Stamp Card Management System, Stamp Card Management Method, and Stamp Card Management Program

Abstract

To provide a stamp card management system and management method that enable users to obtain stamps using any of two or more payment means.SOLUTION: In a stamp card management system S, a system control unit of a stamp card management server 1 includes: a selected payment related means information generation unit configured to acquire selected payment means information indicating at least one selected payment means selected as payment means by which a stamp is assigned to a specific stamp card to be created from among multiple payment means that can be used to settle the price of a transaction; a payment related information acquisition unit configured to acquire payment information indicating that a payment was made using any of the at least one selected payment means indicated by the selected payment means information; and an assignment unit configured to assign a stamp based on the payment information and user information indicating the user of the stamp card, on condition that any of the selected payment means was used.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of affixing a stamp to a stamp card of a user who has made a payment on the condition that a payment means has been used.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique is known in which an electronic stamp card is issued to a user and a stamp is affixed on the condition that the user takes a predetermined action. Also known is a technique of affixing a stamp on the condition that the user settles the price using a payment means as the predetermined action. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a stamp can be accumulated when settling a fee by a stamp accumulation function.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when only a stamp card in which the payment means for obtaining a stamp is determined to be only a specific one payment means can be provided, there is a risk that the scenes where the stamp card can be used are limited.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an example of the problem is to provide a stamp card management system, a stamp card management method, and a stamp card management program that enable selection of a payment means to which a stamp is to be affixed by the created stamp card.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is to obtain selection settlement means information indicating at least one selected settlement means selected as the settlement means to which a stamp is to be applied from among a plurality of stamp cards in which the settlement means to which a stamp is to be applied is selected out of the plurality of settlement means that can be used for payment in a transaction, a selection settlement means information acquisition means; settlement information indicating that settlement has been made, including utilization settlement means information indicating the settlement means used for settlement among the plurality of settlement means and settlement means utilization user information indicating the user who used the settlement means. The settlement Information is obtained from a settlement information storage means that stores the settlement each time the settlement means is used, and settlement information acquisition means for obtaining the settlement information including the utilization settlement means information indicating any one of the at least one selected settlement means indicated by the obtained selection settlement means information; based on the obtained settlement information, stamp card identification information indicating a stamp card, user information indicating the user of the stamp card, and the number of stamps applied to the user's stamp card, a stamp number storage means that stores them in association for each combination of the stamp card and the user to whom the stamp card was issued, an awarding means for awarding a stamp, which, when the user information that matches the settlement means utilization user information in the settlement information and the user information associated with the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card is stored in the stamp number storage means, awards a stamp to the selected one stamp card of the user indicated by the user information, thereby awarding a stamp on the condition that any one of the at least one selected settlement means among the plurality of settlement means is used, and an awarding means for awarding a stamp, which awards the stamp by adding to the number of stamps stored in the stamp number storage means in association with a combination of the user information that matches the settlement means utilization user information and the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card. A stamp card management system characterized by that.

[0007] According to this aspect, at least one of a plurality of payment means is selected as a selective payment means for which a stamp is applied to a predetermined stamp card. When any one of the selected at least one payment means is used, a stamp is applied to the user of the used payment means and also to the user of the stamp card. Therefore, the stamp card to be created enables selection of the payment means to which the stamp is applied.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is that when the granting means applies the stamp, the Selected one stamp card user is granted a privilege different from the stamp on the Selected one stamp card, and it is a stamp card management system.

[0009] According to this aspect, a user who obtains a stamp can also obtain a privilege different from the stamp. Therefore, it is possible to further encourage the user of the stamp card to use at least one of the selected at least one payment means.

[0010] Still another aspect of the present invention is that the at least one selective payment means includes a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other, and the granting means varies the value of the privilege to be granted depending on whether the used payment means is the first payment means or the second payment means, and it is a stamp card management system.

[0011] According to this aspect, at least two payment means are selected as selective payment means to which a stamp is applied. Depending on the used payment means among those payment means, the value of the privilege separately obtained by the user who obtains the stamp may be different. Therefore, it is possible to further encourage the use of a specific payment means among the selected payment means.

[0012] Still another aspect of the present invention is that the at least one selected payment means includes a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other, and the giving means varies the number of stamps to be given depending on whether the payment means used for payment is the first payment means or the second payment means. This is a stamp card management system characterized by this.

[0013] According to this aspect, at least two payment means are selected as the selected payment means to which stamps are given. Depending on the payment means used among them, the number of stamps acquired by the user of the stamp card may be different. Therefore, the use of a specific payment means among the selected payment means can be further promoted.

[0014] Still another aspect of the present invention is that the at least one selected payment means includes a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other, The acquired payment information includes mode information indicating the mode in which the payment means was used. and the giving means gives the stamp when the mode in which any one of the at least one selected payment means is used satisfies a predetermined giving condition, and the giving conditions are different depending on whether the payment means used is the first payment means or the second payment means. This is a stamp card management system characterized by this a .

[0015] According to this aspect, at least two payment means are selected as the selected payment means to which stamps are given. For at least some of those payment means, in order to acquire a stamp using that payment means, the user needs to satisfy a predetermined giving condition when using the payment means. Here, depending on the payment means, the giving conditions that the user should satisfy are different. Therefore, stamps can be given under different conditions according to the payment means.

[0016] Still another aspect of the present invention is The acquired selected payment means information indicates the at least one selected payment means and the profit acquisition means selected as the means for affixing the stamp to the one stamp card. The profit acquisition means that it can also be used in combination with at least one of the at least one selected payment means meansenabling at least one of the following: allowing a user of the profit acquisition means to acquire profit, and allowing the user of the profit acquisition means to use the profit acquired in the past for settlement of the price is a means, and the profit acquisition means further comprising profit acquisition means use information acquisition means for acquiring profit acquisition means use information indicating that the profit acquisition means has been used, the acquired profit acquisition means use information including profit acquisition means use user information indicating the user who used the profit acquisition means, and the giving means uses the acquired profit acquisition means use information is the user information that matches the profit acquisition means user information included therein, and when the user information associated with the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card is stored in the stamp number storage means, by affixing a stamp to the selected one stamp card of the user indicated by the user information. A stamp card management system, characterized in that the stamp is given on the condition that the profit acquisition means has been used.

[0017] According to the present invention, in addition to being able to acquire a stamp when using any one of the selected at least one settlement means, even when using a profit acquisition means, the user of the stamp card can acquire a stamp. Therefore, in addition to the selected at least one settlement means, the use of the profit acquisition means can be promoted to the user.

[0018] Still another aspect of the present invention is that the giving means gives the stamp only to either the use of the selected settlement means or the use of the profit acquisition means when the selected settlement means and the profit acquisition means are used in combination in the same transaction. A stamp card management system characterized by this.

[0019] According to this aspect, when the settlement means and the profit acquisition means are used in the same transaction, the stamp is given only to the use of either the settlement means or the profit acquisition means. Therefore, it is possible to prevent double giving of stamps for one transaction due to the combined use of the settlement means and the profit acquisition means.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention is that the acquired settlement information includes settlement means usage transaction information regarding a transaction in which the settlement means was used, the acquired profit acquisition means usage information includes profit acquisition means usage transaction information regarding a transaction in which the profit acquisition means was used, and the granting means determines whether the selected settlement means and the profit acquisition means were used in combination based on the settlement means usage transaction information included in the acquired settlement information and the profit acquisition means usage transaction information included in the acquired profit acquisition information. A stamp card management system characterized by this.

[0021] According to this aspect, it is determined whether the means in which the settlement means was used and the transaction in which the profit acquisition means was used are the same. Therefore, it is possible to suppress double awarding of stamps for one transaction due to the combined use of the settlement means and the profit acquisition means.

[0022] Another aspect of the present invention is that the settlement means usage transaction information indicates the time when the selected settlement means was used, the profit acquisition means usage transaction information indicates the time when the profit acquisition means was used, the granting means grants the stamp once per predetermined period at most, and the granting of the stamp for the use of either the selected settlement means or the profit acquisition means is included in the granting of the stamp for the predetermined period including the time when either was used. A stamp card management system characterized by this.

[0023] According to this aspect, once per predetermined period, at most one stamp is granted for that period. Which period the stamp is granted for is determined according to the time when the settlement means or the profit acquisition means was used. When the settlement means and the profit acquisition means are used in combination, there is a high probability that the usage time of the settlement means and the usage time of the profit acquisition means are included in the same period. Therefore, it is possible to suppress double awarding of stamps for one transaction due to the combined use of the settlement means and the profit acquisition means.

[0024] Still another aspect of the present invention is that the payment means usage transaction information indicates the time when the selected payment means was used, the profit acquisition means usage transaction information indicates the time when the profit acquisition means was used, and when the stamping means stamps either one of the selected payment means and the profit acquisition means, the stamping for the use of the other one of the selected payment means and the profit acquisition means within a predetermined period starting from the time of use of the one means is suppressed. A stamp card management system characterized by this.

[0025] According to this aspect, when a stamp is given for the use of either one of the payment means and the profit acquisition means, even if the other means is used within a predetermined period starting from the time when the one means was used, the stamp is not given. When the payment means and the profit acquisition means are used in combination, the time when the other means was used is highly likely to be included in that period. Therefore, it is possible to prevent double stamping for a single transaction due to the combined use of the payment means and the profit acquisition means.

[0026] Still another aspect of the present invention is that the at least one selected payment means includes code payment means that enables payment when an electronic device optically reads code information indicating either the payer or the payee in a transaction, and account identification information that can be used in transactions in an e-commerce service and identifies the user's account in a payment service different from the e-commerce service. A stamp card management system characterized by providing the e-commerce service with payment means that enables payment in response to this.

[0027] According to this aspect, at least code payment and online transaction payment means are selected as the selected payment means for which a stamp is given. The user of the stamp card can obtain a stamp regardless of which of the code payment and online transaction payment means is used. Therefore, it is possible to encourage the use of code payment and online transaction payment means.

