Vending machine, payment management system, vending machine control method, and program

Abstract

To eliminate the monetary value of gift cards stored inside vending machines and ensure security in unmanned vending machines. [Solution] An automatic vending machine comprising: a gift card storage unit for storing unprinted gift cards that do not contain information for charging electronic money; a determination unit for determining the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase in response to input from the user; a request unit for requesting a payment management device to generate a gift code for charging electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card; a gift code acquisition unit for obtaining the gift code from the payment management device; and a printing unit for printing the gift code on the gift card, which executes a series of processes consisting of determining the amount of the gift card, requesting the generation of a gift code, obtaining the gift code, and printing the gift code in response to a user's purchase operation of a gift card.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vending machine, a settlement management system, a control method for a vending machine, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an electronic payment service using a user terminal device owned by a user has been known. For example, in Patent Document 1, a code such as a barcode or a QR code (registered trademark) is displayed on a user terminal device, and an electronic payment system that executes electronic payment by having these code information read by a store terminal device installed in a store has been proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the conventional electronic payment service, a gift card for charging electronic money is sold. By inputting the gift code described on the gift card from a payment app for using the electronic payment service, electronic money can be charged to the user's account.

[0005] However, in the conventional electronic payment system, it was necessary to secure a sales floor and salespersons for selling gift cards. In addition, since the conventional gift card is activated at the time of issuance, security measures may be required in some cases.

[0006] This invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide a vending machine, a payment management system, a vending machine control method, and a program that can eliminate the monetary value of gift cards stored inside the vending machine and ensure security in unmanned sales. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a vending machine that is connected via a network to a payment management device that provides electronic payment services and sells gift cards usable with the electronic payment service, comprising: a gift card storage unit that stores the gift cards before printing, which do not contain information for charging electronic money; a determination unit that determines the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase in response to input from the user; a request unit that requests the payment management device to generate a gift code for charging electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card; a gift code acquisition unit that obtains the gift code from the payment management device; and a printing unit that prints the gift code on the gift card, wherein the vending machine performs a series of processes consisting of determining the amount of the gift card, requesting the generation of the gift code, obtaining the gift code, and printing the gift code in response to the user's purchase operation of the gift card. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a vending machine, a payment management system, a vending machine control method, and a program that can eliminate the monetary value of gift cards stored inside the vending machine and ensure security in unmanned sales. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an example of a configuration for implementing an electronic payment service. [Figure 2] This is a sequence diagram (part 1) illustrating the general flow of electronic payments. [Figure 3] This is a sequence diagram (part 2) illustrating the general flow of electronic payments. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing the configuration of payment server 100. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the contents of user information 171. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an example of the contents of merchant / store information 173. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the contents of gift card information 174. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the contents of summary information 175. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing the configuration of vending machine 200. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of the appearance of vending machine 200. [Figure 11] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the gift card issuance flow in the first processing step. [Figure 12] This sequence diagram shows an example of the charging process when a gift card is issued in the first processing step. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of a gift code entry screen. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of a screen indicating that charging is complete. [Figure 15] This sequence diagram shows an example of the gift card issuance flow in the second processing step. [Figure 16] This sequence diagram shows an example of the charging process when a gift card is issued in the second processing step. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of the vending machine, settlement management device, settlement management system, control method for vending machines, control method for settlement management devices, and program of the present invention will be described. Various devices such as "servers" that appear below to provide services to users or perform internal analysis may be realized by a decentralized group of devices, and the operators of each device may be different. Also, the holder of the hardware of the device (provider of the cloud server) and the operator who actually operates may be different. The electronic payment service is a service that supports the settlement related to the purchase of goods and services in a store. The store is, for example, a physical store (actual store) existing in the real space, but may include a virtual store for e-commerce. The virtual store may include those provided by a subject different from the operator of the electronic payment service. In that case, when settling a purchase in the virtual store, it is controlled to transition to the interface screen of the electronic payment service. In the electronic payment service, a store is, for example, treated as belonging to a franchise (brand), and processes such as settlement when a purchase action is performed in the store are mainly carried out between the user and the franchise. Instead of this, processes such as settlement may be carried out between the user and the store.

[0011] [Electronic Payment Service] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration for realizing an electronic payment service. The electronic payment service is realized centering around a settlement server 100. The settlement server 100 communicates with, for example, each of one or more user terminal devices 10, one or more first store terminal devices 50, one or more second store terminal devices 70, and one or more vending machines 200 via a network NW. The network NW includes, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless base station, a provider device, and the like.

[0012] The user terminal device 10 is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet. The user terminal device 10 is a computer device having at least optical reading function, communication function, display function, input acceptance function, and program execution function. In the following description, the components for realizing these functions will be referred to as a camera, communication device, touch panel, CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc. In the user terminal device 10, a payment application (hereinafter referred to as the payment app) 20 is executed by a processor such as the CPU, and it operates in cooperation with the payment server 100 to provide electronic payment services to the user. The payment app 20 is installed on the user terminal device 10, for example, from an application store, and controls the camera, communication device, touch panel, etc.

