Payment management device, payment management method, and program

Abstract

To provide a payment management device, payment management method, and program that enable card payments where the payment amount is paid from the merchant's sales revenue. [Solution] A payment management device that can communicate with a user terminal device operated by a user and performs card payments using a card issued for a merchant, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires setting information from a payment application running on the user terminal device that indicates one of the following: a payment method using the charge balance of electronic money, a payment method using credit card payments, or a payment method using the sales proceeds of the merchant; and a payment processing unit that, when it receives a notification requesting the card payment, executes a payment process according to the setting information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a settlement management device, a settlement management method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an invention of a transaction settlement terminal device that handles a debit card, an electronic money card, or a transaction card having the functions of both these cards has been disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1). This device includes a first input device for inputting the transaction amount to be settled and a second input device for specifying and inputting the settlement method. By the store clerk specifying and inputting the settlement method to the second input device, the settlement method for card settlement can be switched.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, since the transaction card described in Patent Document 1 is not a card for加盟店 (franchise store) of an electronic payment service, when using the transaction card as a debit card, there may be cases where the settlement amount cannot be paid from the sales of the加盟店.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and one of the purposes is to provide a settlement management device, a settlement management method, and a program that can realize card settlement for paying the settlement amount from the sales of the加盟店.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a payment management device that can communicate with a user terminal device operated by a user and performs card payments using a card issued for a merchant, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires setting information from a payment application running on the user terminal device indicating one of the following: a payment method using the charge balance of electronic money, a payment method using credit card payments, or a payment method using the sales proceeds of the merchant; and a payment processing unit that, upon receiving a notification requesting the card payment, executes a payment process according to the setting information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a payment management device, a payment management method, and a program can be provided that enable card payments for which the settlement amount is paid from the sales proceeds of a merchant. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an example of the configuration of an electronic payment system that enables electronic payment services. [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 the contents of merchant / store information 176. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the contents of card information 178. [Figure 8] This diagram conceptually illustrates the processes for terminal payments and card payments. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the contents of card payment settings information 210. [Figure 10] This diagram shows an example of the home screen of payment app 20. [Figure 11]This is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the payment method setting process. [Figure 12] This is a sequence diagram showing the payment process using the charge balance payment method. [Figure 13] This is a sequence diagram showing the payment processing flow for credit card payments. [Figure 14] This is a sequence diagram showing the payment processing flow for a payment method using sales proceeds. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of the payment management device, payment management method, and program of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Various devices, servers, etc., that appear below, which provide services to users or perform internal analysis, may be implemented by a distributed group of devices, and the operators of each device may be different. Also, the owner of the hardware of the devices (the provider of the cloud server) and the operator that actually operates them may be different. The application program and the payment management device work together to provide electronic payment services. In the following description, the application program will be referred to as the payment app, and the payment management device will be referred to as the payment server. The electronic payment service is a service that supports payment for the purchase of goods and services at a store. A store is, for example, a physical store (real store) that exists in the real world, but may also include a virtual store for e-commerce. A virtual store may include one provided by an entity different from the operator of the electronic payment service. In that case, when settling a purchase at the virtual store, the user is controlled to transition to the interface screen of the electronic payment service. In the electronic payment service, stores are treated as belonging to, for example, affiliated merchants (brands), and processing such as payment when a purchase is made at a store is mainly carried out between the user and the affiliated merchant. Alternatively, payment processing may be conducted between the user and the store.

[0010] [Electronic payment service] Figure 1 shows an example of a configuration for realizing an electronic payment service. The electronic payment service is realized with a payment server 100 at its center. The payment server 100 communicates with, for example, one or more user terminal devices 10, one or more first store terminal devices 50, one or more credit processing terminals 55, one or more second store terminal devices 70, and affiliated credit card company servers 200 via a network NW. The network NW includes, for example, the internet, LAN (Local Area Network), wireless base stations, provider equipment, etc.

[0011] 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 optical reading function, communication function, display function, input acceptance function, and program execution function. In the following description, the components for realizing these functions will be referred to as a camera, communication device, touch panel, 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 in the user terminal device 10, for example, from an application store, and controls the camera, communication device, touch panel, etc.

[0012] 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).

[0013] The credit processing terminal 55 is installed in the store, similar to the first store terminal device 50. The credit processing terminal 55 includes, for example, a credit settlement terminal (credit card reader) and a POS device. The credit settlement terminal reads the PIN (Personal Identification Number) from the inserted or swiped credit card (including the affiliated card 57) and compares it with the PIN entered by the user, or transmits the BIN (Bank Identification Number) code read from the credit card, etc. to the affiliated credit card company server 200 via the POS device. The POS device transmits information such as the settlement amount to the affiliated credit card company server 200 in cooperation with the credit settlement terminal. An acquirer server may be interposed between the credit processing terminal 55 and the affiliated credit card company server 200. Hereinafter, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the description of the acquirer server will be omitted. The affiliated card 57 is, for example, in a form similar to a generally popular credit card, with a communication chip embedded in the card substrate. The communication chip incorporates a storage medium storing the PIN and communicates with an external device via a contactor (or a wireless antenna). Alternatively, the affiliated card 57 may be a magnetic card.

