Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To improve user convenience. [Solution] An information processing device comprising: a processing unit that uses the functions of an electronic payment service to perform the process of sending an electronic voucher usable with the electronic payment service to another user, and the process of receiving the voucher from the other user; and a management unit that manages management information that associates the identification information of the other user with the identification information of the voucher sent by the other user or the identification information of the voucher sent to the other user, wherein after the voucher has been sent to the other user, the processing unit determines whether to cancel the sending of the voucher or to perform a refund process corresponding to the voucher, depending on the status of the other user's receipt of the voucher.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an information processing system has been disclosed in which employees of a company can easily give digital gifts during work (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This information processing system displays a list of a plurality of digital gifts on a business communication tool used by a user, and when a gift giving request is received from the business communication tool to request the giving of a digital gift selected by the user on the list to another user, based on the stored gift right information, it determines whether there is a right for the selected digital gift, and when it is determined that there is such a right, it requests the issuance of a digital gift to a digital gift providing system and updates the gift right information in response to the issuance.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the conventional technology, there are cases where the convenience for users is not sufficiently high in a service that provides electronic vouchers.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that can provide a service with high convenience for users regarding the provision of electronic vouchers.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an information processing device comprising: a management unit that manages management information relating identification information of an electronic voucher provided by a first user using the functions of an electronic payment service, identification information of the first user, and identification information of a user who received the voucher; and a processing unit that, when electronic payment of the electronic payment service is performed using the voucher, causes a payment completion screen including information of the first user corresponding to the identification information of the first user to be displayed on the display unit of the user's terminal device.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is an information processing device comprising: a processing unit that uses the functions of an electronic payment service to perform a process of sending an electronic voucher usable with the electronic payment service to another user, and a process of receiving the voucher from the other user; and a management unit that manages management information that associates the identification information of the other user with the identification information of the voucher sent by the other user or the identification information of the voucher sent to the other user, wherein the processing unit, after the voucher has been sent to the other user, determines whether to cancel the sending of the voucher or to perform a refund process corresponding to the voucher, depending on the status of the other user's receipt of the voucher. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can provide a highly convenient service for users regarding the provision of electronic vouchers. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an example of a configuration for implementing an electronic payment service. [Figure 2] This is a sequence diagram (part 1) illustrating the general flow of electronic payments. [Figure 3] This is a sequence diagram (part 2) illustrating the general flow of electronic payments. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing the configuration of payment server 100. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the contents of user information 172. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of voucher information 173A. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of voucher information 173B. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the contents of merchant / store information 176. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the interface screen IF1 provided to the user. [Figure 10] This figure shows the interface screen IF2 provided to the user. [Figure 11] This figure shows the interface screen IF3 provided to the user. [Figure 12] Here is another example of voucher information 173A. [Figure 13] This figure shows interface screen IF4 provided to the sender. [Figure 14] This diagram shows the interface screen IF11, which includes history information. [Figure 15] This explains the voucher's expiration date, cancellation policy, refund policy, and notification policy. [Figure 16] This is a diagram showing the interface screen IF12. [Figure 17] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing flow performed by the payment application 20 and the payment server 100. [Figure 18] This is a diagram showing the interface screen IF13. [Figure 19] This diagram explains the maximum purchase amount for vouchers. [Figure 20] This is interface screen IF14, which displays a list of vouchers available to the user. [Figure 21] This figure shows interface screen IF15, which contains detailed information about the voucher. [Figure 22]It is a diagram showing an interface screen IF16 including detailed information of vouchers. [Figure 23] It is a diagram showing another example of the second table 176B.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Various apparatuses such as a "server" that appears below for providing services to users or performing internal analysis may be realized by a decentralized group of apparatuses, and the operators of each apparatus may be different. Also, the holder of the hardware of the apparatus (provider of the cloud server) and the operator who actually operates may be different. The application program and the settlement server cooperate to provide an electronic payment service. In the following description, the application program is referred to as a payment application. The electronic payment service is a service that supports the settlement related to the purchase of goods and services in a store. The store is, for example, a physical store (actual store) existing in the real space, but may include a virtual store for e-commerce. The virtual store may include those provided by a subject different from the operator of the electronic payment service. In that case, at the time of settlement for shopping in the virtual store, it is controlled to transition to the interface screen of the electronic payment service. In the electronic payment service, a store is, for example, treated as belonging to a franchise (brand), and processes such as settlement when a purchase action is performed in the store are mainly carried out between the user and the franchise. Instead of this, processes such as settlement may be carried out between the user and the store.

[0011] [Electronic Payment Service] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of an electronic payment system that implements electronic payment services. The electronic payment service is implemented with a payment server 100 at its center. An electronic payment system that implements electronic payment services includes, for example, one or more user terminal devices 10, one or more first store terminal devices 50, one or more second store terminal devices 70, and a payment server 100. These devices communicate with each other, for example, via a network NW. The network NW includes, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless base station, provider equipment, etc.

[0012] Some or all of the functional components included in an electronic payment system may be distributed across multiple devices in any form, or integrated into any device. For example, some or all of the functional components of payment server 100 may be included in other devices.

[0013] [User terminal device] The user terminal device 10 is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet. The user terminal device 10 is a computer device having at least an optical reading function, a communication function, a display function, an input acceptance function, and a program execution function. In the following description, the components for realizing these functions will be referred to as a camera, a communication device, a touch panel, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc. In the user terminal device 10, the payment application 20 is executed by a processor such as the CPU, and it operates in cooperation with the payment server 100 to provide electronic payment services to the user. The payment application 20 is installed on the user terminal device 10 from, for example, an application store, and controls the camera, communication device, touch panel, etc. A mini-application 30 may also run on the user terminal device 10. The mini-application 30 is an application program that runs within the payment application 20. The mini-application 30 is, for example, a mini-application that provides various services related to vouchers. The mini-application 30 may, for example, send or receive vouchers, or display a list of sent or received vouchers.

