Electronic receipt management method, electronic receipt management program, and electronic receipt management system

Abstract

To solve the problem in the conventional technology on issuance of electronic receipts that requires the input of information such as codes for identifying product purchasers into a terminal of a product seller such as a POS terminal and is problematic from the standpoint of controlling personal information and other sensitive information.SOLUTION: An electronic receipt management system comprises: a settlement processing information acquisition unit which acquires settlement processing information regarding settlement processing for economic actions of consumers in association with date and time information on the settlement processing through an entrepreneur terminal managed by an entrepreneur; a consumer ID acquisition unit which acquires a consumer ID for identifying the consumer from an acquisition source other than the entrepreneur terminal; a recording unit which holds the acquired settlement processing information in association with the acquired consumer ID; and a settlement processing information output unit which outputs the settlement processing information in a prescribed format according to a request from the terminal managed by the consumer identified by the consumer ID.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for improving management convenience and promoting the spread of paperless electronic receipts. [Background technology]

[0002] Receipts and other receipts issued by product sellers / service providers when conducting commercial transactions are legally required to be issued and stored, and are also widely used by consumers as evidence of household expenditures, making them an indispensable part of society. However, because of the large number of receipts issued, if they were to continue to be printed out on paper, it would not only be a waste of paper resources, but would also be a major problem in terms of reducing CO2 emissions and making effective use of space.

[0003] For this reason, attempts have been made to solve the above problems by electronically outputting receipts, and various technologies have been disclosed. Specifically, as described in Patent Document 1, a technology has been disclosed for managing information on product purchases at real stores and virtual stores such as EC stores in a unified manner on a system. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2014-194741 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, these conventional technologies required the purchaser to enter information such as a code that identifies the purchaser into a POS terminal or other terminal operated by the product retailer, especially when purchasing a product in a physical store, posing issues in terms of controlling personal information and other sensitive information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes an electronic receipt management method that uses a computer to execute the following steps: a payment processing information acquisition step of acquiring payment processing information, which is information regarding payment processing for a consumer's economic behavior, by linking it to date and time information of the payment processing through a business terminal that is a terminal managed by the business; a consumer ID acquisition step of acquiring a consumer ID that identifies the consumer from a source other than the business terminal; a recording step of linking the acquired payment processing information to the acquired consumer ID and storing it; and a payment processing information output step of outputting the payment processing information in a predetermined format in response to a request from a terminal managed by the consumer identified by the consumer ID.

[0007] In addition, in relation to the above invention, we also propose an electronic receipt management method in which the consumer ID acquisition step further includes a code information generation sub-step of generating code information that can be associated with the consumer ID, and the recording step further includes a code utilization sub-step of linking the consumer ID with payment processing information in response to acquisition of information regarding the reading of the generated code information.

[0008] In addition, in relation to the above invention, we also propose an electronic receipt management method in which the consumer ID acquisition step further includes a read reception sub-step of accepting the reading of code information for identifying a specific consumer ID, and the payment processing information acquisition step further includes a read information utilization sub-step of acquiring payment processing information in association with the consumer ID in response to the acceptance of the read.

[0009] In addition, in relation to the above invention, we also propose an electronic receipt management method in which the payment processing information output step further has a specific item output sub-step of displaying and outputting at least a business ID that identifies the business and the tax amount and tax rate related to the payment processing.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention also proposes inventions relating to programs, systems, etc., associated with the above-mentioned methods. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The present invention having the above-mentioned main configuration enables a trader to control sensitive information relating to himself / herself and to appropriately manage electronic receipts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of the system of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of a system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration in which the functional components of the system according to the first embodiment are integrated and realized as one piece of hardware. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow in the system of the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of a system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow in the system of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of a system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow of each device in the system of the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of a system according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow in the system of the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] First, Fig. 1 is shown. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the present invention can be realized through the transmission and reception of information via a network between one or more server computers 0101, 0102 and POS registers 0111, 0112, etc., used by each business operator when selling products. In this case, it is not necessary for the POS registers to be directly connected to the network, and they may be configured to be used indirectly for the transmission and reception of information via the network by being connected to a terminal 0113 for network connection.

