Apparatus, method, and program for managing employee benefits points

Abstract

Promote the use of employee benefits points. [Solution] A service provision server 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is connected to a corporate terminal 20, a user terminal 30, and an external system 200 via a communication network NW, and provides welfare support services to company personnel using the corporate terminal 20 and users (company employees) using the user terminal 30. The service provision server 10 consumes welfare points associated with a payment card based on the usage conditions applicable to the store, as the purchase amount of goods at a store where payment is made using the payment card held by the user. This makes it possible to set appropriate welfare point usage conditions at each store, and as a result, the use of welfare points when purchasing goods at each store is promoted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for managing welfare points.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an employee of a company uses privilege points with a specified usage period for welfare services provided within that usage period (sometimes called a cafeteria plan). (For example, see Patent Document 1 below.)

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional service as described above, an employee had to use points for welfare services at stores or the like preset by the company side. As a result, for example, at stores where products and services that an employee liked were not provided, the utilization of welfare points might not be promoted.

[0005] One of the purposes of an embodiment of the present invention is to promote the utilization of welfare points.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for managing employee benefits points, comprising one or more computer processors, wherein the one or more computer processors perform the steps of: acquiring authorization data for settling the purchase price of goods at a store using a payment card held by a user; and consuming the employee benefits points associated with the payment card as at least a portion of the purchase price of the goods, based on the terms and conditions for using the employee benefits points applicable to the store.

[0007] A method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method for managing employee benefits points, performed by one or more computers, comprising the steps of: obtaining authorization data for settling the purchase price of goods at a store using a payment card held by a user; and consuming the employee benefits points associated with the payment card as at least a portion of the purchase price of the goods, based on the terms and conditions for using the employee benefits points applicable to the store.

[0008] A program according to one embodiment of the present invention is a program for managing employee benefit points, which causes one or more computers to perform the steps of: obtaining authorization data for settling the purchase amount of goods at a store using a payment card held by a user; and consuming the employee benefit points associated with the payment card as at least a portion of the purchase amount of the goods, based on the terms and conditions for using the employee benefit points applicable to the store. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] Various embodiments of the present invention facilitate the use of employee benefits points. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing the configuration of a network including a service provision server 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A diagram illustrating the information managed by user information table 1511. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating the information managed by card information table 1512. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the information managed by the points usage conditions information table 1513. [Figure 5] A diagram illustrating the information managed by product information table 1514. [Figure 6] A diagram illustrating the information managed by the card usage management table 1515. [Figure 7] A diagram illustrating the information managed by the points history management table 1516. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating the processes executed by the service provider server 10 when authorization data is received from an external system 200. [Figure 9] A diagram illustrating 50 examples of the top screens for employee benefits support services. [Figure 10] A diagram illustrating shopping screen 60. [Figure 11] A diagram illustrating the details of the individual display area 661. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or similar components may be denoted by the same reference numerals. Other objects of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent by referring to the entire specification.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a network including a service provision server 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the service provision server 10 is connected to a corporate terminal 20, a user terminal 30, and an external system 200 via a communication network NW such as the Internet. In Figure 1, only one corporate terminal 20, one user terminal 30, and one external system 200 are shown, but the service provision server 10 is connected to multiple corporate terminals 20, one user terminal 30, and one external system 200. The service provision server 10 provides welfare support services to company personnel using the corporate terminal 20 and users (company employees) using the user terminal 30. The welfare support service is a service that supports the provision of welfare benefits by companies to their employees and has a function for managing welfare points granted to users as employees. The service provision server 10 is an example of a device that implements all or part of the device of the present invention.

[0013] First, the hardware configuration of the service provision server 10 will be described. The service provision server 10 is configured as a general-purpose computer and, as shown in Figure 1, includes a computer processor 11, main memory 12, input / output interface 13, communication interface 14, and storage (memory device) 15. These components are electrically connected via buses and the like (not shown).

[0014] The computer processor 11 is composed of a CPU, GPU, FPGA, or a circuit including these, and reads various programs stored in storage 15, etc., into the main memory 12 and executes various instructions contained in the program. The main memory 12 is composed of, for example, DRAM.

[0015] The input / output I / F 13 includes various input / output devices for exchanging information with an operator or the like. The input / output I / F 13 includes, for example, information input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device (e.g., a mouse, a touch panel, etc.), a voice input device such as a microphone, and an image input device such as a camera. The input / output I / F 13 also includes an image output device such as a display and a voice output device such as a speaker.

[0016] The communication I / F 14 is implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, various communication software, or a combination thereof, and is configured to enable wired or wireless communication via a communication network NW or the like.