[0014] [Store Terminal Device #1] The first store terminal device 50 is installed, for example, in a store. The first store terminal device 50 is a computer device having at least a product price acquisition function, an optical reading function, a program execution function, and a communication function. The first store terminal device 50 may include a so-called POS (Point of Sale) device, and the product price acquisition function and optical reading function may be realized by the POS device. The store code image 60 is placed in the store and is a code image such as a QR code (registered trademark) printed on paper or plastic media. The store code image 60 may also be displayed on a display placed in the store (which may be the display of a terminal device such as a smartphone).

[0015] [Second store terminal device] The second store terminal device 70 is used by the operator of the affiliated store. The second store terminal device 70 is a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, etc. The affiliated store interface 72 operates on the second store terminal device 70. The affiliated store interface 72 may be an affiliated store application or a browser. The affiliated store interface 72 accepts coupon settings etc. from the affiliated store operator and transmits them to the payment server 100. The second store terminal device 70, which is a smartphone, has the function of displaying a code image corresponding to a store code image by running the affiliated store application, or reading a code image displayed by the user terminal device 10.

[0016] [Payment Server] The payment server 100 implements electronic payment based on payment information received from the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50. The first store terminal device 50 may include a POS device and a merchant server, in which case payment information is transmitted from the POS device to the payment server 100 via the merchant server. In the following description, this distinction will not be made, and it will be assumed that payment information is transmitted from the first store terminal device 50.

[0017] Figures 2 and 3 are sequence diagrams illustrating the general flow of electronic payments. There may be two patterns for electronic payments: Pattern 1 and Pattern 2.

[0018] In the case of Pattern 1 shown in Figure 2 (hereinafter referred to as User Scan), the user terminal device 10, with the payment application 20 running, decodes the store code image 60 using its optical reading function (S1). The store code image 60 contains information about the store URL (Uniform Resource Locator). This store URL is an electronic payment service domain to which information that can identify the store has been added, and is associated with the merchant ID and store ID, etc., at the payment server 100 (described later). The payment application 20 sends the first payment information, including the store URL and account ID, to the payment server 100 (S2). The payment server 100 searches for store information (described later) from the merchant ID and store ID corresponding to the store URL, obtains the merchant name and store name information (S3), and sends it to the payment application 20 (S4). The user enters the payment amount into the user terminal device 10 on the screen where the merchant name and store name are displayed (S5). The user terminal device 10 then generates second payment information, including at least the payment amount, and sends it to the payment server 100 (S6). The payment server 100 performs electronic payment based on the received second payment information (S7). The payment server 100 then sends a payment completion notification (information for displaying the payment completion screen) to the payment application 20 (S8), and the payment application 20 displays the payment completion screen (S9). If the store code image 60 is displayed on a display placed in the store, the store code image 60 may include payment amount information as well as the store URL. In this case, the procedure for the user to enter the payment amount is omitted, and the payment amount information is included in the first payment information and sent to the payment server 100. Merchant name and store name information may be included and displayed on the payment completion screen.

[0019] In the case of Pattern 2 shown in Figure 3 (hereinafter referred to as Store Scan), when the payment app 20 is launched, when a payment operation is performed in the payment app 20, when it is time for an automatic update (for example, every minute), and at other times, the payment app 20 sends a request to the payment server 100 to issue a one-time code (S11). The payment server 100 generates a one-time code (S12) and sends it to the payment app 20 (S13). The payment app 20 displays a code image such as a QR code or barcode that was generated based on the one-time code (S14). The user holds the display surface of the user terminal device 10 over the first store terminal device 50 (presents it), and the first store terminal device 50 decodes the code image using its optical reading function and obtains the one-time code, etc. (S15). Then, the first store terminal device 50 generates payment information including the one-time code, payment amount, merchant ID, store ID, etc., and sends it to the payment server 100 (S16). The payment amount information is obtained in advance by barcode scanning or manual input. Based on the received information, the payment server 100 identifies the user corresponding to the one-time code and performs the electronic payment (S17). The payment server 100 then sends a payment completion notification to the payment app 20 (S18), and the payment app 20 displays a payment completion screen (S19).

[0020] Furthermore, electronic payment may be performed using only one of the above patterns. Also, the "account ID" explained in Figure 2 may be other information that can be used as user identification information (for example, a phone number). In addition, the issuance of a one-time code may be omitted during store scanning, and the payment app 20 may display a code image generated based on the user's account ID. In that case, the payment server 100 will identify the user corresponding to the account ID instead of identifying the user corresponding to the one-time code.

[0021] [Payment Server Functional Configuration] Figure 4 is a diagram of the configuration of the payment server 100. The payment server 100 includes, for example, a communication unit 110, a content provision unit 120, a payment processing unit 130, an information management unit 140, an information processing unit 150, and a storage unit 170. Components other than the communication unit 110 and the storage unit 170 are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and SOC (System On Chip), or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance on a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory (a storage device equipped with a non-transient storage medium), or it may be stored on a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transient storage medium) and installed on the storage device when the storage medium is inserted into a drive device. The information management unit 140 is an example of a "management unit," and the information processing unit 150 is an example of a "processing unit."