[0014] As mentioned above, the present invention can be realized by one or more server computers 0101, 0102. As a specific example of using multiple server computers, a payment information management server that links payment information for product sales and the like with consumer data and holds it, a consumer authentication server that determines whether or not a consumer can use the system, and a business authentication server that determines whether or not a payment information notification from a business that uses a POS register is valid can be used by connecting them to each other via an online or offline network. Furthermore, when using the present invention, there are many cases where cooperation with financial service providers such as credit card companies and electronic money providers is required, and it is naturally assumed that information will be transmitted and received from a server 0131 managed by such financial service providers.

[0015] Next, the types of various terminals connected to various computers that realize the present invention are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a personal computer 0113, a smartphone 0121, a POS register 0111, and the like, as well as various terminals used for managing product sales, etc. at businesses, such as tablets and various sales registration and management other than POS registers. In this case, a terminal such as a tablet can be equipped with a so-called mPOS function that performs processing for product sales management, etc., similar to that of a POS register, by installing a predetermined application.

[0016] Each embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the relationship between the embodiments and the claims is as follows. First, embodiment 1 mainly corresponds to claims 1, 5, 6, etc.; embodiment 2 mainly corresponds to claim 2, etc.; embodiment 3 mainly corresponds to claim 3, etc.; embodiment 4 mainly corresponds to claim 4, etc. However, the technical features described in each embodiment can also be used in combination with the technical features described in other embodiments.

[0017] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but rather has the technical ideas described in each claim in accordance with common technical knowledge, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0018] <<Embodiment 1>> <Summary> 2 is a diagram showing an example of functional blocks of the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the "electronic receipt management system" 0200 of this embodiment has a "payment processing information acquisition unit" 0201, a "consumer ID acquisition unit" 0202, a "recording unit" 0203, and a "payment processing information output unit" 0204.

[0019] The electronic receipt management system described in detail below can be configured to realize one or more of its functions using multiple devices, and the functional blocks can all be realized as hardware or software. Examples of devices using a computer include hardware components such as a CPU, main memory, GPU, TPU, image memory, bus, secondary storage device (hard disk or non-volatile memory), keyboard, microphone, touch panel, electronic pen for touching the touch panel, various input devices such as various terminals, speakers, displays and other various output devices, and other external peripheral devices, as well as interfaces for the external peripheral devices, communication interfaces, driver programs for controlling the hardware, and other application programs.

[0020] Then, by performing arithmetic processing according to the program deployed on the main memory, data input from an input device or other interface and held in the memory or hardware is processed and stored, and instructions for controlling the above-mentioned hardware and software are created. Here, the above-mentioned program may be realized as a plurality of modularized programs, or two or more programs may be combined by cloud computing or other methods to be realized as one program.

[0021] <Functional configuration> The "acquisition unit for payment processing information" 0201 is configured to acquire payment processing information, which is information related to the payment processing of the consumer's economic behavior, by linking it with the date and time information of the payment processing through a business operator terminal, which is a terminal managed by the business operator. As described above, a typical example of the business operator terminal referred to here is a POS register.

[0022] The payment processing information may include, in addition to the detailed information, which is information on the purchase details of the goods, etc., such as the item and number of the purchased goods, the purchase (sales) unit price, and the sales (purchase) amount, which is the history of the purchase of a specific product by the consumer, the non-purchase cost information, which is information on the tax rate and / or tax amount of a specific tax (such as consumption tax) that may be imposed on the sales (purchase) amount, or a specific service charge, etc., and the payment information, which is information on the payment method for the purchase (cash payment, credit card payment, electronic money payment, etc., or installment payment or lump sum payment, etc.), the presence or absence of change and its amount, etc., and some of the information may be items that can be arbitrarily set by each business operator and items that are fixed by the provider of this service. In short, it is desirable that the payment processing information is configured as information on the contents that the consumer is required to record and manage under the Electronic Bookkeeping Act and other laws and regulations. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to reliably record information on matters that are required to be recorded by law, and to record information that contributes to management by each business operator or information that the consumer should be aware of, thereby making it convenient for the parties involved.

[0023] As will be described later, the payment processing information does not include information that can identify the consumer who performed the transaction that is the subject of the payment processing. Even if information for identifying the consumer is acquired at a POS register or the like, when the payment processing information is sent to the payment processing information acquisition unit, the information for identifying the consumer can be controlled or processed so as to be omitted from the information to be sent. By not requiring information that can identify the consumer as part of the payment processing information, it is possible to reduce the risk of unnecessary external leakage of the consumer's privacy and other sensitive information.