[0017] The storage 15 is constituted by, for example, a magnetic disk or a flash memory. The storage 15 stores various programs including an operating system and various data. For example, the storage 15 has various tables 151 for managing various information for providing welfare support services. Further, for example, the storage 15 stores a server-side program 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The program 40 is a program for causing the service-providing server 10 to function as all or part of a device for providing welfare support services. At least a part of the server-side program 40 may be configured to be executed on the enterprise terminal 20 side or the user terminal 30 side via the enterprise terminal-side program 42 or the user terminal-side program 44 described later.

[0018] In the present embodiment, the service-providing server 10 may be configured using a plurality of computers each having the hardware configuration described above. For example, the service-providing server 10 may be constituted by one or a plurality of server devices.

[0019] The service server 10 configured in this way can be configured to function as both a web server and an application server. In this case, it performs various processes in response to requests from the corporate terminal program 42 installed on the corporate terminal 20 or the user terminal program 44 installed on the user terminal 30, and transmits screen data (e.g., HTML data) and control data, etc., corresponding to the results of the processing, to the corporate terminal 20 or the user terminal 30. The corporate terminal 20 or the user terminal 30 then outputs a web page or other screen based on the received data.

[0020] Next, the hardware configuration of the enterprise terminal 20 will be described. The enterprise terminal 20 is configured as a general-purpose computer and, as shown in Figure 1, includes a computer processor 21, main memory 22, input / output interface 23, communication interface 24, and storage (memory device) 25, with each of these components electrically connected via a bus or the like (not shown).

[0021] The computer processor 21 is composed of a CPU, GPU, FPGA, or a circuit including these, and reads various programs stored in storage 25, etc., into the main memory 22 and executes various instructions contained in the programs. The main memory 22 is composed of, for example, DRAM.

[0022] The input / output interface 23 includes various input / output devices for exchanging information with the operator, etc. The input / output interface 23 includes, for example, information input devices such as keyboards and pointing devices (e.g., mice, touch panels, etc.), audio input devices such as microphones, and image input devices such as cameras. Furthermore, the input / output interface 23 includes image output devices such as displays and audio output devices such as speakers.

[0023] Communication I / F24 is implemented as hardware such as network adapters, various communication software, and combinations thereof, and is configured to enable wired or wireless communication via a communication network NW, etc.

[0024] The storage 25 is composed of, for example, a magnetic disk or flash memory. The storage 25 stores various programs, including the operating system, and various data. The programs stored in the storage 25 can be downloaded and installed from an application market or the like. The storage 25 also stores the enterprise terminal-side program 42 described above. This program 42 is configured as a web browser or other application (for example, an application for a company providing employee welfare support services), and as described above, it can be configured to execute at least a part of the server-side program 40.

[0025] In this embodiment, the corporate terminal 20 may be configured as a smartphone, tablet, wearable device, or personal computer, etc.

[0026] A user (company representative) operating the corporate terminal 20 configured in this way can utilize the welfare support services provided by the service provider server 10 by communicating with the service provider server 10 via the corporate terminal-side program 42 installed on the storage 25, etc.

[0027] Next, the hardware configuration of the user terminal 30 will be described. The user terminal 30 is configured as a general-purpose computer, similar to the corporate terminal 20 described above, and as shown in Figure 1, it comprises a computer processor 31, main memory 32, input / output interface 33, communication interface 34, and storage (memory device) 35, with each of these components electrically connected via a bus or the like (not shown).

[0028] The storage 35 stores the user terminal program 44 described above. The program 44 is configured as a web browser or other application (for example, an application for employees of a welfare support service), and as described above, it may be configured to execute at least a portion of the server program 40.

[0029] In this embodiment, the user terminal 30 may be configured as a smartphone, tablet device, wearable device, or personal computer, etc.

[0030] A user (an employee of a company) operating the user terminal 30 configured in this way can use the welfare support services provided by the service provider server 10 by communicating with the service provider server 10 via the user terminal-side program 44 installed on the storage 35, etc.

[0031] Next, the functions of the service provision server 10 configured in this way will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the computer processor 11 of the service provision server 10 is configured to function as a management function control unit 112 and a service provision control unit 114 by executing instructions contained in a program loaded into the main memory 12 (for example, at least a part of the server-side program 40).

[0032] The management function control unit 112 is configured to perform various processes related to the control of the management functions of the welfare support service. For example, the management function control unit 112 transmits screen data and control data for various screens related to the management functions to the corporate terminal 20 or user terminal 30, performs various processes in response to user input via the screens output on the corporate terminal 20 or user terminal 30, and transmits screen data and control data according to the results of those processes to the corporate terminal 20 or user terminal 30. The management functions controlled by the management function control unit 112 include, for example, login processing (user authentication) and management of user information.

[0033] The service provision control unit 114 is configured to perform various processes to control the provision of welfare support services. For example, the service provision control unit 114 transmits screen data and control data for various screens used to provide welfare support services to the corporate terminal 20 or user terminal 30, performs various processes in response to user input via the screens output on the corporate terminal 20 or user terminal 30, and transmits screen data and control data corresponding to the results of those processes to the corporate terminal 20 or user terminal 30.