[0028] Still another aspect of the present invention is that the at least one alternative payment means includes a first code payment means and a second code payment means that are different from each other and are each capable of settlement in response to the electronic device optically reading code information indicating either the payer or the payee in the transaction. The stamp card management system is characterized in that it includes these means.

[0029] According to this aspect, at least two code settlements are selected as the alternative payment means to which stamps are added. The user of the stamp card can obtain stamps regardless of which of the two code payment means is used. Therefore, the use of the two code payment means can be promoted.

[0030] Still another aspect of the present invention is that the at least one alternative payment means includes a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other, the obtained payment information includes payee store information indicating the store to which the payment is made, and the granting means grants the stamp when the first payment means is used with a predetermined offline store as the payee of the payment, and grants the stamp when the second payment means is used with an online store operated by at least one of the operator of the offline store and the related parties of the operator as the payee of the payment. The stamp card management system is characterized by this.

[0031] According to this aspect, at least two payment means are selected as the alternative payment means to which stamps are added. The user of the stamp card can obtain stamps regardless of which of the offline store and the online store operated by the same operator or related operators is used. Here, even if the user uses different payment means for the offline store and the online store, stamps can be obtained for each use.

[0032] Yet another aspect of the present invention is stamp information indicating that the stamp has been applied, which is associated with user information indicating the user of the stamp card when the stamp is applied by the applying means, and the stamp information is capable of identifying the selected payment means used among the at least one selected payment means. Stamp information storage control means for storing the stamp information in the stamp information storage means, and stamp card screen information transmission means for transmitting to the terminal device of the user of the stamp card stamp card screen display information for displaying on the terminal device a screen of the stamp card including the applied stamp, wherein the display mode of the stamp on the screen of the stamp card is varied according to the selected payment means used based on the stamp information associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card. A stamp card management system characterized by further comprising:

[0033] According to this aspect, a screen of the stamp card is displayed on the user's terminal device. The stamp card on this screen includes the applied stamp. This stamp is displayed in a manner corresponding to the payment means used among the at least one payment means selected as the payment means for applying the stamp. Therefore, the user can recognize through the screen of the stamp card for what reason the stamp was acquired by using which payment means.

[0034] Yet another aspect of the present invention is stamp card screen information transmission means for transmitting to the terminal device of the user of the stamp card stamp card screen display information for displaying on the terminal device a screen of the stamp card including the applied stamp, and further comprising stamp card screen information transmission means for including in the screen of the stamp card stamp target payment means information indicating the at least one selected payment means indicated by the acquired selected payment means information as the payment means for applying the stamp. A stamp card management system characterized by:

[0035] According to this aspect, a stamp card screen is displayed. On this screen, information indicating at least one payment means selected as a selection payment means to which a stamp is to be applied is displayed. Therefore, among a plurality of payment means, it is possible to let the user recognize through the stamp card screen which payment means can be used to obtain a stamp.

[0036] Still another aspect of the present invention is that when the stamp is applied by the applying means, stamp information indicating that the stamp has been applied is associated with user information indicating the user of the stamp card, and the stamp information is capable of specifying the selected payment means used among the at least one selected payment means. A stamp information storage control means for storing the stamp information in a stamp information storage means, and a history screen information transmitting means for transmitting to the terminal device of the user of the stamp card a screen of the history of obtaining stamps to be displayed on the terminal device, wherein based on the stamp information associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card, utilization payment means information indicating the selected payment means used for the payment is displayed on the history screen together with the history. A stamp card management system, further comprising a history screen information transmitting means.

[0037] According to this aspect, a screen of the history of obtaining stamps is displayed on the user's terminal device. On this screen, utilization payment means information indicating the payment means used among at least one payment means selected as a selection payment means to which a stamp is to be applied is displayed together with the history of obtaining stamps. Therefore, it is possible to let the user recognize through the screen of the history of obtaining stamps for what reason the stamp was obtained, that is, which payment means was used.

[0038] Still another aspect of the present invention further includes corresponding store information acquisition means for acquiring corresponding store information indicating at least one store corresponding to the stamp card. Each of the at least one store is a store where at least one of the at least one selected payment means can be used. The at least one store includes, for each of the at least one selected payment means, a store where the selected payment means can be used. The acquired payment information includes payment destination store information indicating the store where the price is paid. When any one of the at least one store corresponding to the stamp card is used as the payment destination of the price and any one of the at least one selected payment means indicated by the acquired selected payment means information is used, the giving means gives the stamp. A stamp card management system characterized by the above.

[0039] According to this aspect, at least one store corresponding to the stamp card is determined. When any one of the at least one store is used, the user can acquire a stamp. Therefore, when the selected payment means is used, the user can acquire a stamp, and a stamp card that allows the user to pre-select a store where the user can acquire a stamp can be provided.

[0040] Still another aspect of the present invention further includes available payment means information acquisition means for acquiring available payment means information indicating payment means available at each of the at least one store indicated by the acquired corresponding store information among the plurality of payment means, and selection for generating the selected payment means information indicating at least one payment means as the selected payment means among the payment means indicated by the acquired available payment means information Payment means information generation means. The giving means acquires the generated selected payment means information. A stamp card management system characterized by the above.

[0041] According to this aspect, according to at least one store corresponding to the stamp card, a payment means for which a stamp is given is determined. Here, the payment means that can be used in each of at least one store corresponding to the stamp card is determined so as to include at least one of the payment means for which a stamp is given. Therefore, it is possible to create a stamp card in which the payment means is selected so that a stamp can be acquired at the store corresponding to the stamp card.

[0042] Still another aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned Selected one The stamp card gives the user the stamp on the condition that the user pays the price at the store for each of a plurality of stores, and gives the user a privilege different from the stamp on the condition that the user acquires the stamp at the plurality of stores. The stamp card is a stamp rally card, the at least one store is the plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp rally card, and the giving means uses any one of the plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp rally card as the payment destination for the price, and when any one of the at least one selected payment means indicated by the acquired selected payment means information is used, the stamp is given. A stamp card management system characterized by giving.

[0043] According to this aspect, the stamp card is a stamp rally card. A plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp rally card are determined. When any of the plurality of stores is used, the user can acquire a stamp. Also, when all of the plurality of stores are used, the user can acquire another privilege. Therefore, it is possible to hold a stamp rally in which the user can acquire a stamp when the selected payment means is used and a plurality of stores where the user can acquire a stamp can be selected in advance.

[0044] Still another aspect of the present invention further includes selection means for selecting the one stamp card from among a plurality of stamp cards, and the selection settlement means information acquisition means acquires the selection settlement means information of the one stamp card selected by the selection means from selection settlement means information storage means that stores the selection settlement means information for each of the plurality of stamp cards. A stamp card management system characterized by that. Still another aspect of the present invention is a stamp card management method executed by a computer. Among a plurality of settlement means that can be used for settlement of the price in a transaction, at least one selection settlement means selected as the settlement means to which a stamp is given is selected from among stamp cards to which the stamp is given. A selection settlement means information acquisition step of acquiring selection settlement means information indicating the settlement means, and settlement information indicating that settlement has been performed, including utilization settlement means information indicating the settlement means used for settlement among the plurality of settlement means and settlement means utilization user information indicating the user who used the settlement means. InformationA stamp awarding step of awarding a stamp based on: a payment information acquisition step of acquiring, from a payment information storage means that stores payment information each time the payment means is used, the payment information including the used payment means information indicating any one of the at least one selected payment means indicated by the acquired selected payment means information; and a stamp number storage means that stores, in association with each combination of the stamp card and the user to whom the stamp card is issued, the acquired payment information, stamp card identification information indicating the stamp card, user information indicating the user of the stamp card, and the number of stamps given to the user's stamp card. When the user information that matches the payment means using user information included in the payment information and the user information associated with the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card are stored in the stamp number storage means, a stamp is awarded to the selected one stamp card of the user indicated by the user information, thereby awarding a stamp on the condition that any one of the at least one selected payment means among the plurality of payment means is used. The awarding step awards the stamp by adding to the number of stamps stored in the stamp number storage means in association with a combination of the user information that matches the payment means using user information and the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card. A stamp card management method is characterized by this.

[0045] Still another aspect of the present invention is that a computer is configured to: a selection payment means information acquisition means for acquiring selection payment means information indicating at least one selected payment means selected as a payment means to which a stamp is to be awarded from among a plurality of stamp cards in which a payment means to which a stamp is to be awarded is selected from among a plurality of payment means that can be used for payment in a transaction; and payment information indicating that a payment has been made, including used payment means information indicating the payment means used for payment among the plurality of payment means and payment means using user information indicating the user who used the payment means. InformationA payment information acquisition unit that acquires payment information including the used payment means information indicating any one of the at least one selected payment means from a payment information storage unit that stores payment information each time the payment means is used; a stamp number storage unit that stores, in association with each combination of the stamp card and the user to whom the stamp card is issued, the acquired payment information, stamp card identification information indicating the stamp card, user information indicating the user of the stamp card, and the number of stamps given to the user's stamp card; and an awarding unit that awards a stamp based on the above, and when the user information that matches the payment means using user information included in the payment information and the user information associated with the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card is stored in the stamp number storage unit, the awarding unit functions as an awarding unit that awards a stamp on the condition that any one of the at least one selected payment means among the plurality of payment means is used, by awarding a stamp to the selected one stamp card of the user indicated by the user information, and the awarding unit awards the stamp by adding to the number of stamps stored in the stamp number storage unit in association with a combination of the user information that matches the payment means using user information and the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card. A stamp card management program characterized by this.