[0024] The payment processing information is characterized by being acquired in association with the date and time information of the payment processing. Basically, information regarding the date and time when the payment processing was performed at the business terminal is acquired as the date and time information, and more specifically, it is assumed that the information includes the date, day of the week, and time when the payment processing was performed. By using the date and time information recorded at the time when the payment processing for selling goods was performed at a POS register or the like as the payment processing, there is no difference in the information regarding the date and time of the payment for the same transaction held between the consumer and the business, and it becomes easier to confirm the legitimacy of the transaction.

[0025] Regarding the timing of acquiring the payment processing information, for example, it is possible to acquire the payment processing information by receiving it from the business operator terminal each time an individual transaction or payment processing is performed. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to grasp the latest payment processing status regarding transactions performed via the business operator terminal.

[0026] Alternatively, a configuration may be considered in which payment processing information relating to all payment processing performed at the business operator terminal within a predetermined period (e.g., every day, every hour, every six hours, etc.) is collected and transmitted from the business operator terminal and acquired. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which payment processing information transmitted from the business operator terminal at any timing is accepted and the payment processing information is acquired. By making it possible to adopt such a configuration, it becomes possible to publicly acquire payment processing information even in cases where it is difficult to frequently transmit information via a network due to the installation environment of the business operator terminal, etc.

[0027] The "consumer ID acquisition unit" 0202 is configured to acquire a consumer ID that identifies the consumer from a source other than the business operator terminal. As described above, in the present invention, information that identifies the consumer is not acquired from the business operator terminal, and the consumer ID acquisition unit may acquire the consumer ID from a consumer terminal, such as a mobile terminal managed by the product purchaser, or from an external server in which the consumer has registered his or her consumer ID. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to identify the consumer who is the subject of the payment process without acquiring a consumer ID at the business operator terminal, and it becomes possible to properly handle sensitive information such as the consumer's personal information and privacy.

[0028] The consumer ID referred to here is information for identifying a consumer in order to link it to payment processing information for a specific economic action, and must be acquired in advance through a certain process such as an operation by the consumer. In other words, it may accept information entered by the consumer, such as the consumer's name (name) or email address, or it must be something that can be set through the transmission and reception of information to and from the consumer's terminal, such as a terminal ID that can identify the consumer's terminal, or various codes that are linked to such various information and set to uniquely identify the consumer.

[0029] The consumer ID is acquired to specify the output destination of the payment processing information, as described later. 、The consumer will receive information from the consumer that they would like to be linked to a specific transaction or payment process along with their consumer ID as request information. Request Information A configuration can be considered in which an acquisition means is provided. Specifically, when a consumer performs a specific economic activity, the consumer uses a consumer terminal to issue information for announcing that the economic activity will involve a payment process along with the consumer's own consumer ID, and the information is acquired together. The configuration in which the consumer ID is acquired together with a request to link the consumer ID to a specific transaction prior to the payment process information can be considered as a pre-registration for outputting the payment process information. too This makes it possible to speed up the process from obtaining payment processing information to outputting the payment processing information, and ultimately to provide the consumer with payment processing information quickly.

[0030] Apart from this, a configuration in which the consumer ID is obtained via an external server is also conceivable. An individual external server may be, for example, a server managed by a business that performs a payment agency. Specifically, even when a payment is made using a credit card or electronic money at a POS register, in terms of legal regulations, the identity verification process associated with the payment process is generally not performed by the POS register or the business, but by the credit card business or other payment agency receiving input of a personal identification number or the like by the consumer. Therefore, it is also conceivable to obtain such an identity authentication process result in the external server as the consumer ID of the authenticated consumer. These processes are possible when the consumer himself / herself has consented to the transfer of information from the payment agency in advance, but by adopting this configuration, it is possible to utilize the authentication process of the consumer in an external server that has an extremely high security system for identity authentication, and it is possible to ensure a higher level of appropriateness in linking the consumer and the payment processing information described below.

[0031] In addition, Request InformationWhen the acquisition means is provided, it is possible to set a predetermined authentication condition for acquisition of payment processing information to be linked with the consumer ID acquired together with the request information. Specifically, it is possible to set an expiration date for the request information (specifically, a relatively short period such as 1 minute or 3 minutes, preferably at least 5 minutes or less) and to process only the payment processing information acquired within the expiration date in the recording unit described later, or to include location information calculated using GPS or the like in the request information and to process only the payment processing information acquired from a business terminal determined to be located within a predetermined distance from the terminal (presumably a consumer terminal) that issued the request information in the recording unit described later. By adopting these configurations, it is possible to ensure the appropriateness of the linking process of various pieces of information even when multiple pieces of payment processing information and consumer IDs are acquired.

