PROGRAM, SERVER, USER TERMINAL, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD

Abstract

To provide a program, a server, a user terminal, an information processing system, and an information processing method that provide a technique for a user who receives electronic payment of salary to flexibly receive electronic advance payment of salary according to the amount of salary of the user.SOLUTION: A server (2) includes: a transfer prediction information acquisition unit (221) which acquires salary transfer prediction information indicating the estimated amount of salary to be transferred to an account for salary, which is an account used for receiving electronic payment of salary; an advance payment limit calculating unit (222) which calculates a limit of the amount allowed for advance payment to the account for salary, on the basis of the salary transfer prediction information; an advance payment request acquisition unit (223) which acquires a request for an advance payment to the account for salary; a range determination unit (224) which determines whether the requested amount indicated by the advance payment request falls within the limit of the amount or not; and an advance payment processing unit (225) which performs processing for advance payment to the account for salary when the requested amount is determined to fall within the limit of the amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program, a server, a user terminal, an information processing system, and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] As cashless payments become more widespread and remittance services become more diverse, the introduction of so-called "digital salary payments" is progressing. Digital salary payments allow salary recipients, such as employees (hereinafter referred to as "salary recipients"), to designate their employers' salary payers (hereinafter referred to as "salary payers") to transfer all or part of their salary to the salary recipient's account provided by a funds transfer service provider. Hereinafter, an account provided by a Funds Transfer Service Provider (hereinafter referred to as a "Funds Transfer Account"), which is designated by a salary recipient and used for digital salary payments, will be referred to as a "Salary Account." A salary recipient who uses digital salary payments will also be referred to as a "User." Note that, more accurately, "digital salary payments" are digital payments of "wages," but here "salary" will be treated as synonymous with "wages."

[0003] Incidentally, Patent Document 1 describes a salary advance payment system that enables a user (salary recipient) whose salary is transferred to an account at a financial institution to raise funds by prepaying his / her salary. This salary advance payment system determines that salary transfers have been made to the user's account for a specified period, and upon receiving a salary advance payment request from the user, transfers a first amount to the user's account as a salary advance payment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6870126 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In digital salary payment, it is convenient for users if they can make a salary advance payment. For this reason, it is conceivable to apply the conventional technology related to financial institution accounts, such as that described in Patent Document 1, to digital salary payment. However, in the conventional technology, the advance amount is either the same fixed amount for all users (e.g., 30,000 yen) or an amount up to the same fixed upper limit for all users (e.g., 50,000 yen or less) can be arbitrarily specified. Therefore, even if conventional technology related to financial institution accounts were applied to digital salary payments, the advance amount would be fixed or the upper limit would be fixed, and there was a problem that it was not possible to provide users of digital salary payments with technology that would allow them to receive flexible advance salary payments based on the user's own salary amount.

[0006] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a program, a server, a user terminal, an information processing system, and an information processing method that provide users who pay their wages digitally with technology that enables them to receive flexible advance payments of wages based on the user's own salary amount. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The program of the present invention causes a computer executing the program to function as a server that includes a transfer forecast information acquisition unit that acquires salary transfer forecast information indicating the predicted amount of salary to be transferred to a salary account, which is an account used for digital salary payments, an advance payment limit calculation unit that calculates the limit amount that can be advanced to the salary account based on the salary transfer forecast information, an advance payment request acquisition unit that acquires an advance payment request for the salary account, an within-range / outside-range determination unit that determines whether the requested amount indicated by the advance payment request is within the limit, and an advance payment processing unit that performs advance payment processing for the salary account when it is determined that the requested amount is within the limit. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the program of the present invention, a computer executing the program obtains salary transfer forecast information indicating the predicted amount of salary to be transferred to a salary account, which is an account used for digital salary payments, calculates the limit amount that can be advanced to the salary account based on the salary transfer forecast information, obtains an advance payment request for the salary account, determines whether the requested amount indicated in the advance payment request is within the limit, and if it is determined that the requested amount is within the limit, performs an advance payment process for the salary account. As a result, the program according to the present invention can provide users whose wages are paid digitally with a technique for receiving flexible advance wage payments according to the user's own wage amount. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information processing system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a user terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing an example of a screen showing a predicted amount etc. and an advance payment request operation screen. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration for implementing the functions of a server or a user terminal. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing an information processing method according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Embodiment 1 (Information Processing System) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information processing system 1 according to a first embodiment. In Fig. 1, the information processing system 1 is a system in which a server 2, a user terminal 3, and a store terminal 4 are connected via a network 5. An existing electric communication line can be used as the network 5. The network 5 is, for example, the Internet. The server 2, the user terminal 3, and the store terminal 4 are capable of communicating with each other via the network 5. The information processing system 1 provides a digital salary payment service to user A and a salary payer, such as the company where user A works.

[0011] The salary account used for digital salary payment is a funds transfer account and is also an account designated by a salary recipient such as User A as the account into which the salary is to be deposited. User A, who wishes to receive a digital salary payment service, first completes a prescribed account opening procedure with a funds transfer service provider and opens a funds transfer account with User A's name, etc., as the account holder. The opened funds transfer account is, for example, assigned a unique ID. User A then specifies the ID of the opened funds transfer account to the salary payer, such as the company where User A works, and performs a payroll account designation procedure to specify that funds transfer account as a salary account and to designate that all or part of the salary amount be transferred to that salary account.

[0012] Furthermore, if the funds transfer service provider is also an issuer of prepaid payment instruments such as prepaid cards, the salary account used for digital salary payment may be the prepaid card account itself that was opened in advance by user A, it may be one of the pockets provided in the prepaid card, or it may be another funds transfer account linked to the prepaid card account. A pocket is one or more sub-accounts that are arbitrarily created by the user of the prepaid card to improve the convenience of managing the balance of the prepaid card account, so that the balance of the account can be allocated, for example, according to purpose. In addition, a prepaid card account that can be designated as a salary account also serves as a funds transfer account.

[0013] Server 2 acquires salary transfer forecast information indicating the predicted amount of salary to be transferred to a salary account, which is an account used for digital salary payment, calculates the limit amount that can be advanced to the salary account based on the salary transfer forecast information, acquires an advance payment request for the salary account, determines whether the requested amount indicated in the advance payment request is within the limit, and if it is determined that the requested amount is within the limit, performs an advance payment process for the salary account.

[0014] Server 2 is typically managed or used by a money transfer service provider, and manages one or more money transfer accounts opened through an account opening procedure carried out by a user, such as User A, and also manages one or more payroll accounts among those money transfer accounts which are designated by User A, etc. and used for digital salary payments.

[0015] The management of fund transfer accounts, including salary accounts, performed by the server 2 may include the opening of fund transfer accounts, deposit or remittance processing performed for fund transfer accounts, or management of balances associated with such deposit or remittance processing. Note that remittance processing may include transfer processing and money transfer processing.

[0016] Furthermore, when the server 2 is managed or used by a funds transferor that is also a prepaid payment instrument issuer, the server 2 may manage a prepaid card account. The server 2 may be physically configured as one server, or may be configured as multiple servers. The server 2 will be described in detail later.

[0017] The user terminal 3 is a terminal device for a user of a salary account, such as User A, to manage his / her own salary account. The user terminal 3 is a terminal device capable of communicating with the server 2 via the network 5, and is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a PC (Personal Computer). In the following, it is assumed that the user terminal 3 is a smartphone. The user terminal 3 accesses the server 2, for example, by accessing an API (Application Programming Interface) provided by the server 2.

[0018] When user A operates operation unit 34 (described later) to obtain operation information from operation unit 34 for requesting server 2, which manages the salary account, to advance the requested amount to the salary account, user terminal 3 transmits an advance payment request including the requested amount to server 2. When server 2 obtains the advance payment request from user terminal 3, it performs advance payment processing, etc. Furthermore, the user terminal 3 can receive operations from user A and transmit to the server 2, etc., information instructing a deposit into the salary account or information instructing a transfer from the salary account to another account, etc. When the server 2 receives these instructions from the user terminal 3, it performs a deposit process or a transfer process. User A can use these functions of the user terminal 3 to manage his / her own salary account managed by the server 2. The user terminal 3 will be described in detail later.

[0019] The store terminal 4 is a terminal device installed in a store of an affiliated store that allows payment using a payment means (hereinafter simply referred to as "payment means") associated with a salary account. For example, the server 2 has a function of managing the payment of commercial transactions using a payment means. When user A makes a payment for a commercial transaction using a payment means at a store, the store terminal 4 reads information related to the payment means and transmits a payment request to the server 2 via the network 5. The payment request includes identification information of the affiliated store where the payment was made and information related to the payment means.

[0020] The payment method is, for example, a payment method using a smartphone, including a prepaid card issued as a virtual card, or a prepaid card issued as a physical card. The information on the payment method is information that can identify the payment method linked to at least one salary account (for example, if the payment method is a prepaid card, the card number unique to the prepaid card). Hereinafter, information that can identify a payment method will be referred to as a “payment method ID.” In addition, it will be assumed that the payment method ID is stored in the storage unit 23 (described later) of the server 2 in association with the salary account ID.

[0021] When the server 2 receives the payment information sent from the store terminal 4, the server 2 identifies the salary account linked to the payment method ID included in the payment information. Next, the server 2 performs a process to pay the amount indicated by the payment amount to the affiliated store from the balance of the identified salary account. At that time, the server 2 stores, for example, the date and time when the server 2 performed the payment process to the affiliated store, and calculates the balance of the salary account after the payment process and stores it together with the date and time. The server 2 may also send information indicating that the payment process has been completed to the user terminal 3.

[0022] When the store terminal 4 transmits payment information to the server 2 via the network 5, the payment information may be transmitted via one or more other servers (not shown in FIG. 1) other than the server 2. The other servers are, for example, servers provided by credit card companies. Furthermore, the commercial transactions using the payment means have been described so far as being conducted in a brick-and-mortar store, but they may also be conducted by operating the user terminal 3 with a store on the Internet.