[0013] The first store terminal device 50 is installed, for example, in a store. The first store terminal device 50 is a computer device having at least a product price acquisition function, an optical reading function, a program execution function, and a communication function. The first store terminal device 50 may include a so-called POS (Point of Sale) device, and the product price acquisition function and optical reading function may be realized by the POS device. The store code image 60 is placed in the store and is a code image such as a QR code (registered trademark) printed on paper or plastic media. The store code image 60 may also be displayed on a display placed in the store (which may be the display of a terminal device such as a smartphone).

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

[0015] The payment server 100 realizes electronic payment based on the payment information received from the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50. The first store terminal device 50 may include a POS device and a franchise store server. In that case, the payment information is transmitted from the POS device to the payment server 100 via the franchise store server. In the following description, this is not particularly distinguished, and it is assumed that the payment information is transmitted from the first store terminal device 50.

[0016] The vending machine 200 is a device that sells gift cards available for electronic payment services and communicates with the payment server 100 via the network NW. Although details will be described later, the gift card is a card used to charge electronic money to the user's account.

[0017] FIGs. 2 and 3 are sequence diagrams illustrating a rough flow of electronic payment. There may be two patterns, pattern 1 and pattern 2, in electronic payment.

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

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

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

[0021] [Payment Server] Figure 4 is a diagram of the configuration of the payment server 100. The payment server 100 includes, for example, a communication unit 110, a payment content provision unit 115, a payment processing unit 120, an information management unit 125, a gift code generation unit 130, a gift code notification unit 135, a charge unit 140, a charge eligibility determination unit 145, an aggregation unit 150, a point granting unit 155, and a storage unit 170. Components other than the communication unit 110 and the storage unit 170 are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance on a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory (a storage device equipped with a non-transient storage medium), or it may be stored on a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transient storage medium) and installed on the storage device when the storage medium is inserted into the drive device.

[0022] The storage unit 170 can be an HDD, flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage unit 170 may also be a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device that the payment server 100 can access via the network. The storage unit 170 stores information such as user information 171, payment content information 172, merchant / store information 173, gift card information 174, and aggregated information 175.

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

[0024] The payment content provision unit 115, for example, has the functionality of a web server and provides information (content) for displaying various screens of the electronic payment service to the user terminal device 10. The payment content provision unit 115 reads the necessary content from the payment content information 172 as appropriate and provides it to the user terminal device 10. The user terminal device 10 receives various inputs from the user while the content is being played by the payment application 20 and transmits the aforementioned payment information, etc., to the payment server 100.

[0025] The payment processing unit 120 performs payment processing based on payment information transmitted by the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50. The payment processing unit 120 performs payment processing while referring to the user information 171.

[0026] Figure 5 shows an example of the contents of User Information 171. User Information 171 is an example of user registration information. User Information 171 includes, for example, user URL, account ID, telephone number, password, as well as email address, user ID, name, address, gender, date of birth, registration date, charge balance, credit payment settings, credit payment limit, credit payment amount, available credit payment amount, payment method settings, bank account, credit card number, charge history information, payment history information, points, etc. The user URL is used for transfer processing between users. When registering for a new electronic payment service, registration of a telephone number and password is mandatory. The account ID is identification information issued to the user by the payment server 100 to identify the user. The user ID is an ID that the user can set at will (or does not have to set). Similarly, the email address, name, address, and date of birth are also information that the user can set at will (or does not have to set). The registration date is the date the user registered for the electronic payment service (the date the account was created). Hereafter, the user instance (electronic payment account) to which this information is associated will be referred to as an account.

[0027] The charge balance is information indicating the balance of electronic money set by the user by sending money to their account in advance. Methods of sending money include sending from an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) of a designated provider (bank) and sending from a registered bank account. The credit payment setting indicates whether or not the user has completed the settings to enable electronic payments by credit card, and is set to either "Completed" or "Not Completed". The credit payment limit is the monthly limit for credit payments, the credit payment amount is the amount already used for credit payments in the current month, and the available credit payment amount is the amount available for credit payments in the current month, calculated by subtracting the credit payment amount from the credit payment limit. While the diagram shows only one credit payment limit, in reality there are also daily limits, and the lower of these may be set as the credit payment limit. Further details on credit payments will be described later. The payment method setting indicates whether the user will use electronic payment with the charge balance or payment by credit card at that time. The bank account and credit card numbers are information (account number, card number) of a bank account or credit card number that can be used to deposit funds into the electronic payment service. The charge history information is a record of when the user has previously sent money to the electronic payment service to increase the charge balance. The payment history information shows the details of each payment made by the user (date and time, store ID of the store where the purchase was made, payment amount, payment method, etc.). Points are information that shows the number of points held by the user. Points can be used in electronic payments in the same way as electronic money, and for example, 1 point may be equivalent to 1 yen.