[0032] The "recording unit" 0203 is configured to link the acquired payment processing information with the acquired consumer ID and store it. The payment processing information and the consumer ID may be acquired in various timings as described above, and regardless of the timing, when the payment processing information and the consumer ID to be linked to the payment processing information are acquired together, the respective pieces of information are linked and then stored in the server.

[0033] The "payment processing information output unit" 0204 is configured to output the payment processing information in a predetermined format in response to a request from a terminal managed by a consumer identified by the consumer ID. Specifically, it may be configured to output the payment processing information acquired from the business terminal to the consumer terminal in the same content or in the same format.

[0034] In addition, it is also conceivable that a part of the payment processing information acquired from the business terminal is output to an external server, and in that case, the payment processing information is processed into a predetermined format suitable for use in the external server and then output to the server. As a specific example, the payment processing information is processed into a predetermined format for management in an external server managed by a business that operates an external service for managing records associated with the consumer's economic activities, such as a service that handles accounting for consumers, a household account book-like information management service, a quality assurance service for products purchased by consumers, or other services. By adopting this configuration, consumers can smoothly utilize the payment processing information associated with each economic activity in various services that they use on a daily basis.

[0035] The output process of the payment processing information is executed in response to a request from the consumer terminal, and this request can be made in various ways. For example, 、 Payment processing information linked to one's consumer ID should be output to one or more specific output destinations at a specified time. of Accept the request , the It is conceivable to perform output processing in response to requests. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible for consumers to automatically utilize payment processing information in a manner that is convenient for them, without the consumers having to make individual output requests.

[0036] The "predetermined format" here refers to a format based on the recording format of the payment processing information, and may be, for example, a data format such as a CSV file. If the format is versatile and usable on various computers, it will be more likely to be utilized at the output destination, and it is preferable because it can meet consumer demand.

[0037] <Specific configuration> Here, Fig. 3 is shown. This figure is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration when each functional component of the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment is integrated and realized as a single piece of hardware. Each device has a "CPU" 0301 for executing various arithmetic processes, a "storage device (storage medium)" 0302, a "main memory" 0303, an "input / output interface" 0304, and a "network interface" 0305, and transmits and receives information to and from external peripheral devices such as a "keyboard" 0306 via the input / output interface.

[0038] Furthermore, the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment can transmit and receive information via a network interface with external devices such as a plurality of "consumer terminals" 0307, ​​"business operator terminals (such as POS terminals)" 0308, or an "external server" 0309 that performs various processes externally. The specific form of this network interface can be wired or wireless, and the communication method can be direct or indirect between the two terminals. Therefore, it is also possible to adopt a so-called cloud computing format in which information is transmitted and received between a specific external device or a server managed by a third party linked to the user of the device.

[0039] The storage device stores various programs as described below, and the CPU reads, expands, and executes these programs in the work area of ​​the main memory. These components are interconnected by a data communication path such as a "system bus" 0399, and transmit and receive information and perform processing (the basic configuration described above is the same for any of the other devices described below).

[0040] (Specific configuration of payment processing information acquisition unit) The payment processing information acquisition unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and specifically, the CPU reads out the "payment processing information acquisition program" 0310 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, and acquires payment processing information, which is information regarding payment processing for the consumer's economic behavior, from the business terminal directly or indirectly via the network, linked to the date and time information of the payment processing, and stores it at a specified address in the main memory.

[0041] (Specific configuration of the consumer ID acquisition unit) The consumer ID acquisition unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and specifically, the CPU reads the “consumer ID acquisition program” 0320 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, acquires a consumer ID that identifies the consumer from a consumer terminal or other source other than the business terminal, and stores it at a specified address in the main memory.

[0042] (Specific configuration of the recording unit) The recording unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and specifically, the CPU reads the “recording program” 0330 from the storage device to the main memory, executes it, and performs a process of linking the acquired payment processing information with the acquired consumer ID.

[0043] (Specific configuration of payment processing information output unit) The payment processing information output unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. Specifically, the CPU reads the “payment processing information output program” 0340 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, and in response to a request from a terminal managed by the consumer identified by the consumer ID, converts or processes the payment processing information into a specified format and outputs it.