[0023] (Server details) Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the server 2 includes a communication unit 21, a calculation unit 22, and a storage unit 23. The communication unit 21 communicates with the user terminal 3 and the store terminal 4 via a network 5 (network 5 is not shown in Fig. 2). The communication unit 21 is capable of communicating via a network 5 with a user terminal 3 or a store terminal 4, which has a communication unit that is a communication device capable of mobile communication using a communication method such as LTE, 3G, 4G, or 5G.

[0024] The calculation unit 22 controls the overall operation of the server 2. The calculation unit 22 has the functions of a transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221, a prepayment limit calculation unit 222, a prepayment request acquisition unit 223, a range / outside determination unit 224, a prepayment processing unit 225, a predicted amount calculation unit 226, a settlement request acquisition unit 227, a prepayment request at the time of settlement unit 228, a settlement processing unit 229, a settlement processing unit 230, and a display information generation unit 231. By the calculation unit 22 executing the prepayment application, the calculation unit 22 realizes the functions of the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221, the prepayment limit calculation unit 222, the prepayment request acquisition unit 223, a range / outside determination unit 224, a prepayment processing unit 225, a predicted amount calculation unit 226, a settlement request acquisition unit 227, a prepayment request at the time of settlement unit 228, a settlement processing unit 229, a settlement processing unit 230, and a display information generation unit 231.

[0025] The storage unit 23 is a storage device provided in a computer functioning as the server 2, and includes storage such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), or a memory 103 in FIG. 5, which will be described later. The storage unit 23 may be provided outside the server 2 as long as the server 2 can access it.

[0026] The storage unit 23 stores a prepayment application and stores data used in the calculation process of the calculation unit 22. In the storage unit 23, for example, for each of one or more salary accounts managed by the server 2, information identifying user A such as user A's name or user ID, the salary account ID of user A's salary account, the salary account balance, the predicted salary amount, the prepayment amount which is the amount that has been prepaid and has not yet been settled, and a payment method ID are stored in association with each other, and a limit calculation formula is stored as information common to one or more salary accounts. In addition, when the server 2 executes an account management application to provide the user terminal 3 with management functions for salary accounts, etc., through the network 5 in the form of a so-called SaaS (Software as a Service), the account management application is also stored in the memory unit 23.

[0027] (Transfer Forecast Information Acquisition Unit) The transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 acquires salary transfer prediction information indicating a predicted amount of salary (predicted salary amount) to be transferred to a salary account, which is an account used for digital salary payment. The transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 acquires the transfer prediction information at a predetermined time each month for each of one or more payroll accounts managed by the server 2. The predetermined time may be every day or a specific date each month. The specific date each month may be one specific date each month or multiple dates. The multiple dates may be, for example, the first day of each month, i.e., the 1st (first day of the month) and multiple dates at a predetermined number of days from the first day (every 5 days such as the 1st, 6th, 11th, etc.). In addition, the multiple dates may be times specified based on the payroll transfer date, such as the date the day after the payroll transfer was made and the date several days (3 to 4 days before, etc.) before the scheduled date of the next payroll transfer.

[0028] The method for specifying the prescribed time is determined in advance by the funds transfer service provider. The funds transfer service provider stores the determined method for specifying the prescribed time in memory unit 23. The method for specifying the prescribed time is a method common to all salary accounts managed by a certain funds transfer service provider via server 2, but for example, if the method for specifying the prescribed time is a method for specifying a time based on the salary transfer date, the salary transfer date differs for each salary account, and therefore the time when salary transfer forecast information is obtained may differ for each salary account. The transfer forecast information acquisition unit 221 acquires, for example, every day, a method for identifying a specified period from the memory unit 23, identifies a salary account for which salary transfer forecast information is to be obtained on that day, and acquires salary transfer forecast information for the identified salary account.

[0029] The transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 may acquire the salary transfer prediction information at a predetermined time by, for example, acquiring the salary transfer prediction information calculated in advance by the predicted amount calculation unit 226 and stored in the storage unit 23, or acquiring salary transfer reservation information for a salary account as the salary transfer prediction information. Details of each case will be described later.

[0030] The transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 outputs the acquired salary transfer prediction information to the advance payment limit calculation unit 222. When the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 outputs the salary transfer prediction information to the advance payment limit calculation unit 222, it also outputs the salary account ID to the advance payment limit calculation unit 222. In particular, when the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 acquires salary transfer reservation information for a salary account as salary transfer prediction information, the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 outputs the transfer reservation information as the acquired salary transfer prediction information to the advance payment limit calculation unit 222 and may also output it to the memory unit 23 for storage. For example, when it is stated that "the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 outputs certain information to the advance payment limit calculation unit 222," this also includes the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 causing the advance payment limit calculation unit 222 to acquire the information via the storage unit 23. Hereinafter, the expression "output" is used as an expression having a similar meaning.

[0031] (Advance payment limit calculation section) The advance payment limit calculation unit 222 calculates the limit of the amount that can be advanced to a salary account based on the salary transfer forecast information. The memory unit 23 of the server 2 stores a limit calculation formula that specifies how to calculate the limit amount that can be advanced to user A's salary account (hereinafter referred to as the "advance payment limit") based on the predicted salary amount (hereinafter referred to as the "predicted salary amount") indicated by the salary transfer prediction information. The limit calculation formula is determined in advance by the fund transfer service provider. The fund transfer service provider stores the determined limit calculation formula in the memory unit 23. The limit calculation formula is a formula common to all salary accounts that a certain fund transfer service provider manages via the server 2.

[0032] The limit calculation formula may be, for example, "Advance payment limit = Estimated salary amount x 0.9 (rounded down to the nearest 100 yen)" or "Advance payment limit = Estimated salary amount - 10,000". In the former formula, how to handle the multiplier such as "0.9" that is multiplied by the estimated salary amount or the fraction resulting from the product resulting from the multiplication, or the numerical value such as "10,000" that is subtracted from the estimated salary amount in the latter formula, are determined arbitrarily by the funds transfer service provider. The limit calculation formula may be a combination of multiple calculations such as multiplication or subtraction on the estimated salary amount. In addition, the limit calculation formula may be a formula that includes various elements other than the amount, such as a formula in which the amount increases as the actual salary payment date approaches. The predicted salary amount is merely a prediction and may differ from the actual amount of the salary transfer. Therefore, the Funds Transfer Service Provider determines the limit calculation formula so as to reduce the possibility that the advance limit will exceed the actual amount of the salary transfer.

[0033] The limit calculation formula may be adjustable by a salary recipient such as User A, so long as the advance limit is equal to or less than the limit determined by the limit calculation formula predetermined by the funds transfer service provider. For example, if the limit calculation formula preset by the funds transfer service provider is the above-mentioned "Advance payment limit = Estimated salary amount x 0.9 (rounded down to the nearest 100 yen)," user A can adjust the value "0.9" by which the estimated salary amount is multiplied to any value less than 0.9 (e.g., 0.8). Also, for example, if the limit calculation formula preset by the funds transfer service provider is the above-mentioned "Advance payment limit = Estimated salary amount - 10000," user A can adjust the value "10000" by which the estimated salary amount is subtracted to any value greater than or equal to 10000 (e.g., 15000).

[0034] In this way, the limit calculation formula can be adjusted for each salary account by a salary recipient such as User A based on a formula common to all salary accounts managed by a certain funds transfer service provider via the server 2. In this case, the memory unit 23 stores the limit calculation formula after adjustment by each user, linked to an ID unique to each salary account (hereinafter referred to as the "salary account ID"). Furthermore, the limit calculation formula may be a formula that is set by a certain fund transfer service provider for each salary account, for one or more salary accounts that the fund transfer service provider manages via the server 2. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the limit calculation formula stored in memory unit 23 is only one formula common to all salary accounts, and there are no formulas for each salary account adjusted by user A, etc.

[0035] When the advance payment limit calculation unit 222 acquires the salary transfer forecast information and the salary account ID from the transfer forecast information acquisition unit 221, it acquires a limit calculation formula from the storage unit 23. The advance payment limit calculation unit 222 calculates the advance payment limit based on the salary forecast amount indicated by the acquired salary transfer forecast information and the acquired limit calculation formula.

[0036] When the prepayment limit calculation unit 222 calculates the prepayment limit, it outputs the calculated prepayment limit and the salary account ID to the storage unit 23. When the storage unit 23 acquires the prepayment limit and the salary account ID from the prepayment limit calculation unit 222, it stores the acquired prepayment limit and the salary account ID in association with each other. If a prepayment limit is already stored in the storage unit 23, the prepayment limit calculation unit 222 overwrites it with the new prepayment limit calculated this time. However, if a prepayment amount is stored in the storage unit 23, the prepayment limit calculation unit 222 overwrites the already stored prepayment limit with the amount obtained by subtracting the prepayment amount stored in the storage unit 23 from the new prepayment limit calculated this time as the new prepayment limit. The processing by the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 and the advance payment limit calculation unit 222 is carried out at a predetermined time each month for each of one or more salary accounts managed by the server 2, as described above.

[0037] (Advance payment request acquisition section) The advance payment request acquisition unit 223 acquires an advance payment request for a salary account. The advance payment request acquisition unit 223 acquires an advance payment request, for example, from a user terminal 3 that is used by a user of a salary account to manage the salary account. User A can perform an operation for requesting an advance payment using the operation unit 34 of the user terminal 3 (hereinafter referred to as an "advance payment request operation") whenever he or she deems it necessary to make an advance payment to a salary account. When user A operates the operation unit 34, the user terminal 3 acquires operation information indicating an advance payment request operation from the operation unit 34, and generates an advance payment request and transmits the generated advance payment request to the server 2. Hereinafter, an advance payment request generated in this way by user A's advance payment request operation is also referred to as a "user-generated advance payment request." The user-initiated advance request includes at least the requested amount, which is the amount that User A is requesting to be paid in advance (hereinafter also referred to as the "user requested amount"), and the salary account ID.

[0038] When the user terminal 3 accepts a prepayment request operation by user A and transmits a user-originated prepayment request to the server 2, the prepayment request acquisition unit 223 of the server 2 acquires the user-originated prepayment request. When the prepayment request acquisition unit 223 acquires the user-originated prepayment request from the user terminal 3, it outputs the acquired user-originated prepayment request to the within-range / outside-range determination unit 224.