[0022] The storage unit 170 can be an HDD, flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage unit 170 may also be a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device that the payment server 100 can access via the network. The storage unit 170 stores information such as user information 172 including voucher information 173, content information 174, and merchant / store information 176. Some of this information may also be stored in the storage unit of the user terminal device 10.

[0023] The communication unit 110 is a communication interface for connecting to a network NW. The communication unit 110 is, for example, a network interface card.

[0024] The content provider unit 120, for example, has the functionality of a web server and provides information (content) for displaying various screens of the electronic payment service to the user terminal device 10. The content provider unit 120 reads the necessary content from the content information 174 as appropriate and provides it to the user terminal device 10. The user terminal device 10 accepts various inputs from the user while the content is being played by the payment application 20 and transmits the aforementioned payment information to the payment server 100. The above content may also be generated by the payment application 20. In this case, the content provider unit 120 provides the payment application 20 with the information necessary for generating the content.

[0025] The payment processing unit 130 performs payment processing based on payment information transmitted by the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50. The payment processing unit 130 performs payment processing while referring to the user information 172.

[0026] [User information] Figure 5 shows an example of the contents of User Information 172. User Information 172 is an example of user registration information. User Information 172 includes, for example, user URL, account ID, telephone number, password, as well as information such as email address, user ID, name, address, date of birth, registration date, charge balance, credit payment settings, credit payment limit, credit payment amount, available credit payment amount, payment method settings, bank account, credit card number, charge history information, and payment history information. The user URL is used for money transfer processing between users. When registering for a new electronic payment service, registration of a telephone number and password is mandatory. The account ID is issued to the user by the payment server 100, and the user ID is an ID that the user can set at will (or does not have to set). Similarly, the email address and name, address, and date of birth are also information that the user can set at will (or does not have to set). The registration date is the date the user registered for the electronic payment service (the date the account was created). Hereafter, the user instance (electronic payment account) to which this information is associated will be referred to as an account.

[0027] The charge balance is information indicating the balance of electronic money set by the user by sending money to their account in advance. Methods of sending money include sending from an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) of a designated provider (bank) and sending from a registered bank account. The credit payment setting indicates whether or not the user has completed the settings to enable electronic payments by credit card, and is set to either "Completed" or "Not Completed". The credit payment limit is the monthly limit for credit payments, the credit payment amount is the amount already used for credit payments in the current month, and the available credit payment amount is the amount available for credit payments in the current month, calculated by subtracting the credit payment amount from the credit payment limit. While the diagram shows only one credit payment limit, in reality there are also daily limits, and the lower of these may be set as the credit payment limit. Further details on credit payments will be described later. The payment method setting indicates whether the user will use electronic payment with the charge balance or payment by credit card at that time. The bank account and credit card number information, respectively, refers to the bank account or credit card number (account number, card number) to which funds can be deposited into the electronic payment service. The charge history information is a record of when the user has previously sent money to the electronic payment service to increase the charge balance. The payment history information shows the details of each payment made by the user (date and time, store ID of the store where the purchase was made, payment amount, payment method, etc.).

[0028] User information 172 includes voucher information 173. Voucher information 173 includes voucher information 173A and voucher information 173B. Figure 6 shows an example of voucher information 173A. Voucher information 173A is, for example, information indicating electronic vouchers (vouchers) available to the user or information (not shown) about vouchers used by the user. Figure 6 shows voucher information 173A for a given user. Voucher information 173 is, for example, information that associates voucher ID, available amount, expiration date, usable merchant, and information of the voucher sender (sender identification information). Vouchers include vouchers issued by local governments or designated providers, and vouchers sent to a user by other users. For example, vouchers (gifts) are sent and received between users using the functions of the payment application 20 in the electronic payment service. As shown in Figure 6, a user may possess different vouchers (vouchers with different identification information) that are valid at the same merchant.

[0029] Figure 7 shows an example of voucher information 173B. Voucher information 173B includes, for example, information on vouchers received by a user and vouchers sent by a user to other users. Figure 7 shows voucher information 173A for a given user. Voucher information 173A includes, for example, information that associates the voucher ID, the amount of the voucher, the expiration date, the merchant where it can be used, the recipient (identification information of the recipient), and information indicating whether the voucher was received or sent. In addition to the above information, voucher information 173B also associates messages sent to other users or received from other users with the voucher identification information. Voucher information 173A or voucher information 173B is an example of "management information". Hereinafter, when voucher information 173A and voucher information 173B are not distinguished, they may be referred to as "voucher information 173".

[0030] [Franchise / Store Information] Figure 8 shows an example of the contents of the merchant / store information 176. The merchant / store information 176 includes, for example, a first table 176A in which the merchant ID and store ID are associated with the store URL, a second table 176B in which the merchant name and sales amount (as described above) are associated with the merchant ID, and a third table 176C in which the store name is associated with the store ID. In addition to this information, the merchant / store information 176 may also include information such as the merchant or store category, store location, and payment pattern.

[0031] [Electronic payment] When the payment processing unit 130 obtains payment information from the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50, it refers to the user information 172 to obtain the user's "payment method setting". For users whose "payment method setting" is set to "charge balance", the payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment as follows: For example, the payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment by decreasing the charge balance, which is managed in association with the user ID, and increasing the value of the merchant's sales proceeds item. For example, the value of the merchant's sales proceeds item is not used as electronic money itself, but rather the amount corresponding to the value of the sales proceeds item is transferred to the bank account in a cycle according to the agreement between the merchant and the electronic payment service.