[0034] In this embodiment, the service provision control unit 114 is configured to acquire authorization data for settling the purchase price of goods (including services) at a store using a payment card held by the user. The payment card may include credit cards and prepaid cards. The store may include physical stores and virtual stores (e.g., online shops). The authorization data can also be described as data for requesting authorization (credit approval), and may include, for example, the card number, merchant identification information that can identify the store as a card merchant, and the purchase price (settlement amount) of the goods. The authorization data is transmitted to the service provision server 10 from an external system 200, such as an e-commerce server or a card payment terminal (may be via a payment network corresponding to the payment card).

[0035] Furthermore, the service provision control unit 114 is configured to consume the welfare points associated with the user's payment card as at least a portion of the purchase price of the goods, based on the terms and conditions for using welfare points applicable to the store. Welfare points are typically awarded by a company to an employee in a specific amount, and the employee can exchange these points for goods, etc. For example, welfare points are consumed based on the first terms and conditions applicable to the first store in response to the acquisition of authorization data for settling the purchase price of goods at the first store, and then consumed based on the second terms and conditions applicable to the second store in response to the acquisition of authorization data for settling the purchase price of goods at the second store. The quantity of welfare points associated with the payment card is managed, for example, in a specific table included in various tables 151. In addition, the terms and conditions for using welfare points applicable to the store may be set by the company (organization) to which the user belongs (i.e., the terms and conditions for using welfare points applicable to the store are set for each company). The configuration information for making these settings may be entered by a company representative via a screen displayed on the company terminal 20.

[0036] Thus, in this embodiment, the service provider server 10 consumes the welfare points associated with the payment card held by the user as the purchase amount of goods at the store where payment is made using the payment card, based on the terms of use applicable to the store. This makes it possible to apply appropriate welfare point usage conditions at each store, and as a result, the use of welfare points when purchasing goods at each store is promoted.

[0037] Furthermore, users will be able to purchase goods using their employee benefits points at various stores that accept their payment cards (merchants of the payment card), thus expanding the range of uses for those points.

[0038] Furthermore, by allowing companies to set the usage conditions for employee benefit points applicable to their stores, it becomes possible to reflect, for example, a company's intentions regarding employee benefits (human resources strategy) in the setting of these usage conditions.

[0039] In this embodiment, the conditions for using welfare points include various conditions. For example, the conditions for use include the exchange rate for welfare points, in which case the service provision control unit 114 may be configured to consume a quantity of welfare points based on the purchase price of the product and the exchange rate for welfare points. For example, when the purchase price of the product is 1,000 yen and the exchange rate is "1 point = 1 yen", the welfare points consumed will be "1,000 points", while when the exchange rate is "1 point = 2 yen", the welfare points consumed will be "500 points". As described above, such an exchange rate may be set via a screen output on the corporate terminal 20. This configuration enables the application of an appropriate welfare point exchange rate at each store.

[0040] Furthermore, for example, the usage conditions for employee benefit points may include an upper limit on the amount of employee benefit points that can be used. In this case, the service provision control unit 114 may be configured to consume employee benefit points within the range of the upper limit. The upper limit may be set, for example, as an upper limit for a single purchase by a particular user, or as an upper limit for a particular user over a specific period (e.g., one day, one month, or one year). In addition, such upper limits may be set on a group basis to which multiple stores belong. Such groups include corporate groups, brands, and industries. As described above, such upper limits may be set via a screen output on the corporate terminal 20. This configuration enables the application of appropriate upper limits on the amount of employee benefit points at each store.

[0041] In this embodiment, the usage conditions for welfare points may be set for product or store categories (genres). In this case, the service provision control unit 114 may be configured to determine the category corresponding to the store where the payment card was used and to consume welfare points based on the welfare point usage conditions set for that category. As described above, the usage conditions for welfare points for such categories may be set via a screen output on the corporate terminal 20. For example, if the usage conditions for welfare points are the usage limits described above, the use of welfare points at each store corresponding to the "self-improvement" category may be limited to "10,000 points" per year, while the use of welfare points at each store corresponding to the "health promotion" genre may be limited to "20,000 points" per year. Also, for example, the use of welfare points at each store corresponding to the "food and beverage" category may be limited to the tax-related usage limit (e.g., 50% of the purchase price of the product). Such a configuration makes it possible to set appropriate welfare point usage conditions for each genre.

[0042] In this case, the determination of the category corresponding to a store can be achieved by various methods. For example, the correspondence between stores and categories may be managed in a specific table included in various tables 151 (such correspondences may be set, for example, via a screen output on the corporate terminal 20). Alternatively, the product category in a store may be automatically determined based on the store name, etc. (identified based on authorization data). For example, a prompt instructing a large-scale language model to display product categories based on the store name may be input, and the corresponding category may be determined based on the information output from the large-scale language model.