[0014] The second store terminal device 70 is used by the operator of the franchise store. The second store terminal device 70 is a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, etc. In the second store terminal device 70, an interface 72 for franchise stores operates. The interface 72 for franchise stores may be an application for franchise stores or a browser. The interface 72 for franchise stores accepts the setting of coupons, etc. by the operator of the franchise store and transmits them to the settlement server 100. The second store terminal device 70 which is a smartphone has functions such as displaying a code image corresponding to the store code image or reading the code image displayed by the user terminal device 10 by executing an application for franchise stores.

[0015] The settlement server 100 realizes electronic settlement based on the settlement 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 franchise server. In that case, the settlement information is transmitted from the POS device to the settlement server 100 via the franchise server. In the following description, without particularly distinguishing this, it is assumed that the settlement information is transmitted from the first store terminal device 50.

[0016] The affiliated credit card company server 200 manages affiliated credit card settlement, which is part of the electronic settlement service. The affiliated credit card company server 200 is operated, for example, by an affiliated company (affiliated credit card company) of the settlement server 100. The affiliated credit card company may be a different business operator from an external credit card company that provides a credit card as a fund source (source of funds) to be charged to the charge balance.

[0017] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are sequence diagrams illustrating a rough flow of electronic settlement. There may be two patterns, Pattern 1 and Pattern 2, in the electronic settlement.

[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] 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 payment content provision unit 120, a payment processing unit 130, an information management unit 140, an acquisition unit 150, a fundraising processing unit 160, and a storage unit 170. The payment content provision unit 120, the payment processing unit 130, the information management unit 140, the acquisition unit 150, and the fundraising processing unit 160 are implemented, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), 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 the drive device.

[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 can be accessed by the payment server 100 via the network. The storage unit 170 stores information such as user information 172, payment content information 174, merchant / store information 176, and card information 178.

[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 payment content provision 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 payment content provision unit 120 reads the necessary content from the payment content information 174 as appropriate and provides it to the user terminal device 10. The user terminal device 10 receives various inputs from the user while the content is being played by the payment application 20 and transmits the aforementioned payment information, etc., to the payment server 100.

[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] 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, terminal payment method, card payment method, affiliated card number, wallet number, bank account, credit card number, charge history information, and terminal 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 not set). Similarly, the email address, name, address, and date of birth are also information that the user can set at will (or not set). The registration date is the date the user registered for the electronic payment service (the date the account was created). Hereinafter, 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. Sending methods include sending money from an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) of a designated provider (bank) and sending money from a registered bank account. The credit payment setting is information indicating whether or not the settings for enabling electronic payment by credit card have been completed, and is set to either "Completed" or "Not Completed". The credit payment setting is flag information common to "Terminal Payment" and "Card Payment" described below. Users who can use credit payment for terminal payments are users who have been issued a partner card 57. Alternatively, the credit payment setting may be set separately for "Terminal Payment" and "Card Payment". The terminal payment method is setting information indicating whether the user will make an electronic payment using the charge balance, make a payment by credit card, or make a payment using the merchant's sales proceeds in "Terminal Payment". The card payment method is setting information indicating whether the user will make an electronic payment using the charge balance, make a payment by credit card, or make a payment using the merchant's sales proceeds in "Card Payment". Regarding card payment methods, real-time synchronization is performed with the affiliated credit card company server 200. The affiliated card number is the number of affiliated card 57 (e.g., PAN (Primary Account Number)). The wallet number is a number used to identify the wallet assigned to the user from among multiple wallets linked to affiliated card 57. The bank account and credit card number are information (account number, card number) of a bank account or credit card number that can be used to deposit funds into the electronic payment service. This credit card number is the number of a different credit card than affiliated card 57. The charge history information is a history of when the user has previously sent money to the electronic payment service to increase the charge balance. The terminal payment history information shows the details of terminal payments made by the user (date and time, store ID of the store where the purchase was made, payment amount, payment method, etc.) for each payment.

[0028] Figure 6 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, the store's location, and the payment pattern. The merchant name may be, for example, information registered by the merchant, or information registered by the administrator of the electronic payment service. The merchant name and store name may be managed in an integrated manner. The merchant name may be, for example, a combination of the merchant name and the store name. It is preferable that the merchant name be the official name or a detailed name. In the merchant / store information 176, the merchant ID or store ID may be associated with the merchant's icon, or other detailed information about the merchant.