[0032] The payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment as follows for users whose "settings information" is set to "credit payment". Credit payment is a payment method that is carried out in cooperation with a credit card company, which is a separate entity from the operator of the electronic payment service. The operator of the electronic payment service acts as the donor and allows electronic payment that does not depend on the charge balance within the credit payment limit. In order to use the credit payment service, it may be required to obtain a credit card provided by the operator of the electronic payment service. The amount used by credit payment is settled in a lump sum for the month on the payment date of the following month, for example, by withdrawal from a bank account. In this case, the payment processing unit 130 performs a provisional settlement by adding the settlement amount to the amount used by credit payment and subtracting the same amount from the available credit payment limit. When the closing date arrives, it processes the payment for the current month to be withdrawn on the payment date of the following month as described above, or requests the credit card company operator to perform the said process. If the settlement amount exceeds the available credit payment limit at the time of provisional settlement, an error notification is sent back to the payment application 20.

[0033] The Information Management Unit 140 acquires information provided by other server devices and terminal devices. Based on the information acquired from the user terminal device 10 and the second store terminal device 70, the Information Management Unit 140 manages user information 172 and affiliated store / store information 176. The Information Management Unit 140 performs operations such as adding, editing, and deleting new records for user information 172 and affiliated store / store information 176.

[0034] The information processing unit 150 processes information provided by other server devices and terminal devices, and provides information stored in the storage unit 170 to the user terminal device 10.

[0035] [overview] In this embodiment, a user can send a voucher to another user using the functions of the electronic payment service (functions of the payment app 20). The other user can then use the voucher in an electronic payment using the electronic payment service (payment app 20). In this embodiment, for example, a user can create an original voucher tailored to the recipient and situation, easily send the created voucher to the recipient via peer-to-peer (P2P), and the recipient can then use the received voucher in the electronic payment service. The payment server 100 generates a voucher that can be used at any merchant of the electronic payment service that the user has arbitrarily selected, in response to the user's operation on the payment app 20. Alternatively, the server may provide other users with a voucher that can be used at all merchants of the electronic payment service or at pre-configured merchants.

[0036] When a user makes an electronic payment at a merchant, the payment server 100 may automatically apply a voucher that is valid at the merchant and execute the electronic payment, or it may apply the voucher and execute the electronic payment in response to the user's actions. When applying the voucher in response to the user's actions, the payment server 100 may recommend to the user that they have a voucher that is valid at the merchant at the time the user makes the electronic payment at the merchant.

[0037] [Interface screen (1)] The payment server 100, in cooperation with the payment application 20, refers to the voucher information 173 and, when an electronic payment for the electronic payment service is performed using the voucher, displays a payment completion screen on the display unit of the user terminal device 10, which includes information about the first user (such as name, nickname, and user icon) corresponding to the first user's identification information.

[0038] The payment server 100 further displays a payment completion screen on its display unit, which includes a button for sending a message to the first user. When the button is pressed and the user's message is received and sent, the payment server 100 sends the message to the first user's user terminal device 10.

[0039] Figure 9 shows the interface screen IF1 provided to the user. The payment server 100 displays the interface screen IF1 on its display unit. The interface screen IF1 is, for example, the screen displayed when a user uses a voucher. The interface screen IF1 includes, for example, information about the merchant where the electronic payment was made, the date and time of the electronic payment, the amount of the electronic payment, information indicating that the payment has been completed, information about the user (sender) who sent the used voucher, and a button B1 for sending a message to the sender.

[0040] When button B1 is pressed, the payment server 100 (payment application 20) refers to the voucher information 173 and automatically displays a message input field on the display unit with the sender set as the recipient of the message. The user can send a message to the sender by entering a message in the message input field and performing the send operation. For example, the payment server 100 identifies the sender user's identification number and sends the message to the payment application 20 with the identified user's identification information.

[0041] As described above, the payment server 100 provides the user with information about the sender of the voucher used, including a button to send a message to the sender, on the payment completion screen. This allows the user to easily confirm the sender of the voucher used and to send a message to the sender. This improves user convenience.

[0042] [Interface screen (2)] When an electronic payment is executed using the electronic payment service, the payment server 100 displays a payment completion screen on the display unit of the user terminal device 10, which includes information of the first user corresponding to the first user's identification information and information of the second user corresponding to the second user's identification information, when a voucher associated with the first user's identification information and a voucher associated with the second user's identification information are used.

[0043] The payment server 100 further displays a payment completion screen on the display unit, which includes a button for sending messages to the first user and the second user.

[0044] Figure 10 shows the interface screen IF2 provided to the user. The payment server 100 displays the interface screen IF2 on the display unit. The interface screen IF2 is the screen that is displayed, for example, when a user uses a voucher. The differences from the interface screen IF1 will be explained in detail. The interface screen IF2 is the screen that is displayed, for example, when a user uses vouchers sent from multiple senders. The interface screen IF2 includes, for example, information about the senders of the vouchers used and a button B2 for sending a message. For example, in an electronic payment of 1000 yen, if an electronic payment is made using a 500 yen voucher sent by Mr. XX and a 500 yen voucher sent by Mr. YY, a button B2 for sending a message to these two people will be displayed.

[0045] When button B2 is pressed, the payment server 100 (payment application 20) refers to the voucher information 173 and automatically displays a message input field on the display unit with the sender set as the recipient of the message. The user can send a message to the sender by entering a message in the message input field and performing the send operation. In this case, the payment server 100 may display a message input field on the display unit for sending to each sender, or it may display a single message input field on the display unit for sending the same message to both.

[0046] As described above, even when vouchers sent by multiple users are used, the payment server 100 allows the user who used the voucher to easily verify the sender of the voucher and can also send messages to multiple senders. This improves user convenience.