[0039] As described below, the advance payment request acquisition unit 223 may also acquire an advance payment request output from the settlement advance payment request unit 228. Hereinafter, the advance payment request output from the settlement advance payment request unit 228 is also referred to as a "payment advance payment request." The settlement advance payment request includes at least the requested amount (hereinafter also referred to as the "payment requested amount"), which is the amount requested by the settlement advance payment request unit 228, and a salary account ID. When the advance payment request acquisition unit 223 acquires a settlement advance payment request from the settlement advance payment request unit 228, it also outputs the acquired settlement advance payment request to the range / outside determination unit 224.

[0040] In the following explanation of the range / outside determination unit 224 and the prepayment processing unit 225, etc., the term "prepayment request" is used as a general term for "user-issued prepayment request" and "payment-time prepayment request" unless otherwise specified. In the same explanation, the term "requested amount" is used as a general term for "user-requested amount" and "payment-time requested amount" unless otherwise specified.

[0041] (In-range / out-of-range determination section) The range / outside determination unit 224 determines whether the requested amount indicated by the advance payment request is within the limit (advance payment limit) or not. When the range / outside determination unit 224 acquires an advance payment request from the advance payment request acquisition unit 223, it acquires the advance payment limit amount stored in association with the salary account ID from the storage unit 23, based on the salary account ID included in the acquired advance payment request. The range / outside determination unit 224 compares the requested amount included in the acquired advance payment request with the acquired advance payment limit amount, and determines whether the requested amount is within the range of the advance payment limit amount. If the requested amount is equal to or less than the advance payment limit amount, the range / outside determination unit 224 determines that the requested amount is within the range of the advance payment limit amount, and if the requested amount exceeds the advance payment limit amount, it determines that the requested amount is outside the range of the advance payment limit amount. When the range / outside determination unit 224 determines whether the requested amount is within the advance payment limit, it outputs the determination result (hereinafter referred to as the “range / outside determination result”) and the advance payment request to the advance payment processing unit 225.

[0042] (Prepayment Processing Unit) If it is determined that the requested amount is within the limit (advance payment limit), the advance payment processing unit 225 performs an advance payment process for the salary account. The advance payment processing unit 225 acquires the within-range / outside-range determination result and the advance payment request from the within-range / outside-range determination unit 224, and if the acquired within-range / outside-range determination result indicates that the requested amount has been determined to be within the advance payment limit, performs the advance payment process based on the requested amount and salary account ID included in the acquired advance payment request.

[0043] In the advance payment process, the advance payment processing unit 225 obtains from the memory unit 23 the balance of the salary account stored in association with the salary account ID based on the salary account ID included in the acquired advance payment request. The advance payment processing unit 225 then adds the requested amount included in the acquired advance payment request to the balance of the acquired salary account, and stores the balance after adding the requested amount and the added requested amount (hereinafter referred to as the "advance payment amount") in the memory unit 23, linking them to the salary account ID. The advance payment processing unit 225 also subtracts the advance payment amount from the current advance payment limit stored in the memory unit 23, sets the result as a new advance payment limit, and stores it in the memory unit 23, linking it to the salary account ID.

[0044] After performing the prepayment process, the prepayment processing unit 225 may generate notification display information for displaying a notification that the prepayment process has been completed on the user terminal 3, and transmit the generated notification display information to the user terminal 3 via the communication unit 21. Alternatively, after performing the prepayment process, the prepayment processing unit 225 may output information indicating that the prepayment process has been completed to the display information generation unit 231, thereby causing the display information generation unit 231 to generate the above-mentioned notification display information and transmit it to the user terminal 3. When the user terminal 3 acquires the notification display information for displaying a notification that the prepayment process has been completed, the user terminal 3 displays on the display unit 33 a notification that the prepayment process has been completed.

[0045] On the other hand, the prepayment processing unit 225 obtains the range / outside determination result and the prepayment request from the range / outside determination unit 224, and if the obtained range / outside determination result indicates that the requested amount has been determined to be outside the prepayment limit amount, it does not perform the above-mentioned prepayment processing. In this case, the prepayment processing unit 225 may generate notification display information for displaying a notification that the prepayment process has not been performed on the user terminal 3, and transmit the generated notification display information to the user terminal 3 via the communication unit 21. Alternatively, the prepayment processing unit 225 may output information indicating that the prepayment process has not been performed to the display information generation unit 231, thereby causing the display information generation unit 231 to generate the above-mentioned notification display information and transmit it to the user terminal 3. When the user terminal 3 acquires the notification display information for displaying a notification that the prepayment process has not been performed, the user terminal 3 displays on the display unit 33 a notification that the prepayment has not been performed.

[0046] The prepayment processing unit 225 may acquire the range / outside determination result and the prepayment request from the range / outside determination unit 224, and if the acquired range / outside determination result indicates that the requested amount is determined to be outside the range of the prepayment limit, perform prepayment processing up to the prepayment limit. In this case, the prepayment processing unit 225 may perform processing for displaying a notice on the user terminal 3 that prepayment processing up to the prepayment limit has been performed, as described above.

[0047] (Details on how to obtain payroll deposit forecast information) As described above, the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 may acquire salary transfer prediction information at a predetermined time by, for example, acquiring salary transfer prediction information calculated in advance by the predicted amount calculation unit 226 and stored in the storage unit 23, or acquiring salary transfer reservation information for a salary account as salary transfer prediction information. Details of each case will be explained below in order.

[0048] (Prediction amount calculation section) First, a case will be described in which the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 acquires salary transfer prediction information calculated in advance by the predicted amount calculation unit 226 and stored in the storage unit 23 at a predetermined time. The predicted amount calculation unit 226 calculates a predicted amount (predicted salary amount) based on the past salary transfer records to the salary account. The calculation of the salary forecast amount by the forecast amount calculation unit 226 is performed, for example, on the same day that the salary is transferred to the salary account, or the next day. The server 2 stores information on past salary transfers to a salary account (hereinafter referred to as "salary transfer records") in the memory unit 23. The salary transfer records include the salary account ID, the date and time of salary transfer, the salary transfer amount, etc. Furthermore, how the predicted amount calculation unit 226 calculates the predicted salary amount based on the past salary transfer records, i.e., the calculation method (hereinafter referred to as the "predicted amount calculation method"), is determined by the funds transfer service provider and is stored in advance in the memory unit 23.

[0049] For a certain salary account, when the date (or date and time) becomes a predetermined time after salary transfer to that salary account, for example, the predicted amount calculation unit 226 first acquires a predicted amount calculation method from the storage unit 23, and acquires the most recent salary transfer record linked to the salary account ID of the salary account in accordance with the acquired predicted amount calculation method from the storage unit 23. The predicted amount calculation unit 226 further generates salary transfer prediction information indicating the salary transfer amount included in the acquired most recent salary transfer record as a salary predicted amount in accordance with the acquired predicted amount calculation method. The predicted amount calculation unit 226 stores the generated salary transfer prediction information in the storage unit 23 in association with the salary account ID.

[0050] At this time, the predicted amount calculation unit 226 may calculate the date and time of the next salary transfer (hereinafter referred to as the "predicted transfer date and time") predicted from the dates and times of past salary transfers included in the acquired salary transfer history, and store this in the memory unit 23 in association with the salary account ID.

[0051] The predicted amount calculation unit 226 may calculate the predicted amount (predicted salary amount) based on multiple past salary transfer records. In this case, for a certain salary account, when, for example, the date (or date and time) becomes a predetermined time after salary transfer to that salary account, the predicted amount calculation unit 226 first acquires a predicted amount calculation method from the storage unit 23, and in accordance with the acquired predicted amount calculation method, acquires multiple past salary transfer records linked to the salary account ID of that salary account from the storage unit 23. The predicted amount calculation unit 226 further calculates, for example, an average salary transfer amount including the current salary transfer amount in accordance with the acquired predicted amount calculation method, and generates salary transfer prediction information indicating the calculated average salary transfer amount as a salary prediction amount.

[0052] In addition, the predicted amount calculation unit 226 may calculate a salary transfer amount by taking a weighted average of multiple past salary transfer actual results in accordance with the acquired predicted amount calculation method, for example, so that the most recent salary transfer actual results are given more importance, and generate salary transfer prediction information that indicates the calculated salary transfer amount as the salary prediction amount. Regarding the method of calculating the predicted salary amount based on multiple salary transfer records by the predicted amount calculation unit 226, the funds transfer service provider may adopt any method.

[0053] The predicted amount calculation unit 226 associates the generated salary transfer prediction information with the salary account ID and stores it in the storage unit 23. In addition, at this time, the predicted amount calculation unit 226 may calculate the next predicted transfer date and time predicted from the past salary transfer dates and times included in the acquired multiple salary transfer records, and store it in the storage unit 23 associated with the salary account ID.

[0054] As the above-mentioned multiple past times, for example, a number of months such as the past three months is set. This number of months is preset by the funds transfer service provider in common to all salary accounts and stored in the storage unit 23. If the past salary transfer records stored in the storage unit 23 are less than the set number of months, the predicted amount calculation unit 226 calculates the predicted salary amount based only on the available number of months. Furthermore, if the salary transfer amount to the salary account has been set in advance by user A and information on the set salary transfer amount is available, the predicted amount calculation unit 226 may store the set salary transfer amount as the predicted salary amount in the storage unit 23. However, it may also occur that the actual salary transfer amount falls short of the preset salary transfer amount. Therefore, even in such a case, the funds transfer service provider may employ the calculation of the predicted salary amount based on the salary transfer record as described above.

[0055] The transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 acquires the salary transfer prediction information thus calculated in advance by the predicted amount calculation unit 226 and stored in the storage unit 23 at a predetermined time. The salary transfer record stored in the storage unit 23 by the server 2 may include information identifying the place of employment of the user A, such as the name of the payer of the company that transferred the salary. There may be a case where the user A has a plurality of companies as the place of employment, the user A has designated a single salary account to receive salary from those companies in common, and the salary payment date may differ from one another depending on the place of employment. Even in such a case, if the salary transfer record includes information identifying the place of employment, the predicted amount calculation unit 226 can calculate the salary predicted amount for each place of employment by linking it with the salary account ID of the salary account of the user A, and store it in the storage unit 23. Then, the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 can obtain the salary transfer prediction information stored in the storage unit 23 at a predetermined time according to the place of employment.