[0029] Figure 7 shows an example of the contents of card information 178. Card information 178 includes, for example, the affiliated card number, merchant ID, wallet number, display name, credit limit, credit usage amount, available credit limit, and card payment history information. The affiliated card number is the number of affiliated card 57 (e.g., PAN), and is the same information as the affiliated card number included in user information 172 in Figure 5. The merchant ID is identification information for identifying the merchant, and is the same information as the merchant ID included in merchant / store information 176 in Figure 6. The wallet number is a number for identifying the wallet, and is the same information as the wallet number included in user information 172 in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 7, multiple wallets are linked to one affiliated card 57. The display name is the name used when displaying the wallet. The display name is information that the user can freely set. For example, the display name may be information indicating the employee using the wallet (e.g., for Employee A, Employee B, Employee C, etc.) or information indicating the purpose of the wallet (e.g., for purchases, miscellaneous expenses, utility bills, etc.). The credit limit is the monthly limit on credit payments. The credit amount used is the amount of credit payments already made in the current month. The available credit amount is the amount of credit available in the current month, calculated by subtracting the credit amount used from the credit limit. Card payment history information shows the details of each card payment made by the user (date and time, store ID of the store where the purchase was made, payment amount, payment method, etc.) for each card payment.

[0030] Furthermore, the Information Management Department 140 may set credit payment limits for each of the multiple wallets based on the merchant's past sales history. This allows for the appropriate determination of credit payment limits and reduces the risk of bad debts.

[0031] 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, the second store terminal device 70, and the affiliated credit card company server 200, the Information Management Unit 140 manages user information 172, merchant / store information 176, and card information 178. The Information Management Unit 140 adds, edits, deletes, etc., new records for user information 172, merchant / store information 176, and card information 178.

[0032] The co-branded card 57 is issued for use by merchants and can be used by the merchant's employees, etc. For example, merchant employees can use the co-branded card 57 to pay for various expenses at the merchant. The co-branded card 57 issued for use by merchants may be a physical card or a virtual card without a physical card. If the co-branded card 57 is a virtual card, it can be used for online shopping. The card information (co-branded card number, etc.) for the co-branded card 57 can be viewed on the payment app 20 screen.

[0033] The Information Management Department 140 manages information about multiple wallets linked to the affiliated card 57 issued for merchants. The Information Management Department 140 may also manage information about multiple wallets separately according to their purpose. This allows multiple wallets for different purposes, such as for purchasing, miscellaneous expenses, and utility bills, to be linked to the affiliated card 57. This allows merchant employees to be assigned wallets appropriate to their work.

[0034] Furthermore, the information management unit 140 may manage information regarding multiple wallets separately for each employee of the merchant. This allows multiple wallets for each employee of the merchant, such as one for employee A, one for employee B, one for employee C, etc., to be linked to the affiliated card 57. This allows a wallet to be assigned to each employee of the merchant.

[0035] Next, we will explain terminal payments and card payments. Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the processing of terminal payments and card payments, respectively. As explained below, electronic payment services can handle six patterns of electronic payments: (1) terminal payment / payment using charged balance, (2) terminal payment / payment using credit card, (3) terminal payment / payment using sales proceeds, (4) card payment / payment using charged balance, (5) card payment / payment using credit card, and (6) card payment / payment using sales proceeds.

[0036] [Terminal payment] (1) When the payment server 100 (payment processing unit 130) obtains payment information from the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50, terminal payment is initiated. The payment server 100 obtains the user's "terminal payment method" by referring to the user information 172. For users whose "terminal payment method" is set to "charge balance", the payment server 100 performs electronic payment through its own processing. In this case, the payment processing unit 130 subtracts the payment amount from the charge balance managed in association with the user's account ID, and adds the payment amount to the sales revenue item value of the merchant in the second table 176B of the merchant / store information 176, thereby performing electronic payment. The sales revenue item value of the merchant is not used as electronic money itself, for example, but rather the amount corresponding to the sales revenue item value is transferred to the bank account in a cycle according to the agreement between the merchant and the electronic payment service.

[0037] (2) In terminal payment, the payment server 100, with respect to users whose "terminal payment method" is set to "credit card payment", transfers the payment information to the affiliated credit card company server 200, along with the affiliated card number of the user obtained by referring to the user information 172. The affiliated credit card company server 200 checks whether the cumulative payment amount indicated by the payment information exceeds the monthly limit, and if it does not exceed the limit, it adds the acquired payment amount to the cumulative payment amount of the user. The cumulative payment amount is settled, for example, by being debited from the bank account on the payment date of the following month.

