Accounting device and program

Abstract

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide an accounting device and program that can efficiently handle accounting for transactions using coupons. [Solution] The accounting device of the embodiment includes an input unit into which customer identification information that identifies a customer is input; a coupon information acquisition unit that acquires registered coupon information indicating a coupon previously registered by the customer identified by the customer identification information input into the input unit; a product information acquisition unit that acquires product information of the products that the customer purchases; and an accounting processing unit that performs accounting processing based on the product information acquired by the product information acquisition unit and the registered coupon information acquired by the coupon information acquisition unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an accounting device and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for the purpose of sales promotion, coupons have been issued by stores or businesses (hereinafter also collectively referred to as "stores") that sell goods and services (hereinafter also collectively referred to as "goods") (for example, Patent Document 1). For example, a store issues a digital coupon to a customer such as a store member who has registered a mail address via a network.

[0003] When using a coupon, a customer causes a barcode for identifying the issued coupon to be displayed on a portable terminal such as a smartphone. A POS (Point Of Sales) terminal that executes accounting processing reads the barcode displayed on the portable terminal, discounts the coupon-targeted goods, and executes accounting processing.

[0004] By the way, generally, a coupon issued to a customer has a specified target product. Therefore, when a customer uses a plurality of coupons in one transaction, in the conventional technology, it is necessary to read the barcode for identifying the coupon a plurality of times, and there is a problem that it takes time for the accounting for which the customer makes a payment.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an accounting device and a program capable of efficiently performing accounting for a transaction using a coupon.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The accounting device of the embodiment includes an input unit into which customer identification information that identifies a customer is input; a coupon information acquisition unit that acquires registered coupon information indicating coupons previously registered by the customer identified by the customer identification information input into the input unit; a product information acquisition unit that acquires product information of products to be purchased by the customer; and an accounting processing unit that performs accounting processing based on the product information acquired by the product information acquisition unit and the registered coupon information acquired by the coupon information acquisition unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the schematic of the coupon system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the data structure of the point management file stored in the storage unit of the point server according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the data structure of the coupon management file stored in the storage unit of the coupon server according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the data structure of the registered coupon file stored in the storage unit of the coupon server according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the main hardware configuration of the POS terminal in the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the data structure of the product information section stored in the RAM of the POS terminal of the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the data structure of the registered coupon information section stored in the RAM of the POS terminal of the embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows the data structure of the product master stored in the memory unit of the POS terminal of this embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the control unit of the POS terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a sequence chart showing the operation flow of the coupon system of the embodiment. [Figure 11]Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of the settlement process by the control unit of the POS terminal in this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The following describes the accounting device and program of the embodiment with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. For example, the embodiments described below describe an example in which a POS terminal that performs product registration and accounting processing by a store employee is used as the accounting device, but the invention is not limited to this. The accounting device may also be a self-service POS terminal that performs product registration and accounting processing by the customer themselves.

[0009] Furthermore, the accounting device may be an accounting device that receives product information from a registration device that registers products and performs accounting processing. For example, the accounting device may be an accounting device in a so-called two-person POS system. Moreover, the accounting device may be an accounting device in a semi-self-service POS system that includes a registration device that registers products through the operation of a store employee and an accounting device that performs accounting processing through the operation of the customer.

[0010] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the coupon system 10 according to the embodiment. The coupon system 10 includes a store system 1, a user terminal 2, a point server 3, and a coupon server 4. The store system 1, user terminal 2, point server 3, and coupon server 4 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with one another via a network such as the Internet. The store system 1, point server 3, and coupon server 4 may be managed by the same business operator, or they may be managed by different business operators. Also, the number of store systems 1, user terminals 2, point servers 3, and coupon servers 4 is not limited to the example shown.

[0011] User terminal 2 is a terminal device such as a smartphone owned by a store member (customer) who is a user of the coupon system 10. User terminal 2 has an application program for store members (hereinafter also referred to as the "member app") installed. When user terminal 2 launches the member app, it displays a barcode indicating the member ID on its display. User terminal 2 also receives and stores coupons distributed by the coupon server 4. When the member app is activated, user terminal 2 displays the coupon information of the stored coupons on its display in a selectable format. The customer can select the coupons to use in a transaction from the displayed coupon information.

[0012] Here, coupon information refers to information used by stores to grant benefits to customers, such as discount processing. Specifically, coupon information includes a coupon ID that identifies the type of coupon, and information indicating the content of the coupon.

[0013] The benefits that customers can receive through coupons include discounts that deduct a certain amount from the sales price, discounts that deduct a certain percentage from the sales price (hereinafter collectively referred to as "discounts"), and the free receipt of novelty items or goods. In this embodiment, the benefit that customers can receive through coupons is a discount.

[0014] The point server 3 manages points for each store member who is a customer. In this embodiment, points have a monetary value that can be used for future purchases. Points are awarded to the customer according to the amount of purchase in the transaction. Points can be used as part of the transaction amount or can be used to exchange for goods. Points may also be exchangeable for goods or prizes only when a predetermined number is reached. Figure 2 shows the data structure of the point management file 31 stored in the storage unit of the point server 3. The point management file 31 stores the member ID and the points held in association. The member ID identifies the customer and is an example of customer identification information. The points held are information indicating the number of points the customer holds.