Effect of the Invention

[0046] According to the present invention, a stamp card to be created enables selection of a payment means to which a stamp is to be given.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0048] [1. First Embodiment] Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0049] [1-1. Configuration of Communication System] First, the configuration and functional overview of the communication system S according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the communication system S according to this embodiment.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system S may be configured to include a stamp card management server 1, a member information management server 2, a point program system 3, a plurality of payment systems 4, a plurality of store terminals 5, one or more e-commerce servers 6, a creator terminal 7, and a plurality of user terminals 8. These devices may be connected to a network NW. The network NW is constructed by, for example, the Internet, a dedicated communication line (e.g., a CATV (Community Antenna Television) line), a mobile communication network (including base stations, etc.), and gateways. Here, the stamp card management server 1 may correspond to an example of the stamp card management system of the present invention. Alternatively, the combination of the stamp card management server 1 and the member information management server 2 may correspond to an example of the stamp card management system. Alternatively, the combination of the stamp card management server 1 and one or more payment systems 4 may correspond to an example of the stamp card management system. In addition, it can be configured by appropriately combining into one device or further dispersing the devices more finely as needed.

[0051] The stamp card management server 1 may be a server device that executes processing related to a predetermined stamp card service. This stamp card service may be a service that issues an electronic stamp card to a user and stamps the user who uses a payment means. The payment means may be a means that can be used for settling the price in a transaction with a transaction target. The transaction target may be anything that can be commercially transacted. Examples of the transaction target include goods and services. Details of the payment means will be described later. Stamping a user may correspond to pressing a stamp on the stamp card owned by the user. The stamp card management server 1 may execute processing such as creation of a stamp card, issuance of the created stamp card, and stamping. Creation of a stamp card may be, for example, determining the specifications of the stamp card and putting the stamp card in a state where it can be issued. For example, creation of a stamp card may correspond to creating a bundle of stamp cards. A stamp card may have a plurality of stamp columns. Each stamp column is an area where a stamp can be pressed. The number of stamp columns of one stamp card is referred to as the number of stamp columns. The number of stamp columns may be predetermined in common for all stamp cards. Alternatively, the number of stamp columns may be settable by the creator of the stamp card for each stamp card. Hereinafter, it will be described on the assumption that the number of stamp columns is common for all stamp cards. Issuance of a stamp card may be, for example, providing the created stamp card to an individual user. For example, issuance of a stamp card may correspond to distributing each card in a bundle of created stamp cards to an individual user.

[0052] The stamp card management server 1 may distribute information for promoting the use of stamp cards to the user terminal 8. For example, the stamp card management server 1 may perform the distribution through a web page, an email, or other means. At this time, the stamp card management server 1 may select a stamp card for promoting use to the user based on the attributes of the stamp card and the attributes of the user and the history of past actions. For example, assume that a stamp card related to a predetermined store is created. The stamp card management server 1 may control whether to promote the use of the stamp card to the user based on the history of the user's use of that store. The stamp card management server 1 may issue a stamp card in response to an entry operation by the user.

[0053] The membership information management server 2 may be a server device that manages information related to members of a predetermined service. The predetermined service may include an online service or a service that can be provided using information and communication technology. The predetermined service may be, for example, an Internet comprehensive service. The Internet comprehensive service may be, for example, a collection of a plurality of services including an online service as a main service. The online service may include a service provided through a website. The online service may include an e-commerce service. The e-commerce service may be a service that enables e-commerce between consumers and businesses or e-commerce between consumers. At least one e-commerce service may include a service that enables a business operator to operate an online store. The online store may be a virtual store on the Internet. Examples of services included in the Internet comprehensive service include an online shopping mall, a free market service, a facility use reservation service, a service use reservation service, online securities, online banking, web search, video distribution, a point program, a coupon service, a mobile communication service, carrier settlement, an optical fiber connection service, a credit card, app settlement, electronic money, online securities, online banking, a social networking service (SNS), a rich communication service (RCS) or an instant messaging service, an email service, etc. The above-described stamp card service may also be included in the Internet comprehensive service. For the sake of convenience, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the predetermined service is an Internet comprehensive service. A user ID may be assigned to each user who becomes a member of the Internet comprehensive service. The user ID is identification information for identifying a member in the Internet comprehensive service. The membership information management server 2 may manage the information of each member using the user ID. A user who becomes a member of the Internet comprehensive service may be able to use many of the services included in the Internet comprehensive service.In order to use some services, the user may need to separately register as a member on the condition that the user is a member of the comprehensive Internet service.

[0054] The point program system 3 may be a server device that executes processing related to a predetermined point program. The point program may be a service that, for example, gives a user who purchases a transaction target a certain percentage of the purchase price as points and enables the user to use the points held by the user for the purchase price of the transaction target. The user may be able to obtain and / or use points, for example, with each of an e-commerce service or a store that subscribes to the point program. A point card may be given to each user of the point program. The point card is an example of a profit acquisition means. The profit acquisition means can be used at the time of settlement in a transaction, and enables the user of the profit acquisition means to acquire a profit and the user of the profit acquisition means to use the profit acquired in the past for the settlement of the price. At the time of settlement, it may be possible to use the settlement means and the profit acquisition means in combination. The combined use of the settlement means and the profit acquisition means may be at the same timing or at different timings. For example, after settlement is made by the settlement means, a profit for the same settlement may be acquired using the profit acquisition means after a predetermined period. An information code indicating a membership number for identifying the user as a user of the point program may be printed on this point card. Examples of the information code include a one-dimensional barcode, a two-dimensional code, and the like. The user may be able to obtain and use points at the store by using the point card. The point card may be usable by optically reading the information code printed on the point card by the store terminal 5. An application for the point card may be installable on the user terminal 8. The user terminal 8 may display the information code on the screen according to this application. Using the application of the point card for the user to obtain or use points may correspond to the use of the point card. The point program system 3 may store the number of available points for each user. The number of available points indicates the number of points currently held by the user.For example, the point program system 3 may store the available number of points in association with the user ID of each user. The point program system 3 may be configured to include, for example, one or more server devices. When the point card is used, information regarding the use of the point card and the settlement in the transaction may be received from the store terminal 5 of the store where the transaction is conducted. The point program system 3 may execute processing for awarding points to the user or processing for using points for settlement based on the received information. The settlement system 4 may generate point card usage information each time it executes processing for awarding or using points. The point card usage information may be information indicating that the point card has been used. The point card usage information may include information regarding the processing related to the use of the point card and the information regarding the transaction. The point program system 3 may transmit the generated point card usage information to the member information management server 2 or the stamp card management server 1.

[0055] Each of the plurality of payment systems 4 may be a system that executes processing for providing a predetermined payment service. The payment service may be a service that enables payment of a price using a payment means. The payment means may be a means that can be used for payment of a price in a transaction. Each of the plurality of payment systems 4 may be a system related to a determination means corresponding to the payment system 4 among a plurality of predetermined payment means. At least one payment system 4 may correspond to two or more payment means. The plurality of payment means may include electronic payment. The plurality of payment means may not include cash. The plurality of payment means may include payment means that allow a user to select a payment method to be used from among a plurality of types of payment methods when making a payment. Among the plurality of predetermined payment means, payment means having different identification information and types from each other are separate payment means. Also, even if the types of payment means are the same, payment means provided by different companies that provide payment services using those payment means are defined as separate payment means. Also, even if they are the same type of payment means provided by the same company, payment means having different brands from each other may be defined as separate payment means. Examples of types of payment means include credit cards, debit cards, IC type electronic money, online electronic money, code payment, ID payment, prepaid cards, point cards, etc. Note that even if they are the same type of payment means, if the identification information of the payment means is different, they are different payment means. For example, when the same user has two credit cards, since their respective identification information (such as credit card numbers) is different, they are different payment means. The IC type electronic money may be electronic money of a type in which the balance is managed in an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip provided in a card or a user terminal 8. The online electronic money may be electronic money of a type in which the balance is managed online. The code payment may be a means that enables payment in response to an electronic device optically reading code information indicating either the payer or the payee of the price in a transaction. The payer in the code payment may be a member of an Internet comprehensive service. The payee may be an offline store.An offline store is a physical store. When an electronic device reads code information indicating the payer, the code information may be displayed on the screen of the user terminal 8 used by the user as the payer. Alternatively, the information code indicating the payer may be printed on the card held by the payer for that payment method. The electronic device for reading the information code may be the store terminal 5. For example, the store terminal 5 may read the information code with a barcode reader provided in or connected to the store terminal 5. When an electronic device reads the information code indicating the payee, the information code may be displayed on the screen of the store terminal 5 of that store. Alternatively, the information code indicating the payee may be printed on paper or other objects prepared by that store. The electronic device for reading the information code may be the user terminal 8. For example, the user terminal 8 may read the information code by imaging with a camera built into the user terminal 8. The point card may also be included in the payment method or code settlement. When the user uses points acquired in the past for payment settlement, the point card may be included in the code settlement. The code information indicating the payer will also be printed on the point card. However, the processing related to the point card may be executed by the point program system 3 instead of the settlement system 4. The payment method and the point card as a means of obtaining benefits are collectively referred to as settlement-related means for convenience. When referring to the payment method or code settlement hereinafter, the payment method or code settlement may or may not include the point card. When there is a mention of the point card together with the payment method or code settlement, the payment method or code settlement may not include the point card. When there is no mention of the point card together with the payment method or code settlement, the payment method or code settlement may include the point card. ID settlement is a payment method available for online e-commerce transactions. ID settlement may be a means that enables settlement in response to providing account identification information for identifying the user's account in a predetermined service to the e-commerce service. The predetermined service may be a service different from the e-commerce service in which the transaction is conducted.Examples of the predetermined services include the above-described comprehensive Internet service, a service enabling ID settlement, etc. For example, a user may be able to pre-associate a settlement means other than ID settlement with ID settlement. The user may input a user ID and password of a predetermined service in advance or at the time of settlement on the website of an e-commerce service, and may be authenticated by a settlement system 4 corresponding to ID settlement. Thereby, the user may be able to settle the price with the settlement means associated with ID settlement. Each settlement system 4 may receive information regarding the settlement from a store terminal 5 of a store where a transaction is conducted or an e-commerce server 6 of an e-commerce service where a transaction is conducted when a settlement means corresponding to the settlement system 4 is used. The settlement system 4 may execute a process for settling the price based on the received information. The settlement system 4 may generate settlement information each time it executes a settlement process. The settlement information may be information indicating that the settlement has been made. The settlement information may include information regarding the executed settlement. The settlement system 4 may transmit the generated settlement information to the member information management server 2 or the stamp card management server 1.