[0044] <Processing flow> FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the process flow in the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment. The process flow in this diagram consists of the following steps. First, in step S0401, a consumer ID that identifies a specific consumer is acquired from a source other than the business operator's terminal (consumer ID acquisition step). At this time, in relation to the processing in the payment processing information output step described later, if payment processing information linked to the consumer ID is acquired, it is determined that the payment processing information should be output to a specific output destination. of If there is a request, The Then, in step S0402, payment processing information, which is information related to payment processing for the consumer's economic activity, is acquired through the business operator terminal in association with date and time information of the payment processing (payment processing information acquisition step).

[0045] Then, in step S0403, the acquired payment processing information is recorded in association with the acquired consumer ID (recording step), and in step S0404, it is determined whether or not there is a request from a terminal managed by the consumer identified by the consumer ID. The request here may correspond to the above-mentioned advance request, or it may be an individual request from a consumer terminal, etc. In either case, if it is determined that there is a request, the process proceeds to step S0405, and if it is not determined that there is a request, no subsequent processing is performed.

[0046] Thereafter, in step S0405, the payment processing information is output in a predetermined format to an appropriate output destination (payment processing information output step).

[0047] <Effects> By using an electronic receipt management system having the above configuration, a trader can appropriately manage electronic receipts while controlling sensitive information relating to the trader.

[0048] <<Embodiment 2>> <Summary> The electronic receipt management system of this embodiment basically has the same technical features as the electronic receipt management system described in the first embodiment, but has an additional feature in that it generates code information that can be associated with a consumer ID, and links the consumer ID to payment processing information in response to obtaining information related to reading the generated code information.

[0049] <Functional configuration> 5 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the "electronic receipt management system" 0500 of this embodiment has a "payment processing information acquisition unit" 0501, a "consumer ID acquisition unit" 0502, a "recording unit" 0503, and a "payment processing information output unit" 0504, the consumer ID acquisition unit has a "code information generation means" 0512, and the recording unit has a "code utilization means" 0513. The basic configuration is the same as the electronic receipt management system described using FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, so the following describes the functions of the "code information generation means" 0512 and the "code utilization means" 0513, which are the differences.

[0050] The "code information generating means" 0512 is configured to generate code information that can be associated with a consumer ID in the consumer ID acquisition unit. Specifically, a two-dimensional code or a multi-dimensional code is generated as the code information, and the code information is output to a business operator terminal via a network. It is assumed that the output is performed in response to an output request linked to a settlement process for a specific transaction from the business operator terminal.

[0051] The present invention is a configuration for enabling a business terminal such as a POS register to output payment processing information such as an electronic receipt without acquiring sensitive information of a consumer, and if the business terminal acquires the code information generated by a code information generating means and is able to display it on the terminal, the displayed code information can be read by a consumer terminal, etc. Then, when the code information is read by the consumer terminal, by accepting the reading process linked to a specific consumer ID, it becomes possible to authenticate that the consumer identified by the consumer ID can be a suitable target for linking with the payment processing information performed using the business terminal to which the code information was output.

[0052] The "code utilization means" 0513 is configured to link the consumer ID and payment processing information in response to acquisition of information related to the reading of the generated code information in the recording unit. As described above, when the generated code information is displayed and output at the output destination business terminal and then read by a consumer terminal, etc., the read result is output to the reading unit together with the consumer ID. The code utilization means acquires the read result and also acquires payment processing information from the business terminal, thereby linking the consumer ID included in the read result with the payment processing information as information obtained via the same business terminal. This configuration makes it possible to more smoothly link the payment processing information with the consumer ID.

[0053] <Specific configuration> The hardware configuration of each device constituting the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment is basically the same as the hardware configuration in the electronic receipt management system of the first embodiment described with reference to Fig. 3. Therefore, the specific processing of the "code information generating means" and "code using means" that have not been described so far will be described below.

[0054] (Specific Configuration of Code Information Generating Means) The code information generation means is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and when executing the consumer ID acquisition program, the CPU reads the "code information generation subprogram" from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, generating code information associated with the consumer ID and storing it at a specified address in the main memory.

[0055] (Specific configuration of the code usage method) The code utilization means is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and when the recorded program is executed, the CPU reads the "code utilization subprogram" from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, and performs a process of linking the consumer ID with payment processing information in response to obtaining information regarding the reading of the generated code information.