[0028] Figure 6 shows an example of the contents of the merchant / store information 173. The merchant / store information 173 includes, for example, a first table 173A in which merchant IDs and store IDs are associated with store URLs, a second table 173B in which merchant names and sales figures are associated with merchant IDs, and a third table 173C in which store names are associated with store IDs. In addition to this information, the merchant / store information 173 may also include information such as the merchant or store category, store location, and payment patterns.

[0029] The information management unit 125 manages user information 171 and merchant / store information 173 based on information obtained from the user terminal device 10 and the second store terminal device 70. For example, the information management unit 125 adds, edits, deletes, etc., new records for user information 171, merchant / store information 173, and gift card information 174.

[0030] Figure 7 shows an example of the contents of gift card information 174. Gift card information 174 is information that links, for example, a gift code, an amount, an account ID, a vending machine ID, a design ID, and valid / invalid information. The gift code is identification information for identifying the gift card and is printed on the gift card by the vending machine 200. The gift code may be, for example, a 16-digit alphanumeric string. The amount is information that indicates the amount (charge amount) of the gift card. The account ID is identification information for identifying the user who can use the gift card, and is the same information as the account ID in user information 171 in Figure 5. The vending machine ID is identification information for identifying the vending machine 200 that sold the gift card. The design ID is identification information for identifying the design of the gift card. The valid / invalid information indicates whether the gift card is valid or invalid. When electronic money is charged to the user's account using the gift card, the gift card is used, and the valid / invalid information is rewritten from "valid" to "invalid". As will be explained in more detail later, gift card information 174 is updated by the information management department 125.

[0031] Figure 8 shows an example of the contents of the summary information 175. The summary information 175 is information that links, for example, the design ID, the number of cards issued, and the sales amount. The design ID is identification information for identifying the design of the gift card, and is the same information as the design ID in the gift card information 174 in Figure 7. The number of cards issued is information that indicates the number of gift cards issued with the design indicated by the design ID. The sales amount is information that indicates the sales amount of the gift cards with the design indicated by the design ID. Note that the summary information 175 may be information that links the design ID with at least one of the number of cards issued and the sales amount, and one of the number of cards issued and the sales amount may be omitted. As will be described in detail later, the summary information 175 is generated by the aggregation unit 150.

[0032] [Electronic payment] When the payment processing unit 120 obtains payment information from the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50, it refers to the user information 171 to obtain the user's "payment method setting". For users whose "payment method setting" is set to "electronic payment", the payment processing unit 120 performs electronic payment as follows: For example, the payment processing unit 120 performs electronic payment by decreasing the charge balance managed in association with the user ID and increasing the item value of the merchant's sales proceeds. For example, the item value of the merchant's sales proceeds is not used as electronic money itself, but rather the amount corresponding to the item value of the sales proceeds is transferred to the bank account in a cycle according to the agreement between the merchant and the electronic payment service.

[0033] The payment processing unit 120 performs electronic payment as follows for users whose "payment method setting" is set to "credit card payment". Credit card payment is a payment method that is carried out in cooperation with a credit card company, which is a separate entity from the electronic payment service operator. The electronic payment service operator acts as the donor and allows electronic payment that does not depend on the charge balance within the credit limit. In order to use the credit card payment service, it may be required to obtain a credit card provided by the electronic payment service operator. The amount used by credit card payment is settled in a lump sum for the month on the payment date of the following month, for example, by withdrawal from a bank account. In this case, the payment processing unit 120 performs a provisional settlement by adding the settlement amount to the credit card usage amount and subtracting the same amount from the available credit card balance. When the closing date arrives, it processes the payment for the current month to be withdrawn on the payment date of the following month as described above, or requests the credit card company operator to perform the said process. If the settlement amount exceeds the available credit card balance at the time of provisional settlement, an error notification is sent back to the payment app 20.

[0034] [Vending machine] Figure 9 is a diagram of the configuration of the vending machine 200. The vending machine 200 includes, for example, a communication unit 210, an input unit 220, a discrimination unit 230, a design selection unit 240, a request unit 250, a gift code acquisition unit 260, a printing unit 270, and a gift card storage unit 280. Components other than the communication unit 210, the input unit 220, and the gift card storage unit 280 are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSIs, ASICs, FPGAs, and GPUs, or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory (a storage device equipped with a non-transient storage medium), or it may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transient storage medium) and installed in the storage device when the storage medium is mounted on a drive device.