[0043] In this embodiment, an amount to be deducted from the user's salary may be set as at least a portion of the purchase price of the product. For example, the service provision control unit 114 may be configured to set a deduction amount corresponding to the shortfall when the number of welfare points (associated with the payment card) held by the user is insufficient to cover the purchase price of the product (i.e., the shortfall in welfare points is covered by a deduction from the salary). The set deduction amount is provided to the company to which the user belongs (e.g., the company's payroll system) for the purpose of processing the deduction from the salary, either each time or in a lump sum at a predetermined time. A function to obtain the employee's consent for such a deduction from the salary may be provided. This configuration makes it possible for the user to purchase products through a deduction from their salary when they have insufficient welfare points.

[0044] In this case, the service provision control unit 114 may be configured to set the amount to be deducted from the salary so that it is within the range of the credit limit (for example, set for a payment card) based on the salary paid to the user. For example, the service provision control unit 114 sets the amount to be deducted as at least a portion of the purchase price of the goods if the total amount deducted before settlement (for example, before payment by the company) is within the credit limit, while performing a predetermined error processing if the total amount deducted before settlement exceeds the credit limit. The salary-based credit limit may be set, for example, as a predetermined percentage of the salary (for example, 30%) (this percentage is set, for example, via a screen output on the company terminal 20), or a specific value calculated by various rules may be set. The credit limit may also be set (for example, reduced) by the user themselves (for example, via a screen output on the user terminal 30). Such a configuration enables deductions from the salary within the range of the salary-based credit limit.

[0045] In this embodiment, reward points may be set according to the amount used (amount deducted from salary) of the credit limit set on the payment card, and these reward points may be used to reduce the deduction amount. In other words, the service provision control unit 114 may be configured to subtract an amount corresponding to the number of reward points to be returned to the user based on the set deduction amount (amount used). The number of reward points may be set as a predetermined percentage of the amount used (for example, 1%), and a predetermined exchange rate (for example, 1 point = 1 yen) may be applied when deducting from the deduction amount. For example, if the amount deducted from salary is 500 yen, and 5 points (1%) of reward points are set, and these reward points are used to reduce the amount at an exchange rate of 1 point = 1 yen, the deduction amount after the reduction will be 495 yen (a reduction of 5 yen). The reduction of the amount corresponding to the number of reward points may be performed, for example, each time a deduction is set, or all at once at a predetermined timing. The reward points may be structured as points distinct from employee benefits points (for example, points with different uses). This structure makes it possible to reflect the point rewards in the amount deducted from the salary.

[0046] Next, a specific example of a service provision server 10 of this embodiment having such functions will be described. In this specific example, a welfare support service is provided to users, who are employees of a company, with a credit card (payment card) for the welfare support service. In this example, the operator of the welfare support service acts as the issuer of the credit card.

[0047] First, in this example, we will explain the information managed by each table included in the various tables 151. Figure 2 illustrates the information managed by the user information table 1511 in this example. In this example, the user information table 1511 manages information about users (employees of a company) of the welfare support service, and as shown in the figure, it manages information such as a "user ID" that identifies an individual user, a "company ID" that identifies the company to which the user belongs, an "employee ID" that identifies the user as an employee of that company, and "basic information" including name, department, contact information, etc.

[0048] Figure 3 illustrates the information managed by the card information table 1512 in this example. In this example, the card information table 1512 manages information related to credit cards for employee benefits support services. As shown in the figure, it manages information such as the "credit card number" that identifies an individual credit card, the "user ID" that identifies the user who possesses the credit card, the "employee benefits point balance" which is the balance (number held) of employee benefits points managed in association with the credit card, the "available credit limit" which is the credit limit (spending limit) granted to the credit card, and the "outstanding balance" which is the total amount of unsettled (before payment by the company) usage (total usage amount). In this example, credit cards for employee benefits support services are issued and managed by the operator of the employee benefits support service, which acts as the issuer. In this example, a maximum of one credit card is distributed to each employee user.

[0049] In this example, a predetermined number of employee benefit points are awarded to each credit card at a predetermined time set by each company (for example, April 1st of each year). These employee benefit points have an expiration date (for example, March 31st of the following year), and the points expire on that date.

[0050] In this example, the credit limit granted to the credit card is set based on the user's salary. Specifically, an amount corresponding to a predetermined percentage (e.g., 30%) of the salary (monthly wage) is set as the available credit limit. The available credit limit may be set manually by a company representative (e.g., via a screen displayed on the company terminal 20) or automatically based on the salary amount. As will be explained in more detail later, the outstanding balance on the credit card is settled by payment from the company.