[0056] Here, when the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 acquires salary transfer prediction information calculated in advance by the predicted amount calculation unit 226 and stored in the memory unit 23 at a specified time, the advance payment processing unit 225 may not perform advance payment processing if the number of past salary transfers is less than a predetermined number (hereinafter referred to as the "determination number").

[0057] As described above, the predicted amount calculation unit 226 calculates a predicted salary amount based on past salary transfer records, generates salary transfer prediction information indicating the predicted salary amount, and stores it in the storage unit 23. However, for example, when the predicted amount calculation unit 226 uses the most recent salary transfer record as the salary predicted amount, if the number of salary transfer records stored in the storage unit 23 is zero, the salary predicted amount cannot be calculated. Also, for example, when the predicted amount calculation unit 226 uses the salary transfer amount calculated based on multiple salary transfer records as the salary predicted amount, if the number of salary transfer records stored in the storage unit 23 is less than multiple, it is considered that the salary predicted amount cannot be calculated with the expected accuracy.

[0058] Therefore, the funds transfer business operator determines the minimum number of past salary transfers required to have the advance payment processing unit 225 perform the advance payment process (hereinafter referred to as the "minimum number of times"), and even if some advance payment limit is stored in the memory unit 23 for a certain salary account and the requested amount indicated by the acquired advance payment request is within the advance payment limit, if the number of past salary transfers to that salary account is less than or equal to the "minimum number of times - 1", the funds transfer business operator is able to not have the advance payment processing unit 225 perform the advance payment process. This "minimum number of times - 1" is the judgment number (a predetermined number of times). The funds transfer business operator determines the judgment number and stores it in the memory unit 23. The judgment number is a number greater than or equal to 1.

[0059] In this case, when the advance payment processing unit 225 obtains the within-range / outside determination result and the advance payment request from the within-range / outside determination unit 224, it obtains the number of determinations and the salary transfer history linked to the salary account ID from the storage unit 23 based on the salary account ID included in the advance payment request, regardless of whether or not it checks the contents of the obtained within-range determination result. Then, if the advance payment processing unit 225 cannot obtain even one salary transfer history, or if the number of obtained salary transfer history is equal to or less than the determination number, it does not perform the advance payment process. On the other hand, the advance payment processing unit 225 performs the advance payment process only when the number of actual salary transfers acquired exceeds the number of judgments and the acquired within-range / out-of-range judgment result indicates that the requested amount has been judged to be within the limit amount.

[0060] Next, a case will be described in which the transfer forecast information acquisition unit 221 acquires salary transfer reservation information for a salary account at a predetermined time as salary transfer forecast information. The transfer forecast information acquisition unit 221 acquires salary transfer reservation information for a salary account as salary transfer forecast information. In this case, the server 2 stores in the memory unit 23, for example, information specifying the salary payment system (not shown) used by the user A's workplace or information specifying the bank system (not shown) (for example, a system ID) linked to the salary account ID. The memory unit 23 also stores a predicted transfer date and time linked to the salary account ID. The predicted transfer date and time may be calculated by the predicted amount calculation unit 226 as described above and stored in the memory unit 23, or another functional unit of the server 2 may perform a similar calculation and store it in the memory unit 23.

[0061] For each of one or more salary accounts managed by server 2, when, for example, the current date is a predetermined number of days before the date indicated by the predicted transfer date and time, the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 acquires from the memory unit 23 the system ID stored in association with the salary account ID, and acquires transfer reservation information regarding the next salary transfer to that salary account through API integration or the like from the salary payment system or bank system indicated by the acquired system ID. In addition, for salary accounts for which the predicted transfer date and time is not linked to the salary account ID and stored in the memory unit 23, the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 may attempt to acquire transfer reservation information from the salary payment system or bank system every day. The transfer reservation information includes information on the planned salary transfer date and the planned salary transfer amount held by these systems. The transfer forecast information acquisition unit 221 acquires the transfer reservation information held by the salary payment system or the bank system as salary transfer forecast information.

[0062] In addition, the number of days before the actual salary transfer that transfer reservation information can be obtained from the salary payment system or bank system, in other words, the date that is appropriate as the specified number of days before the date indicated by the above-mentioned predicted transfer date and time, may vary depending on these systems or workplaces. For this reason, the server 2 stores in the memory unit 23, for example, the ID of the salary payment system or bank system linked to the salary account ID, and information regarding the number of days before the actual salary transfer that transfer reservation information can be obtained. The transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 refers to the information stored in the memory unit 23, and when the current date becomes a date for which transfer reservation information can be acquired as a date a predetermined number of days before the date indicated by the predicted transfer date and time, it accesses the above-mentioned system to acquire the transfer reservation information. The transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 takes into consideration cases where transfer reservation information cannot be acquired on that date, or where more accurate transfer reservation information can be acquired at a later date, and thereafter accesses the above-mentioned system, for example, every day, to acquire transfer reservation information until the salary is actually transferred.

[0063] The above has explained the details of the methods by which the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 acquires salary transfer prediction information at a specified time, in which the unit acquires salary transfer prediction information calculated in advance by the predicted amount calculation unit 226 and stored in the memory unit 23, or in which the unit acquires salary transfer reservation information for a salary account as salary transfer prediction information. The transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 may employ only one of these two methods, or may employ both of these two methods.

[0064] For example, in the former method, that is, when obtaining salary transfer prediction information calculated in advance by the predicted amount calculation unit 226 and stored in the memory unit 23, the salary transfer prediction information for the next salary transfer can be obtained well before the next salary transfer is made, or in the earliest case, immediately after the most recent salary transfer is made. On the other hand, in the former method, the accuracy of the salary transfer prediction information is not as high as in the latter method. In contrast, in the latter method, where the salary transfer reservation information for the salary account is obtained as the salary transfer forecast information, the salary transfer forecast information for the next salary transfer cannot be obtained until several days before the next salary transfer. On the other hand, in this latter method, the accuracy of the salary transfer forecast information is higher than in the former method.

[0065] Therefore, the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 may acquire salary transfer prediction information using the former method immediately after the most recent salary transfer is made (e.g., the next day), and acquire salary transfer prediction information using the latter method when the current date is a predetermined number of days before the date indicated by the predicted transfer date and time. This allows the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 to acquire salary transfer prediction information immediately after the most recent salary transfer is made, and updates the advance payment limit calculated by the advance payment limit calculation unit 222 to an amount reflecting the latest salary transfer, and as the salary transfer date approaches, the advance payment limit calculation unit 222 can calculate a more accurate advance payment limit based on the more accurate salary transfer prediction information.

[0066] Furthermore, if the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 only adopts the latter method, it is not necessarily possible to obtain information identifying the salary payment system or bank system for all of the one or more salary accounts managed by the server 2, so it is conceivable that the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 will not be able to acquire salary transfer prediction information for some of the salary accounts. On the other hand, if the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 adopts both the former method and the latter method, it is possible to acquire salary transfer prediction information by at least the former method even for salary accounts for which information identifying the salary payment system or bank system has not been obtained.

[0067] (Determining whether a deposit into a salary account is a salary transfer or not) As described above, the server 2 stores in the storage unit 23 information on past salary transfers to a salary account, that is, salary transfer records. However, although a salary account is designated as such when User A completes the salary account designation procedure with the salary payer, and unlike other fund transfer accounts, transfer setting information can be linked to the salary account, the salary account also functions as a normal fund transfer account, and funds other than salary may be deposited into the salary account. Therefore, when funds other than a salary are deposited into a salary account, the server 2 needs to determine whether the deposit into the salary account is a salary transfer or not in order to store the salary transfer record in the storage unit 23. The method of determination will be described below.

[0068] For example, server 2 may determine whether a deposit into a salary account is a salary transfer based on information identifying the workplace of user A of the salary account that was registered when the salary account was set up (hereinafter referred to as "Determination Example 1"). Methods by which User A's employer transfers salary to User A's salary account include, for example, depositing the salary from a bank account held by the company (hereinafter referred to as the "corporate bank account") to the salary account, or the company opening a money transfer account (hereinafter referred to as the "corporate money transfer account") provided by the same money transfer service provider that provides the salary account, and transferring money from the corporate money transfer account to the salary account.

[0069] Regardless of the method, for example, when server 2 is linked to a bank system that manages corporate bank accounts, or when a company opens a corporate fund transfer account, information identifying user A's place of employment, including the name of the company, can be automatically obtained by server 2, or can be obtained by the fund transfer service provider that manages or uses server 2. The acquired information specifying the employer is linked to the salary account ID and stored in memory unit 23. If the person who made a deposit into a salary account having a certain salary account ID corresponds to the information specifying the employer stored in memory unit 23 in linkage with that salary account ID, server 2 determines that the deposit is a salary transfer. In addition, if user A works for multiple companies, the memory unit 23 may store information that identifies multiple workplaces for each of the multiple companies, etc., linked to a single salary account ID.

[0070] The server 2 may determine whether a deposit into a salary account is a salary transfer based on category information registered by user A of the salary account when a salary was previously transferred into the salary account (hereinafter referred to as "Determination Example 2"). The category information is information that is assigned, for example, by user A operating the user terminal 3 for each deposit process or remittance process performed into the salary account. As part of managing a salary account using the user terminal 3, user A can retrieve and display the history of past deposit and remittance processes performed on the salary account from the memory unit 23 of the server 2. When user terminal 3 receives an operation from user A to display the history, it accesses the server 2 and transmits a history retrieval request. The history retrieval request includes at least the salary account ID. The history retrieval request may also include information indicating the period for which history is to be retrieved (e.g., the past month, etc.) specified by user A.

[0071] When the user terminal 3 obtains the history from the server 2, it displays the history, for example in list format, and for each deposit transaction in the list, it displays the date and time of the deposit transaction, the name of the person who made the deposit, and the amount deposited, and for each remittance transaction, it displays the date and time of the remittance transaction, the name of the remittance recipient, and the amount remitted.