[0047] [Interface screen (3)] The payment server 100 may display a payment completion screen on its display unit, which includes a button for sending a message to the first user who is the sender, and a button for sending a message to the second user who is the sender.

[0048] Figure 11 shows the interface screen IF3 provided to the user. The payment server 100 displays the interface screen IF3 on its display unit. The interface screen IF3 is the screen displayed, for example, when a user uses a voucher. The differences from the interface screen IF2 will be explained in detail. The interface screen IF3 is the screen displayed, for example, when a user uses vouchers sent from multiple senders. The interface screen IF3 displays buttons B3 and B4 for sending messages to each of the senders of the vouchers used. For example, it includes button B3 for sending a message to person XX and button B4 for sending a message to person YY.

[0049] When button B3 is pressed, the payment server 100 (payment application 20) refers to the voucher information 173 and automatically displays a message input field on the display unit with the sender, Mr. / Ms. XX, set as the recipient of the message. The user can send the message to Mr. / Ms. XX by entering a message in the message input field and performing the send operation.

[0050] When button B4 is pressed, the payment server 100 (payment application 20) refers to the voucher information 173 and automatically displays a message input field on the display unit with the sender, Mr. / Ms. △△, set as the recipient of the message. The user can send the message to Mr. / Ms. △△ by entering a message in the message input field and performing the send operation.

[0051] The payment server 100, by providing buttons and message input fields for sending messages to each sender as described above, can send messages tailored to each sender, thereby improving user convenience.

[0052] [Other examples of voucher information] In the voucher information 173A in Figure 6, voucher IDs and senders were associated on a one-to-one basis. However, senders who sent vouchers usable at the same merchant may be integrated and associated with each voucher ID. Figure 12 shows another example of voucher information 173A. For example, in voucher information 173A, multiple senders may be associated with multiple voucher IDs. For example, the sender of voucher ID 001 is BBB, and the sender of voucher ID 003 is DDD, but senders BBB and DDD may be associated with voucher ID 001 and voucher ID 003.

[0053] As a result, when a user uses the voucher, the sender who sent the voucher from the same merchant will not be distinguished, and the voucher sent by senders BBB and DDD will be used. As mentioned above, users can easily send messages to senders BBB and DDD.

[0054] [Message sent to the sender] The payment server 100 may display a message screen on the display unit of the first user's user terminal device 10 that includes the message and information about the user who sent the message to the sender. User information includes information to identify the user, such as the user's name or nickname, and information about the merchant the user used. Merchant information includes information to identify the merchant (such as location, region, and store name). In addition to the above information, information such as the date (or time) the user used the voucher may also be included. In addition to the above, the display unit may also include information about the voucher sent by the sender (such as type, amount, and expiration date).

[0055] Figure 13 shows the interface screen IF4 provided to the sender. The payment server 100 displays the interface screen IF4 on its display unit. The interface screen IF4 includes, for example, information about the user who sent the message (e.g., name or nickname) and the message sent by the user who used the voucher. If the payment server 100 obtains and manages product identification information from the payment app 20 or the merchant, the interface screen IF4 may also include information about the product purchased by the user. Whether or not information other than user information and messages is sent may be determined based on the settings of the user who used the voucher. For example, the payment server 100 displays a setting button on the interface screen for the user to enter a message to set whether or not to send the above information, and sends the interface screen IF4 containing information according to the user's settings.

[0056] As described above, by providing the sender with messages from users who have used the voucher, the payment server 100 can facilitate communication between the user who used the voucher and the sender.

[0057] [History Information] The payment server 100 refers to voucher information 173, which associates the identification information of other users with the identification information of vouchers sent by other users and the identification information of vouchers sent to other users, and displays history information on the display unit of the user terminal device 10, which includes either or both of the following: information associating the voucher sent to another user with the other user who received the sent voucher, and information associating the received voucher with the other user who sent the received voucher (see Figure 14 for details).

[0058] The history information includes information linking vouchers sent by a user with other users who received those vouchers, as well as a button for sending a message to other users who received the voucher, and a button (B12 described later) for sending the voucher to other users.

[0059] The history information includes information linking the received voucher with the other user who sent the received voucher, as well as a button (button B11) for sending a message to the other user who received the voucher, and a button for sending the voucher to another user.

[0060] The payment server 100 works in conjunction with the payment application 20 to display history information on the display unit of the user terminal device 10. Figure 14 shows an interface screen IF11 that includes history information. The interface screen IF11 includes either or both information about received vouchers and information about sent vouchers. Information about received vouchers includes, for example, the type of received voucher (information about the merchant where it can be used), information about the user who sent it, the date and time it was sent, the date and time it was received, and a button B11 for sending a thank you message. Some of this information may be omitted and displayed only when a button to display details is pressed. For example, information about the user who sent it may be displayed only when the button to display details is pressed.

[0061] The interface screen IF11 may display information indicating whether a message was not sent after receiving the voucher, whether a message was not sent after using the voucher, or whether a message was sent after receiving the voucher but not after using it. In the voucher information 173B, the content of the message, information about the user who sent or received the message, and information about the timing of the message being sent or received are associated with the voucher's identification information.

[0062] When button B11 is pressed, the payment server 100 (or payment application 20) displays an interface screen for entering a message. Once a message is entered and sent, the message is sent to the sender's user terminal device 10. In addition to button B11, a button may be provided to send the voucher to the user who sent it.