[0038] (3) In terminal payments, the payment server 100 performs electronic payments through its own processing for users whose "terminal payment method" is set to "sales proceeds". In this case, the payment processing unit 130 obtains the affiliated card number associated with the user's account ID from the user information 172, and obtains the merchant ID corresponding to the obtained affiliated card number from the card information 178. The payment processing unit 130 identifies the merchant based on the obtained merchant ID. The payment processing unit 130 also performs electronic payments by subtracting the payment amount from the sales proceeds item value of the identified merchant in the second table 176B of the merchant / store information 176. In this case, electronic payments using sales proceeds can be made without waiting for the merchant's sales proceeds to be transferred to the merchant's bank account, making it a convenient function for users.

[0039] [Card payment] (4) When the affiliated credit card company server 200 obtains payment information from the credit processing terminal 55, electronic payment (card payment) using the affiliated card 57 is initiated. The affiliated credit card company server 200 refers to the card payment setting information 210 stored in the memory unit (not shown). Figure 9 shows an example of the contents of the card payment setting information 210. The card payment setting information 210 includes the affiliated card number, the card payment method, and the account ID. The card payment method and account ID are the same information as those included in the user information 172 in Figure 5, and are synchronized with the payment server 100. For users whose "card payment method" is set to "charge balance", the affiliated credit card company server 200 transfers the payment information to the payment server 100 along with the account ID of the user obtained by referring to the card payment setting information 210. Based on the acquired payment information, the payment server 100 performs the same processing as when "terminal payment method" is set to "charge balance" in terminal payment.

[0040] (5) In card payments, the affiliated credit card company server 200 performs electronic payments through its own processing for users whose "card payment method" is set to "credit payment". In this case, the affiliated credit card company server 200 performs the same processing as when "terminal payment method" is set to "credit payment" in terminal payments.

[0041] (6) In card payments, the affiliated credit card company server 200 transfers payment information to the payment server 100 along with the account ID of the user obtained by referring to the card payment setting information 210 for users whose "card payment method" is set to "sales proceeds". Based on the acquired payment information, the payment server 100 performs the same processing as when "terminal payment method" is set to "sales proceeds" in terminal payments.

[0042] When sales proceeds are used for card payments, merchants benefit from being able to use the sales proceeds for card payments immediately after a product is sold at their store. For example, if a merchant sells cookies, once a customer purchases a cookie, the amount of the sale is added to the sales proceeds. The merchant can then use the card to purchase ingredients for making the cookies (wheat, butter, sugar, etc.) without waiting for the proceeds to be deposited into their bank account. This immediate use of sales proceeds for card payments improves convenience for customers.

[0043] Switching between "charge balance," "credit payment," and "sales proceeds" for "terminal payment" and "card payment," respectively, is performed according to the user's operation on the payment app 20. The payment app 20 provides the user with separate interface screens for selecting one of the payment methods (or other payment methods) of "charge balance," "credit payment," and "sales proceeds" for "terminal payment," and for selecting one of the payment methods (or other payment methods) of "charge balance," "credit payment," and "sales proceeds" for "card payment."

[0044] [Payment app screen] Figure 10 shows an example of the home screen of the payment app 20. As shown in Figure 10, the home screen of the payment app 20 includes area A1, area A2, area A3, and button B1.

[0045] Area A1 displays the card information for co-branded card 57. In the example shown in Figure 10, area A1 displays information such as the display name (for employee A), co-branded card number, wallet number, payment method, and expiration date of co-branded card 57. Users can understand the card information for co-branded card 57 by checking area A1 on the home screen.

[0046] Furthermore, users may possess multiple affiliated cards 57, and may switch between affiliated cards 57 used for electronic payments of the electronic payment service from the home screen shown in Figure 10. For example, a user can switch between affiliated cards 57 used for electronic payments of the electronic payment service by swiping area A1 left or right. For instance, if a user swipes area A1 to the right, the payment app 20 switches to the affiliated card 57 for "miscellaneous expenses." If a user swipes area A1 to the left, the payment app 20 switches to the affiliated card 57 for "purchases." This allows users to easily switch between affiliated cards 57 used for electronic payments of the electronic payment service.

[0047] Area A2 displays icons for key operations in terminal payments such as scanning, sending money, points, transaction history, and credit card payments.

[0048] Area A3 displays various icons for launching various mini-applications that can be executed by the payment application 20. Specifically, area A3 displays 12 icons. When a user selects (taps) one of these icons, the payment application 20 launches the mini-application corresponding to the selected (tapped) icon. For example, if a user selects (tap) the "Partner Card" icon, the payment history screen for electronic payments using the partner card 57 will be displayed on the display unit of the user terminal device 10.

[0049] Button B1 is used to instruct the user to display the payment screen. When the user selects (tap) button B1, the payment screen will be displayed. The payment screen will display code information such as barcodes and QR codes (registered trademarks) used for terminal payments.