[0035] The gift card storage unit 280 is a storage unit for storing gift cards of various designs before the gift codes are printed on them. For example, the gift card storage unit 280 stores multiple gift cards of various designs, such as multiple gift cards of design A 281, multiple gift cards of design B 282, and multiple gift cards of design C 283. For example, if the vending machine 200 is installed in a baseball stadium, multiple gift cards with designs of baseball players may be stored in the gift card storage unit 280. Also, for example, if the vending machine 200 is installed in a concert venue, multiple gift cards with designs of idols or artists performing at the concert may be stored in the gift card storage unit 280.

[0036] The communication unit 210 is a communication interface for connecting to a network NW. The communication unit 210 is, for example, a network interface card.

[0037] The input unit 220 includes multiple buttons for selecting a gift card design, multiple buttons for selecting the gift card amount, and an input device such as a touch panel or keyboard for entering the user's account ID.

[0038] Figure 10 shows an example of the appearance of the vending machine 200. The vending machine 200 shown in Figure 10 is assumed to be installed in a baseball stadium. Therefore, users can purchase gift cards featuring baseball players by inserting cash into the vending machine 200. As shown in Figure 10, the vending machine 200 is equipped with an input unit 220, a cash insertion unit 290, and a gift card dispensing slot 295.

[0039] The input unit 220 includes a plurality of buttons B1 to B10 and an account ID input unit 221. Buttons B1 to B4 are for selecting the design of the gift card. Specifically, button B1 is for selecting gift card design A. Button B2 is for selecting gift card design B. Button B3 is for selecting gift card design C. Button B4 is for selecting gift card design D. Here, as an example, there are four designs to choose from, but the number of gift card designs can be any number.

[0040] Buttons B5 to B10 are for selecting the amount of the gift card. Electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card selected here will be charged to the user's account. Specifically, button B5 is for selecting 1,000 yen. Button B6 is for selecting 2,000 yen. Button B7 is for selecting 3,000 yen. Button B8 is for selecting 5,000 yen. Button B9 is for selecting 10,000 yen. Button B10 is for selecting 20,000 yen. Alternatively, an input device such as a numeric keypad that allows the user to enter any amount may be provided in the input section 220 instead of these buttons.

[0041] The account ID input unit 221 is an input device for entering the user's account ID. As mentioned above, the account ID is the user's ID in the electronic payment service and is an example of user identification information used to identify a user. For example, the account ID input unit 221 may be a touch panel or a keyboard. Alternatively, the account ID input unit 221 may be equipped with a reader device that optically reads and decodes code information, including the user's account ID, displayed on the payment application 20 screen, to obtain the user's account ID. While entering the account ID is not mandatory for users to purchase gift cards, doing so enhances the security of the gift card. Details of this process will be described later.

[0042] The cash input section 290 has an input slot for inserting cash (coins or banknotes) to purchase gift cards. The gift card dispensing slot 295 has a space for dispensing a gift card with a gift code printed on it when a user purchases a gift card.

[0043] There are two processes for issuing gift cards: Process 1, which does not link the user's account ID to the gift code, and Process 2, which links the user's account ID to the gift code. Process 1 allows for quick issuance of gift cards because it does not require the user to enter their account ID. On the other hand, Process 2 enhances the security of the gift card by authenticating the user who is making the charge using the user's account ID. The details of Process 1 and Process 2 are explained below.

[0044] [Sequence diagram of the first process] Figure 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the gift card issuance flow in the first process. First, the design selection unit 240 of the vending machine 200 selects a gift card design in response to input from the user (S21). Specifically, when the user presses one of the buttons B1 to B4, the design selection unit 240 selects the design corresponding to the pressed button.

[0045] Next, the discrimination unit 230 determines the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase, based on the input from the user (S22). Specifically, after the user inserts cash into the cash input unit 290 and then presses one of the buttons B5 to B10, the discrimination unit 230 determines the amount of the gift card corresponding to the pressed button.

[0046] Next, the request unit 250 requests the payment server 100 to generate a gift code for charging electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card (S23). Specifically, the request unit 250 sends a gift code generation request to the payment server 100 that includes the amount of the gift card, a vending machine ID for identifying the vending machine 200, and a design ID for identifying the design of the gift card.

[0047] Meanwhile, the gift code generation unit 130 of the payment server 100 generates a gift code to charge electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase, in response to a request from the vending machine 200 (S24). Specifically, the gift code generation unit 130 obtains a gift code generation request from the vending machine 200 that includes the amount of the gift card, the vending machine ID, and the design ID, and generates a gift code based on the gift code generation request. The gift code may be, for example, a 16-digit alphanumeric code.

[0048] Next, the information management unit 125 updates the gift card information 174 (S25). Specifically, the information management unit 125 links the gift code generated by the gift code generation unit 130, the amount of the gift card included in the gift code generation request, the vending machine ID, and the design ID, and writes them to the gift card information 174. Note that since the user's account ID is not entered in the first process, the account ID field in the gift card information 174 is left blank. The information management unit 125 also writes "Valid" in the valid / invalid information field in the gift card information 174. This activates the gift code.