[0072] Additionally, the user terminal 3 displays a pull-down menu that allows category selection or a field that allows category input, along with each deposit transaction history and each remittance transaction history in the list. User A can input category information using the pull-down menu or field. For example, selectable categories include at least a category indicating "salary." User A may assign categories to only some of the history, or to all of the history.

[0073] When user A performs an operation to assign a category and an operation to confirm the assigned category, user terminal 3 accesses server 2 and transmits category information indicating the category assigned to each history, linking it to the history of each deposit transaction and the history of each remittance transaction. When the server 2 acquires category information from the user terminal 3, it stores in the memory unit 23 the category information indicating the category assigned to each history, and for deposit transactions to which at least the category indicating "salary" has been assigned, it stores in the memory unit 23 the name of the person who made the deposit in association with the salary account ID. In addition, if there are multiple companies etc. as the workplaces of user A, the storage unit 23 may store the names of the multiple companies etc. in association with one salary account ID.

[0074] When the person who made the deposit into a salary account having a certain salary account ID is the person corresponding to the name stored in memory unit 23 in association with that salary account ID, server 2 determines that the deposit is a salary transfer.

[0075] The server 2 may determine whether or not the deposit is a salary transfer by using both judgment example 1 and judgment example 2. As a judgment method using both judgment example 1 and judgment example 2, there is a method of determining that the deposit is a salary transfer if the judgment result based on either judgment example indicates that the deposit is a salary transfer, or a method of determining that the deposit is a salary transfer only if the judgment result based on both judgment examples indicates that the deposit is a salary transfer.

[0076] The server 2 may determine whether the deposit request is for a salary transfer or not by using the deposit amount or date and time included in the history and the deposit amount or date and time indicated in the deposit request. In addition, when server 2 obtains information instructing a salary transfer (hereinafter referred to as "salary transfer instruction information") from the bank system, server 2 may determine whether the deposit is a salary transfer based on summary information included in the salary transfer instruction information. In addition, server 2 may perform both a judgment using judgment example 1 or judgment example 2 and a judgment using summary information, and if either judgment determines that it is a salary transfer, it may ultimately determine that it is a salary transfer, or it may ultimately determine that it is a salary transfer only if both judgments determine that it is a salary transfer. Furthermore, if a company or the like has a corporate fund transfer account for salary transfers, the server 2 may determine that a deposit made in response to a deposit request from that corporate fund transfer account is a salary transfer.

[0077] As shown in Judgment Example 1 or Judgment Example 2, even when funds other than a salary are deposited into a salary account, the server 2 can determine whether the deposit is a salary transfer. If the server 2 determines that the deposit is a salary transfer, it can store the salary transfer record in the memory unit 23 as described above.

[0078] If the salary account is a dedicated salary account into which only salary deposits are always made, the server 2 does not need to determine whether or not a deposit into the salary account is a salary deposit. In other words, the server 2 may determine that a salary transfer has been made when a deposit has been made into a salary account that is a dedicated salary account (hereinafter referred to as "Determination Example 3"). As shown in Decision Example 1, for example, when a bank system that manages corporate bank accounts is linked to server 2, or when a company or the like opens a corporate fund transfer account, information on the employer of user A, including the name of the employer, etc., can be automatically acquired by server 2, or can be acquired by the funds transfer service provider that manages or uses server 2. The acquired employer information is then stored in memory unit 23 in association with the salary account ID. In addition, in judgment example 3, if there are multiple companies etc. as the workplaces of user A, the memory unit 23 may store information on multiple workplaces for each of the multiple companies etc., linked to a single salary account ID.

[0079] In judgment example 3, it is assumed that when a deposit request is received specifying the salary account ID of a salary account set as a salary-only account, the server 2 first determines whether the deposit request is from a person corresponding to the name stored in memory unit 23 in association with the salary account ID. If the server 2 determines that the deposit request is not from a person corresponding to the name stored in association with the salary account ID, it refuses to execute the deposit process. On the other hand, if the server 2 determines that the deposit request is from a person corresponding to the name stored in association with the salary account ID, it executes the deposit process. Alternatively, in judgment example 3, it may be assumed that when server 2 obtains salary transfer instruction information from the bank system, it determines whether the deposit is a salary transfer based on the summary information included in the salary transfer instruction information, and executes the deposit process only if it is determined to be a salary transfer.

[0080] In addition, in the case of judgment example 3, the server 2 may perform both a judgment using the above-mentioned name and a judgment using the summary information, and may assume that if either judgment determines that the payment is a salary transfer, the deposit process will be performed, or may assume that the deposit process will be performed only if both judgments determine that the payment is a salary transfer. In the case of judgment example 3, the server 2 may assume that if a company or the like has a corporate fund transfer account for salary transfers, it will only accept deposit requests from that corporate fund transfer account. In addition, in the case of judgment example 3, the server 2 may use the deposit amount or date and time included in the history and the deposit amount or date and time indicated in the deposit request to determine whether the deposit request is a salary transfer, and may only accept the deposit request if it is determined to be a salary transfer.

[0081] When a deposit is made into a salary account, which is an account dedicated to salary, the server 2 determines that a salary transfer has been made. For example, server 2 may manage all salary accounts as dedicated salary accounts, or the salary recipient may choose whether or not to make the fund transfer account a dedicated salary account when completing the account opening procedure or after opening the account, and only if the salary recipient chooses to make the fund transfer account a dedicated salary account will server 2 manage the fund transfer account as a salary account that is a dedicated salary account.

[0082] In cases where a salary recipient such as user A can select whether or not to use a salary account as a salary-only account, the server 2 stores a flag indicating whether or not the account is a salary-only account, linked to the salary account ID, in the memory unit 23. For example, the flag is set to "1" if the account is a salary-only account, and "0" if the account is not a salary-only account, i.e., if the account allows deposits other than salary transfers. When a deposit request is made to a salary account having a certain salary account ID, the server 2 checks the flag stored in the memory unit 23 in association with the salary account ID, and performs the above-mentioned processing only if the flag is "1".

[0083] (Payment request acquisition section) The payment request acquisition unit 227 acquires a payment request from the store terminal 4 regarding a payment using a salary account. User A can make payments for commercial transactions using a payment method associated with the salary account. When User A makes a payment for a commercial transaction using a payment method at a store, the store terminal 4 reads information about the payment method and sends a payment request to the server 2. The payment request includes information about the payment method, such as the payment amount, identification information of the affiliated store where the payment was made, and the payment method ID. When the payment request acquisition unit 227 of the server 2 acquires a payment request from the store terminal 4, the payment request acquisition unit 227 outputs the acquired payment request to the payment advance request unit 228.

[0084] (Payment advance request section) If the balance in the salary account is insufficient for the payment amount indicated in the payment request, the payment advance request unit 228 outputs an advance request (payment advance request) with the shortfall amount as the requested amount to the advance request acquisition unit 223. When the payment advance request unit 228 acquires a payment request from the payment request acquisition unit 227, it acquires, based on the payment method ID included in the payment request, the salary account ID stored in association with the payment method ID and the balance of the salary account indicated by the salary account ID from the memory unit 23. The payment advance request unit 228 compares the payment amount included in the acquired payment request with the acquired balance, and determines whether the balance is insufficient for the payment amount.

[0085] If the payment advance request unit 228 determines, as a result of comparing the payment amount with the balance, that the balance is insufficient for the payment amount, it generates an advance request (payment advance request) with the shortfall amount as the requested amount (payment advance request amount), and outputs the generated payment advance request and the acquired payment request to the advance request acquisition unit 223. The payment advance request includes at least the payment advance request amount, which is the amount requested by the payment advance request unit 228, and the salary account ID. When the advance payment request acquisition unit 223 acquires a payment prepayment request and a payment request from the payment prepayment request unit 228, it outputs the acquired payment prepayment request and payment request to the range / outside determination unit 224. When the range / outside determination unit 224 acquires a payment prepayment request and a payment request from the payment prepayment request acquisition unit 223, it makes the determination as described above and outputs the range / outside determination result and the payment prepayment request to the advance payment processing unit 225, and also outputs the range / outside determination result and the payment prepayment request to the payment processing unit 229. When the advance payment processing unit 225 receives the within-range / outside-range determination result and the payment advance payment request from the within-range / outside-range determination unit 224, it performs the above-mentioned processing according to the within-range / outside-range determination result.

[0086] On the other hand, if the payment advance request unit 228 determines, as a result of comparing the payment amount with the balance, that the balance is sufficient for the payment amount, it outputs the balance and a payment request to the payment processing unit 229.

[0087] In addition, before comparing the payment amount with the balance, the payment advance request unit 228 may obtain from the memory unit 23 the balance and advance payment limit of the salary account indicated by the salary account ID stored in association with the payment method ID, and compare the sum of the obtained balance and advance payment limit with the payment amount included in the obtained payment request to determine whether payment is possible. In this case, when the payment advance request unit 228 determines that the payment is not possible, it transmits, for example, a message to that effect to the payment processing unit 229. The payment processing unit 229 transmits information to the store terminal 4 that the payment is not approved. In this case, when the payment advance request unit 228 determines that the payment is possible, it next compares the payment amount with the balance, and if the payment amount is greater than the balance, it makes a prepayment request for the shortfall in the balance (payment advance request). At this time, instead of the payment processing unit 229 sending information to the store terminal 4 that the payment has been approved in the payment process, as described later, the payment advance request unit 228 itself may send information to the store terminal 4 that the payment has been approved. At this time, the range / outside determination unit 224 may omit processing to determine whether the requested amount indicated by the payment advance request is within the limit amount, and further, if the advance request acquisition unit 223 is configured to acquire only the payment advance request, the range / outside determination unit 224 itself may be unnecessary. In addition, as described above, the payment prepayment request unit 228 compares the total amount of the acquired balance and prepayment limit with the payment amount included in the acquired payment request to determine whether payment is possible or not, but this determination may be made by the within / outside range determination unit 224 or another functional unit not shown in the figures instead of by the payment prepayment request unit 228.