[0056] Each store terminal 5 may be a terminal device placed in an offline store that subscribes to at least one service out of a plurality of services each enabling the use of a plurality of settlement-related means. The store terminal 5 may be a terminal device used by an operator or an employee of the store. The store terminal 5 may be used, for example, for calculating the usage fee of a service provided by the store or the purchase price of a product. Examples of the store terminal 5 include a personal computer, a tablet computer, a POS (Point of Sale) register, etc. At least one store terminal 5 may be provided with a predetermined reading device. This reading device may be able to read information recorded on a magnetic tape, information recorded on an IC chip, or an information code printed or displayed on a screen. The reading device may include a barcode reader.

[0057] Each e-commerce transaction server 6 may be a server device that executes processing related to the e-commerce transaction service corresponding to that e-commerce transaction server 6. Each e-commerce transaction server 6 may manage a website for conducting e-commerce transactions. Each e-commerce transaction server 6 may execute, for example, processing for searching for transaction targets that meet conditions specified by a user, providing information about the transaction targets, and establishing orders or reservations for the transaction targets. The e-commerce transaction service corresponding to each e-commerce transaction server 6 may or may not be included in the Internet comprehensive service.

[0058] The creator terminal 7 may be a terminal device used by the creator of the stamp card. Examples of the creator of the stamp card include the operator of the stamp card service, the operator of the payment service, the operator of the e-commerce transaction service, the operator of the store, the operator of the store group, the local government, the advertiser of the stamp card, the member of the Internet comprehensive service, etc. The operator of the stamp card service that has received a request for creating a stamp card from another operator may operate the database stored in the stamp card management server 1 to create a stamp card. In this case, the creator of the stamp card may be the operator who made the request. Alternatively, the stamp card management server 1 may provide a user interface for creating a stamp card to the creator terminal 7. As an example of this user interface, the stamp card management server 1 may provide a stamp card creation screen to the creator terminal 7. The stamp card creation screen may be configured by, for example, a web page. The stamp card management server 1 may create a stamp card by operating the database based on the information input on the stamp card creation screen. Statistical information about the created stamp card may be provided from the stamp card management server 1 to the creator terminal 7.

[0059] Each user terminal 8 may be a terminal device used by a user who is a member of the Internet comprehensive service. By transmitting and receiving information between the user terminal 8 and the stamp card management server 1, the user can use the stamp card service. Also, by transmitting and receiving information between the user terminal 8 and any one of the e-commerce servers 6, the user can use the e-commerce service. Further, using the user terminal 8, the user may be able to use code settlement, a point program, or the like. Examples of the user terminal 8 include portable information terminals such as personal computers, smartphones, tablet computers, mobile phones, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), set-top boxes, and the like. A web browser may be installed in each user terminal 8. Also, the portable type of user terminal 8 may be able to execute an application for using the stamp card service. This application may be a native application, a web application, or a mini application. The mini application may be a type of web application that can be executed from a predetermined native application. The portable type of user terminal 8 may be able to install an application for using code settlement, an application for using a point program or a point card, or the like.

[0060] [1-2. Device Configuration] [1-2-1. Stamp Card Management Server] Next, the configuration of the stamp card management server 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the outline configuration of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the stamp card management server 1 includes a system control unit 11, a system bus 12, an input / output interface 13, a storage unit 14, and a communication unit 15. The system control unit 11 and the input / output interface 13 are connected via the system bus 12.

[0061] The system control unit 11 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11a, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 11b, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 11c, and the like.

[0062] The input / output interface 13 performs interface processing between the storage unit 14 and the communication unit 15 and the system control unit 11.

[0063] The storage unit 14 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive or the like. In this storage unit 14, databases such as a settlement-related means DB 14a, a merchant DB 14b, a store DB 14c, a stamp card DB 14d, a stamp card corresponding store DB 14e, an issued card DB 14f, a settlement-related information DB 14g, a stamp acquisition history DB 14h, a privilege DB 14i, etc. may be stored. "DB" is an abbreviation for database. At least one database may be stored in a server device different from the stamp card management server 1. The stamp card management server 1 may be able to access the database via the server device. Note that the stamp card DB 14d and the stamp card corresponding store DB 14e and the issued card DB 14f may be managed as the same database. In addition, it can be configured by appropriately combining into one database or further dispersing the database in more detail.

[0064] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the content stored in the database of the stamp card management server 1. As shown in FIG. 3, in the settlement-related means DB14a, settlement-related means information regarding each of two or more predetermined settlement-related means among a plurality of predetermined settlement-related means may be stored. Each of the plurality of predetermined settlement-related means may be a settlement-related means by which the stamp card management server 1 or the member information management server 2 can acquire settlement information or point card usage information. As will be described later, each of the two or more predetermined settlement-related means may be a settlement-related means for which a stamp is given to the user when the user uses the settlement-related means. The two or more predetermined settlement-related means may be the same as the plurality of predetermined settlement-related means. Alternatively, the two or more predetermined settlement-related means may be a part of the plurality of predetermined settlement-related means. For example, in the settlement-related means DB14a, as the settlement-related means information, a settlement-related means ID, a settlement-related means name, etc. may be stored in association with each other. The settlement-related means ID is identification information for identifying the settlement-related means. The settlement-related means name indicates the name of the settlement-related means.

[0065] The business operator DB14b may store business operator information regarding each business operator that subscribes to the service of at least one payment-related means. Examples of business operators that subscribe to the service of payment-related means include business operators that operate specific offline stores, business operators that operate online stores, business operators that operate a chain of stores, business operators that operate franchises, and the like. There may be business operators that operate both offline stores and online stores. Also, the business operator that operates an offline store and the business operator that operates an online store may be related to each other. For example, the business operator of an offline store may entrust the operation of an online store to another business operator. Also, for example, the business operator that operates an offline store and the business operator that operates an online store may be affiliated companies included in a predetermined corporate group. Also, for example, the business operator that operates an offline store and the business operator that operates an online store may be in a partnership relationship. In the business operator DB14b, for example, a business operator ID, a business operator name, etc. may be stored in association with each other as business operator information. The business operator ID is identification information for identifying the business operator. The business operator name indicates the name of the business operator.

[0066] The store DB 14c may store store information regarding each store operated by a business operator that subscribes to the service of at least one payment-related means. For example, in the store DB 14c, as store information, a store ID, a store name, a business operator ID, a store type, an address, an e-commerce service ID, payment-related service subscription status information, etc. may be stored in association with each other. The store ID is identification information for identifying the store. The store name indicates the name of the store. The business operator ID indicates the business operator that operates the store. The store type indicates whether the store is an offline store or an online store. The address is valid when the store is an offline store. The address indicates the location of the store. The e-commerce service ID is valid when the store is an online store. The e-commerce service ID is identification information for identifying the e-commerce service through which the store conducts transactions. The payment-related service subscription status information is information indicating whether the store has subscribed to the service of each of a plurality of predetermined payment-related means. Note that when the subscription status of the service of the payment-related means is determined for each business operator instead of for each store, the payment-related service subscription status information may be stored in the business operator DB.

[0067] The stamp card DB14d may store stamp card information regarding each created stamp card. For example, the stamp card DB14d may store, as stamp card information, a stamp card ID, a stamp card name, a creator ID, a description text, privilege setting information, and granting conditions, etc., in association with each other. The stamp card ID is identification information for identifying the created stamp card. The stamp card name indicates the name of the stamp card. The creator ID is identification information for identifying the creator of the stamp card. The description text is a sentence indicating the description of the stamp card. The privilege setting information indicates information regarding the privilege granted to the user on the condition that the user acquires a predetermined number of stamps. The privilege granted may be a privilege physically or electronically provided by the creator of the stamp card. Alternatively, the privilege granted may be a privilege electronically provided by the stamp card management server 1 or other server devices. Examples of the privilege granted include coupons, prizes, points in a point program, electronic money, etc. The privilege setting information may include, for example, the number of privilege stamps, the privilege name, usage conditions, etc. The number of privilege stamps indicates the number of stamps required to acquire the privilege. The number of privilege stamps may match the number of stamp columns. The privilege name indicates the name of the privilege in a distinguishable manner to identify the content of the acquirable privilege. The usage conditions indicate the conditions for using the privilege. It may be possible to acquire multiple privileges for a single issued stamp card. In this case, a plurality of privilege setting information may be stored in the stamp card DB14d. At this time, the number of privilege stamps may be different among multiple privileges. Here, the number of privilege stamps of any one of the multiple privileges may match the number of stamp columns. The number of other privilege stamps may be less than the number of stamp columns. The granting condition information may indicate additional granting conditions for granting stamps to the user. The granting condition may be a condition for the usage mode of the user's settlement-related means. Examples of the usage mode of the settlement-related means include, for example, the transaction target purchased, the settlement amount, the usage date or time of the settlement-related means, the number of points acquired by the user by using the settlement-related means, etc. The granting condition information may indicate a plurality of granting conditions.In this case, if the user satisfies all of those granting conditions, a stamp may be granted. Alternatively, if the user satisfies at least any one of those granting conditions, a stamp may be granted. At least one of the information included in the stamp card information may be information that can be set by the creator of the stamp card. As described above, the operator of the stamp card service who has received a request from the creator of the stamp card may register the stamp card information in the stamp card DB14d. Alternatively, on the stamp card creation screen provided to the creator terminal 7, it may be possible to input the stamp card name, description text, granting conditions, number of bonus stamps, content of the bonus, etc. The stamp card management server 1 may receive the input information from the creator terminal 7 and generate stamp card information including the received information.