[0015] The point server 3 receives points from the POS terminal 5 via the store server 6 and manages points for each store member. Specifically, the point server 3 receives the member ID indicating the customer of the settled transaction and the points awarded to that customer in that transaction from the POS terminal 5 and updates the point management file 31. More specifically, the point server 3 adds the points received from the POS terminal 5 to the points held by the member ID received from the POS terminal 5 in the point management file 31.

[0016] Furthermore, the point server 3 receives the member ID indicating the customer of the settled transaction and the points used by the customer in that transaction from the POS terminal 5, and updates the point management file 31. More specifically, in the point management file 31, the point server 3 subtracts the points received from the POS terminal 5 from the points held corresponding to the member ID received from the POS terminal 5.

[0017] The point management file 31 may be updated each time a settlement is made at the POS terminal 5, or may be updated periodically, such as once a day. For example, the point server 3 receives information regarding points of transactions settled at a rate of once a day from the store server 6 that manages transaction data of each POS terminal 5 through batch processing. Then, the point server 3 can update the point management file 31 based on the information received from the store server 6.

[0018] The point server 3 may manage points of customers of one store, or may manage points of customers of multiple stores. When managing points of customers of one store, the function of the point server 3 may be provided to the store server 6. When managing points of customers of multiple stores, it is desirable that the point management file 31 stores by associating a store ID identifying a store with a member ID. Note that the multiple stores may be multiple stores operated by the same company, or may be multiple stores operated by different companies.

[0019] The coupon server 4 has a function of distributing coupons to the user terminal 2. Specifically, the coupon server 4 receives a coupon plan from a store and distributes a coupon corresponding to the coupon plan to the user terminal 2. For example, the coupon server 4 receives coupon information and distribution conditions as a coupon plan, and distributes the coupon information to the user terminal 2 of a customer who meets the distribution conditions. In the following description, the case where the coupon server 4 distributes a coupon to the user terminal 2 may be referred to as "issuing a coupon".

[0020] The coupon server 4 manages coupon information of coupons issued to customers. In addition, the coupon server 4 manages coupon information of a coupon that a customer will use in the next single transaction in response to a pre-registration request from the user terminal 2. The coupon server 4 stores a coupon management file 41 and a registered coupon file 42.

[0021] The coupon management file 41 is a file that manages coupon information for each customer, based on the coupons held by that customer. Figure 3 shows the data structure of the coupon management file 41 stored in the storage unit of the coupon server 4. The coupon management file 41 stores the coupon ID, coupon details, and usage flag, associated with the member ID.

[0022] As mentioned above, the Member ID is customer identification information that identifies the customer. The Coupon ID is information that identifies the coupon. The coupon details include the stores where it can be used, the eligible products, the discount amount, and the period. The stores where it can be used are information that indicates the stores where the coupon can be used, for example, the store code that identifies the store. The eligible products are information that identifies the products to which the coupon applies, for example, the product code of the eligible product. The discount amount is information that indicates the amount of the discount when the coupon is used. The period is information that indicates the period during which the coupon can be used.

[0023] The usage flag indicates whether or not a coupon has been used. When a coupon is issued, the usage flag is initially set to "Not Used," and when the coupon server 4 receives information from the POS terminal 5 that the coupon has been used, it is changed to "Used." Coupons with the usage flag changed to "Used" are managed to be unusable.

[0024] In this embodiment, the coupon management file 41 stores only the coupon information of coupons distributed by the coupon server 4 to the user terminal 2, but it is not limited to this. The coupon management file 41 may also store information of paper coupons issued to customers. For example, the coupon server 4 may obtain the coupon information of the paper coupon printed on the receipt at the time of payment at the store, and the member ID of the customer who paid the purchase price at the time of payment, i.e., the customer who made the transaction, from the POS terminal 5 that performed the payment processing, and register them in the coupon management file 41.

[0025] The registered coupon file 42 is a file that manages coupon information for coupons that a customer will use in their next transaction, in response to a coupon pre-registration request from the user terminal 2. The registered coupon file 42 stores the information included in the coupon pre-registration request. Figure 4 shows the data structure of the registered coupon file 42 stored in the storage unit of the coupon server 4. The registered coupon file 42 stores the coupon ID and the date of use, associated with the member ID.

[0026] As mentioned above, the Member ID is customer identification information that identifies the customer, and the Coupon ID is information that identifies the coupon. The Usage Date is information indicating the planned date of use of the coupon.