[0050] The home screen of the payment app 20 is not limited to the screen shown in Figure 10. For example, the user may switch between using the electronic money balance and credit card payment as payment methods by swiping left or right on area A1. Alternatively, when either the balance or credit card payment is selected by swiping, the user may enable setting up payment using sales proceeds by turning on a toggle button (not shown) displayed on area A1. Furthermore, if the balance is selected as the payment method and the toggle button is turned on, the payment processing unit 130 may immediately settle the payment using sales proceeds. On the other hand, if credit card payment is selected as the payment method and the toggle button is turned on, the payment processing unit 130 may secure a credit limit for credit card payment using sales proceeds. If the amount of sales proceeds is insufficient to cover the payment amount, the fundraising processing unit 160 may perform the fundraising process described later to replenish the user's funds. In addition, although the payment method is selected in the payment app 20, it may also be selected in the merchant interface 72. For example, payment methods could be set up as master settings in the merchant interface 72, and the payment app 20 could be made to select a payment method that conforms to these settings.

[0051] [Sequence Diagram] Figure 11 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the payment method setting process. First, the payment app 20 prompts the user to select a card payment method (S101). For example, if the user selects (taps) area A1 on the home screen in Figure 10, the payment app 20 may display a payment method selection screen prompting the user to select a card payment method for the affiliated card 57 displayed in area A1. The payment app 20 may also display "charge balance," "credit payment," and "sales proceeds" as options for card payment methods on the payment method selection screen.

[0052] When a user selects a card payment method, the payment app 20 transmits the selected card payment method to the payment server 100 (S102). Along with the card payment method, the payment app 20 also transmits the affiliated card number of the affiliated card 57. The selected card payment method indicates whether the payment method is based on the charged balance, credit card payment, or sales proceeds.

[0053] The information management unit 140 of the payment server 100 updates the user information 172 based on the card payment method and affiliated card number received from the payment application 20 (S103). Specifically, the information management unit 140 writes the card payment method received from the payment application 20 ("charge balance", "credit payment", or "sales proceeds") into the item for the card payment method corresponding to the affiliated card number received from the payment application 20 in the user information 172. Then, the information management unit 140 controls the communication unit 110 to transmit the card payment method to the affiliated credit card company server 200 (S104). Here, the information management unit 140 also transmits the affiliated card number of the affiliated card 57 along with the card payment method.

[0054] The affiliated credit card company server 200 updates the card payment settings information 210 based on the card payment method and affiliated card number received from the payment server 100 (S105). Specifically, the affiliated credit card company server 200 writes the card payment method received from the payment server 100 ("charge balance", "credit payment", or "sales proceeds") to the item corresponding to the affiliated card number received from the payment server 100 in the card payment settings information 210. Through the above process, real-time synchronization of card payment methods is achieved between the payment server 100 and the affiliated credit card company server 200.

[0055] Figure 12 is a sequence diagram showing the payment process using the charge balance payment method. This sequence diagram shows the process that takes place when a user purchases goods at a store.

[0056] First, the credit processing terminal 55 reads the user's affiliated card 57 using a credit card reader (S201). This allows the credit processing terminal 55 to obtain the card information (affiliated card number, etc.) of the affiliated card 57. Then, the credit processing terminal 55 transmits the card information of the affiliated card 57 to the first store terminal device 50 (S202).

[0057] Next, the first store terminal device 50 generates payment information including at least the payment amount for the goods, and transmits the generated payment information to the affiliated credit card company server 200 (S203). At this time, the first store terminal device 50 also transmits the affiliated card number of the affiliated card 57 to the affiliated credit card company server 200 as information for identifying the user's affiliated card 57.

[0058] Next, the affiliated credit card company server 200 reads the card payment setting information 210 based on the affiliated card number of the affiliated card 57 received from the first store terminal device 50 (S204). At this time, the affiliated credit card company server 200 obtains the card payment method associated with the affiliated card number of the affiliated card 57 received from the first store terminal device 50 from the card payment setting information 210. Here, we assume that the card payment method obtained from the card payment setting information 210 is "charge balance".

[0059] If the card payment method obtained from the card payment setting information 210 is "charge balance", the affiliated credit card company server 200 sends payment information, including at least the payment amount for the product, to the payment server 100 (S205). At this time, the affiliated credit card company server 200 obtains the user's account ID from the card payment setting information 210 and also sends the obtained user's account ID to the payment server 100.

[0060] Next, the payment server 100 processes the payment based on the payment information received from the affiliated credit card company server 200 (S206). Specifically, the payment processing unit 130 of the payment server 100 obtains the card payment method associated with the user's account ID from the user information 172. Here, since the card payment information is the "charge balance," the payment processing unit 130 processes the payment using the charge balance. Specifically, the payment processing unit 130 subtracts the payment amount included in the payment information from the user's charge balance corresponding to the user's account ID in the user information 172.