[0056] <Processing flow> 6 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow in the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment. The process flow in this figure consists of the following steps. First, in step S0601, a consumer ID that identifies a specific consumer is acquired from a source other than the business operator terminal (consumer ID acquisition step). Then, in step S0602, payment processing information, which is information related to the payment processing for the consumer's economic behavior, is acquired by linking it with date and time information of the payment processing through the business operator terminal (payment processing information acquisition step).

[0057] In addition, a process of generating code information that can be associated with the consumer ID is also performed (code information generation step). This process is performed by determining whether or not there is a request for code information from the business operator terminal in step S0603, and if it is determined that there is a request, it is performed at a timing thereafter in step S0604, but it may also be performed at a predetermined timing before that. In any case, the code information generated in the code information generation step is output to the business operator terminal in step S0605, and becomes the subject of a reading process by the consumer terminal.

[0058] Then, in step S0606, in response to acquisition of information regarding the reading of the generated code information, the consumer ID is linked to the acquired consumer ID and payment processing information is recorded (code usage recording step), and in step S0607, it is determined whether there is a request from a terminal managed by the consumer identified by the consumer ID. If it is determined that there is a request, in step S0608, the payment processing information is output in a predetermined format to an appropriate output destination (payment processing information output step).

[0059] <Effects> By using the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment, it is possible to more smoothly link payment processing information with a consumer ID compared to the case where the electronic receipt management system of the first embodiment is used.

[0060] <<Embodiment 3>> <Summary> The electronic receipt management system of this embodiment basically has the same technical features as the electronic receipt management system described in the first embodiment, but has an additional feature in that, when acquiring a consumer ID, it accepts the reading of code information for identifying a specific consumer ID, and acquires payment processing information in association with the consumer ID in response to the acceptance of the reading.

[0061] <Functional configuration> 7 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the "electronic receipt management system" 0700 of this embodiment has a "payment processing information acquisition unit" 0701, a "consumer ID acquisition unit" 0702, a "recording unit" 0703, and a "payment processing information output unit" 0704, the consumer ID acquisition unit further has a "read reception means" 0712, and the payment processing information acquisition unit further has a "read information utilization means" 0711. The basic configuration is the same as the electronic receipt management system described using FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, so the following describes the functions of the "read reception means" 0712 and the "read information utilization means" 0711, which are the differences.

[0062] The "read reception means" 0712 is configured to receive the reading of code information for identifying a specific consumer ID in the consumer ID acquisition unit. The code information here specifically means code information generated so as to be displayable on a business terminal such as a POS register, and the code information is linked to specific payment processing information. There are many POS registers that operate without being connected to a network, and when using such POS registers to manage economic activities such as product sales, the payment processing information generated in relation to the economic activities cannot be acquired from the POS register via the network.

[0063] The code information is used to obtain payment processing information generated using such a POS register. That is, the POS register generates code information linked to specific payment processing information and displays it in a readable manner. The consumer, who is a party to the economic activity, reads the code information with his / her consumer terminal to obtain the payment processing information. The specific process then involves outputting the obtained payment processing information, which is the result of the reading, together with the consumer's consumer ID via a network, and acquiring this information at a consumer ID acquisition unit. By employing this configuration, which can be adopted when the consumer terminal can be connected to a network, it is possible to enjoy the effects of the present invention regardless of whether the POS register is connected to a network or not.

[0064] The "read information utilization means" 0714 is configured to acquire payment processing information in association with the consumer ID in response to the reception of the reading in the payment processing information acquisition unit. As described above, the information acquired through the reading reception means is already associated with the consumer ID and the payment processing information, so in this configuration, the acquired information can be recorded as is in the recording unit.

[0065] <Specific configuration> The hardware configuration of each device constituting the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment is basically the same as the hardware configuration in the electronic receipt management system of the first embodiment described with reference to Fig. 3. Therefore, in the following, specific processing of the "read reception means" and "read information utilization means" that have not been described so far will be described.

[0066] (Specific Configuration of Reading Receiving Means) The reading reception means is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and when executing the consumer ID acquisition program, the CPU reads the "reading reception subprogram" from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, accepting the reading of code information for identifying a specified consumer ID and storing it at a specified address in the main memory.

[0067] (Specific configuration of read information utilization means) The read information utilization means is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and when executing the payment processing information acquisition program, the CPU reads the ``read information utilization subprogram'' from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, and in response to the acceptance of the reading, links and acquires the consumer ID and payment processing information, and stores them at a specified address in the main memory.