[0088] (Payment processing unit) The payment processing unit 229 performs payment processing if the balance is sufficient for the payment amount or if prepayment processing is performed, and does not perform payment processing if the balance is insufficient for the payment amount and prepayment processing is not performed. If the balance is sufficient for the payment amount, the payment processing unit 229 obtains the balance and a payment request from the payment advance request unit 228 and performs payment processing. In the payment processing, the payment processing unit 229 subtracts the payment amount included in the payment request from the balance, and stores the balance after subtraction in the memory unit 23 in association with the salary account ID as the balance of the salary account indicated by the salary account ID linked to the payment method ID included in the payment request. In the payment processing, the payment processing unit 229 also transmits information to the store terminal 4 that the payment has been approved.

[0089] The payment processing unit 229 also acquires the within-range / outside determination result, the prepayment request at the time of payment, and the payment request from the within-range / outside determination unit 224, and performs payment processing if the acquired within-range / outside determination result indicates that the payment is within the range and prepayment processing is to be performed. In the payment processing, the payment processing unit 229 sets the balance of the salary account indicated by the salary account ID linked to the payment method ID included in the payment request to 0, and stores the balance in the memory unit 23 in association with the salary account ID. In the payment processing, the payment processing unit 229 also transmits information to the store terminal 4 that the payment has been approved.

[0090] The payment processor 229 also acquires the result of the range / outside determination, the prepayment request at the time of payment, and the payment request from the range / outside determination unit 224, and does not perform payment processing if the acquired range / outside determination result indicates that the amount is outside the range, the balance is insufficient for the payment amount, and prepayment processing is not performed. In this case, neither the payment processor 229 nor the prepayment processor 225 makes any changes to the balance of the salary account. The payment processor 229 transmits information to the store terminal 4 that the payment is not approved.

[0091] After the advance payment processing unit 225 acquires the within / outside range determination result and the payment advance payment request from the within / outside range determination unit 224, the timing of the advance payment process when the within / outside range determination result indicates that the amount is within the range may be before or after or simultaneously with the timing of the payment process by the payment processing unit 229. Regardless of the timing, the advance payment processing unit 225 stores the payment request amount included in the payment advance payment request as the advance payment amount in the memory unit 23, linking it to the salary account ID. Furthermore, the payment processing unit 229 sets the balance to 0 as described above, links it to the salary account ID, and stores it in the memory unit 23, and transmits information to the store terminal 4 that the payment has been approved.

[0092] When making a payment from his / her own salary account, user A may be able to select whether or not to use the function of the payment advance request unit 228. If user A selects not to use the function of the payment advance request unit 228, the payment process will not be performed if the balance of the salary account is insufficient for the payment amount included in the payment request.

[0093] (Clearance Processing Unit) When a salary is transferred to a salary account, the settlement processing unit 230 settles the amount prepaid by the prepayment process (hereinafter referred to as "prepayment settlement process"). The prepayment settlement process by the settlement processing unit 230 is performed after the salary is transferred to the salary account. When the server 2 transfers the salary to a salary account that it manages, it outputs information indicating that the salary transfer has been made (hereinafter referred to as "salary transfer information") to the settlement processing unit 230. The salary transfer information includes the salary account ID of the salary account to which the salary transfer was made, the salary transfer amount, the date and time of the salary transfer, etc.

[0094] When the settlement processing unit 230 acquires the salary transfer information, it performs a prepayment settlement process. In the prepayment settlement process, the settlement processing unit 230 acquires the prepayment amount information and the balance linked to the salary account ID included in the salary transfer information from the storage unit 23. The settlement processing unit 230 subtracts the prepayment amount included in the prepayment amount information from the acquired balance, links the balance after subtraction to the salary account ID and stores it in the storage unit 23, and stores the prepayment amount as 0 and linked to the salary account ID in the storage unit 23. Alternatively, if a fee is charged at the time of the prepayment process, the settlement processing unit 230 subtracts the prepayment amount and the fee at the time of prepayment included in the prepayment amount information from the acquired balance, links the balance after subtraction to the salary account ID and stores it in the storage unit 23, and stores the prepayment amount as 0 and linked to the salary account ID in the storage unit 23. At this time, the settlement processing unit 230 may further store in the memory unit 23 the date and time when the prepayment settlement process was performed or the prepayment amount that was settled, in association with the salary account ID.

[0095] If the balance is insufficient for the prepayment amount and the full amount of the prepayment cannot be settled, the settlement processing unit 230 may store the balance as 0 in the memory unit 23 in the prepayment settlement process, and may set the remainder after subtracting the balance from the current prepayment amount as the new prepayment amount, and may postpone settlement of the new prepayment amount until the next salary transfer. Alternatively, if the balance is insufficient for the advance payment amount and the full amount of the advance payment cannot be settled, the settlement processing unit 230 may postpone the settlement until the next payroll transfer without changing either the balance or the advance payment amount in the advance payment settlement process.

[0096] In addition, if the settlement processing unit 230 is unable to process the prepayment for the full amount, it may link the count value of the number of times to the salary account ID and store it in the memory unit 23, and if the number of times reaches a predetermined number or more (e.g., two or more), it may disallow prepayment processing for the salary account indicated by the salary account ID for a predetermined period (e.g., until the prepayment settlement processing for the full amount of the currently existing prepayment is completed).

[0097] (Display information generation section) The display information generating unit 231 generates display information for displaying the predicted amount (predicted salary amount) and the amount paid in advance by the advance payment process (advance payment amount). As described above, the processing by the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 and the advance payment limit calculation unit 222 is performed at a predetermined time each month for each of one or more salary accounts managed by the server 2. When the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 acquires the salary transfer prediction information and the advance payment limit calculation unit 222 calculates the advance payment limit, the display information generation unit 231 generates display information (hereinafter referred to as "predicted amount, etc. display information") for displaying the salary prediction amount indicated by the salary transfer prediction information and the advance payment amount stored in the memory unit 23 at that time on the display unit 33 of the user terminal 3. When the display information generating unit 231 generates the predicted amount of money and the like display information, the display information generating unit 231 transmits the generated predicted amount of money and the like display information to the user terminal 3.

[0098] (Details of user terminal 3) Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the user terminal 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the user terminal 3 includes a communication unit 31, a calculation unit 32, a display unit 33, an operation unit 34, and a storage unit 35.

[0099] The communication unit 31 is a communication interface for communicating with other devices. The communication unit 31 is a communication device capable of mobile communication using a communication method such as LTE, 3G, 4G, or 5G, and communicates with other devices (not shown in FIG. 3) such as the server 2 via a network 5 (network 5 is not shown in FIG. 3). The communication unit 31 may also include a short-range wireless communication means such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0100] The calculation unit 32 controls the overall operation of the user terminal 3. The calculation unit 32 has the functions of an operation information acquisition unit 321 and an advance payment request transmission unit 322. When a prepayment request application is installed in the user terminal 3, the calculation unit 32 executes the prepayment request application, whereby the calculation unit 32 realizes the functions of the operation information acquisition unit 321 and the advance payment request transmission unit 322. When the prepayment request application is executed in the server 2, the calculation unit 32 receives an instruction from the server 2, whereby the calculation unit 32 realizes the functions of the operation information acquisition unit 321 and the advance payment request transmission unit 322.

[0101] The display unit 33 is a display device included in the user terminal 3. The display unit 33 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display device.

[0102] The operation unit 34 is an input device that accepts operations on the screen display of the display unit 33 included in the user terminal 3. For example, when the user terminal 3 is a smartphone or a tablet terminal, the operation unit 34 is a touch panel that is integrated with the screen of the display unit 33. When the user terminal 3 is a PC, the operation unit 34 is, for example, a mouse or a keyboard.

[0103] The storage unit 35 is a storage device provided in a computer functioning as the user terminal 3, and includes storage such as an HDD or SSD, or the memory 103 of FIG. 5. The storage unit 35 stores a prepayment request application, and stores data used in the calculation process of the calculation unit 32. Note that the storage unit 35 may be provided outside the user terminal 3 as long as it is accessible by the user terminal 3.

[0104] (Operation information acquisition unit) The operation information acquisition unit 321 acquires operation information for requesting the server 2, which manages the salary account, to make an advance payment of the requested amount to the salary account. When user A operates operation unit 34 of user terminal 3, operation information indicating an operation for requesting server 2 managing the salary account to prepay the requested amount (user requested amount) to the salary account is acquired from operation unit 34, and operation information acquisition unit 321 outputs the operation information to prepayment request transmission unit 322. The operation information includes information indicating the user requested amount.

[0105] (Advance payment request sending unit) When the prepayment request transmitting unit 322 acquires the operation information, it transmits to the server 2 a prepayment request (user-originated prepayment request) including the requested amount (user-requested amount). When the advance payment request sending unit 322 acquires the operation information from the operation information acquiring unit 321, it generates a user-issued advance payment request and transmits the generated user-issued advance payment request to the server 2. The user-issued advance payment request includes at least a user requested amount, which is the amount that User A requests to advance, and a salary account ID. When the prepayment request transmission unit 322 transmits the user-originated prepayment request to the server 2, the prepayment request acquisition unit 223 of the server 2 acquires the user-originated prepayment request. After that, the server 2 performs the various processes described above.

[0106] With reference to Fig. 4, a specific example will be described of a screen 33A showing the predicted amount etc. displayed on the display unit 33 of the user terminal 3 when the user terminal 3 acquires predicted amount etc. display information from the display information generating unit 231, and screens 33B and 33C displayed when user A performs an operation for an advance payment request after screen 33A is displayed. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying the predicted amount etc. and an advance payment request operation screen. Fig. 4 shows a case where the salary account used for digital salary payment is a prepaid card account. When the user terminal 3 acquires the predicted amount display information from the display information generating unit 231, the user terminal 3 first displays, for example, the screen 33A shown on the left side of Fig. 4 on the display unit 33. The screen 33A is an example of a screen showing the predicted amount and the like.

[0107] Display field 331 of screen 33A displays that the current card balance is 10,000 yen, and that the prepayment amount of the card balance is 0 yen, as indicated by "(0)". Display field 332 of screen 33A also displays a notification for December 15th (Wednesday), indicating that a salary transfer is predicted for December 25th and that the predicted amount of the salary transfer is 100,000 yen, as indicated by "Predicted salary transfer amount for December 25th" and "Predicted salary transfer amount: 100,000 yen". Display field 332 also displays that, at the present time, a prepayment request of up to 100,000 yen is possible, as indicated by "Predicted salary transfer amount is possible."