[0049] Next, the aggregation unit 150 updates the aggregated information 175 (S26). Specifically, the aggregation unit 150 aggregates at least one of the number of gift cards issued or the sales amount for each design ID and updates the aggregated information 175 according to the aggregated information. For example, if the design ID included in the gift code generation request is D001, 1 may be added to the number of cards issued associated with D001 in the aggregated information 175. Alternatively, the amount of the gift cards included in the gift code generation request may be added to the sales amount associated with D001 in the aggregated information 175. By updating the aggregated information, the electronic payment service provider can understand which gift card designs are popular.

[0050] Next, the gift code notification unit 135 notifies the vending machine 200 of the gift code generated by the gift code generation unit 130 (S27). Specifically, the gift code notification unit 135 notifies the vending machine 200 corresponding to the vending machine ID included in the gift code generation request of the gift code. This prevents the gift code from being sent to the wrong recipient, even if there are multiple vending machines 200.

[0051] Meanwhile, the gift code acquisition unit 260 of the vending machine 200 acquires a gift code from the payment server 100. The printing unit 270 prints the gift code acquired by the gift code acquisition unit 260 onto the gift card (S28). Specifically, the printing unit 270 prints the gift code onto the gift card with the design selected by the design selection unit 240. The printing unit 270 controls the printing mechanism installed in the vending machine to print the gift code onto the gift card. Any printing method can be used, such as inkjet, electrophotographic, thermal, and thermal transfer. This allows the gift code to be printed onto a gift card with the user's preferred design.

[0052] The printing unit 270 may also print the coded information of the gift code onto the gift card. The coded information may be, for example, a QR code (registered trademark). The printing unit 270 may print only the gift code onto the gift card, or it may print both the gift code and the coded information onto the gift card.

[0053] Users can use a gift card with a printed gift code to add electronic money to their account. The following describes the details of the charging process when a gift card is issued in the first process.

[0054] Figure 12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the charging process when a gift card is issued in the first process. First, the user launches the payment application 20 using the user terminal device 10 (S31). As a result, the home screen of the payment application 20 is displayed on the display unit of the user terminal device 10.

[0055] Next, the user enters the gift code printed on the gift card by operating the payment app 20 (S32). Specifically, the user can display the gift code input screen on the user terminal device 10 by tapping the button indicating the gift code on the charge screen of the payment app 20.

[0056] Figure 13 shows an example of a gift code input screen. The gift code input screen includes an input area A1 and buttons B11 and B12. The user enters the gift code printed on the gift card into input area A1 and selects button B11, at which point the amount of electronic money associated with the gift code will be charged to the user's account.

[0057] Alternatively, users can enter the gift code by scanning the gift card using the user terminal device 10. Specifically, users can open the scan screen of the payment app 20 by selecting button B12 and scan the code information printed on the gift code from the scan screen. The payment app 20 can also obtain the gift code by decoding the scanned code information and automatically enter the obtained gift code. This eliminates the need for users to manually enter the gift code.

[0058] Next, the payment app 20 sends a charge request to the payment server 100 (S33). The charge request includes the user's account ID and the gift code entered in S32.

[0059] Meanwhile, when the charge unit 140 of the payment server 100 receives a charge request from the payment application 20 (user terminal device 10), it executes the charge process (S34). Specifically, the charge unit 140 charges the user's account linked to the account ID included in the charge request with electronic money corresponding to the amount of the gift code included in the charge request. For example, the charge unit 140 obtains the charge amount linked to the gift code from the gift card information 174 and adds the obtained charge amount to the charge balance linked to the user's account ID in the user information 171. In this way, the charge unit 140 can charge the user's account with electronic money corresponding to the amount of the gift code.

[0060] Next, the information management unit 125 updates the gift card information 174 (S35). Specifically, the information management unit 125 writes "Invalid" in the valid / invalid information column of the gift card information 174. This invalidates the gift code, preventing the use of a used gift card for another charge.

[0061] Next, the payment server 100 controls the communication unit 110 to send a charge completion notification to the payment application 20 (S36). The charge completion notification includes the charge amount.

[0062] Meanwhile, when the payment app 20 receives a charge completion notification from the payment server 100, it displays a charge completion screen (S37). The charge completion screen displays the charge amount included in the charge completion notification. This allows the user to know the charge amount through the payment app 20.

[0063] Figure 14 shows an example of a charge completion screen. As shown in Figure 14, the charge completion screen displays the date and time the charge was completed, the charge amount, and a message indicating that the charge has been completed. In this way, the payment server 100 can execute the charge process when a gift card is issued in the first process.