[0063] The information about the sent voucher includes, for example, the type of voucher sent (information about the merchants where it can be used), the recipient's information, the date and time it was sent, the date and time the recipient received it, and button B12 for sending the voucher. If the recipient has not received it, information indicating that it has not been received will be displayed. In addition to button B12, there may be a button to send a message to the user to whom the voucher was sent. Some of this information may be omitted and displayed only when a button to display details is pressed. For example, the recipient's information may be displayed only when the button to display details is pressed. For example, the information about the sent voucher may include the voucher's expiration date and the recipient's status of receiving the voucher.

[0064] When button B12 is pressed, the payment server 100 (or payment application 20) sets the recipient of the voucher as the recipient and displays an interface screen for sending the specified voucher on the display unit. The payment server 100 may also set the default voucher to be the same type of voucher as the one sent previously. This allows the sender to easily send vouchers to the same person on a regular basis.

[0065] Furthermore, if a message is sent when a voucher is received or sent, the payment server 100 may display the message on the display unit when a corresponding predetermined area or button (not shown) on the interface screen IF11 is operated. The message may be displayed on the interface screen IF11.

[0066] Additionally, a resend button may be provided on the interface screen IF11. When the resend button is pressed, the settlement server 100 displays an interface screen for sending the same voucher as the one previously sent to the same recipient. When the user presses the confirmation button, the previously sent voucher is sent to the same recipient. In this process, the type of voucher, the recipient, and the amount of the voucher may be changed by the sender's actions.

[0067] Interface screen IF11 includes a button B13 for filtering the information displayed on interface screen IF11. When button B13 is pressed, the payment server 100 displays filtering options and displays information corresponding to the user's selected options on the display unit. Filtering options include received vouchers, sent vouchers, voucher type, recipient, sender, date and time, and whether or not the voucher was received.

[0068] The above history information may be provided to the user as an interface screen provided by a mini-app 30 that provides voucher-related services, or it may be provided in the electronic payment service provided by the payment app 20.

[0069] In the history information above, vouchers that have been sent but not received may be highlighted. By canceling the highlighted vouchers, users can cancel the voucher submission and receive a refund, as described below.

[0070] As described above, the payment server 100 works in conjunction with the payment app 20 (mini-app 30) to provide users with transaction history information, allowing users to easily recognize a list of vouchers they have sent or received, and to easily send messages or resend vouchers to other users. This improves user convenience.

[0071] Please refer to Figure 15 below for an explanation of voucher expiration, cancellation, refund, and notification.

[0072] [Regarding the expiration date] If a voucher is sent and automatic receipt is enabled, the payment server 100 will automatically link the voucher to the user (the user's identification account) and make it available for use. If a voucher is sent and automatic receipt is not enabled, the payment server 100 will not automatically link the voucher to the user and make it available for use, but will only link the voucher to the user and make it available for use when the user performs a receipt operation on the payment app 20. Even if the automatic receipt function itself is not available, the payment server 100 will not automatically link the voucher to the user and make it available for use, but will only link the voucher to the user and make it available for use when the user performs a receipt operation on the payment app 20. For example, if a voucher expires after it has been received, the payment server 100 will invalidate the voucher (the available amount of the voucher) from the user's account balance. For example, if automatic receipt is not set up and the voucher expires before receipt is completed, the payment server 100 will invalidate the right to use the voucher. In this case, the voucher will expire before it is linked to the user's account. As described above, the payment server 100 performs the appropriate action according to the expiration date of the voucher.

[0073] [Regarding cancellations] If the recipient of the voucher has received it and the sender instructs the sender to cancel the voucher's delivery, the payment server 100 will inform the sender that the voucher cannot be canceled. If the recipient of the voucher has not yet received it and the sender instructs the sender to cancel the voucher's delivery, the payment server 100 will inform the sender that the voucher can be canceled. For example, the payment server 100 may display information such as whether the voucher cannot be canceled or can be canceled on the display unit of the sender's user terminal device 10, or notify the user terminal device 10. In this case, the payment server 100 will refund the amount corresponding to the canceled voucher to the account of the user who canceled the voucher. As described above, the payment server 100 performs appropriate processing according to the recipient's receipt status.

[0074] In the above example, if the sender cannot instruct the recipient to cancel sending the voucher once they have received it (for example, if a button to send a cancellation instruction is not displayed), then cancellation is also not possible. If the sender can instruct the recipient to cancel sending the voucher before they have received it (for example, if a button to send a cancellation instruction is displayed), then cancellation may be permitted, and the sender may be informed of this.

[0075] The above cancellations include, for example, the cancellation of sending the voucher, the cancellation of purchasing the voucher, or both. For example, a sender can purchase a voucher and then decide on the recipient. In this case, the sender may cancel sending the voucher due to circumstances such as the voucher not being received, and send the voucher to a different recipient. Also, if the sender cancels, the sending may be canceled, and the purchase of the voucher itself may also be canceled.

[0076] [Regarding refunds] The payment server 100, for example, after a voucher has been sent to another user, decides whether to cancel the voucher transmission or to perform a refund corresponding to the voucher, depending on the status of the other user's receipt of the voucher. The payment server 100 allows refunds within the validity period as described above, but does not allow refunds after the validity period has expired. For example, if the validity period has expired, the user will not receive a refund. Note that if the user has already received the voucher, no refund will be issued.

[0077] As described above, the payment server 100 refunds the user the amount corresponding to the voucher according to its expiration date. Specifically, if another user cancels sending a voucher before receiving it, the payment server 100 cancels sending the voucher and automatically refunds the amount corresponding to the voucher to the account of the user who sent the voucher. In this way, the refund is made after the cancellation, improving user convenience.