[0108] Note that this notation example is used when the limit calculation formula is, for example, either "Advance payment limit = predicted salary amount x 1.0" or "Advance payment limit = predicted salary amount - 0", in other words, when the predicted salary amount itself is the advance payment limit. For example, if the limit calculation formula is "Advance payment limit = predicted salary amount x 0.9 (rounded down to the nearest 100 yen)" or "Advance payment limit = predicted salary amount - 10,000," then instead of "Advance payment requests can be made up to the predicted salary transfer amount," display field 332 will display, for example, "Advance payment requests for amounts up to 90,000 yen can be made."

[0109] A button 333 labeled "Make an advance payment request" is displayed below the display field 332 on the screen 33A. The button 333 is operated by the user A when the user A starts the operation for the advance payment request. When user A operates button 333, display unit 33 displays screen 33B, which is the second screen from the left in FIG.

[0110] On screen 33B, under the title "Advance Payment Request", a display field 334 for displaying the advance payment request amount entered by user A using numeric keypad 337 is displayed together with the notation "Advance Payment Request Amount". In the example of screen 33B in Fig. 4, the amount "70,0000 yen" is displayed in display field 334. Below the display field 334, a button 335 labeled "Cancel" is displayed, and below the button 335, a button 336 labeled "Confirm advance payment request" is displayed. Button 335 is a button that user A operates when he or she wishes to cancel the advance payment request operation. Button 336 is a button that user A operates when he or she wishes to confirm the advance payment request with the advance payment request amount displayed in the display field 334. Below the button 336, the aforementioned numeric keypad 337 is displayed. The numeric keypad 337 is used by user A to input the advance payment request amount.

[0111] When user A operates button 335, screen 33A is displayed on display unit 33. When user A operates button 336, screen 33C, the third screen from the left in FIG. Display field 338 on screen 33C displays display field 338 as a new notification above display field 332, which was also displayed on screen 33A, as a notification for December 15th (Wednesday). Display field 338 displays "Advance payment completed," "Advance payment amount: 70,000 yen," and "Predicted salary transfer amount for December 25th: 100,000 yen," indicating that a salary transfer is predicted for December 25th, that the predicted salary transfer amount is 100,000 yen, and that an advance payment of 70,000 yen of the predicted salary transfer amount has been completed. In addition, display field 331 shows that the current card balance is 80,000 yen as a result of the above-mentioned prepayment being completed, and that the prepaid amount of the card balance is 70,000 yen, as shown by "(70,000)".

[0112] In addition, display field 338 may display that, of the predicted salary transfer amount of 100,000 yen, 70,000 yen has been prepaid in response to this advance payment request, so the remaining advance payment limit at this point is 30,000 yen.

[0113] (program) 5 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration for realizing the functions of the server 2 or the user terminal 3. For example, the calculation unit 22 for realizing the functions of the server 2 has, as hardware configuration, a communication interface 100, an input / output interface 101, a processor 102, and a memory 103. The functions of the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221, the advance payment limit calculation unit 222, the advance payment request acquisition unit 223, the range / outside determination unit 224, the advance payment processing unit 225, the predicted amount calculation unit 226, the settlement request acquisition unit 227, the advance payment request unit 228 at the time of settlement, the settlement processing unit 229, the settlement processing unit 230, and the display information generation unit 231 provided in the calculation unit 22 are realized by these hardware configurations.

[0114] The communication interface 100 outputs data received from the user terminal 3 or the store terminal 4 via the network 5 to the processor 102 by the communication unit 21, and transmits data generated by the processor 102 to the user terminal 3 or the store terminal 4 via the network 5. The processor 102 controls reading and writing of data from and to the storage unit 23 via the input / output interface 101.

[0115] Application programs (prepayment applications) for realizing the functions of the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221, the prepayment limit calculation unit 222, the prepayment request acquisition unit 223, the range / outside determination unit 224, the prepayment processing unit 225, the prediction amount calculation unit 226, the settlement request acquisition unit 227, the prepayment request at the time of settlement unit 228, the settlement processing unit 229, the settlement processing unit 230, and the display information generation unit 231 are stored in the memory 103. The memory 103 is, for example, a semiconductor memory provided in a computer functioning as the server 2. The processor 102 executes the programs loaded from the storage unit 23 to the memory 103 via the input / output interface 101. As a result, the processor 102 realizes each of the functions of a transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221, an advance payment limit calculation unit 222, an advance payment request acquisition unit 223, a range / outside range determination unit 224, an advance payment processing unit 225, a predicted amount calculation unit 226, a payment request acquisition unit 227, an advance payment request at time of payment unit 228, a payment processing unit 229, a settlement processing unit 230, and a display information generation unit 231.

[0116] Moreover, the calculation unit 32 which realizes the functions of the user terminal 3 has, as hardware configurations, a communication interface 100, an input / output interface 101, a processor 102, and a memory 103. The functions of the operation information acquisition unit 321 and the advance payment request transmission unit 322 included in the calculation unit 32 are realized by these hardware configurations.

[0117] The communication interface 100 outputs data received from each device via the network 5 by the communication unit 31 to the processor 102, and transmits data generated by the processor 102 to each device via the network 5. The processor 102 acquires operation information from the operation unit 34 via the input / output interface 101, and controls the display of the display unit 33.

[0118] When the prepayment request application is installed in the user terminal 3, an application program (prepayment request application) for realizing each function of the operation information acquisition unit 321 and the prepayment request transmission unit 322 is stored in the memory 103. The memory 103 is, for example, a semiconductor memory mounted on a smartphone.

[0119] When the prepayment request application is installed in the user terminal 3, the processor 102 executes a program loaded from the storage unit 35 to the memory 103 via the input / output interface 101. In this way, the processor 102 realizes the functions of an operation information acquisition unit 321 and a prepayment request transmission unit 322.

[0120] (Information processing method) FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an information processing method executed by the server 2 according to the first embodiment. The transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 acquires salary transfer prediction information indicating a predicted amount of salary to be transferred to a salary account, which is an account used for digital salary payment (step ST1).

[0121] The advance payment limit calculation unit 222 calculates the limit of the amount that can be advanced to the salary account based on the salary transfer forecast information (step ST2). The advance payment request acquisition unit 223 acquires an advance payment request for a salary account (step ST3). The range / outside determination unit 224 determines whether the requested amount is within the limit (step ST4). For example, if it is determined that the requested amount indicated by the advance payment request is not within the limit (step ST4; NO), the series of processes in FIG. 6 is terminated, and the processes from step ST1 are repeated again.

[0122] On the other hand, if it is determined that the requested amount is within the limit (step ST4; YES), the advance payment processing unit 225 performs an advance payment process to the salary account (step ST5). The processes of steps ST1 and ST2 may be performed after step ST3 instead of before step ST3.

[0123] The functions of the server 2 need to include at least the functions of a transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221, an advance payment limit calculation unit 222, an advance payment request acquisition unit 223, a range / outside determination unit 224, and an advance payment processing unit 225, and the functions of the predicted amount calculation unit 226, the payment request acquisition unit 227, the advance payment request unit 228 at the time of payment, the payment processing unit 229, the settlement processing unit 230, and the display information generation unit 231 are functions that can be added optionally.

[0124] As described above, the server 2 according to embodiment 1 includes a transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 which acquires salary transfer prediction information indicating the predicted amount of salary (salary prediction amount) to be transferred to a salary account, which is an account used for digital salary payment, an advance payment limit calculation unit 222 which calculates the limit amount (advance payment limit) that can be advanced to the salary account based on the salary transfer prediction information, an advance payment request acquisition unit 223 which acquires an advance payment request for the salary account, an within / outside range determination unit 224 which determines whether the requested amount indicated by the advance payment request is within the limit, and an advance payment processing unit 225 which performs advance payment processing for the salary account when it is determined that the requested amount is within the limit. Therefore, the program (advance payment application) of embodiment 1 that causes a computer to function as server 2 can be executed by the computer to provide users whose wages are paid digitally with a technology that enables them to receive flexible advance payments of wages based on the user's own wage amount.

[0125] The server 2 according to the first embodiment may include an estimated amount calculation unit 226 that calculates an estimated amount (estimated salary amount) based on the past salary transfer records to a salary account. In this case, the program (advance payment application) according to the first embodiment, which causes a computer to function as the server 2, can be executed by the computer to calculate a predicted amount based on past salary transfer records to a salary account. As a result, the program (advance payment application) according to the first embodiment calculates a predicted salary amount according to the amount of salary actually transferred to the salary account of user A in the past, and calculates an advance payment limit according to the predicted salary amount, thereby providing user A, who receives his / her salary digitally, with a technique for receiving a flexible advance payment of salary according to the amount of his / her own salary in the past.

[0126] In the server 2 according to the first embodiment, the predicted amount calculation unit 226 may calculate the predicted amount (predicted salary amount) based on multiple past salary transfer results. In this case, the program (advance payment application) according to the first embodiment that causes the computer to function as the server 2 can calculate a salary forecast amount based on multiple past salary transfer records. This allows the program (advance payment application) according to the first embodiment to calculate an appropriate advance payment limit amount that takes into account multiple past salary transfer records of user A.

[0127] In the server 2 according to the first embodiment, the advance payment processing unit 225 may not perform the advance payment process when the number of past salary transfers is equal to or less than a predetermined number of times. In this case, the program (advance payment application) of embodiment 1 that causes a computer to function as server 2 can be executed by the computer to prohibit advance payment processing when it is considered that an appropriate salary forecast amount and advance payment limit cannot be calculated because there are insufficient salary transfer records for user A into the salary account.

[0128] In the server 2 according to the first embodiment, the transfer forecast information acquisition unit 221 may acquire salary transfer reservation information for a salary account as salary transfer forecast information. In this case, the program (advance payment application) of embodiment 1 that causes a computer to function as server 2 is executed by the computer to obtain, for example, transfer reservation information that can be obtained from the salary payment system or bank system used by user A's workplace as salary transfer forecast information, thereby making it possible to obtain salary transfer forecast information that shows a more accurate salary forecast amount than salary forecast amounts based on past salary transfer performance.