[0027] The coupon pre-registration request sent by user terminal 2 requests that the customer select the coupons to be used in a transaction and register them in the registered coupon file 42 before completing the transaction. For example, the customer can launch the membership app and select the coupons to be used at checkout while selecting products to purchase in the store or while waiting to pay at the checkout counter. The customer can select multiple coupons. User terminal 2 sends a coupon pre-registration request to coupon server 4, which includes information such as the coupon ID for all selected coupons, the customer's membership ID, and the date the coupons are to be used. Note that the coupon pre-registration request can also be sent on a day before the coupons are to be used. As described above, coupon server 4 manages the information included in the coupon pre-registration request.

[0028] Furthermore, when the coupon server 4 receives a registration coupon inquiry including a member ID from the POS terminal 5, it reads the coupon ID and usage date corresponding to the member ID from the registration coupon file 42. The coupon server 4 then checks the coupon management file 41 to see if the coupon ID has been used. If it has not been used, the coupon server 4 reads the coupon details from the coupon management file 41. The coupon server 4 sends the read coupon ID, usage date, and coupon details as registration coupon information to the POS terminal 5. The coupon ID registered in the registration coupon file 42 and the coupon details associated with that coupon ID in the coupon management file 41 are examples of registration coupon information that indicate a coupon that has been registered in advance.

[0029] Coupon server 4 may not distribute coupons but only have the function of managing coupon information. Furthermore, coupon server 4 may manage coupon information for customers of one store, or it may manage coupon information for customers of multiple stores. If it manages coupon information for customers of one store, the functions of coupon server 4 may be assigned to store server 6. Note that multiple stores may be multiple stores operated by the same company, or multiple stores operated by different companies.

[0030] Next, we will describe store system 1. Store system 1 is applicable to mass retailers such as supermarkets. Store system 1 has one or more POS terminals 5 and a store server 6. Each POS terminal 5 and the store server 6 are connected to each other via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) so that they can communicate with each other.

[0031] POS terminal 5 is used by store employees to perform operations related to product registration and accounting. POS terminal 5 registers products by reading the product codes of items purchased by customers and storing the product information obtained based on the read product codes. POS terminal 5 also performs accounting based on the registered product information. POS terminal 5 is an example of an accounting device.

[0032] Accounting is the process by which customers pay for purchased goods, and includes calculation, settlement, and receipt issuance. Calculation is the process of calculating the transaction amount. Settlement is the process of completing payment of the transaction amount calculated in the calculation process, and includes calculating and dispensing change in the case of cash payments, and communicating with the settlement server in the case of cashless payments. Settlement is the process of awarding points to the customer according to the amount settled. Receipt issuance is the process of issuing paper or electronic receipts.

[0033] Furthermore, POS terminal 5 performs reward processing. Reward processing is related to coupons. As part of reward processing, POS terminal 5 determines whether the customer has a coupon to use in the transaction, and if there is a coupon to use, it deducts the discount amount set by that coupon from the price of the target product. In the following explanation, the process of deducting the discount amount set by the coupon from the price of the target product is also called "discount processing".

[0034] POS terminal 5 reads the customer's member ID from the barcode displayed on user terminal 2 at the time of payment. POS terminal 5 queries coupon server 4 to see if there are any coupons pre-registered by the customer with the read member ID, and obtains registered coupon information as a response. POS terminal 5 verifies whether the products registered as items for the transaction are eligible for the coupons obtained from the registered coupon information. POS terminal 5 then applies the discount to the coupon-eligible products among the registered items.

[0035] As a result, even if a customer uses multiple coupons in a single transaction, the POS terminal 5 can process the discounts for those multiple coupons simply by reading the member ID. Therefore, since the POS terminal 5 does not need to read the coupon ID multiple times, it can not only shorten the time required for accounting in a single transaction, but also improve the operability for the operator.

[0036] The store server 6 receives and manages transaction data settled through accounting processing from each POS terminal 5. The store server 6 centrally manages the transaction data received from each POS terminal 5 to perform sales management for a single store. The store server 6 also updates the product master, which stores product information of the products handled by the store, as needed and transmits it to each POS terminal 5. The store server 6 transmits various information received from the POS terminal 5 to the point server 3 and coupon server 4 as needed. The store server 6 also transmits various information received from the point server 3 and coupon server 4 to the POS terminal 5 as needed.

[0037] Next, the POS terminal 5 will be described in detail. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the main hardware configuration of the POS terminal 5. The POS terminal 5 comprises a control unit 50, a storage unit 51, a display unit 52, an operation unit 53, a scanner 54, a printer 55, a card reader 56, a change dispenser 57, and a communication unit 58. The control unit 50, storage unit 51, display unit 52, operation unit 53, scanner 54, printer 55, card reader 56, change dispenser 57, and communication unit 58 are connected to each other via a bus 59, etc.

[0038] The control unit 50 has a computer configuration that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503. The CPU 501, ROM 502, and RAM 503 are connected to each other via a bus 59.

[0039] The CPU 501 controls the overall operation of the POS terminal 5. The ROM 502 stores various programs and data, such as the program used to drive the CPU 501. The RAM 503 is used as the work area for the CPU 501 and loads the various programs and data stored in the ROM 502 and the memory unit 51. The control unit 50 executes various control processes of the POS terminal 5 by having the CPU 501 operate according to the control programs stored in the ROM 502 and the memory unit 51 and loaded into the RAM 503.