[0068] In the stamp card corresponding store DB14e, stamp card corresponding store information regarding stores corresponding to the stamp card may be stored for each combination of the stamp card and the store corresponding to the stamp card. The store corresponding to the stamp card may be a store defined such that when a user of the stamp card uses a payment-related means at the store, the user is given a stamp. The store corresponding to the stamp card may include at least one of an offline store and an online store. For example, in the stamp card corresponding store DB14e, as the stamp card corresponding store information, a stamp card ID, a store ID, etc. may be stored in association with each other. The stamp card ID indicates the stamp card corresponding to the store. The store ID indicates the store. The stamp card corresponding store information may be information that can be set by the creator of the stamp card. For example, the creator may select one or more stores corresponding to the stamp card. For example, when a stamp card for a specific store is created, the store corresponding to the stamp card may be that specific store. Also, for example, when a stamp card for a specific operator is created, the stores corresponding to the stamp card may be all the stores operated by the operator, or may be some of those stores. It may be possible for the operator to select the stores corresponding to the stamp card. Also, for example, a stamp card that can be commonly used at the stores of a plurality of operators may be created. For example, when a local government creates a stamp card, a plurality of stores in the area subject to the administration by the local government may be selected. Each store corresponding to the stamp card may be a store where the user can use at least one of two or more predetermined payment-related means. When the store corresponding to the stamp card is one store, that store may be a store where all of the two or more predetermined payment-related means are available. When the stores corresponding to the stamp card are a plurality of stores, the plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp card may include stores where the payment-related means can be used for each of the two or more payment-related means.Similarly to the above, the operator of the stamp card service that has received a request from the creator of the stamp card may register the stamp card corresponding store information in the stamp card corresponding store DB14e. Alternatively, on the stamp card creation screen provided to the creator terminal 7, it may be possible to select a store. Also, it may be possible to perform an operation for searching for a store on the stamp card creation screen. For example, it may be possible to input search conditions for the store. Examples of the search conditions for the store include keywords such as the store name and the name of the business operator, the category of the store, the address, the e-commerce service, and the stores operated by the creator of the stamp card. The stamp card management server 1 may search for stores that meet the input search conditions based on, for example, the business operator DB14b and the store DB14c, etc. It may be possible to select a store corresponding to the stamp card from among the searched stores. The stamp card management server 1 may receive information indicating the selected store from the creator terminal 7 and generate the stamp card corresponding store information.

[0069] The issued card DB14f may store issued card information regarding the stamp cards issued to users for each combination of a stamp card and the user to whom the stamp card was issued. For example, the issued card DB14f may store, as issued card information, an issued card number, an issue date and time, a stamp card ID, a user ID, the number of issued cards, and the current number of stamps, etc., in association with each other. The issued card number is a number that identifies the issuance of a stamp card. The issue date and time indicates the date and time when the stamp card was first issued to the user. The stamp card ID indicates the issued stamp card. The user ID indicates the user to whom the stamp card was issued. The number of issued cards indicates how many stamp cards were issued to the user. The current number of stamps indicates the number of stamps stamped on the last issued stamp card among the stamp cards indicated by the number of issued cards. For example, information on one or more stamp cards that a user can enter may be held on the screen or web page of the stamp card application, etc. When the user selects any stamp card, the stamp card management server 1 may generate issued card information including the stamp card ID of the selected stamp card and the user ID of the user who made the selection, and store it in the issued card DB14f. When the number of stamps stamped on one stamp card reaches the number of stamp columns, a new stamp card may be automatically issued. In this case, the number of issued cards may increase by 1 and the number of stamps may be reset to 0.

[0070] In the settlement-related information DB 14g, for each of a plurality of predetermined settlement-related means, settlement-related information indicating that the settlement-related means has been used in the settlement of the price may be stored each time the settlement-related means is used. The settlement-related information may include information regarding the transaction in which the settlement-related means was used. Here, the settlement-related information regarding the use of the settlement means is settlement information. Also, the settlement-related information regarding the use of the point card is point card use information. In the settlement-related information DB 14g, for example, as settlement-related information, a settlement-related information ID, user ID, settlement-related means ID, merchant ID, store ID, use date and time, settlement amount, transaction target ID, number of points granted, number of points used, and storage date and time, etc. may be stored in association with each other. The settlement-related information ID is identification information for identifying the settlement-related information. The user ID indicates the user who used the settlement-related means. The settlement-related means ID indicates the used settlement-related means. The store ID indicates the store where the user used the settlement-related means. The transaction target ID indicates the transaction target that the user purchased using the settlement-related means. The use date and time indicates the date and time when the settlement-related means was used. The number of points granted indicates the number of points granted to the user for the use of the settlement-related means. When the user uses a point card, points are granted to the user. Also, even if the user uses a settlement means other than the point card that is predetermined, points may be granted to the user. When no points are granted, the number of points is set to 0. The number of points used indicates the number of points used in the settlement of the price. Depending on the settlement-related means, the settlement-related information may not include some information. For example, the settlement-related information of a certain settlement-related means may not include the transaction target ID. The stamp card management server 1 may obtain the settlement-related information of all settlement-related means or at least the settlement-related information of one settlement-related means from the member information management server 2. Also, the stamp card management server 1 may obtain the settlement-related information of all settlement-related means or at least the settlement-related information of one settlement-related means from the point program system 3 or the settlement system 4. The format of the settlement-related information may be different for each settlement-related means.In this case, the stamp card management server 1 may convert the format of the settlement-related information into a common format and store the settlement-related information in the settlement-related information DB14g. Alternatively, instead of storing the settlement-related information DB14g, the storage unit 14 may store a database of settlement-related information for each settlement-related means. Depending on the settlement-related means, among the information included in the settlement-related information, the information for identifying the user who used the settlement-related means may be identification information different from the user ID. In this case, the stamp card management server 1 may specify the user ID from the identification information based on, for example, a table showing the correspondence between the identification information and the user ID.

[0071] The stamp acquisition history DB14h may store the history of stamp acquisitions by the user. For example, each time a stamp is given, the stamp acquisition history DB14h may store, as a stamp acquisition log, a stamp acquisition log ID, a stamp acquisition date and time, an issued card number, a stamp card ID, a user ID, the number of issued stamps, a stamp column number, a settlement-related means ID, a store ID, and a settlement-related information ID, etc., in association with each other. The stamp acquisition log ID is identification information for identifying the stamp acquisition log. The stamp acquisition date and time may indicate the date and time when the user used the settlement-related means as the reason for giving the stamp. The issued card number and the stamp card ID indicate the stamp card on which the stamp was pressed. The user ID indicates the user who acquired the stamp. The number of issued stamps indicates on which numbered issued stamp card the stamp was pressed. The stamp column number indicates which stamp column among the stamp columns included in the stamp card the stamp was given to. The settlement-related information ID is identification information for identifying the settlement-related information used for determining the giving of the stamp. The settlement-related means ID indicates the settlement-related means used by the user who acquired the stamp. The store ID indicates the store where the user used the settlement-related means.

[0072] In the privilege DB 14i, privilege information regarding the state of privileges granted to users who have acquired a predetermined number of stamps by using a stamp card may be stored for each combination of the issued stamp card and the privilege set for that stamp card. For example, in the privilege DB 14i, as privilege information, the issued card number, stamp card ID, user ID, number of issued cards, number of privilege stamps, and privilege state, etc. may be stored in association with each other. The issued card number identifies the issuance of the stamp card to which the privilege is set. The stamp card ID indicates the issued stamp card. The user ID indicates the user to whom the stamp card is issued. The number of issued cards indicates which number of the stamp cards issued to the user is the stamp card to which the privilege is set. The number of privilege stamps indicates the number of stamps required for the user to acquire the privilege. The privilege state indicates the state of the privilege. The privilege state may be set to any of, for example, "not acquired", "usable", and "used". "Not acquired" indicates a state where the user has not yet acquired the privilege. "Usable" indicates a state where the user has acquired the privilege but has not yet used the privilege. "Used" indicates a state where the user has already used the privilege. For example, when a stamp card is issued to any user, the stamp card management server 1 may store the stamp card information in the issued card DB 14f and store the privilege information in the privilege DB 14i. At this time, the stamp card management server 1 may acquire the number of privilege stamps from the privilege setting information stored in the stamp card DB 14d. The stamp card management server 1 may generate privilege information including a combination identical to the combination of the issued card number, stamp card ID, user ID, and number of issued cards included in the issued card information for each acquired number of privilege stamps, the number of privilege stamps, and a privilege state indicating "unused".

[0073] The storage unit 14 further stores various programs such as an operating system, a DBMS (Database Management System), and a stamp card management program. The stamp card management program is a program that causes the system control unit 11 to execute various processes related to the stamp card service. The stamp card management program may be acquired from another device via the network NW, for example, or may be recorded on a recording medium such as a magnetic tape, an optical disk, or a memory card and read via a drive device.

[0074] The communication unit 15 is composed of, for example, a network interface card or the like. The communication unit 15 connects to the member information management server 2, the point program system 3, the settlement system 4, the creator terminal 7, or the user terminal 8 via the network NW, and controls the communication state with the connected device.

[0075] [1-2-2. Member Information Management Server] Next, the configuration of the member information management server 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the outline configuration of the member information management server 2 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the member information management server 2 includes a system control unit 21, a system bus 22, an input / output interface 23, a storage unit 24, and a communication unit 25. The system control unit 21 and the input / output interface 23 are connected via the system bus 22.

[0076] The system control unit 21 is composed of a CPU 21a, a ROM 21b, a RAM 21c, and the like.

[0077] The input / output interface 23 performs interface processing between the storage unit 24 and the communication unit 25 and the system control unit 21.

[0078] The storage unit 24 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive or the like. The storage unit 24 may store databases such as a member DB 24a and a settlement-related information DB 24b.

[0079] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the content stored in the database of the member information management server 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the member DB 24a may store member information regarding each member of the Internet integrated service. For example, in the member DB 24a, as member information, a user ID, name, gender, date of birth, phone number, address, e-mail address, etc. may be stored in association with each other.

[0080] In the settlement-related information DB 24b, for each of a plurality of predetermined settlement-related means, settlement-related information indicating that the settlement-related means has been used at the time of settlement of the price may be stored each time the settlement-related means is used. In the settlement-related information DB 24b, for example, settlement-related information corresponding to the point card usage information obtained from the point program system 3 and settlement-related information corresponding to the settlement information obtained from each settlement system 4 may be stored. The storage unit 24 may store, not the settlement-related information DB 24b, but a database of information indicating that each settlement-related means has been used, for each settlement-related means. In this case, the formats of the databases may be different from each other.