[0129] In the server 2 according to the first embodiment, the advance payment request acquisition unit 223 may acquire an advance payment request (user-initiated advance payment request) from a user terminal 3 used by user A of a salary account to manage the salary account. In this case, the program (prepayment application) of embodiment 1 that causes a computer to function as server 2 is executed by the computer, allowing user A to make a prepayment request at the timing and in the amount he or she desires.

[0130] The server 2 in embodiment 1 may include a payment request acquisition unit 227 that acquires a payment request for payment using a salary account from the store terminal 4, an advance payment request at time of payment unit 228 that outputs an advance payment request (advance payment request at time of payment) with the shortfall amount as the requested amount (requested amount at time of payment) to the advance payment request acquisition unit 223 if the balance in the salary account is insufficient for the payment amount indicated in the payment request, and a payment processing unit 229 that performs payment processing if the balance is not insufficient for the payment amount or if advance payment processing is to be performed, and does not perform payment processing if the balance is insufficient for the payment amount and advance payment processing is not to be performed. In this case, the program (prepayment application) according to the first embodiment, which causes a computer to function as the server 2, is executed by the computer, so that when user A settles a commercial transaction using a payment method associated with the salary account, even if the balance in the salary account is insufficient, the prepayment process is automatically performed to allow the payment to be made. In this way, the program according to the first embodiment does not respond to a payment request from the store terminal 4 as to whether or not payment is possible based only on the balance, and if payment is possible by prepayment even if the balance is insufficient, the program automatically performs the prepayment process, allowing the payment to be made without causing a payment error at the store terminal 4.

[0131] The server 2 according to the first embodiment may include a settlement processing unit 230 that settles the amount prepaid by the prepayment processing unit 225 (advance payment amount) when a salary is deposited into a salary account. In this case, the program (prepayment application) of embodiment 1 that causes a computer to function as server 2 can be executed by the computer to automatically settle the prepayment amount when salary is deposited into the salary account.

[0132] The server 2 according to embodiment 1 may be provided with a display information generation unit 231 that generates display information (display information for predicted amount, etc.) for displaying the predicted amount and the amount prepaid by the prepayment process (prepayment amount). In this case, the program (advance payment application) according to the first embodiment, which causes a computer to function as the server 2, can generate display information for the predicted amount, etc., by being executed by the computer. The program according to the first embodiment can make User A aware of the current predicted salary amount and the amount of advance payment that has already been made by transmitting the display information for the predicted amount, etc., to the user terminal 3, and User A can make an advance payment request for the amount he or she intends, by referring to this information.

[0133] The user terminal 3 in embodiment 1 is a user terminal 3 for a user of a salary account used for digital salary payment to manage the salary account, and is equipped with an operation information acquisition unit 321 that acquires operation information for requesting a server managing the salary account to make an advance payment of the requested amount to the salary account, and an advance payment request sending unit 322 that, upon acquiring the operation information, sends an advance payment request including the requested amount to the server. Therefore, the program (advance payment request application) of embodiment 1 that causes a computer to function as a user terminal 3 can be executed by the computer and work in cooperation with the server 2 to provide users whose wages are paid digitally with a technology that enables them to receive flexible advance wage payments based on the user's own wage amount.

[0134] The server 2 that executes the program (advance payment application) according to the first embodiment can provide a technique for users who have their salary paid digitally to receive flexible advance salary payments according to the amount of the user's own salary.

[0135] The user terminal 3 executing the program (advance payment request application) according to embodiment 1 can cooperate with the server 2 to provide users who have their salary paid digitally with a technology that enables them to receive flexible advance payments of salary according to the user's own salary amount.

[0136] The information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment includes the above-mentioned server 2 and a user terminal 3. This information processing system 1 can provide a user who receives digital salary payment with a technique for receiving flexible advance salary payment according to the user's own salary amount.

[0137] The information processing method of embodiment 1 includes step ST1 in which the transfer prediction information acquisition unit 221 acquires salary transfer prediction information indicating the predicted amount of salary to be transferred to a salary account, which is an account used for digital salary payment; step ST2 in which the advance payment limit calculation unit 222 calculates the limit amount that can be advanced to the salary account based on the salary transfer prediction information; step ST3 in which the advance payment request acquisition unit 223 acquires an advance payment request for the salary account; step ST4 in which the range / outside determination unit 224 determines whether the requested amount indicated by the advance payment request is within the limit; and step ST5 in which the advance payment processing unit 225 performs advance payment processing for the salary account if it is determined that the requested amount is within the limit. As a result, the information processing method according to the first embodiment can provide a user who receives digital salary payment with a technique for receiving flexible advance salary payment according to the user's own salary amount. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] 1 Information processing system, 2 Server, 3 User terminal, 4 Store terminal, 5 Network, 21, 31 Communication unit, 22, 32 Calculation unit, 23 Memory unit, 33 Display unit, 34 Operation unit, 35 Memory unit, 33A, 33B, 33C Screen, 100 Communication interface, 101 Input / output interface, 102 Processor, 103 Memory, 221 Transfer prediction information acquisition unit, 222 Advance payment limit calculation unit, 223 Advance payment request acquisition unit, 224 Range / outside determination unit, 225 Advance payment processing unit, 226 Prediction amount calculation unit, 227 Settlement request acquisition unit, 228 Advance payment request unit at time of settlement, 229 Settlement processing unit, 230 Clearing processing unit, 231 Display information generation unit, 321 Operation information acquisition unit, 322 Advance payment request transmission unit, 331, 332, 334, 338 Display column, 333, 335, 336 buttons, 337 numeric keypad.

Claims

1. Computer, a predicted amount calculation unit that calculates a predicted amount of salary to be transferred to a salary account, which is an account used for digitally paying a salary, based on a past salary transfer record to the salary account; A transfer prediction information acquisition unit that acquires salary transfer prediction information indicating the predicted amount; an advance limit calculation unit that calculates the limit of an amount that can be advanced to the salary account based on the salary transfer forecast information; an advance payment request acquisition unit that acquires an advance payment request for the salary account; a range / exit determination unit that determines whether the requested amount indicated by the advance payment request is within the limit; and a prepayment processing unit that performs prepayment processing for the salary account when it is determined that the requested amount is within the limit. A program characterized by:

2. The predicted amount calculation unit calculates the predicted amount based on multiple past salary transfer records. Functioning as the computer 2. The program according to claim 1 .

3. The computer, The advance payment processing unit does not perform the advance payment process if the number of past salary transfers is equal to or less than a predetermined number of times. Functioning as the computer 2. The program according to claim 1 .

4. Computer, A transfer prediction information acquisition unit that acquires salary transfer prediction information indicating a predicted amount of salary to be transferred to a salary account that is an account used for digitally paying a salary; an advance limit calculation unit that calculates the limit of an amount that can be advanced to the salary account based on the salary transfer forecast information; an advance payment request acquisition unit that acquires an advance payment request for the salary account; a range / exit determination unit that determines whether the requested amount indicated by the advance payment request is within the limit; a prepayment processing unit that performs prepayment processing for the salary account when it is determined that the requested amount is within the limit; a payment request acquisition unit that acquires a payment request for a payment using the salary account from a store terminal; a payment request unit for outputting the advance request, with the shortfall amount as the requested amount, to the advance request acquisition unit when the balance of the salary account is insufficient for the payment amount indicated by the payment request; and a payment processing unit that performs payment processing when the balance is not insufficient for the payment amount or when the prepayment processing is performed, and does not perform the payment processing when the balance is insufficient for the payment amount and the prepayment processing is not performed. A program characterized by:

5. The computer, The advance payment request acquisition unit acquires the advance payment request from a user terminal used by a user of the salary account to manage the salary account. Functioning as the computer 5. The program according to claim 1 or 4.

6. The computer, and a settlement processing unit that settles the amount prepaid by the prepayment process when the salary is transferred to the salary account.

5. The program according to claim 1 or 4.

7. The computer, and a display information generating unit that generates display information for displaying the predicted amount and the amount prepaid by the prepayment process.

5. The program according to claim 1 or 4.

8. A computer that executes the program according to claim 1 or 4.

9. A computer according to claim 8; a user terminal for a user of the salary account to manage the salary account, the user terminal including: an operation information acquisition unit that acquires operation information for requesting the computer to make an advance payment of a requested amount to the salary account; and an advance payment request transmission unit that transmits the advance payment request including the requested amount to the computer upon acquiring the operation information. An information processing system comprising:

10. A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising: A step in which a predicted amount calculation unit calculates a predicted amount of salary to be transferred to a salary account, which is an account used for digitally paying a salary, based on a past salary transfer record to the salary account; A step in which a transfer prediction information acquisition unit acquires salary transfer prediction information indicating the predicted amount; a step of calculating an advance limit amount for the salary account based on the salary transfer forecast information; An advance payment request acquisition unit acquires an advance payment request for the salary account; a step of a range / outside determination unit determining whether or not a requested amount indicated by the advance payment request is within the limit; and a step of performing a prepayment process for the salary account when the prepayment process unit determines that the requested amount is within the limit.

23. An information processing method comprising:

11. A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising: A step in which a transfer prediction information acquisition unit acquires salary transfer prediction information indicating a predicted amount of salary to be transferred to a salary account which is an account used for digitally paying a salary; a step of calculating an advance limit amount for the salary account based on the salary transfer forecast information; An advance payment request acquisition unit acquires an advance payment request for the salary account; a step of a range / outside determination unit determining whether or not a requested amount indicated by the advance payment request is within the limit; a prepayment processing unit performing a prepayment process for the salary account when it is determined that the requested amount is within the limit; a payment request acquisition unit acquiring a payment request for payment using the salary account from a store terminal; a payment request unit for outputting the advance payment request, when the balance of the salary account is insufficient for the payment amount indicated by the payment request, to the advance payment request acquisition unit, the advance payment request having the insufficient amount as the requested amount; a payment processing unit performing the payment processing when the balance is not insufficient for the payment amount or when the prepayment processing is performed, and not performing the payment processing when the balance is insufficient for the payment amount and the prepayment processing is not performed.

23. An information processing method comprising:

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