[0051] Figure 4 illustrates the information managed by the Point Usage Conditions Information Table 1513 in this example. In this example, the Point Usage Conditions Information Table 1513 manages information regarding the usage conditions of welfare points, and as shown in the figure, it manages information such as the "Point Exchange Rate" which indicates the exchange rate of welfare points (the value of 1 point in currency (Japanese yen)) in association with a combination of a "Company ID" that identifies an individual company and a "Merchant ID" that identifies an individual merchant (store). Thus, in this example, the usage condition of welfare points is the exchange rate, which is set for the combination of company and merchant. This information is registered by a company representative, and specifically, it is registered via a screen output on the company terminal 20. In addition, in this example, some or all of the credit card merchants can be set as stores where welfare points can be used, and information on stores where welfare points can be used is registered in the Point Usage Conditions Information Table 1513. In other words, in each company, merchants that are not registered in the Point Usage Conditions Information Table 1513 are stores where welfare points cannot be used. In other words, each company can easily set up stores where employee benefit points can be used by registering them in the point usage conditions information table 1513.

[0052] Figure 5 illustrates the information managed by the product information table 1514 in this example. In this example, the product information table 1514 manages information about products introduced through the welfare support service. As shown in the figure, it manages information such as "basic information" including the product name, price, and description, associated with a "product ID" that identifies individual products, and "purchase site information" which is information about the external website (e-commerce site) for purchasing the product. The purchase site information includes the URL for accessing the external website.

[0053] Figure 6 illustrates the information managed by the card usage management table 1515 in this example. In this example, the card usage management table 1515 manages information related to credit card usage and, as shown in the figure, associates with an "Usage ID" that identifies individual usage, "Usage Date and Time", "Credit Card Number" that identifies the target credit card, "Usage Information" which includes the merchant where the credit card was used and the payment amount (purchase amount), "Quantity of Welfare Points Consumed", which is the quantity of welfare points consumed to settle the payment amount, "Welfare Points Consumption Conversion Amount", which is the currency conversion amount of the Quantity of Welfare Points Consumed, "Credit Limit Usage Amount", which is the amount of the credit limit used to settle the payment amount, "Quantity of Reward Points Granted", which is the quantity of reward points granted based on the amount of the credit limit used, and "Reduced Usage Amount", which is the credit limit usage amount after reduction based on reward points.

[0054] Figure 7 illustrates the information managed by the points history management table 1516 in this example. In this example, the points history management table 1516 manages information regarding the history (granting or consumption) of welfare points managed in association with a credit card. As shown in the figure, it manages information such as the "update date and time," the "credit card number" that identifies the target credit card, the "history information" which is information regarding the granting or consumption of points, and the "expiration date" which indicates the expiration date of the granted points, all associated with the "history ID" that identifies individual histories. The history information includes the quantity of points granted or the quantity of points consumed. The expiration date is set when the history information corresponds to the granting of points.

[0055] The above explains the information managed by each table in this example. Next, we will explain the processes executed by the service provider server 10 and the screens displayed on the user terminal 30 in this example.

[0056] In this example, when a credit card for employee benefits support services is used at a merchant that accepts the credit card, authorization data requesting payment for the purchase price of the goods is sent from the external system 200 corresponding to the merchant (for example, a card payment terminal corresponding to a physical store, or an e-commerce server corresponding to a virtual store) to the service provider server 10 via the corresponding payment network. Users can use the card at various stores that accept the credit card.

[0057] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the processes executed by the service provider server 10 when authorization data is received from an external system 200. The authorization data includes the credit card number, merchant identification information that identifies the merchant, and the payment amount.

[0058] Upon receiving authorization data, the service provider server 10 first determines, as shown in the diagram, whether the merchant where the credit card was used is a store where employee benefit points can be used (step S100). Specifically, if the combination of the company to which the user holding the target credit card belongs (identified by referring to the user information table 1511 and the card information table 1512 based on the credit card number included in the authorization data) and the merchant (identified by the merchant identification information included in the authorization data) is registered in the point usage conditions information table 1513, it is determined that the store is a store where employee benefit points can be used. On the other hand, if the combination is not registered in the point usage conditions information table 1513, it is determined that the store is not a store where employee benefit points can be used.

[0059] Then, if the target merchant is a store where employee benefits points can be used (YES in step S100), the service provider server 10 determines whether payment is possible using employee benefits points and the available credit limit (credit limit) (step S110). Specifically, based on the point exchange rate set for the target merchant (managed in the point usage conditions information table 1513) and the number of employee benefits points held by the user (managed in the card information table 1512), the currency equivalent amount of the employee benefits points held by the user is calculated. If the currency equivalent amount is equal to or greater than the payment amount included in the authorization data, or if the currency equivalent amount is insufficient for the payment amount, but the current available credit limit of the credit card (calculated by subtracting the outstanding balance from the available credit limit) is equal to or greater than the insufficient amount (i.e., if the insufficient amount of employee benefits points can be covered by the credit limit), it is determined that payment is possible. On the other hand, if the currency equivalent of the welfare points held by the user is insufficient to cover the payment amount, and the current available balance is less than the shortfall, the payment will be deemed impossible.