[0061] Furthermore, the payment server 100 updates the card information 178 (S207). Specifically, the payment processing unit 130 obtains the affiliated card number and wallet number associated with the user's account ID from the user information 172. The payment processing unit 130 also adds information related to the current card payment (date and time the payment was processed, store ID of the store where the purchase was made, payment amount, payment method, etc.) to the card payment history information linked to the affiliated card number and wallet number obtained from the user information 172 in the card information 178.

[0062] Subsequently, the payment server 100 sends a payment completion notification to the affiliated credit card company server 200 and the first store terminal device 50 to inform them that the payment processing has been completed (S208, S209).

[0063] Figure 13 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of payment processing using credit card payment. This sequence diagram shows the process that takes place when a user purchases goods at a store. Note that the processes S301 to S303 in Figure 13 are the same as the processes S201 to S203 in Figure 12, so the explanation is omitted.

[0064] When the affiliated credit card company server 200 receives payment information from the first store terminal device 50, it reads the card payment setting information 210 based on the affiliated card number of the affiliated card 57 received from the first store terminal device 50 (S304). At this time, the affiliated credit card company server 200 obtains the card payment method associated with the affiliated card number of the affiliated card 57 received from the first store terminal device 50 from the card payment setting information 210. Here, it is assumed that the card payment method obtained from the card payment setting information 210 is "credit card payment".

[0065] If the card payment method obtained from the card payment setting information 210 is "credit payment", the affiliated credit card company server 200 executes credit payment processing based on the payment information received from the first store terminal device 50 (S305). For example, the affiliated credit card company server 200 checks whether the cumulative payment amount indicated by the payment information exceeds the monthly limit, and if it does not exceed the limit, it adds the obtained payment amount to the cumulative payment amount of the user. The cumulative payment amount is settled, for example, by being debited from the bank account on the payment date of the following month.

[0066] Next, the affiliated credit card company server 200 sends a payment completion notification to the first store terminal 50 and the payment server 100 to inform them that the payment processing has been completed (S306, S307). At this time, the affiliated credit card company server 200 also sends the user's account ID and information regarding this card payment (date and time the payment processing was performed, store ID of the store where the purchase was made, payment amount, payment method, etc.) to the first store terminal 50 and the payment server 100.

[0067] Subsequently, the payment server 100 updates the card information 178 (S308). Specifically, the payment processing unit 130 obtains the affiliated card number and wallet number associated with the user's account ID received from the affiliated credit card company server 200 from the user information 172. The payment processing unit 130 also adds information related to the current card payment (date and time the payment was processed, store ID of the store where the purchase was made, payment amount, payment method, etc.) to the card payment history information linked to the affiliated card number and wallet number obtained from the user information 172 in the card information 178.

[0068] Figure 14 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of payment processing using the sales proceeds payment method. This sequence diagram shows the processing flow when a user purchases goods at a store. Note that the processes S401 to S403 in Figure 14 are the same as the processes S201 to S203 in Figure 12, so the explanation is omitted.

[0069] When the affiliated credit card company server 200 receives payment information from the first store terminal device 50, it reads the card payment setting information 210 based on the affiliated card number of the affiliated card 57 received from the first store terminal device 50 (S404). At this time, the affiliated credit card company server 200 obtains the card payment method associated with the affiliated card number of the affiliated card 57 received from the first store terminal device 50 from the card payment setting information 210. Here, it is assumed that the card payment method obtained from the card payment setting information 210 is "sales proceeds".

[0070] If the card payment method obtained from the card payment setting information 210 is "sales proceeds", the affiliated credit card company server 200 sends payment information, including at least the payment amount for the goods, to the payment server 100 (S405). At this time, the affiliated credit card company server 200 obtains the user's account ID from the card payment setting information 210 and also sends the obtained user's account ID to the payment server 100.

[0071] Next, the payment server 100 processes the payment based on the payment information received from the affiliated credit card company server 200 (S406). Specifically, the payment processing unit 130 of the payment server 100 obtains the card payment method associated with the user's account ID from the user information 172. Here, since the card payment information is "sales proceeds," the payment processing unit 130 processes the payment using sales proceeds. Specifically, the payment processing unit 130 obtains the affiliated card number associated with the user's account ID from the user information 172 and obtains the merchant ID corresponding to the obtained affiliated card number from the card information 178. The payment processing unit 130 identifies the merchant based on the obtained merchant ID. The payment processing unit 130 also subtracts the payment amount included in the payment information from the sales proceeds item value of the identified merchant in the second table 176B of the merchant / store information 176.

[0072] Furthermore, the payment server 100 updates the card information 178 (S407). Specifically, the payment processing unit 130 obtains the affiliated card number and wallet number associated with the user's account ID from the user information 172. The payment processing unit 130 also adds information related to the current card payment (date and time the payment was processed, store ID of the store where the purchase was made, payment amount, payment method, etc.) to the card payment history information linked to the affiliated card number and wallet number obtained from the user information 172 in the card information 178.