[0040] The RAM 503 also includes a product information unit 5031 and a registered coupon information unit 5032. The product information unit 5031 stores product information for products purchased by the customer. Figure 6 shows the data structure of the product information unit 5031. The product information unit 5031 stores the product name, price, and quantity, associated with the product code.

[0041] The product code is information that identifies a product, and is an example of product identification information. The product name is information that indicates the name of the product. The price is information that indicates the price of the product. The product price may be the price including tax or the price excluding tax. The quantity is information that indicates the number of items in stock.

[0042] The product name and price are read from the storage unit 51 based on the product code read by the scanner 54 from the product barcode attached to the product. The quantity is entered, for example, from the operation unit 53. The process of storing (registering) product information in the product information unit 5031 is also called "product registration."

[0043] The registered coupon information unit 5032 stores the registered coupon information received from the coupon server 4. The POS terminal 5 sends an inquiry to the coupon server 4 regarding the registered coupon information corresponding to the member ID of the customer it reads, receives the registered coupon information as a response, and stores it in the registered coupon information unit 5032. The registered coupon information registered in the registered coupon information unit 5032 is information on one or more coupons that the customer intends to use in one transaction. Figure 7 shows the data structure of the registered coupon information unit 5032. The registered coupon information unit 5032 stores the date of use and the coupon details, associated with the coupon ID.

[0044] As mentioned above, the coupon ID is information that identifies the coupon, and the usage date is information that indicates the planned date of use of the coupon. Also, the coupon details are the same as in coupon management file 41, so redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0045] The storage unit 51 is composed of a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory, and retains its contents even when the power is cut off. The storage unit 51 stores the control program 511 and the product master 512.

[0046] The control program 511 includes a program for registering products based on product codes read by the scanner 54, a program for obtaining registered coupon information from the coupon server 4 based on the read member ID, and a program for performing accounting processing for a transaction based on the information stored in the product information unit 5031 and the obtained registered coupon information.

[0047] The product master 512 is a master file that stores product information for the products sold by the store, and is transmitted from the store server 6 and stored in the storage unit 51. Since the products handled by the store change daily, the product master 512 is updated as needed. Figure 8 shows the data structure of the product master 512. The product master 512 stores the product name, price, and image, associated with the product code.

[0048] As mentioned above, the product code is information that identifies the product, the product name is information that indicates the name of the product, and the price is information that indicates the price of the product. The image is image data such as a photograph or illustration that shows the appearance of the product.

[0049] Returning to Figure 5, we will explain the hardware configuration of POS terminal 5.

[0050] The display unit 52 is a display device and consists of a liquid crystal display or the like. The display unit 52 displays various information under the control of the control unit 50. For example, the display unit 52 displays product information of registered products and transaction amounts (total amount for one transaction). The display unit 52 also displays various operation screens for the operator to perform operations.

[0051] The operation unit 53 is an input device and consists of a touch panel provided on the surface of the display unit 52, a keyboard provided separately from the display unit 52, and the like. The operation unit 53 inputs various information entered by the operator to the control unit 50. For example, the operation unit 53 inputs transaction start input, which instructs the start of accounting processing, and accounting instruction input, which instructs accounting processing, to the control unit 50.

[0052] The scanner 54 reads information from various code symbols displayed on the medium. For example, the scanner 54 reads the product code from the product barcode attached to the product. The scanner 54 reads the product code from the product barcode attached to the product purchased by the customer at the operator's discretion. The scanner 54 also reads the member ID from the barcode displayed on the customer's user terminal 2. The scanner 54 may be permanently installed on the POS terminal 5, or it may be a handheld device that the operator can hold and operate.

[0053] The printer 55 prints and issues a receipt for a transaction under the control of the control unit 50. The printer 55 prints transaction information, including the transaction amount, discount amount, product information of the purchased items, points awarded, and various messages, on the receipt. The printer 55 may also print and issue a paper coupon with coupon information printed on it when issuing the receipt. The paper coupon may be issued as part of the receipt or separately from the receipt.

[0054] The card reader 56 reads information from various cards. For example, the card reader 56 reads customer information necessary for credit card payment from a customer's credit card. The card reader 56 may also read the member ID from a membership card owned by the customer. The card reader 56 may be a magnetic card reader that reads information from magnetic cards, or an IC card reader that reads information from cards with a built-in IC chip.

[0055] The change dispenser 57 accepts the banknotes and coins paid by the customer when the customer pays for the purchase in cash, and dispenses change as needed.

[0056] The communication unit 58 is an interface for communicating with external devices such as the store server 6. The control unit 50 is connected to the external device via the communication unit 58, enabling it to send and receive information (data) with the external device. For example, the control unit 50 can send and receive information with the point server 3 and the coupon server 4 via the communication unit 58 and the store server 6.