[0081] The storage unit 24 further stores various programs such as an operating system, a DBMS, and a member information management program. The member information management program is a program that causes the system control unit 11 to execute various processes related to the management of member information. The member information management program may be obtained, for example, from another device via the network NW, or may be recorded on a recording medium such as a magnetic tape, an optical disk, or a memory card and read via a drive device.

[0082] The communication unit 25 is constituted by, for example, a network interface card or the like. The communication unit 25 connects to the stamp card management server 1, the point program system 3, the settlement system 4, or the user terminal 8 or the like via the network NW, and controls the communication state with the connected device.

[0083] [1-3. Functional Overview of System Control Unit] [1-3-1. Stamp Management Server] Next, the functional overview of the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the functional block of the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. The system control unit 11 may function as a settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101, a corresponding store information acquisition unit 1102, a granting unit 1103, a stamp information storage control unit 1104, a stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105, a history screen information transmission unit 1106, etc., as shown in FIG. 6, when the CPU 11a reads and executes various program codes included in the stamp card management program.

[0084] The settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 may acquire settlement information indicating that settlement has been made using a settlement means. The acquired settlement information may include settlement means usage user information. The settlement means usage user information may be information indicating a user who used the settlement means. The settlement means usage user information may be, for example, a user ID. Alternatively, the settlement means usage user information may be other information. For example, the settlement means usage user information may be information for identifying a user in a settlement service corresponding to the settlement means. Further, the settlement information may include settlement means usage transaction information regarding a transaction in which the settlement means was used. The settlement means usage transaction information may include, for example, information indicating the content of the transaction. The settlement means usage transaction information may also include information that can identify the transaction, or may not include it. For example, the settlement means usage transaction information may include at least one of information indicating the user who conducted the transaction, information indicating the business operator or store with whom the user conducted the transaction, the time when the transaction was conducted or the time when the settlement means was used, information indicating the transaction object of the transaction, and the settlement amount. The time when the transaction was conducted or the time when the settlement means was used may include at least one of the date and time. The information indicating the user who conducted the transaction may be the settlement means usage user information.

[0085] Here, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 may acquire settlement information indicating that each of two or more predetermined settlement means has been used. The two or more predetermined settlement means may be all of a plurality of settlement means from which settlement information can be acquired from their respective settlement systems 4 corresponding to those settlement means, or may be a part of those settlement means.

[0086] The settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 may acquire point card usage information indicating that a point card has been used. The acquired point card usage information may include point card usage user information. The point card usage user information may be information indicating the user who used the point card. The point card usage user information may be, for example, a user ID. Alternatively, the point card usage user information may be other information. Also, the point card usage user information may include point card usage transaction information regarding the transaction in which the point card was used. The point card usage transaction information may include, for example, information indicating the content of the transaction. Also, the point card usage transaction information may or may not include information that can identify the transaction. For example, the point card usage transaction information may include at least one of information indicating the user who conducted the transaction, information indicating the merchant or store with whom the user conducted the transaction, the time when the transaction was conducted or the time when the point card was used, information indicating the transaction target, and the settlement amount. The time when the transaction was conducted or the time when the point card was used may include at least one of the date and time. Note that, as described above, the point card may or may not be included in the settlement means. The point card usage information when the point card is included in the settlement means may correspond to the settlement information.

[0087] In this embodiment, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 may acquire settlement-related information from the member information management server 2 as each of the settlement information and the point card usage information. Here, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 may acquire the settlement information of at least one settlement means from the settlement system 4. Further, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 may acquire the point card usage information from the point program system 3.

[0088] The corresponding store information acquisition unit 1102 may acquire stamp card corresponding store information indicating at least one store corresponding to the stamp card. For example, the corresponding store information acquisition unit 1102 may acquire all the stamp card corresponding store information including the stamp card ID of the stamp card from the stamp card corresponding store DB 14e.

[0089] The awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp to the user of the stamp card based on the settlement information acquired by the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 and the user information indicating the user of the stamp card. The user information may be, for example, a user ID. The awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp to the user of the stamp card when the user of the stamp card uses his or her own settlement means. Further, the awarding unit 1103 may also award a stamp to the user of the stamp card when, for example, a family member or the like of the user of the stamp card uses the settlement means of the user. The awarding unit 1103 does not necessarily have to award a stamp simply based on the fact that the user has purchased a transaction target. The awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp when the user uses a predetermined settlement means and the user is the user of the stamp card.

[0090] Here, the granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp on the condition that any one of two or more predetermined payment means is used. At this time, the granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp even when any one of the two or more predetermined payment means is used. For example, assume that the two or more payment means include a predetermined first payment means and a predetermined second payment means different from the first payment means. The conditions for granting a stamp to the user include at least a first condition of using the first payment means and a second condition of using the second payment means. The user can obtain a stamp when the first condition is satisfied. Also, the user can obtain a stamp when the second condition is satisfied. The granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp in real time according to the use of the payment means. Alternatively, the granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp in batches. Note that granting a stamp on the condition that any one of two or more payment means is used includes not only the case where only the use is the condition, but also the case where the use is combined with other conditions for granting. For example, although any one of the two or more payment means is used, a stamp is granted when the payment amount is equal to or more than a predetermined payment amount.

[0091] The granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp regardless of where the payment means is used. Alternatively, the granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp when the payment means is used at a store predetermined as the store corresponding to the stamp card for each stamp card. Alternatively, the granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp when the payment means is used in a predetermined e-commerce service regardless of the stamp card. Alternatively, the granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp when the payment means is used in a predetermined e-commerce service for each stamp card for that stamp card.

[0092] For example, the stamping unit 1103 may grant a stamp on the condition that any one of at least one store indicated by the stamp card corresponding store information acquired by the corresponding store information acquisition unit 1102 is used as a payment destination for the price, and any one of two or more predetermined payment means is used.

[0093] The rule for selecting a store corresponding to the stamp card may be determined in advance. For example, when there is one store corresponding to the stamp card, the store may be all franchise stores of two or more predetermined payment means. When there are a plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp card, each store may be all franchise stores of two or more predetermined payment means. Alternatively, each store may be at least one franchise store of two or more predetermined payment means. However, in order to grant a stamp to the user regardless of which of the two or more payment means is used, it may be determined that each franchise store of the two or more payment means needs to be included in the plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp card.

[0094] The two or more predetermined payment methods may include a payment method available for settling the price of an offline transaction and a payment method different from this payment method and available for settling the price of an online transaction. For example, the two or more predetermined payment methods may include code payment and ID payment. Code payment is available for offline transactions, and ID payment is available for online transactions. Here, the stores corresponding to the stamp card may include both an offline store and an online store operated by the same operator. Also, for example, the stores corresponding to the stamp card may include an offline store operated by a certain first operator and an online store operated by a second operator related to the first operator. At this time, the awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp when a predetermined first payment method is used at the offline store of the operator. Also, the awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp when a predetermined second payment method is used at an offline store operated by the operator or a person related to the operator. The first payment method and the second payment method may be different from each other. The first payment method may be, for example, code payment. The second payment method may be, for example, ID payment.

[0095] The two or more predetermined payment methods may include two or more code payments. In this case, the two or more code payments may include payment by a point card. The difference between a point card and a normal code payment other than the point card may be whether points of a point program can be used for payment of the price. In a normal code payment, the price is paid with a pre-charged balance or a payment method pre-associated with the code payment.

[0096] Although partially overlapping with the above description, the awarding unit 1103 may award points to the user of the stamp card on the condition that the point card has been used, based on the point card usage information and user information obtained by the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101. The awarding unit 1103 may award points regardless of whether the point card is used for the purpose of obtaining or using points. When the user of the stamp card uses their own point card, the awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp to that user. Also, for example, when a family member or the like of the user of the stamp card uses the user's point card, the awarding unit 1103 may also award a stamp to the user of that stamp card.

[0097] Here, the awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp based on the settlement information, point card usage information, and user information. The awarding unit 1103 may award points on the condition that either the settlement means or the point card has been used. At this time, the awarding unit 1103 may award points regardless of which of the settlement means and the point card has been used. Therefore, the user of the stamp card can obtain a stamp by using the settlement means or by using the point card. In this case, the settlement means may be a settlement means different from the point card. The number of settlement means for which a stamp is to be awarded may be one, or there may be two or more. When there are two or more settlement means for which a stamp is to be awarded, as described above, the awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp regardless of which of the two or more settlement means has been used. Here, the operator providing the settlement means and the operator providing the point card may be the same or different.

[0098] Figs. 7(a) to (d) are diagrams showing examples of stamp grants. For example, assume that two or more predetermined payment means include a predetermined code payment, a predetermined point card, and a predetermined ID payment. As shown in Fig. 7(a), a stamp card 110 was issued to a certain user U1. As shown in Fig. 7(b), user U1 purchased goods at an offline sports goods store 210. At this time, user U1 caused the code information to be displayed on the screen of user terminal 8-1 held by user U1 and had the store terminal 5 read this code information, thereby settling the payment using the code payment. The sports goods store 210 corresponds to the stamp card 110. In response to this payment, the granting unit 1103 grants a stamp to user U1. As a result, the number of stamps pressed on the stamp card 110 becomes one. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 7(c), user U1 used a hair salon 220. At this time, user U1 settled the usage fee in cash and obtained points using the point card 310. The hair salon 220 corresponds to the stamp card 110. In response to this payment, the granting unit 1103 grants a stamp to user U1. As a result, the number of stamps pressed on the stamp card 110 becomes two. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 7(d), user U1 operated user terminal 8-1 and purchased goods at a sports goods store 230 within a predetermined online shopping mall. The operator of this online sports goods store 230 and the operator of the offline sports goods store 210 are the same. User U1 settled the payment using the ID payment. The sports goods store 230 corresponds to the stamp card 110. In response to this payment, the granting unit 1103 grants a stamp to user U1. As a result, the number of stamps pressed on the stamp card 110 becomes three.