[0073] Subsequently, the payment server 100 sends a payment completion notification to the affiliated credit card company server 200 and the first store terminal device 50 to inform them that the payment processing has been completed (S408, S409).

[0074] Thus, when the payment server 100's payment processing unit 130 receives a setting information for a card payment method indicating a payment method using the merchant's sales proceeds, it executes the payment process by subtracting the card payment amount from the merchant's sales proceeds managed by the payment server 100, without waiting for the merchant's sales proceeds to be transferred to the merchant's bank account. This allows the merchant's sales proceeds to be used immediately for card payments, improving convenience for users.

[0075] [Funding Process] Next, let's explain the financing process. The financing process is the process by which the electronic payment service provider pays the consideration for future accounts receivable that it purchases from the merchant at the merchant's request. In this embodiment, the financing process does not involve transferring the consideration to the merchant's bank account, but rather adding an amount equivalent to the consideration to the merchant's sales revenue. By adding an amount equivalent to the consideration to the sales revenue, the amount of sales revenue available for card payments increases, thus encouraging users to use card payments.

[0076] First, when an employee of a merchant applies for funding from the payment app 20 screen, the payment app 20 sends a notification requesting funding to the payment server 100. When the funding processing unit 160 receives the notification requesting funding from the payment app 20, it adds an amount equivalent to the purchase price of future accounts receivable to the merchant's sales revenue. Specifically, the funding processing unit 160 adds an amount equivalent to the purchase price to the sales revenue item value of the merchant in the second table 176B of the merchant / store information 176.

[0077] The fundraising processing unit 160 may determine the upper limit of the purchase price for future accounts receivable based on the past sales history of the member store. This allows for the appropriate determination of the upper limit of the purchase price, thereby reducing the risk of default, similar to that associated with loans and financing.

[0078] Furthermore, the fundraising processing unit 160 may charge a lower fee to the member store when adding an amount equivalent to the purchase price to the member store's sales revenue than the fee charged when transferring the purchase price to the member store's bank account. This can encourage the use of fundraising that adds an amount equivalent to the purchase price to the member store's sales revenue, thereby improving convenience for users.

[0079] As described above, the payment server 100 of this embodiment can communicate with the user terminal device 10 operated by the user and performs card payments using the affiliated card 57 issued for the merchant. The payment server 100 comprises an acquisition unit 150 and a payment processing unit 130. The acquisition unit 150 acquires setting information from the payment application 20 running on the user terminal device 10, indicating one of the following payment methods: payment using the electronic money charge balance, payment by credit card, or payment using the merchant's sales proceeds. When the payment processing unit 130 receives a notification requesting card payment, it executes payment processing according to the setting information. In this way, the payment server 100 of this embodiment can realize card payments in which the payment amount is paid from the merchant's sales proceeds.

[0080] In the above explanation, a payment server 100 is described as an example of a payment management device, and it is assumed that the payment server 100 and the affiliated credit card company server 200 are separate servers. However, this is not limited to this configuration. For example, if the electronic payment service provider and the affiliated credit card company are the same company or group companies, a single server integrating the payment server 100 and the card company server 200 may be provided as the payment management device.

[0081] Furthermore, while the above description assumes that the co-branded card 57 is a hybrid card that allows both credit payments and payments using the charged balance, it is not limited to this. For example, the co-branded card 57 may also be a hybrid card that includes debit payments. In this case, the credit processing terminal 55 may read the user's bank account information (bank code, branch number, account number, etc.) from the co-branded card 57 and send the user's bank account information and payment information (payment amount, etc.) to a bank server (not shown). The bank server may also perform the payment processing by deducting the payment amount from the user's account based on the user's bank account information and payment information. In addition, debit payment may be set as the terminal payment method in the user information 172 in Figure 5. Also, either "Completed" or "Not Completed" may be set as the debit payment setting in the user information 172. Furthermore, the proceeds from the sale of goods may be made available for card payment via debit immediately after the goods are sold at the merchant's store.

[0082] Furthermore, multiple co-branded cards 57 may be issued for merchants. If multiple co-branded cards 57 are issued for merchants, the information management unit 140 may manage card information related to multiple co-branded cards 57 linked to the merchants. This allows merchants to hold multiple co-branded cards 57.

[0083] When the settlement processing unit 130 receives a notification requesting card payment for an invoice with a predetermined payment date, it may perform the settlement process using the credit card payment method. Invoices with predetermined payment dates may be, for example, utility bills such as electricity, gas, or water bills. This allows the total amount of the invoices to be paid in a lump sum on the credit card payment date.