[0057] Next, the main functional configuration of the control unit 50 of the POS terminal 5 will be described. Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the control unit 50 of the POS terminal 5. The control unit 50 functions as a transmitting / receiving unit 5001, an input unit 5002, a registration unit 5003, a benefits processing unit 5004, an accounting processing unit 5005, and a display control unit 5006, with the CPU 501 operating according to the control program stored in the ROM 502 and the memory unit 51. Note that each of these functions may be configured using hardware such as dedicated circuits.

[0058] The transmitting / receiving unit 5001 transmits and receives various information with the store server 6. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 5001 receives the product master 512 from the store server 6. The transmitting / receiving unit 5001 also sends transaction data for each transaction to the store server 6.

[0059] The transmitting / receiving unit 5001 transmits and receives various information with the point server 3 and the coupon server 4 via the store server 6. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 5001 sends a coupon inquiry, including the member ID entered in the input unit 5002, to the coupon server 4. The transmitting / receiving unit 5001 then receives registered coupon information from the coupon server 4 that was pre-registered by the member identified by the transmitted member ID. The transmitting / receiving unit 5001 functions as a coupon information acquisition unit that obtains registered coupon information.

[0060] The transmitting / receiving unit 5001 sends an unused coupon notification to the coupon server 4 if the coupon related to the acquired registered coupon information is not used in a transaction. The unused coupon notification notifies the coupons that were not used in a transaction from the registered coupon information that was registered in advance. The coupon server 4 manages the coupons indicated by the coupon information included in the unused coupon notification as unused coupons. The transmitting / receiving unit 5001 also functions as an output unit that outputs the registered coupon information to the coupon server 4 if the registered product is not a product covered by the registered coupon information.

[0061] At this time, the transmitting / receiving unit 5001 outputs the registered coupon information to the coupon server 4, provided that an unused confirmation input indicating that the coupon related to the registered coupon information will not be used is entered. The unused confirmation input is entered by the operator into the operation unit 53 after the operator confirms with the customer that the registered coupon information will not be used if the product to which the registered coupon information is used is not registered as a product. The unused confirmation input can be said to be a declaration that the customer will not purchase the product to which the coupon is used if the product to which the registered coupon information is used is not registered as a product.

[0062] The transmitting / receiving unit 5001 transmits point information to the point server 3, indicating the points awarded to the customer in a transaction or the points used by the customer in a transaction. The transmitting / receiving unit 5001 then receives a point update notification from the point server 3 indicating the updated points.

[0063] Various types of information are input to the input unit 5002 from the operation unit 53. For example, the input unit 5002 receives transaction start inputs to instruct the start of a transaction, and accounting instruction inputs to instruct accounting processing from the operation unit 53. In addition, the unused confirmation inputs mentioned above are also input to the input unit 5002 from the operation unit 53.

[0064] The input unit 5002 receives the product code at checkout. The product code to be entered is, for example, the product code read by the scanner 54 from the product barcode, or the product code entered by the operation unit 53. The product code is part of the product information. The input unit 5002 functions as a product information acquisition unit that obtains product information for the products purchased by the customer.

[0065] The input unit 5002 receives customer identification information, i.e., a member ID, to identify the customer. Specifically, the input unit 5002 receives the member ID read by the scanner 54 from the barcode displayed on the customer's user terminal 2. The input unit 5002 does not accept member ID input after the start of the settlement process, which is part of the accounting process. The start of the settlement process refers to the point at which the information necessary for the customer to make a payment has been entered, specifically, the point at which cash is inserted in the case of cash payment, or the point at which communication with the settlement server begins in the case of credit card payment.

[0066] The input unit 5002 may also contain the member ID read from the customer's membership card by the card reader 56. Furthermore, if the customer makes a payment by credit card, the input unit 5002 will contain the customer information read from the customer's credit card by the card reader 56.

[0067] The registration unit 5003 performs product registration. Specifically, the registration unit 5003 reads information corresponding to the product code entered in the input unit 5002 from the product master 512 and registers (stores) the product information including the product code in the product information unit 5031. The registration unit 5003 also registers the registered coupon information received by the transmission / reception unit 5001 from the coupon server 4 in the registered coupon information unit 5032.

[0068] The benefits processing unit 5004 performs a discount process as a benefit process related to coupons. The benefits processing unit 5004 performs a discount process on products that have been registered by the registration unit 5003, provided that the product is eligible for the registered coupon information obtained by the transmission / reception unit 5001. Specifically, the benefits processing unit 5004 performs a discount process on products that are eligible for registered coupons registered in the registered coupon information unit 5032, among the registered products. More specifically, the benefits processing unit 5004 reads the price from the product master 512 and the discount amount from the registered coupon information unit 5032 for the coupon-eligible product. Then, the benefits processing unit 5004 performs a discount process by subtracting the discount amount from the read price.

[0069] The accounting processing unit 5005 performs accounting processing related to the transaction. For example, the accounting processing unit 5005 performs accounting processing based on the product information entered into the input unit 5002 and the registered coupon information received by the transmission / reception unit 5001. Specifically, the accounting processing unit 5005 calculates the transaction amount for one transaction, the points to be awarded to the customer, etc., based on the information stored in the product information unit 5031 and the results of the discount processing according to the registered coupon information.