[0099] The awarding unit 1103 may award one stamp for each use of the payment means and the point card respectively. Alternatively, the awarding unit 1103 may award stamps according to the cumulative value of the payment amount. For example, it is assumed that one stamp is awarded for every 1,000 yen. For example, the user pays 500 yen using the payment means. In this case, no stamp is awarded. Subsequently, the user pays 800 yen. Since the cumulative value of the payment amount is 1,300 yen, one stamp is awarded.

[0100] The awarding unit 1103 may award stamps only when the usage mode of the payment-related means satisfies a predetermined awarding condition when the payment-related means is used. Therefore, in order to obtain a stamp, it may be necessary for the user to use the payment-related means and satisfy the awarding condition. The awarding condition may be common to all stamp cards. Alternatively, the awarding condition may be settable by the creator for each stamp card. For some stamp cards, the awarding condition may not need to be set. Examples of the awarding condition include that the purchased transaction target is a predetermined transaction target, the payment amount is equal to or more than a predetermined amount, the usage date of the payment-related means is within a predetermined period (including a predetermined day of the week), the usage time of the payment-related means is within a predetermined time zone, the number of points obtained by the user through the use of the payment-related means is equal to or more than a predetermined number, etc. Regarding the above-mentioned awarding of stamps according to the cumulative value of the payment amount, the amount for which the stamp is awarded may also be determined. Note that using the payment-related means at the store or e-commerce service corresponding to the stamp card may be included in the awarding condition or may correspond to a condition separate from the awarding condition.

[0101] The point card can be used in combination with a payment method. For example, the user can pay the amount using a payment method and earn points with the point card. Also, the user can pay the amount using both the payment method and the point card. When the payment method and the point card are used in combination in the same transaction, the granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp only for either the use of the payment method or the use of the point card. That is, the granting unit 1103 may prevent double - stamping in the same transaction. Here, the granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp only for the use of the payment method, or may grant a stamp only for the use of the point card. Alternatively, the granting unit 1103 may determine whether to grant a stamp for either the use of the payment method or the use of the point card according to the situation at that time. The granting unit 1103 may determine whether the payment method and the point card are used in combination in the same transaction based on the payment method use transaction information included in the payment information and the point card use transaction information included in the point card use information. For example, when the payment method use transaction information and the point card use transaction information match, the granting unit 1103 may determine that the payment method and the point card are used in combination. When the payment method use transaction information and the use transaction information each include the use time of the payment method and the use time of the point card, the granting unit 1103 may determine that there is a possibility that the payment method and the point card are used in combination when the difference in the use times is less than a predetermined value. Note that the granting unit 1103 may allow double - stamping of the stamp.

[0102] Figs. 8(a) and (b) are diagrams showing examples of stamp grants. For example, assume that a stamp is granted in response to the use of a predetermined code settlement and a stamp is also granted in response to the use of a predetermined point card. As shown in Fig. 8(a), a stamp card 120 was issued to a certain user U2. As shown in Fig. 8(b), user U2 purchased goods at supermarket 240. At this time, user U2 caused the code information to be displayed on the screen of user terminal 8-2 held by user U2, and had the store terminal 5 read this code information, thereby settling the payment using code settlement. Also, user U2 obtained points using point card 310. Supermarket 240 corresponds to stamp card 120. Fig. 8(c) is a diagram showing an example of settlement information and point card usage information. As shown in Fig. 8(c), the settlement information corresponding to the use of the settlement means shown in Fig. 8(b) and the point card usage information corresponding to the use of the point card each include a user ID, a store ID, a usage date and time, and a settlement amount. Between the settlement means and the point card usage information, the user ID, the store ID, the usage date and time, and the settlement amount are the same as each other. Therefore, granting unit 1103 determines that code settlement and the point card are used in combination. As a result, as shown in Fig. 8(b), granting unit 1103 grants one stamp instead of two stamps. Note that when a part of the settlement information and the point card usage information is the same, it may be determined as the same transaction. Also, in a store where code settlement and the point card can be used in combination, it may be specified in advance to grant a stamp only for one of them.

[0103] Note that in a situation where code settlement or ID settlement is used, there may be a case where, as a result, two settlement means are substantially used simultaneously. For example, when a settlement means such as a credit card is associated with code settlement or ID settlement, when code settlement or ID settlement is used, ultimately, the payment is settled using the associated settlement means. In this case, granting unit 1103 may grant the stamp twice or may not grant it.

[0104] When the awarding unit 1103 awards a stamp to a user of a stamp card, in addition to awarding the stamp, it may also award a privilege different from the stamp to that user. This privilege is a privilege awarded on the condition that the user has a stamp card. It differs from the conventional privilege awarded on the condition that the user has used settlement-related means even if the user does not have a stamp card in terms of the conditions for awarding the privilege. Examples of the privilege to be awarded include points in a point program, coupons, electronic money, etc. If any of the settlement means included in two or more predetermined settlement means is used, the awarding unit 1103 may award a privilege regardless of which settlement means is used. Also, the awarding unit 1103 may award a privilege whether a settlement means or a point card is used. The value of the privilege to be awarded may be predetermined, for example. The awarding unit 1103 may award the privilege in real time according to the use of a settlement means or a point card. Alternatively, the awarding unit 1103 may award the privilege in batches. Hereinafter, it will be described as if points in a point program are awarded.

[0105] Figs. 9(a) and (b) are diagrams showing examples of awarding points. For example, assume that a stamp is awarded according to the use of a predetermined credit card and a stamp is also awarded according to the use of a predetermined point card. As shown in Fig. 9(a), user U3 is a user who uses stamp card 130. User U3 purchased goods at convenience store 250. At this time, user U3 settled the payment using a credit card. In response to this settlement, the awarding unit 1103 awards a stamp to user U3. Also, the awarding unit 1103 awards 10 points to user U3. As shown in Fig. 9(b), user U3 purchased goods at bookstore 260. At this time, user U3 settled the payment using a combination of cash and point card 330. In response to this settlement, the awarding unit 1103 awards a stamp to user U3. Also, the awarding unit 1103 awards 10 points to user U3.

[0106] When a stamp is given by the giving unit 1103, the stamp information storage control unit 1104 may store in the storage unit 14 a stamp acquisition log indicating that the stamp has been given, in association with user information indicating the user of the stamp card. The stored stamp acquisition log may be information capable of specifying the payment means used among two or more predetermined payment means. Further, the stamp acquisition log may be information capable of specifying the means used among the payment means and the point card. For example, it may be possible to specify the used means from the payment-related means ID included in the stamp acquisition log. The user information may be a user ID.

[0107] The stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 may transmit stamp card screen display information to the user terminal 8 of the user of the stamp card. The stamp card screen display information may be information for causing the user terminal 8 to display a screen of the stamp card including the stamp given by the giving unit 1103. The screen of the stamp card may be composed of, for example, a web page. In this case, the stamp card screen display information may be an HTML (HyperText Markup Language) document. Alternatively, the stamp card screen display information may be other information. Here, the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 may vary the display mode of the stamp on the stamp card screen according to the used means, based on the stamp acquisition log associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card. Thereby, the user can recognize by what means the stamp was acquired. Examples of the display mode include the shape, color, and pattern of the stamp image, the characters themselves within the stamp image, the style, size, thickness, color, and pattern of the characters, and the like.

[0108] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a stamp card screen. For example, on the initial screen of a stamp card application or the initial screen of a stamp card website, the user selects a stamp card for which to display the stamp card screen from among the stamp cards currently issued to that user. In response to this selection, as shown in FIG. 10, the user terminal 8 may display a stamp card screen 400. The stamp card screen 400 may include a stamp card name 410, a stamp card image 420, a stamp acquisition history display menu item 440, and the like. The stamp name 410 indicates the name of the selected stamp card. The stamp card image 420 is an image showing the stamp card. The stamp card image 420 may include, for example, stamp column images 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, and 430. Each stamp column image is an image showing a stamp column. The stamp column images 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, and 430 correspond to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth stamp columns, respectively. The stamp column images 421, 422, 423, 424, and 425 each include a stamp image. The stamp image is an image showing a stamp. The stamp column images 426, 427, 428, 429, and 430 do not include a stamp image. Accordingly, currently, 5 stamps are saved. The stamp images shown in FIG. 10 include characters indicating the name of the means used. For example, the stamp images included in the stamp column images 421 and 422 indicate that ID settlement was used. The stamp images included in the stamp column images 423 and 425 indicate that code settlement was used. The stamp image included in the stamp column image 424 indicates that a point card was used. The stamp acquisition history display menu item 440 is an operable element for displaying a screen of the stamp acquisition history for the selected stamp card.

[0109] The history screen information transmission unit 1106 may transmit the history screen information to the user terminal 8 of the user of the stamp card. The history screen information may be information for causing the user terminal 8 to display a screen of the stamp acquisition history. The screen of the stamp acquisition history may be composed of, for example, a web page. In this case, the history screen information may be an HTML document. Alternatively, the history screen information may be other information. Here, based on the stamp acquisition log associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 may display, on the screen of the stamp card history, the usage means information indicating the means used together with the stamp card history. The history screen information transmission unit 1106 may display the stamp acquisition history and the usage means information in a manner in which the usage means information is associated with each stamp acquisition log.