[0060] Next, if payment is possible (YES in step S110), the service provider server 10 consumes the welfare points (step S120). Specifically, the amount of welfare points to be consumed is calculated based on the merchant's point exchange rate and the payment amount. The amount of welfare points to be consumed and the equivalent amount of welfare points consumed are set in the card usage management table 1515 for the corresponding record, and the amount to be consumed is deducted from the welfare point balance of the corresponding credit card in the card information table 1512. If the equivalent amount of welfare points held by the user is insufficient for the payment amount, all welfare points held will be consumed (the welfare point balance will become 0). The consumption of welfare points is also reflected in the point history management table 1516.

[0061] Then, if the currency equivalent of the welfare points held by the user is insufficient to cover the payment amount (YES in step S130), the service provider server 10 sets the amount to be used within the credit limit (step S140). Specifically, in the card usage management table 1515, the amount corresponding to the shortfall is set as the amount to be used within the credit limit for the corresponding record, and in the card information table 1512, the set amount is added to the outstanding balance of the corresponding credit card.

[0062] Then, the service provider server 10 sends the authorization result (authorization OK) to the external system 200 (step S150).

[0063] On the other hand, if the merchant where the credit card was used is a store where employee benefit points cannot be used (NO in step S100), the service provider server 10 determines whether payment is possible using the available credit limit (step S160). Specifically, if the current available credit limit is equal to or greater than the payment amount, payment is determined to be possible, while if the current available credit limit is less than the payment amount, payment is determined to be impossible.

[0064] Then, if payment is possible (YES in step S160), the service provider server 10 sets the amount to be used for the credit limit (step S140) and sends the authorization result (authorization OK) (step S150).

[0065] On the other hand, if payment is not possible (NO in step S110, or NO in step S160), the service provider server 10 sends the authorization result (authorization NG) to the external system 200 (step S150). In the case of authorization NG, a predetermined notification may be sent to the user terminal 30 used by the corresponding user.

[0066] Thus, in this example, when a credit card for employee benefits support services is used, the payment amount (purchase price of goods) is settled by using employee benefits points. If it is not possible to use the employee benefits points (either because the store does not accept them, or because there are insufficient points), the payment will be made within the available credit limit (credit limit based on salary). Alternatively, payment may be made within the available credit limit (credit limit based on salary) regardless of the use of employee benefits points.

[0067] In this example, reward points are awarded according to the amount of credit limit usage, and the amount of the awarded reward points is deducted from the credit card balance. Specifically, in the card usage management table 1515, the reward points corresponding to the amount of credit limit usage (for example, 1% of the usage amount) are set for the corresponding record (the record in which the amount of credit limit usage is set). In addition, the currency equivalent of the reward points is deducted from the credit card balance in the card information table 1512, and in the card usage management table 1515, the amount obtained by subtracting the currency equivalent of the reward points from the credit limit usage amount is set as the deducted usage amount. This processing related to reward points may be performed after the authorization result has been sent.

[0068] As described above, the operator of the employee benefits support service acts as the issuer of the credit card, and the sales amount at participating merchants is advanced by the operator upon request from the acquirer. The advanced sales amount is then billed by the operator to the corresponding company (the company to which the user holding the credit card belongs). Billing to the company is done, for example, at a predetermined time each month. However, the amount equivalent to the deduction for reward points is excluded from the billing to the company (this is borne by the employee benefits support service operator). In addition, a fee for using the employee benefits support service may be separately billed by the operator to the company.

[0069] In this example, when a company is billed, the service provider server 10 provides the company with data on the usage status of the corresponding credit card. The usage data includes the following information: ·User ID ·Date and time of use ·Credit Card Number • Employee ID • Usage information (merchant and payment amount) • Quantity of employee benefit points used • Equivalent amount of employee benefit points used • Amount of credit line used • Quantity of reward points awarded • Reduced usage amount Each company uses this information to deduct expenses from the salaries paid to its employees. For example, the reduced usage amount is totaled for each employee, and this total amount becomes the deduction amount, which is then deducted from each employee's salary. The company terminal 20 may also display a screen for viewing this usage data. This screen may have the following functions, for example. • Function to inquire about the usage status of employee benefits points for each employee. • Function to inquire about the usage status of employee benefits points across the entire company. • Function to inquire about the credit limit usage status for each employee • Function to inquire about the usage status of credit limits across the entire company.