[0070] The accounting processing unit 5005 then executes a settlement process to complete the payment of the calculated transaction amount. If the operator selects to pay in cash, the accounting processing unit 5005 calculates the change by subtracting the transaction amount from the amount inserted into the change dispenser 57 and dispenses the calculated change from the change dispenser 57. If the operator selects to pay using cashless payment methods such as credit card, the accounting processing unit 5005 communicates with a settlement server (not shown) via the transmitting / receiving unit 5001 to complete the settlement. Once the settlement process is complete, the accounting processing unit 5005 prints a receipt on the printer 55.

[0071] The display control unit 5006 controls the display unit 52 to display various information on it. For example, the display control unit 5006 displays product information, transaction amount, and various operation screens for registered products on the display unit 52. The display unit 52 also displays a confirmation screen for the operator to input confirmation that the coupon has not been used. The confirmation screen is an operation screen for selecting whether or not to purchase the product to which the registered coupon information applies if the product is not registered, that is, whether or not to use the coupon indicated by the registered coupon information.

[0072] Next, we will describe the general operation of the coupon system 10 with the above configuration. Figure 10 is a sequence chart showing the flow of operation of the coupon system 10 in a transaction using a coupon that a customer has registered in advance.

[0073] The customer selects the coupons to pre-register using user terminal 2. The coupon IDs of the selected coupons are entered into user terminal 2 (step S1). User terminal 2 sends a pre-registration request for the coupons to be used to coupon server 4, associating the customer's member ID with the entered coupon IDs (step S2).

[0074] The coupon server 4 checks whether the member ID and coupon ID included in the coupon pre-registration request are associated in the coupon management file 41, and if they are associated, it performs the coupon pre-registration (step S3). Specifically, the coupon server 4 registers the member ID, coupon ID, and information indicating the date of use included in the coupon pre-registration request in the registered coupon file 42.

[0075] At this time, the coupon server 4 registers the information of available coupons, i.e., coupons for which the usage flag is set to "Not Used" in the coupon management file 41, in the registered coupon file 42. This completes the pre-registration of coupons that the customer will use in a single transaction. If the member ID and coupon ID included in the coupon pre-registration request are not associated in the coupon management file 41, the coupon server 4 sends error information to the user terminal 2.

[0076] When a customer brings the items they wish to purchase to the cash register counter for payment, the POS terminal 5 is entered by the operator to initiate the transaction (step S4). Next, the member ID read by the scanner 54 from the barcode displayed on the user terminal 2 is entered into the POS terminal 5 (step S5). Note that the member ID can be entered anytime between the start of the transaction and the start of the settlement process in the accounting process. The POS terminal 5 sends a coupon inquiry containing the entered member ID to the coupon server 4 (step S6).

[0077] The coupon server 4 extracts pre-registered coupons (step S7). Specifically, the coupon server 4 extracts coupon IDs corresponding to member IDs included in the received coupon inquiry from the registered coupon file 42. The coupon server 4 updates the coupon management file 41 (step S8). Specifically, the coupon server 4 rewrites the usage flag corresponding to the extracted coupon ID to "used".

[0078] The coupon server 4 sends registered coupon information to the POS terminal 5, which is the source of the coupon inquiry (step S9). More specifically, the coupon server 4 reads the coupon details corresponding to the coupon ID extracted from the registered coupon file 42 from the coupon management file 41. Then, it sends the registered coupon information, including the coupon ID, date of use, and coupon details, to the POS terminal 5. The POS terminal 5 stores the received registered coupon information.

[0079] POS terminal 5 registers the products that the customer will purchase (step S10). Once the registration of all products that the customer will purchase is complete, the POS terminal 5 receives an accounting instruction input (step S11). POS terminal 5 then performs a discount process as a benefit processing for the products that are eligible for the registered coupon information among the registered products (step S12). Subsequently, POS terminal 5 performs accounting processing based on the registered product information and the results of the discount processing (step S13).

[0080] The POS terminal 5 transmits point information, which associates the points calculated during the accounting process with the customer's member ID, to the point server 3 (step S14). The point server 3 updates the point management file 31 based on the received point information (step S15).

[0081] Furthermore, if any of the pre-registered coupons are not used in a transaction, the POS terminal 5 sends an unused coupon notification to the coupon server 4, associating the coupon ID of the unused coupon with the member ID (step S16).

[0082] The coupon server 4 updates the coupon management file 41 based on the received unused coupon notification. Specifically, the coupon server 4 rewrites the usage flag of the coupon information identified by the member ID and coupon ID included in the unused coupon notification in the coupon management file 41 to "Not Used". This allows the customer to use the unused coupon at a later date.

[0083] Through the above process, customers can register coupons to be used in a single transaction in advance and receive coupon benefits simply by presenting their member ID at checkout.

[0084] Next, we will explain the settlement process performed by the POS terminal 5. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of the settlement process by the control unit 50 of the POS terminal 5.