[0068] <Processing flow> 8 is a diagram showing an example of the process flow in each device using the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment. The process flow in the figure consists of the following steps. First, in step S0801, the business operator terminal generates payment processing information related to a predetermined economic activity. Next, in step S0802, the business operator terminal generates code information linked to the payment processing information and displays it.

[0069] Then, in step S0803, the displayed code information is read at the consumer terminal, and in step S0804, the payment processing information obtained through the read code information is output to the system together with the consumer's own consumer ID at the consumer terminal.

[0070] Then, in step S0805, a consumer ID acquisition unit of the system accepts the reading of code information for identifying a specific consumer ID (reading reception substep). Then, in step S0806, a payment processing information acquisition unit of the system acquires the payment processing information acquired through the process of step S0804. Then, in step S0807, a recording unit of the system records the payment processing information in association with the consumer ID, and in step S0808, if there is a request from the consumer terminal to output the payment processing information, in step S0809, a payment processing information output unit of the system outputs the payment processing information in a specific format in response to the output request.

[0071] <Effects> By using the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment, compared to the case of using the electronic receipt management system of embodiment 1, even in an environment where a business terminal such as a POS register is not connected to a network, it is possible to perform optimal processing by utilizing the network connection of the consumer terminal.

[0072] <<Embodiment 4>> <Summary> The electronic receipt management system of this embodiment basically has the same technical features as the electronic receipt management system described in embodiment 1, but has an additional feature of recording the authentication result in association with the transactor identification code, and making the recorded contents displayable according to specified authority.

[0073] <Functional configuration> 9 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment. As shown in the diagram, the "electronic receipt management system" 0900 of this embodiment has a "payment processing information acquisition unit" 0901, a "consumer ID acquisition unit" 0902, a "recording unit" 0903, and a "payment processing information output unit" 0904, and the payment processing information output unit further has a "specific item output means" 0914. Since the basic configuration is the same as the electronic receipt management system described using FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, the function of the "specific item output means" 0914, which is the difference, will be described below.

[0074] The "specific item output means" 0914 is configured to display at least the business ID for identifying the business and the tax amount and tax rate related to the payment processing in the payment processing information output section. The tax amount and tax rate here refers to so-called consumption tax and other value-added taxes, and is information of a nature in which the tax rate or tax amount may differ depending on the transaction type, and the economic activity may be subject to a specified evaluation under tax law (whether or not it is subject to input tax credit, etc.). The handling of these consumption taxes, etc. is designed so that different evaluations may be made depending on the attributes of the business that is the counterparty of the consumer's economic activity, so that the specific item output means can visually display and output how the economic activity may be evaluated under such a system design.

[0075] Here, the tax amount, tax rate, and business ID must be displayed, and the business ID may be a registration number under the invoice system. The business ID may be recorded in advance in the system as information corresponding to one or more items that can identify the business, or may be recorded by accepting input of the business ID from a specific business in response to a request from a consumer. In some cases, the system may be configured to connect to an external server via a network, search whether a specific business is a qualified invoice issuing business, and obtain and display the business ID according to the search result. In any case, it becomes possible to examine information on tax burden that is useful for consumers' tax returns without having to register business IDs one by one on business terminals such as POS registers.

[0076] <Specific configuration> The hardware configuration of each device constituting the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment is basically the same as the hardware configuration in the electronic receipt management system of the first embodiment described with reference to Fig. 3. Therefore, the specific processing of the "specific item output means" that has not been described so far will be described below.

[0077] (Specific configuration of specific item output means) The specific item output means is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and when executing the payment processing information output program, the CPU reads the ``specific item output subprogram'' from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, reading out at least the business ID that identifies the business and information regarding the tax amount and tax rate related to the payment processing, and displays and outputs this on a specified terminal.

[0078] <Processing flow> Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow in the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment. The process flow in this figure consists of the following steps. First, in step S1001, a consumer ID that identifies a specific consumer is acquired from a source other than the business operator terminal (consumer ID acquisition step). Then, in step S1002, payment processing information, which is information related to the payment processing for the consumer's economic behavior, is acquired through the business operator terminal in association with date and time information of the payment processing (payment processing information acquisition step).

[0079] Then, in step S1003, the acquired payment processing information is recorded in association with the acquired consumer ID (recording step), and in step S1004, it is determined whether or not there is a request from a terminal managed by the consumer identified by the consumer ID. The request here may correspond to the above-mentioned advance request, or it may be an individual request from a consumer terminal, etc. In either case, if it is determined that there is a request, the process proceeds to step S1005, and if it is not determined that there is a request, no subsequent processing is performed.