[0070] In this example, when a company makes a payment in response to an invoice, the corresponding credit card balance is updated. Specifically, in the usage data mentioned above, the reduced usage amount is aggregated for each credit card, and the aggregated amount is deducted from the balance of each credit card.

[0071] In this example, the user is provided with a function to use the welfare support service. Figure 9 illustrates the top screen 50 of the welfare support service, which is output on a user terminal 30 that has accessed the service provision server 10. This screen 50 is the starting point for using the welfare support service and, as shown in the figure, has a shopping button 52 for making purchases, a usage status display area 54 that displays the usage status of the credit card, and a points information display area 56 that displays point information related to welfare points. The usage status display area 54 displays the credit card number, available credit limit, outstanding balance, the amount of points deducted for redemption (automatically calculated from the outstanding balance), and the current available amount of the credit card held by the corresponding user.

[0072] The points information display area 56 displays the balance of welfare points, the number of points scheduled to expire within a predetermined period and their expiration date (expiration date), and the number of points scheduled to be awarded within a predetermined period and their award date. It also has a history button 561 for viewing the history of welfare points. When the history button 561 is selected, a list of the history of welfare point awards or consumption (managed in the points history management table 1516) is displayed.

[0073] When the shopping button 52 is selected, the shopping screen 60, as illustrated in Figure 10, is displayed. As shown in the figure, the screen 60 has a top button 62 for returning to the top screen 50 and a list display area 66 for displaying a list of products. The user can select products to be displayed in the list display area 66 by searching using keywords and specifying genres. The products displayed in the list display area 66 are products that have been pre-configured in the welfare support service (managed in the product information table 1514), and can also be said to be products recommended by the company.

[0074] The list display area 66 contains multiple individual display areas 661, each corresponding to an individual product. Figure 11 illustrates the details of an individual display area 661. As shown in the figure, each individual display area 661 displays information such as an image, product name, description, and price (welfare points) related to the corresponding product, and has an exchange rate object 662 that displays information about the point exchange rate set at the store selling the product. The object 662 displays the point exchange rate as a multiplier to a base rate of "1 point = 1 yen". For example, if the point exchange rate set at the corresponding store is "1 point = 3 yen", the exchange rate object 662 will display "Point conversion 3 times". If the point exchange rate is not the base rate, the individual display area 661 displays both the price with the actual point exchange rate applied (4490 points in the example in Figure 11) and the price with the base rate applied (8980 points in the example in Figure 11).

[0075] The individual display area 661 contains a link to an external site for purchasing the corresponding product. When this area 661 is selected, the user terminal 30 accesses the external site. When a product is purchased on the external site, authorization data is sent from the external system 200 corresponding to the external site to the service provider server 10, as described above.

[0076] In the list display area 66 of the shopping screen 60, stores (for example, online shops, etc.) may be displayed instead of, or in addition to, products. In this case, the individual display area 661 corresponding to a store will contain a link to the external site corresponding to that store (such as the top page of the online shop).

[0077] In the example described above, the point exchange rate was used as an example of the conditions for using welfare points, but in other examples of this embodiment, various other conditions may be applied. For example, a maximum limit on the amount of welfare points that can be used may be set as such a condition (for example, set via a screen output on the corporate terminal 20). In this case, for example, a maximum usage limit per unit period (for example, one month or one year) for a user is managed in the point usage conditions information table 1513, and if the amount of welfare points used (consumed) at the target merchant exceeds this usage limit, it is determined that payment is impossible. In this case, a usage limit may be set for a group (for example, a brand) to which multiple merchants belong, and if the amount of welfare points used at the target merchant exceeds the maximum usage limit for welfare points in the group to which that merchant belongs, it is determined that payment is impossible.

[0078] In the example described above, reward points awarded based on the amount used within the credit limit were used to reduce the outstanding balance of the credit limit. However, these reward points may be used for other purposes, and in this case, they may be accumulated in association with the credit card.

[0079] In the example described above, the exchange rate for employee benefits points was set for the participating merchants, but the exchange rate and other usage conditions may also be set for the category (genre) of the product (or participating merchant). In this case, for example, the exchange rate is set for the combination of company and category in the points usage conditions information table 1513 (for example, set via a screen output on the company terminal 20). For example, each company can reflect its human resources strategy regarding employee benefits in the employee benefits point system by setting different exchange rates across multiple categories.

[0080] In this case, for food and beverage-related categories, a usage limit may be set that takes into account the upper limit for tax-deductible employee benefits expenses (for example, 50% or less of the purchase amount, and the monthly currency equivalent amount being below a specified value).

[0081] In this case, the correspondence between merchants and categories is managed in other tables included in various tables 151, and the category of the merchant where the credit card was used is identified by referring to these tables. Furthermore, in this case, if the target merchant is not managed in the table, the product category may be automatically determined based on the name of the merchant identified based on the authorization data (for example, an automatic prompt is generated instructing the system to output the product category based on the merchant name, this prompt is input to a large-scale language model, and the category is determined based on the response from the large-scale language model).