[0085] First, a transaction start input is made to the input unit 5002 (step S21). Next, the control unit 50 determines whether or not a member ID has been entered into the input unit 5002 (step S22). In other words, the control unit 50 determines whether or not the customer is a store member. If a member ID is entered (Y in step S22), the transmitting / receiving unit 5001 sends a coupon inquiry to the coupon server 4 (step S23).

[0086] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 5001 receives registered coupon information from the coupon server 4 as a response to the coupon inquiry (step S24). If the customer with the member ID entered in the input unit 5002 has not been pre-registered, the transmitting / receiving unit 5001 receives information indicating that there is no pre-registration as a response to the coupon inquiry. The registration unit 5003 stores the registered coupon information received by the transmitting / receiving unit 5001 in the registered coupon information unit 5032 (step S25).

[0087] Next, the control unit 50 determines whether or not a product code has been entered into the input unit 5002 (step S26). If it has not been entered (N in step S26), it returns to the process in step S26 and waits. When a product code is entered into the input unit 5002 (Y in step S26), the registration unit 5003 performs product registration (step S27). Specifically, the registration unit 5003 reads the product information corresponding to the product code entered into the input unit 5002 from the product master 512 and stores it in the product information unit 5031.

[0088] Next, the control unit 50 determines whether or not an accounting instruction has been entered into the input unit 5002 (step S28). If no instruction has been entered (N in step S28), it returns to the process in step S26. The control unit 50 then waits until the next product code is entered. When an accounting instruction is entered into the input unit 5002 (Y in step S28), the benefits processing unit 5004 compares the registered product with the product covered by the registered coupon information (step S29). Based on the results of the comparison, the benefits processing unit 5004 performs a discount on the product covered by the registered coupon information among the registered products (step S30).

[0089] The control unit 50 determines, based on the results of verification by the benefits processing unit 5004, whether or not there is registered coupon information for a coupon-eligible product that has not been registered as a product, that is, whether or not there are unused coupons among the registered coupon information received by the transmitting / receiving unit 5001 (step S31). If there are unused coupons (Y in step S31), the display control unit 5006 displays a confirmation screen on the display unit 52 for the operator to input confirmation that the coupons are unused (step S32).

[0090] The control unit 50 determines whether or not an unused coupon confirmation input has been made (step S33). In other words, the control unit 50 determines whether or not information has been entered on the confirmation screen indicating that the customer will not purchase any additional items that are eligible for an unused coupon. If information indicating that the coupon will be used is entered (N in step S33), the control unit 50 returns to the process in step S26 and waits for the product code to be entered.

[0091] When the unused coupon is confirmed (Y in step S33), the transmitting / receiving unit 5001 sends the coupon information of the unused coupon to the coupon server 4 (step S34). Next, the accounting processing unit 5005 performs the accounting process (step S35). The transmitting / receiving unit 5001 sends the point information, which associates the points calculated in the accounting process with the member ID entered in the input unit 5002, to the point server 3 (step S36).

[0092] Next, the registration unit 5003 clears the information stored in the product information unit 5031 and the registered coupon information unit 5032 (step S37). Then, the control unit 50 terminates the settlement process.

[0093] In step S22, if no member ID is entered in the input unit 5002 (N in step S22), the control unit 50 skips steps S23 to S25 and proceeds to step S26. If it is determined that the customer is not a store member, the coupon has not been pre-registered, so the control unit 50 skips the process related to the inquiry of registered coupon information.

[0094] Furthermore, if there are no unused coupons in step S31 (N in step S31), the control unit 50 skips steps S32 to S34 and proceeds to step S35. If a customer uses all of the pre-registered coupons in a single transaction, the control unit 50 skips the process of sending unused coupons to the coupon server 4.

[0095] Through the above settlement process, the POS terminal 5 can efficiently process payments when a customer uses a coupon. Furthermore, if a pre-registered coupon is not used, the POS terminal 5 provides information about the unused coupon to the coupon server 4. This allows the coupon server 4 to manage unused coupons that were pre-registered for use in a transaction as usable coupons.

[0096] As described above, the POS terminal 5 of the embodiment includes an input unit 5002 into which a member ID that identifies the customer is entered, a transmitting and receiving unit 5001 that acquires registered coupon information indicating a coupon previously registered by the customer identified by the member ID entered in the input unit 5002, a product information acquisition unit (input unit 5002) that acquires product information of the products that the customer purchases, and an accounting processing unit 5005 that performs accounting processing based on the product information acquired by the input unit 5002 and the registered coupon information acquired by the transmitting and receiving unit 5001.

[0097] As a result, the POS terminal 5 can obtain coupon information for multiple coupons used by the customer based on the entered member ID. Therefore, even if a customer uses multiple coupons in a single transaction, the POS terminal 5 can process the discounts for those multiple coupons simply by reading the member ID. Consequently, the POS terminal 5 can reduce the time required for accounting per transaction and improve the operability of the operator.

