202. Reception room 201 accepts applications for funding from businesses operating as entities. The account selection unit 204 selects the account (assessment account) specified by the business operator. The calculation unit 202 calculates the amount of funds to be provided based on the deposit and withdrawal information of the account selected by the account selection unit 204.

[0137] This configuration allows the user to select an account (assessment account) for calculating the amount of funding provided when providing funding by purchasing future deposit information from a business operator's account, thereby improving convenience for the user.

[0138] Furthermore, the fund provision system 1 according to this embodiment includes a reception unit 201 and an account selection unit 204. Reception room 201 accepts applications for funding from businesses operating as entities. The account selection unit 204 selects an account designated by the business operator from among several accounts as either an account to receive funds (deposit account) obtained by purchasing deposit information that aggregates future deposit information from multiple accounts, or an account from which withdrawals will be made from the business entity's sales (withdrawal account).

[0139] With this configuration, in the funding system 1 according to this embodiment, when providing funds by purchasing future deposit information from a business operator's account, at least one of the deposit account or the withdrawal account can be consolidated into a single account when making a deposit, thereby improving convenience for the user.

[0140] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, a computer program to implement the functions of each of the above-mentioned devices may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed. The term "computer system" here may include hardware such as an operating system and peripheral devices.

[0141] Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" refers to writable non-volatile memory such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, and flash memory, portable media such as DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" also includes volatile memory (such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)) within computer systems that act as servers or clients when programs are transmitted via networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, which retain programs for a certain period of time.

[0142] Furthermore, the above program may be transmitted from a computer system that stores the program in a memory device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves within the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" used to transmit the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) like the Internet or a communication line (communication line) like a telephone line. Furthermore, the above program may be intended to implement some of the functions described above. It may also be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can implement the aforementioned functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0143] 1...Funding System, 201...Reception Department, 204...Account Selection Department

Claims

1. A reception department that accepts applications for funding from businesses operating as entities, An account selection unit selects an account designated by the business operator from among the multiple accounts to be either an account to receive funds from the purchase of deposit information that aggregates future deposit information from multiple accounts, or an account from which withdrawals will be made from the sales of the business entity, A funding system equipped with these features.

2. The system further includes a fund provision processing unit that purchases deposit information, which is a compilation of future deposit information from the aforementioned multiple accounts, and deposits funds into the account selected by the account selection unit. The funding system according to claim 1.

3. On the computer, We accept applications for funding from businesses operating as entities, Selecting an account designated by the business operator from among the multiple accounts as at least one of the accounts to which funds will be deposited by purchasing deposit information that aggregates future deposit information from multiple accounts, or as an account from which withdrawals will be made from the sales of the business entity, A program to execute.

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