[0064] Furthermore, to enhance the security of the gift card compared to the first process, the vending machine 200 can also issue a gift card in a second process that requires the user to enter their account ID. The details of the second process are described below.

[0065] [Sequence diagram of the second process] Figure 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the gift card issuance flow in the second process. First, the user enters their account ID using the account ID input unit 221 (S40). As mentioned above, the account ID is the user's ID (user identification information) in the electronic payment service.

[0066] Next, the design selection unit 240 of the vending machine 200 selects a gift card design in response to input from the user (S41). Specifically, when the user presses one of the buttons B1 to B4, the design selection unit 240 selects the design corresponding to the pressed button.

[0067] Next, the discrimination unit 230 determines the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase, based on the input from the user (S42). Specifically, after the user inserts cash into the cash input unit 290 and then presses one of the buttons B5 to B10, the discrimination unit 230 determines the amount of the gift card corresponding to the pressed button.

[0068] Next, the request unit 250 requests the payment server 100 to generate a gift code for charging electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card (S43). Specifically, the request unit 250 sends a gift code generation request to the payment server 100 that includes the amount of the gift card, the user's account ID, a vending machine ID for identifying the vending machine 200, and a design ID for identifying the design of the gift card.

[0069] Meanwhile, the gift code generation unit 130 of the payment server 100 generates a gift code to charge electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase, in response to a request from the vending machine 200 (S44). Specifically, the gift code generation unit 130 obtains a gift code generation request from the vending machine 200 that includes the amount of the gift card, the user's account ID, the vending machine ID, and the design ID, and generates a gift code based on the gift code generation request. The gift code may be, for example, a 16-digit alphanumeric code.

[0070] Next, the information management unit 125 updates the gift card information 174 (S45). Unlike the first process, the information management unit 125 associates the user's account ID with the gift code. Specifically, the information management unit 125 associates the gift code generated by the gift code generation unit 130 with the amount of the gift card included in the gift code generation request, the account ID, the vending machine ID, and the design ID, and writes them to the gift card information 174. Note that since the user's account ID is entered in the second process, unlike the first process, the user's account ID is written to the account ID field in the gift card information 174. The information management unit 125 also writes "Valid" to the valid / invalid information field in the gift card information 174. This activates the gift code.

[0071] Next, the aggregation unit 150 updates the aggregation information 175 (S46). Specifically, the aggregation unit 150 aggregates at least one of the following: the number of gift cards issued or the sales amount for each design ID, and updates the aggregation information 175 according to the aggregated information. The aggregation process in S46 is the same as the aggregation process in S26 in Figure 11.

[0072] Next, the gift code notification unit 135 notifies the vending machine 200 of the gift code generated by the gift code generation unit 130 (S47). Specifically, the gift code notification unit 135 notifies the vending machine 200 corresponding to the vending machine ID included in the gift code generation request of the gift code notification unit 135. This prevents the gift code from being sent to the wrong recipient, even if there are multiple vending machines 200.

[0073] Meanwhile, the gift code acquisition unit 260 of the vending machine 200 acquires a gift code linked to the user's account ID from the payment server 100. The printing unit 270 then prints the gift code acquired by the gift code acquisition unit 260 onto the gift card (S48). The printing process in S48 is the same as the printing process in S28 in Figure 11.

[0074] The printing unit 270 may also print the coded information of the gift code onto the gift card. The coded information may be, for example, a QR code (registered trademark). The printing unit 270 may print only the gift code onto the gift card, or it may print both the gift code and the coded information onto the gift card.

[0075] Users can use a gift card with a printed gift code to add electronic money to their account. The following details the charging process when a gift card is issued in the second process.

[0076] Figure 16 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the charging process when a gift card is issued in the second process. First, the user launches the payment application 20 using the user terminal device 10 (S51). As a result, the home screen of the payment application 20 is displayed on the display unit of the user terminal device 10.

[0077] Next, the user enters the gift code printed on the gift card by operating the payment app 20 (S52). The gift code input process in S52 is the same as the gift code input process in S32 in Figure 12.

[0078] Next, the payment app 20 sends a charge request to the payment server 100 (S53). The charge request includes the user's account ID and the gift code entered in S32.

[0079] Meanwhile, the charge eligibility determination unit 145 of the payment server 100, upon receiving a charge request from the payment application 20 (user terminal device 10), verifies the user's account ID (S54). Specifically, the charge eligibility determination unit 145 determines whether the account ID included in the charge request matches the account ID associated with the gift code. If the account ID included in the charge request matches the account ID associated with the gift code, the charge eligibility determination unit 145 permits the charging of electronic money to the user's account. On the other hand, if the account ID included in the charge request does not match the account ID associated with the gift code, the charge eligibility determination unit 145 prohibits the charging of electronic money to the user's account. This prevents electronic money from being charged by others, such as when a gift card is stolen. In this way, the security of the gift card can be enhanced according to the second process.