[0078] [About notifications] The payment server 100 may notify the sender that the recipient has not received the voucher if the recipient has not received the voucher within a predetermined period from the time the voucher was sent. The payment server 100 may also notify the sender that the recipient has not received the voucher if the voucher has been received but within a predetermined period from its expiration date. The notification interface screen may include a button to cancel the sending of the voucher. If the user who is the sender receives the notification, the user can cancel the voucher by operating the interface screen as needed.

[0079] [About the interface screen] The payment server 100 displays a list of vouchers that have been sent to other users but have not been received by those users, in response to the user's actions, on the display unit of the user terminal device 10. The payment server 100 also displays a button on the display unit along with the list of vouchers that have not been received by other users, allowing the user to cancel the vouchers included in the list and receive a refund.

[0080] Figure 16 shows the interface screen IF12. Interface screen IF12 is, for example, a list of unreceived vouchers. Interface screen IF12 may also be a screen displayed using the filtering function of interface screen IF11. Users can refer to interface screen IF12 and cancel the provision of vouchers and receive a refund by operating button B13 for canceling unreceived vouchers.

[0081] [Sequence Diagram] Figure 17 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing flow performed by the payment application 20 and the payment server 100. The payment server 100 displays information about the voucher sent by the user, along with a declaration button for the user to indicate their intention not to accept the voucher, on the display unit of the user terminal device 10 of another user. If the declaration button is pressed, the payment server 100 cancels the voucher sent by the user and refunds the amount corresponding to the voucher to the user's account. The following explanation will refer to the sequence diagram.

[0082] First, the user (payment app 20) instructs the payment server 100 to send the voucher to the recipient (S100). The payment server 100 sends the voucher to the recipient (payment app 20) in response to the instruction (S102). If the recipient performs an operation to indicate to the payment app 20 that they do not want to receive the voucher, the payment app 20 sends information corresponding to the indication to the payment server 100 (S104). For example, if the "Do not receive" button displayed on the interface screen is pressed, the above process is performed. This sequence assumes that automatic receipt is not enabled. If the recipient does not want to receive the voucher, the recipient may send a message to the sender. For example, if the "Do not receive" button is pressed, the payment app 20 may display an input field for entering a message on the display unit.

[0083] Next, the payment server 100 performs a voucher cancellation process to release the voucher from being sent to the recipient (S106), and then performs a refund process (S108). The refund process is the process of refunding the amount corresponding to the voucher to the sender. Next, the payment server 100 notifies the sender that the voucher has been canceled and that a refund has been issued (S110).

[0084] As described above, the collaboration between the payment app 20 and the payment server 100 improves user convenience by automatically canceling and refunding vouchers when they are canceled.

[0085] [Interface screen (4)] Figure 18 shows the interface screen IF13. This interface screen IF13 is displayed on the recipient's screen when the recipient receives a voucher sent from the sender. The interface screen IF13 includes, for example, the sender's name, the contents of the voucher (type and amount), a button to receive the voucher, and a button to indicate that the recipient does not want to receive the voucher. When the button indicating that the recipient does not want to receive the voucher is pressed, the payment server 100 executes the cancellation and refund processes described above.

[0086] As described above, the recipient can easily accept or decline the voucher through the interface screen.

[0087] [Regarding the upper limit] Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating the maximum purchase amount for vouchers. Regardless of the user's status, the maximum amount within a specified past period is a predetermined amount. The specified past period is a period longer than the specified past time described later, such as one month. The user's status refers to whether the user has been verified or whether verification is incomplete. Verification means that the identity of the user has been confirmed to match the identification document used to verify their identity. This information is associated with the user's identification information in user information 172.

[0088] If identity verification is complete, the maximum amount within the specified past time period is the first amount. If identity verification is not complete, the maximum amount within the specified past time period is the second amount. The first amount is greater than the second amount. The first amount could be, for example, 300,000 yen or 500,000 yen. The specified past time period could be, for example, the past 12 hours, 24 hours, or 48 hours. The basis for the maximum amount could be the amount the user purchased (sent) the voucher for, or the amount the recipient received.

[0089] For example, if a voucher purchase that reaches the upper limit is canceled, the payment server 100 subtracts the amount corresponding to the cancellation from the total purchase amount of the vouchers, and sets the difference between the upper limit and the purchase amount after the deduction as the available purchase amount. In addition, although an upper limit is stipulated for transfers between users, if a transfer is canceled, it is not necessary to set a transfer limit for the canceled amount as described above.

[0090] [Interface screen for the list of available vouchers] The payment server 100 displays a list screen on the user's terminal device 10 that associates each of the vouchers it manages with information regarding the use of each voucher, in response to user operations. The usage information includes information regarding the available amount and expiration date of the voucher.

[0091] Figure 20 shows the interface screen IF14 for a list of vouchers available to the user. Interface screen IF14 includes, for example, a list of vouchers associated with the user's identification information in the voucher information 173. For example, the user can display a list of available vouchers or a list of used vouchers by operating a designated button. A button for displaying a list of expired vouchers may also be provided.

[0092] Interface screen IF14 may display, for example, a list of available vouchers. Interface screen IF14 may include information such as the type of voucher, the available amount, and information regarding the expiration date (number of days until expiration). The list screen may also include information about the user who sent the voucher to the user. For example, the sender's name may be associated with each voucher and displayed.

[0093] When a user selects a designated voucher, the payment server 100 displays detailed information about the corresponding voucher on the display unit. For example, if a designated voucher is selected by a user on the list screen, the payment server 100 may display information such as the sender of the voucher, the sender's message, and information about merchants where the voucher can be used on the display unit.

[0094] Figure 21 shows interface screen IF15, which contains detailed information about the voucher. Interface screen IF15 includes, for example, information about the merchant where the voucher can be used, the available amount, sender information, and a message from the sender.