[0082] As described above, the service provision server 10 according to this embodiment consumes the welfare points associated with the payment card when a payment is made using the payment card held by the user at a store, based on the usage conditions applicable to that store (for example, the exchange rate for welfare points). This makes it possible to apply appropriate welfare point usage conditions at each store, and as a result, the use of welfare points when purchasing goods at each store is promoted.

[0083] In another embodiment of the present invention, the payment card is not associated with employee benefits points, and the purchase price of goods paid using the payment card is deducted, for example, from the salary paid to the user holding the payment card, within the limits of the credit limit set for the payment card.

[0084] In other embodiments of the present invention, some or all of the functions of the service provision server 10 in the above-described embodiments are implemented by the service provision server 10 and the enterprise terminal 20 or user terminal 30, or can be implemented by the enterprise terminal 20 or user terminal 30.

[0085] The processes and procedures described herein can be implemented by software, hardware, or any combination thereof, in addition to those explicitly described herein. For example, the processes and procedures described herein can be implemented by implementing the logic corresponding to those processes and procedures on a medium such as an integrated circuit, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or magnetic disk. Furthermore, the processes and procedures described herein can be implemented as computer programs corresponding to those processes and procedures and executed by various types of computers.

[0086] Even if a process or procedure described herein is described as being performed by a single device, software, component, or module, such process or procedure may be performed by multiple devices, multiple software programs, multiple components, and / or multiple modules. Furthermore, the software and hardware elements described herein can also be realized by integrating them into fewer components or by decomposing them into more components. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0087] 10 Service Provider Servers 11 Computer Processors 112 Management Function Control Unit 114 Service Provision Control Unit 15 Storage 1511 User Information Table 1512 Card Information Table 1513 Point Usage Conditions Information Table 1514 Product Information Table 1515 Card Usage Management Table 1516 Point History Management Table 20 Enterprise terminals 30 User terminals 40 Server-side programs 42 Enterprise terminal-side programs 44 User terminal-side programs 50 Top screen 60 Shopping screen 200 External Systems

Claims

1. A device comprising one or more computer processors for managing employee benefit points, wherein the one or more computer processors are The process involves obtaining authorization data to process a payment for goods purchased at a store using a payment card held by the user, and The process involves: consuming the welfare points associated with the payment card as at least a portion of the purchase price of the goods, based on the terms and conditions for using the welfare points applicable to the store; Device.

2. The terms and conditions for using the aforementioned welfare points include the exchange rate for the welfare points. The step of consuming the aforementioned welfare points involves consuming a quantity of the aforementioned welfare points based on the purchase price of the aforementioned product and the exchange rate of the aforementioned welfare points. The apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The conditions for using the aforementioned welfare points include the maximum amount of welfare points that can be used. The step of consuming the aforementioned welfare points is to consume the welfare points in such a way that the amount consumed falls within the upper limit of the welfare points that can be used. The apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The conditions for using the aforementioned employee benefit points are set for the category of the aforementioned product or store. The step of consuming the aforementioned welfare points involves determining the category corresponding to the store, and consuming the welfare points based on the welfare point usage conditions set for the determined category. The apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The one or more computer processors further perform the step of setting a deduction amount from the user's salary that corresponds to the amount that is insufficient to cover the purchase price of the product, if the number of welfare points associated with the payment card is insufficient to cover the purchase price of the product. The apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned payment card has a credit limit set based on the user's salary. The step of setting the deduction amount is to set the deduction amount so that it is within the range of the credit limit set on the payment card. The apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The one or more computer processors further perform the step of subtracting from the set deduction amount an amount corresponding to the quantity of reward points to be returned to the user based on the deduction amount. The apparatus according to claim 5.

8. The conditions for using the aforementioned welfare points applicable to the aforementioned store are set for each organization to which the user belongs. The apparatus according to claim 1.

9. The one or more computer processors further perform the step of setting the usage conditions for the welfare points applicable to the store based on the configuration information obtained from the organization. The apparatus according to claim 8.

10. A method for managing employee benefits points, which is performed by one or more computers, The process involves obtaining authorization data to process a payment for goods purchased at a store using a payment card held by the user, and The process includes the step of using the welfare points associated with the payment card as at least a portion of the purchase price of the goods, based on the terms and conditions for using the welfare points applicable to the store. method.

11. A program for managing employee benefits points, which is installed on one or more computers. The process involves obtaining authorization data to process a payment for goods purchased at a store using a payment card held by the user, and The steps include: causing the customer to use the welfare points associated with the payment card as at least a portion of the purchase price of the goods, based on the terms and conditions for using the welfare points applicable to the store; program.

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