[0084] Furthermore, if the payment processing unit 130 receives a notification requesting card payment for the subscription billing amount, it may execute payment processing according to the configuration information. A subscription is content or services that are used by paying a fee regularly in predetermined period units (for example, monthly). For example, a user may use the payment app 20 to check the subscription billing amount and select a card payment method from the screen of the payment app 20. The payment app 20 then may send payment information, including the selected card payment method and the subscription billing amount, to the payment server 100. The payment server 100 then may perform payment processing for the subscription billing amount based on the card payment method received from the payment app 20. In this way, the payment server 100 of this embodiment can perform subscription payment processing using the card payment method desired by the user.

[0085] Furthermore, the co-branded card 57 may be a physical card having a configuration similar to that of a credit card, debit card, prepaid card, etc. Specifically, the co-branded card 57 may be a physical card in which a contactor for contact-type communication or an antenna for contactless communication and an IC chip are held by a card substrate. The contactor or antenna and the IC chip together are an example of a communication chip. The IC chip may include a communication control device, a storage device, a control device that processes received commands and returns a response, etc. The storage device of the IC chip may store account IDs and card numbers, as well as PINs, key information used for mutual authentication with the settlement server 100, etc. In this case, the credit processing terminal 55 may read information from the user's physical card, and the settlement server 100 may perform settlement processing and withdrawal processing based on the information read from the user's physical card.

[0086] 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]

[0087] 10. User terminal device 20 Payment Apps 50. First store terminal device 100 Payment Servers 110 Communications Department 120 Payment Content Provision Department 130 Payment Processing Unit 140 Information Management Department 150 Acquisition Department 160 Funding Processing Section 170 Storage section 172 User information 176 Merchant / Store Information 178 Card Information 178 200 card company servers 210 Card Payment Settings Information

Claims

1. A payment management device that can communicate with a user terminal device operated by the user and performs card payments using cards issued for merchants, An acquisition unit that acquires setting information from a payment application running on the user terminal device, indicating one of the following payment methods: payment method using the electronic money balance, payment method using credit card, or payment method using the sales proceeds of the affiliated store. When a notification requesting the aforementioned card payment is received, the payment processing unit executes payment processing according to the aforementioned configuration information, A payment management device equipped with the following features.

2. If the setting information indicates a payment method using the merchant's sales proceeds, the payment processing unit executes the payment process by subtracting the payment amount for the card payment from the merchant's sales proceeds managed by the payment management device, without waiting for the merchant's sales proceeds to be transferred to the merchant's bank account. The settlement management device according to claim 1.

3. The cards issued for the aforementioned merchants may be physical cards or virtual cards that do not have a physical counterpart. The settlement management device according to claim 1.

4. The system further includes a fundraising processing unit that, upon receiving a notification from the payment app requesting fundraising, adds an amount equivalent to the purchase price of future accounts receivable purchased from the merchant to the merchant's sales revenue. The settlement management device according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned fundraising processing unit shall make the fee charged to the affiliated store when adding an amount equivalent to the purchase price to the affiliated store's sales revenue less than the fee charged to the affiliated store when transferring the purchase price to the affiliated store's bank account. The settlement management device according to claim 4.

6. The aforementioned fundraising processing unit determines the upper limit of the purchase price based on the past sales history of the affiliated store. The settlement management device according to claim 4.

7. The system further includes an information management unit that manages information about multiple wallets linked to the cards issued for the aforementioned merchants. The settlement management device according to claim 1.

8. The aforementioned information management unit manages information related to the multiple wallets separately according to their purpose. The settlement management device according to claim 7.

9. The aforementioned information management department manages information regarding the multiple wallets separately for each employee of the affiliated store. The settlement management device according to claim 7.

10. The aforementioned information management department sets a credit payment limit for each of the multiple wallets based on the sales history of the affiliated store. The settlement management device according to claim 7.

11. The Information Management Department, when multiple cards are issued for the merchant, manages the card information related to the multiple cards in association with the merchant. The settlement management device according to claim 7.

12. When the settlement processing unit receives a notification requesting the aforementioned card payment for an invoice with a predetermined payment date, it executes the settlement process using the credit card payment method. The settlement management device according to claim 1.

13. When the payment processing unit receives a notification requesting card payment for the subscription billing amount, it executes payment processing according to the configuration information. The settlement management device according to claim 1.

14. A payment management device that can communicate with a user terminal device operated by the user and performs card payments using cards issued for merchants, The payment application running on the user terminal device obtains setting information indicating one of the following payment methods: payment using the electronic money balance, payment by credit card, or payment using the sales proceeds of the merchant. When a notification requesting the aforementioned card payment is received, the system executes the payment process according to the configuration information. Payment management methods.

15. A payment management device that can communicate with a user terminal device operated by the user and performs card payments using cards issued for merchants, The payment application running on the user terminal device obtains setting information indicating one of the following payment methods: payment using the electronic money balance, payment by credit card, or payment using the sales proceeds of the merchant. When a notification requesting the aforementioned card payment is received, the system will execute the payment process according to the configuration information. program.

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