[0095] Instead of (or in addition to) interface screen IF15, interface screen IF16 shown in Figure 22 may be displayed. The payment server 100 displays a screen that appears after a predetermined voucher is selected by the user on the list screen, or on the list screen (for example, interface screen IF14), a button to transition to the online shopping site associated with the voucher, and when the transition button is operated, displays the content of the online shopping site where the voucher can be used on the display unit.

[0096] When a transition button is pressed, the payment server 100 displays, in addition to the content of the online shopping site, map information based on the user's location (current location or specified location), which indicates the location of stores where the voucher can be used.

[0097] Figure 22 shows an interface screen IF16 containing detailed information about the voucher. Interface screen IF16 includes, for example, map information and a link button B21 to the online shopping site of a merchant where the voucher can be used. The map information shows the location of nearby merchants where the voucher can be used, based on the user's current location. When the user operates the link button B21, the payment application 20 accesses the linked online shopping site and displays the content of the online shopping site on the display unit. In this way, the user can refer to the location of nearby merchants where the voucher can be used and use the voucher on the online shopping site.

[0098] For example, as shown in Figure 23, in the second table 176B, the merchant ID is associated with the merchant name, sales amount, and URL. For example, even if the operating entity is the same merchant, the merchant ID for a physical store merchant is different from the merchant ID for an online shopping merchant, and the URL is associated with the online shopping merchant ID. The payment server 100 identifies the physical stores and online shopping merchants where the voucher can be used. The payment server 100 displays a link button B21 for accessing the above URL on the display unit in cooperation with the payment application 20. As a result, when a user operates the link button B21, they are accessed on the online shopping site corresponding to the merchant.

[0099] According to the embodiment described above, when an electronic payment of an electronic payment service is performed using a voucher, the payment server 100 displays a payment completion screen on the user's terminal device display unit, which includes information of the first user corresponding to the first user's identification information. The payment server 100 also displays history information on the user's terminal device display unit, which includes either or both of the following: information linking the sent voucher with other users who received the sent voucher, and information linking the received voucher with other users who sent the received voucher. Furthermore, the payment server 100 displays a list screen on the user's terminal device display unit, which associates each managed voucher with information regarding the use of each voucher, in response to user operations. This improves user convenience.

[0100] Furthermore, the payment server 100 can improve user convenience by deciding whether to cancel the voucher transmission or perform a refund process corresponding to the voucher, depending on the status of the other users receiving the voucher after the voucher has been sent to them.

[0101] Although embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0102] 10. User terminal device 20 Payment Apps 100 Payment Servers 120 Content Provision Department 130 Payment Processing Unit 140 Information Management Department 150 Information Processing Unit 173 Voucher Information

Claims

1. A processing unit that uses the functions of an electronic payment service to perform the process of sending an electronic voucher usable with the electronic payment service to another user, and the process of receiving the voucher from another user, The system includes a management unit that manages management information relating the identification information of the other user to the identification information of the voucher transmitted from the other user or the identification information of the voucher transmitted to the other user, based on the results of the processing described above. The processing unit, after the voucher has been sent to the other user, decides whether to cancel the sending of the voucher or to perform a refund process corresponding to the voucher, depending on the status of the other user's receipt of the voucher. Information processing device.

2. The aforementioned processing unit, After the other user has received the voucher, the cancellation of the voucher's transmission will not be accepted. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned processing unit, If the other user receives the voucher and then fails to process a refund corresponding to the voucher, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. If the other user cancels the sending of the voucher before receiving it, the processing unit cancels the sending of the voucher and automatically refunds the amount corresponding to the voucher to the account of the user who sent the voucher. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The processing unit shall, if the other user has not received the voucher for a predetermined period of time since it was sent, or if a predetermined period has elapsed since the expiration date of the sent voucher, notify the terminal device of the user who sent the voucher that the voucher has not been received. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The processing unit causes a button to cancel the sending of the voucher to be displayed on the display unit of the user's terminal device on the notification interface screen. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The processing unit causes the display unit of the user's terminal device to display a list of vouchers that have been sent to other users in response to the user's operation but have not been received by those other users. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. The processing unit displays on the display unit, along with the list, a button for canceling and receiving a refund for a voucher included in the list of vouchers that have not been received by the other user. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7.

9. The aforementioned processing unit, The display unit of the other user's terminal device will display, along with the voucher information transmitted by the user, a button to indicate that the user does not wish to accept the voucher. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

10. When the declaration button is operated, the processing unit cancels the voucher sent by the user and refunds the amount corresponding to the voucher to the user's account. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9.

11. Computers The process involves using the functions of an electronic payment service to send an electronic voucher usable with the said electronic payment service to another user, and to receive the said voucher from another user. A process for managing management information that associates the identification information of the other user with the identification information of the voucher transmitted from the other user or the identification information of the voucher transmitted to the other user, based on the results of the above process, After the voucher has been sent to the other user, the process of determining whether to cancel the sending of the voucher or to perform a refund process corresponding to the voucher, depending on the status of the other user's receipt of the voucher, An information processing method that performs the following.

12. On the computer, The process involves using the functions of an electronic payment service to send an electronic voucher usable with the said electronic payment service to another user, and to receive the said voucher from another user. A process for managing management information that associates the identification information of the other user with the identification information of the voucher transmitted from the other user or the identification information of the voucher transmitted to the other user, based on the results of the above process, After the voucher has been sent to the other user, the process of determining whether to cancel the sending of the voucher or to perform a refund process corresponding to the voucher, depending on the status of the other user's receipt of the voucher, A program that executes the command.

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