[0080] Then, in step S1005, the payment processing information is output to an appropriate output destination in a predetermined format that displays at least the business ID and the tax amount and tax rate related to the payment processing (payment processing information output step).

[0081] <Effects> By using the electronic receipt management system of this embodiment, it is possible to generate and submit a suitable format required by various laws and regulations through simpler processing than when using the electronic receipt management system of embodiment 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 0200: Electronic receipt management system; 0201: Payment processing information acquisition unit; 0202: Consumer ID acquisition unit; 0203: Recording unit; 0204: Payment processing information output unit

Claims

1. a payment processing information acquisition step of acquiring payment processing information, which is information related to a payment processing for a consumer's economic behavior, by linking the information with date and time information of the payment processing through a business operator terminal, which is a terminal managed by the business operator; a consumer ID acquisition step of acquiring a consumer ID for identifying the consumer from a source other than the business operator terminal; a recording step of linking the acquired payment processing information with the acquired consumer ID and storing the information; a payment processing information output step of outputting the payment processing information in a predetermined format in response to a request from a terminal managed by the consumer identified by the consumer ID; An electronic receipt management method for causing a computer to execute the following: The consumer ID acquisition step includes a request information acquisition sub-step of acquiring, together with the consumer ID, information requesting association with a predetermined transaction or payment processing as request information, and also acquiring a predetermined authentication condition set for acquiring payment processing information to be associated with the consumer ID; The electronic receipt management method, wherein the recording step links and retains payment processing information that satisfies the predetermined authentication condition with the consumer ID.

2. The consumer ID acquisition step further includes a code information generation sub-step of generating code information that can be associated with the consumer ID; The electronic receipt management method according to claim 1 , wherein the recording step further comprises a code utilizing sub-step of linking a consumer ID with payment processing information in response to acquisition of information related to reading of the generated code information.

3. The consumer ID acquisition step further includes a read reception sub-step of receiving read code information for identifying a specific consumer ID, The electronic receipt management method according to claim 1 , wherein the payment processing information acquisition step further includes a read information utilization sub-step of acquiring payment processing information in association with a consumer ID in response to the acceptance of the reading.

4. 2. The electronic receipt management method according to claim 1, wherein the payment processing information output step further comprises a specific item output sub-step of displaying and outputting at least a business ID for identifying the business and a tax amount and a tax rate related to the payment processing.

5. a payment processing information acquisition step of acquiring payment processing information, which is information related to a payment processing for a consumer's economic behavior, by linking the information with date and time information of the payment processing through a business operator terminal, which is a terminal managed by the business operator; a consumer ID acquisition step of acquiring a consumer ID for identifying the consumer from a source other than the business operator terminal; a recording step of linking the acquired payment processing information with the acquired consumer ID and storing the information; a payment processing information output step of outputting the payment processing information in a predetermined format in response to a request from a terminal managed by the consumer identified by the consumer ID; An electronic receipt management program for executing the above on a computer, The consumer ID acquisition step includes a request information acquisition sub-step of acquiring, together with the consumer ID, information requesting association with a predetermined transaction or payment processing as request information, and also acquiring a predetermined authentication condition set for acquiring payment processing information to be associated with the consumer ID; The electronic receipt management program is characterized in that the recording step links and retains payment processing information that satisfies the predetermined authentication condition with the consumer ID.

6. a payment processing information acquisition unit that acquires payment processing information, which is information related to a payment processing for a consumer's economic behavior, by linking the information with date and time information of the payment processing through a business operator terminal, which is a terminal managed by a business operator; a consumer ID acquisition unit that acquires a consumer ID that identifies the consumer from a source other than the business operator terminal; a recording unit that associates the acquired payment processing information with the acquired consumer ID and stores the information; a payment processing information output unit that outputs the payment processing information in a predetermined format in response to a request from a terminal managed by a consumer identified by the consumer ID; An electronic receipt management system having: The consumer ID acquisition unit further includes a request information acquisition means for acquiring information requesting linking with a specific transaction or payment processing together with the consumer ID as request information, and also acquiring a specific authentication condition set for acquiring payment processing information to be linked with the consumer ID; The electronic receipt management system is characterized in that the recording unit links and stores payment processing information that satisfies the predetermined authentication condition with the consumer ID.

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