[0098] Furthermore, in the POS terminal 5 of this embodiment, the transmitting / receiving unit 5001 receives registered coupon information corresponding to the member ID customer identification information entered into the input unit 5002 from the coupon server 4, which stores member IDs and registered coupon information in association.

[0099] As a result, the POS terminal 5 can obtain registered coupon information from the coupon server 4, which has been sending and receiving data for managing coupons, eliminating the need to increase the number of communication targets. Therefore, it becomes possible to simplify the system configuration for the POS terminal 5 to obtain registered coupon information.

[0100] Furthermore, the POS terminal 5 of the embodiment further includes a rewards processing unit 5004 that performs reward processing based on registered coupon information, provided that the product related to the product code entered into the input unit 5002 is a product covered by the registered coupon information received by the transmission / reception unit 5001, and the accounting processing unit 5005 performs accounting processing based on the reward processing by the rewards processing unit 5004.

[0101] This ensures that POS terminal 5 can reliably process rewards for pre-registered coupons. As a result, POS terminal 5 can perform accurate accounting for transactions using coupons.

[0102] In addition, the POS terminal 5 of the embodiment further includes an output unit (transmitting / receiving unit 5001) that outputs registered coupon information to the coupon server 4 if the product corresponding to the product code entered into the input unit 5002 is not a product covered by the registered coupon information received by the transmitting / receiving unit 5001.

[0103] This allows the POS terminal 5 to notify the coupon server 4 of any pre-registered coupons that were not used in a transaction. As a result, the coupon server 4 can manage coupons that were pre-registered but not used in a transaction as unused coupons.

[0104] Furthermore, in the POS terminal 5 of the embodiment, the output unit (transmitting / receiving unit 5001) outputs the registered coupon information on the condition that an unused confirmation input indicating that the coupon related to the registered coupon information received by the transmitting / receiving unit 5001 will not be used is input.

[0105] As a result, if the POS terminal 5 cannot confirm that the customer will not use the pre-registered coupon, it will not output the registered coupon information to the coupon server 4. Therefore, when the customer makes an additional purchase of the product covered by the registered coupon information, the POS terminal 5 will not cancel the registered coupon information sent to the coupon server 4.

[0106] Furthermore, in the POS terminal 5 of this embodiment, the input unit 5002 does not accept input of a member ID after the settlement processing by the accounting processing unit 5005 has started.

[0107] This allows the POS terminal 5 to stop accepting coupon usage after the payment processing has begun. As a result, the POS terminal 5 can reduce the need to redo the payment processing.

[0108] In the above embodiment, the control program executed by the POS terminal 5 may be provided by recording it on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Alternatively, the control program executed by the POS terminal 5 may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by downloading it via the network, or it may be provided via a network such as the Internet.

[0109] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 5. POS terminal (accounting device) 5001 Transmitting / receiving unit (coupon information acquisition unit, output unit) 5002 Input Unit (Product Information Acquisition Unit) 5004 Special Offer Processing 5005 Accounting Processing Section [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0111] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-71031

Claims

1. An input section into which customer identification information is entered to identify the customer, A coupon information acquisition unit acquires registered coupon information from a coupon server that stores the customer identification information and the registered coupon information in association, indicating coupons previously registered by a customer identified by the customer identification information entered into the input unit. A product information acquisition unit that acquires product information for products purchased by customers, An accounting processing unit that performs accounting processing based on the product information acquired by the product information acquisition unit and the registered coupon information acquired by the coupon information acquisition unit, If the coupon indicated by the registered coupon information acquired by the coupon information acquisition unit is not used in the accounting process, the output unit outputs the registered coupon information indicating the unused coupon to the coupon server. An accounting device equipped with the following features.

2. The system further includes a reward processing unit that performs reward processing based on registered coupon information, provided that the product related to the product information acquired by the product information acquisition unit is a product covered by the registered coupon information acquired by the coupon information acquisition unit. The accounting processing unit performs accounting processing based on the benefit processing performed by the benefit processing unit. The accounting device according to claim 1.

3. The output unit outputs the registered coupon information on the condition that an unused confirmation input is received indicating that the coupon related to the registered coupon information acquired by the coupon information acquisition unit will not be used. The accounting device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The input unit will not accept input of the customer identification information after the settlement process by the accounting processing unit has started. The accounting device according to claim 1.

5. A program for controlling accounting equipment with a computer, The aforementioned computer, An input section into which customer identification information is entered to identify the customer, A coupon information acquisition unit acquires registered coupon information from a coupon server that stores the customer identification information and the registered coupon information in association, indicating coupons previously registered by a customer identified by the customer identification information entered into the input unit. A product information acquisition unit that acquires product information for products purchased by customers, An accounting processing unit that performs accounting processing based on the product information acquired by the product information acquisition unit and the registered coupon information acquired by the coupon information acquisition unit, If the coupon indicated by the registered coupon information acquired by the coupon information acquisition unit is not used in the accounting process, the output unit outputs the registered coupon information indicating the unused coupon to the coupon server. A program that makes it function as such.

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