[0080] Next, if the charge eligibility determination unit 145 permits charging electronic money to the user's account, the charge unit 140 executes the charge process (S55). Specifically, the charge unit 140 charges electronic money of an amount corresponding to the gift code included in the charge request to the user's account linked to the account ID included in the charge request. For example, the charge unit 140 obtains the charge amount linked to the gift code from the gift card information 174 and adds the obtained charge amount to the charge balance linked to the user's account ID in the user information 171. In this way, the charge unit 140 can charge electronic money of an amount corresponding to the gift code to the user's account.

[0081] Next, the information management unit 125 updates the gift card information 174 (S56). Specifically, the information management unit 125 writes "Invalid" in the valid / invalid information column of the gift card information 174. This invalidates the gift code, preventing the charging process from being performed using a used gift card.

[0082] Next, the payment server 100 controls the communication unit 110 to send a charge completion notification to the payment application 20 (S57). The charge completion notification includes the charge amount.

[0083] Meanwhile, when the payment app 20 receives a charge completion notification from the payment server 100, it displays a charge completion screen (S58). As shown in Figure 14 above, the charge completion screen displays the charge amount included in the charge completion notification. This allows the user to know the charge amount through the payment app 20.

[0084] Thus, according to this embodiment, since gift cards are sold by the vending machine 200, there is no need for a sales counter or sales staff to sell gift cards. Furthermore, since the gift cards stored in the gift card storage unit 280 of the vending machine 200 are gift cards for which no gift code has been generated, even if a gift card is stolen from the vending machine 200, it is not possible to use the gift card to charge electronic money. For this reason, according to this embodiment, security can be ensured when selling gift cards.

[0085] Normally, users can top up their electronic money at bank ATMs, but if there are no bank ATMs near them, they cannot top up their electronic money. However, according to this embodiment, even if there are no bank ATMs nearby, users can purchase gift cards from the vending machine 200 and top up their electronic money, thereby improving user convenience.

[0086] Furthermore, an electronic payment service provider may install vending machines 200 in areas where they wish to promote the use of their electronic payment service. In such cases, the payment server 100 may grant benefits to users when they purchase goods at affiliated stores within the area where the vending machine 200 is installed. For example, the point awarding unit 155 may award points usable as electronic money to users when they purchase goods at affiliated stores within the area where the vending machine 200 from which they purchased a gift card is installed. This allows the payment server 100 to promote the use of electronic payment services in the area where the vending machine 200 is installed.

[0087] Furthermore, in the first and second processes described above, the design selection unit 240 selects a design corresponding to the button pressed by the user, but it is not limited to this. For example, the design selection unit 240 may select a design to be used for the gift card from among multiple designs of different rarities. For example, multiple gift cards with different rarities may be stored in the gift card storage unit 280, and the design selection unit 240 may select a design with a low probability of obtaining a design with a high rarity. For example, the background design of the gift card may be changed according to its rarity. A gift card with a high rarity design may be, for example, a so-called mirror card in which part of the gift card is mirror-finished. This can encourage users to purchase gift cards and increase gift card sales.

[0088] Furthermore, the design selection unit 240 may increase the probability of selecting a rarer design as the value of the gift card increases. This can further encourage users to purchase gift cards and increase gift card sales.

[0089] As described above, the vending machine 200 of this embodiment is connected to a payment server 100 that provides electronic payment services via a network NW, and is a device that sells gift cards usable with electronic payment services. The vending machine 200 comprises a discrimination unit 230, a request unit 250, a gift code acquisition unit 260, and a printing unit 270. The discrimination unit 230 determines the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase in response to input from the user. The request unit 250 requests the payment server 100 to generate a gift code for charging electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card. The gift code acquisition unit 260 acquires the gift code from the payment server 100. The printing unit 270 prints the gift code on the gift card. As a result, the vending machine 200 of this embodiment does not require a sales counter or sales staff for selling gift cards, and security for selling gift cards can be ensured.

[0090] Furthermore, the payment server 100 of this embodiment is a device that provides electronic payment services and is connected via a network NW to a vending machine 200 that sells gift cards usable with electronic payment services. The payment server 100 includes a gift code generation unit 130 and a gift code notification unit 135. The gift code generation unit 130 generates a gift code for charging electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase, in response to a request from the vending machine 200. The gift code notification unit 135 notifies the vending machine 200 of the gift code generated by the gift code generation unit 130. As a result, the payment server 100 of this embodiment does not require a sales counter or sales staff for selling gift cards, and security for selling gift cards can be ensured.

[0091] Furthermore, the payment management system of this embodiment includes a payment server 100 and a vending machine 200. The vending machine 200 includes a discrimination unit 230, a request unit 250, a gift code acquisition unit 260, and a printing unit 270. The discrimination unit 230 determines the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase in response to input from the user. The request unit 250 requests the payment server 100 to generate a gift code for charging electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card. The gift code acquisition unit 260 obtains the gift code from the payment server 100. The printing unit 270 prints the gift code on the gift card. The payment server 100 includes a gift code generation unit 130 and a gift code notification unit 135. The gift code generation unit 130 generates a gift code in response to a request from the vending machine 200. The gift code notification unit 135 notifies the vending machine 200 of the gift code generated by the gift code generation unit 130. As a result, the payment management system of this embodiment does not require a sales counter or sales staff for selling gift cards, and can ensure security when selling gift cards.

[0092] Although embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 10. User terminal device 20 Payment Apps 100 Payment Servers 110 Communications Department 115 Payment Content Provision Department 120 Payment Processing Unit 125 Information Management Department 130 Gift Code Generation Section 135 Gift Code Notification Section 140 Charging section 145 Charge eligibility determination unit 150 Aggregation Department 155 points awarded 170 Storage section 200 vending machines 210 Communications Department 220 Input section 221 Account ID Input Section 230 Discrimination part 240 Design Selection Section 250 Request part 260 Gift Code Acquisition Section 270 Printing section 280 Gift Card Storage Section 290 Cash input section 295 Gift card dispenser

Claims

1. An automatic vending machine that is connected via a network to a payment management device that provides electronic payment services and sells gift cards usable with said electronic payment services, A gift card storage unit that stores the aforementioned gift card before printing, which does not contain information for charging electronic money, A determination unit that determines the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase, based on input from the user, A request unit that requests the payment management device to generate a gift code for charging electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card, A gift code acquisition unit that acquires the gift code from the payment management device, A printing unit for printing the aforementioned gift code onto the gift card, Equipped with, In response to the user's purchase operation of the gift card, a series of processes consisting of determining the amount of the gift card, requesting the generation of the gift code, obtaining the gift code, and printing the gift code are executed. Vending machine.

2. The request unit transmits a gift code generation request to the payment management device, which includes the amount of the gift card, user identification information for identifying the user, and vending machine identification information for identifying the vending machine. The gift code acquisition unit acquires the gift code linked to the user identification information from the payment management device. The vending machine according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a design selection unit that selects the design of the gift card in response to input from the user. The printing unit prints the gift code onto the gift card of the selected design. The vending machine according to claim 1.

4. The design selection unit selects a design to be used for the gift card from among several designs of different rarities. The vending machine according to claim 3.

5. The design selection unit increases the probability of selecting a rarer design as the value of the gift card increases. The vending machine according to claim 4.

6. A payment management system comprising a payment management device that provides electronic payment services and a vending machine that sells gift cards usable with the electronic payment services, The aforementioned vending machine is A gift card storage unit that stores the aforementioned gift card before printing, which does not contain information for charging electronic money, A determination unit that determines the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase, based on input from the user, A request unit that requests the payment management device to generate a gift code for charging electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card, A gift code acquisition unit that acquires the gift code from the payment management device, The system includes a printing unit for printing the aforementioned gift code onto the gift card, The aforementioned payment management device is A gift code generation unit generates the gift code in response to a request from the vending machine, A gift code notification unit that notifies the vending machine of the aforementioned gift code, Equipped with, In response to the user's purchase operation of the gift card, a series of processes consisting of determining the amount of the gift card, requesting the generation of the gift code, obtaining the gift code, and printing the gift code are executed. Payment management system.

7. A vending machine that is connected via a network to a payment management device that provides electronic payment services and sells gift cards usable with said electronic payment services, the vending machine having a gift card storage section that stores the gift cards before printing and does not contain information for charging electronic money, In response to input from the user, the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase is determined. The payment management device is requested to generate a gift code for charging electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card, The gift code is obtained from the payment management device. The aforementioned gift code is printed on the aforementioned gift card, In response to the user's purchase operation of the gift card, a series of processes consisting of determining the amount of the gift card, requesting the generation of the gift code, obtaining the gift code, and printing the gift code are executed. How to control a vending machine.

8. A vending machine that is connected via a network to a payment management device that provides electronic payment services and sells gift cards usable with said electronic payment services, and the vending machine is equipped with a gift card storage unit that stores the gift cards before printing and does not contain information for charging electronic money, A process to determine the amount of the gift card that the user intends to purchase, based on input from the user, A process of requesting the payment management device to generate a gift code for charging electronic money equivalent to the amount of the gift card, The process of obtaining the gift code from the payment management device, The process of printing the aforementioned gift code onto the aforementioned gift card, Make it run, In response to the user's purchase operation of the gift card, the system executes a series of processes consisting of determining the amount of the gift card, requesting the generation of the gift code, obtaining the gift code, and printing the gift code. program.

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