[0110] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a stamp card acquisition history screen. For example, on the initial screen of the stamp card application or the initial screen of the stamp card website, the user selects the display of the stamp acquisition history. In response to this selection, as shown in FIG. 11, the user terminal 8 may display the stamp acquisition history 500. The stamp acquisition history 500 may include one or more stamp acquisition log display columns 510. The stamp acquisition log display column 510 shows the stamp acquisition log corresponding to the acquisition of one stamp. The stamp acquisition log display column 510 may be displayed, for example, in the order of the latest use date and time of the used payment-related means. Alternatively, the stamp acquisition log display column 510 may be displayed in the order of the proximity of the store where the payment-related means was used from the current position of the user terminal 8. Each stamp acquisition log display column 510 may include a stamp card name 521, a stamp acquisition date and time 522, a place of use name 523, a means of use name 524, and a total number of acquired stamps 525. The stamp card name 521 indicates the name of the stamp that the user acquired. The stamp acquisition date and time 522 indicates the date and time when the stamp was acquired. The date and time when the stamp was acquired may correspond to the date and time when the payment-related means was used. The place of use name 523 indicates the name of the place where the user used the payment-related means. When the place where the payment-related means was used is a store, the place of use name 523 indicates the name of the store. When the place where the payment-related means was used is an e-commerce service, the place of use name 523 may indicate the name of the e-commerce service or the name of the online store where the payment-related means was used in the e-commerce service. The means of use name 524 indicates the name of the used payment-related means. The total number of acquired stamps 525 indicates the total number of stamps acquired by the user with that stamp card. The current number of stamps indicates the number of stamps that are only pressed on the latest issued stamp card. In contrast, the total number of acquired stamps 525 indicates the number of stamps that are pressed on all the stamp cards issued up to the present time, including the stamp cards issued in the past.

[0111] When the user operates the stamp acquisition history display menu item 440 on the stamp card screen 400 shown in FIG. 10, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 may generate history screen information so that the user terminal 8 only for the stamp card whose information is displayed on the stamp card screen 400 among the stamp cards issued to the user displays the stamp acquisition history.

[0112] [1-3-2. Membership Information Management Server] Next, the functional outline of the system control unit 21 of the membership information management server 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the functional blocks of the system control unit 21 of the membership information management server 2 according to the present embodiment. The system control unit 21 may function as a settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101, a settlement-related information transmission unit 2102, etc. as shown in FIG. 12 when the CPU 21a reads and executes various program codes included in the membership information management program.

[0113] The settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may acquire settlement information of the settlement means corresponding to each of the plurality of settlement systems 4 from each of the plurality of settlement systems 4. The settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may acquire settlement information from different settlement systems 4 for each settlement means. The settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may acquire settlement information in real time or in batches according to the use of the settlement means. The format of the settlement information acquired from the settlement system 4 may be the format unique to the settlement means. The settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may convert the format of the acquired settlement information into the format of the settlement-related information stored in the settlement-related information DB 24b. Then, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may store the settlement information in the settlement-related information DB 24b as settlement-related information. The settlement means user information included in the settlement information may or may not be the user ID. For example, the settlement means user information included in the credit card settlement information may be the credit card number. The settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may convert the settlement means user information into the user ID. For example, the conversion may be performed based on a table showing the correspondence between the settlement means user information and the user ID. This table may be stored in the storage unit 24 of the membership information management server 2, for example, or may be stored in the settlement system 4. The settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may identify the settlement means based on, for example, from which settlement system 4 the settlement information has been transmitted. The settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may add a settlement-related means ID indicating the identified settlement means to the settlement-related information. Also, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may add a new settlement-related information ID to the settlement-related information.

[0114] The settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may acquire point card usage information from the point program system 3. The settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may acquire the point card usage information in real time in response to the use of the point card, or may acquire it in batches. Also, similar to the case of settlement information, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may convert the format of the point card usage information into the format of settlement-related information and store it in the settlement-related information DB 24b. Further, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may convert the point card usage user information included in the point card usage information into a user ID. The settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may add a settlement-related means ID indicating the point card to the settlement-related information.

[0115] The settlement-related information transmission unit 2102 may transmit the settlement information acquired by the settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 to the stamp card management server 1. For example, the settlement-related information transmission unit 2102 may transmit the settlement information stored as settlement-related information in the settlement-related information DB 24b in response to a request from the stamp card management server 1.

[0116] Also, the settlement-related information transmission unit 2102 may transmit the point card usage information acquired by the settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 to the stamp card management server 1. For example, the settlement-related information transmission unit 2102 may transmit the point card usage information stored as settlement-related information in the settlement-related information DB 24b in response to a request from the stamp card management server 1.

[0117] [1-4. Operation of the Communication System] Next, the operation of the communication system S will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 18. The system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 may execute the processes shown in FIGS. 13 to 18 according to the program codes included in the stamp card management program. The system control unit 21 of the member information management server 2 may execute the process shown in FIG. 13 according to the program codes included in the member information management program. The processes shown in these figures are examples, and any process may be executed as long as the object is achieved. The order of the processes is not limited to the order shown in these figures. Also, at least one of the steps shown in these figures may not be executed.

[0118] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the communication system S according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the settlement system 4 transmits settlement information to the member information management server 2 at any time or at a predetermined timing. Also, the point program system 3 transmits point card usage information to the member information management server 2 at any time or at a predetermined timing (step S1). The settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 of the member information management server 2 stores the received settlement information and point card usage information in the settlement-related information DB 24b as settlement-related information (step S2). At this time, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 2101 may add a settlement-related means ID to the settlement-related information.

[0119] The settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 of the stamp card management server 1 transmits a settlement-related information request to the member information management server 2 at a predetermined time interval (step S3). The settlement-related information request indicates a request for settlement-related information. Examples of the transmission interval of the settlement-related information request include several seconds, several minutes, several hours, one day, etc. The settlement-related information transmission unit 2102 of the member information management server 2 that has received the settlement-related information request transmits one or more settlement-related information newly stored in the settlement-related information DB 24b between the reception of the previous settlement-related information request and the reception of the current settlement-related information request to the stamp card management server 1 (step S4). The transmitted settlement-related information may include settlement information for each of two or more predetermined settlement means. Also, the transmitted settlement-related information may or may not include point card usage information. The settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 of the stamp card management server 1 that has received the settlement-related information stores the received settlement-related information in the settlement-related information DB 14g (step S5).

[0120] Next, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 selects one settlement-related information from among the settlement-related information received this time from the member information management server 2 (step S6). For example, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 may acquire the settlement-related information with the oldest usage date and time. Next, the awarding unit 1103 executes stamp control processing for the selected settlement-related information (step S7).

[0121] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of stamp control processing executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, the granting unit 1103 determines whether or not a user who uses a payment-related means is a user of any stamp card based on the selected payment-related information (step S101). For example, the granting unit 1103 may acquire a user ID from the payment-related information. The granting unit 1103 may search the issued card DB 14f for issued card information including the user ID. If there is corresponding issued card information, the granting unit 1103 may determine that the user who uses the payment-related means is a user of the stamp card. If the user who uses the payment-related means is not a user of the stamp card (step S101: NO), the stamp control processing ends.

[0122] If the user who uses the payment-related means is a user of the stamp card (step S101: YES), the granting unit 1103 acquires stamp card information from the stamp card DB 14d (step S102). For example, the granting unit 1103 may acquire a stamp card ID from each of the retrieved issued card information. The granting unit 1103 may acquire stamp card information including the stamp card ID. Next, the granting unit 1103 acquires stamp card corresponding store information including the stamp card ID from the stamp card corresponding store DB 14e (step S103). Next, the granting unit 1103 determines whether or not the store where the payment-related means is used is a store corresponding to any of the stamp cards used by the user (step S104). For example, the granting unit 1103 may acquire a store ID from the payment-related information. If this store ID matches the store ID included in any of the acquired stamp card corresponding store information, the granting unit 1103 may determine that the store where the payment-related means is used is a store corresponding to the stamp card. If the store where the payment-related means is used is not a store corresponding to any stamp card (step S104: NO), the stamp control processing ends.

[0123] When the store where the settlement-related means is used is a store corresponding to any stamp card (step S104: YES), the granting unit 1103 identifies the stamp card information of the stamp card for which the settlement-related means was used at the corresponding store among the acquired stamp card information. The granting unit 1103 determines whether or not the granting conditions are satisfied based on the settlement-related information and the granting condition information included in the identified stamp card information (step S105). If the granting conditions are not satisfied (step S105: NO), the stamp control process ends.

[0124] When the granting condition is satisfied (step S105: YES), the granting unit 1103 determines whether the payment-related means used by the user is a point card based on the payment-related means ID included in the payment-related information (step S106). When the payment-related means used by the user is a point card (step S106: YES), the granting unit 1103 searches the payment-related information DB14g for payment-related information indicating that the payment means was used in the same transaction as the transaction in which the point card was used (step S107). For example, the granting unit 1103 may obtain at least one piece of information determined in advance from among the user ID, store ID, payment amount, use date, and use time from the selected payment-related information. Further, the granting unit 1103 may search the stamp acquisition history DB14h for a stamp acquisition log including a combination of the user ID acquired in step S101 and the stamp card ID of the stamp card determined to satisfy the granting condition in step S105. The granting unit 1103 may obtain the payment-related information ID from each of the searched stamp acquisition logs. The granting unit 1103 may search the payment-related information DB14g for payment-related information including the obtained payment-related information ID, a payment-related means ID indicating a payment means other than the point card, and information that matches the information obtained from the selected payment-related information. As a result of the search, the granting unit 1103 determines whether there is corresponding payment-related information (step S108). When there is corresponding payment-related information (step S108: YES), the stamp control process ends. When there is no corresponding payment-related information (step S108: NO), the granting unit 1103 executes a stamp granting process (step S111). Details of the stamp granting process will be described later.

[0125] When the payment-related means used by the user is a payment means other than the point card (step S106: NO), the awarding unit 1103 searches the payment-related information DB14g for payment-related information indicating that the point card was used in the same transaction as the transaction in which the payment means was used (step S109). Except that the search target is payment-related information regarding the point card, step S109 may be the same as step S107. As a result of the search, the awarding unit 1103 determines whether there is corresponding payment-related information (step S110). If there is corresponding payment-related information (step S110: YES), the stamp control process ends. If there is no corresponding payment-related information (step S110: NO), the awarding unit 1103 executes the stamp awarding process (step S111).

[0126] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a stamp - giving process executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, the giving unit 1103 searches the issued card DB 14f for issued card information including a combination of the user ID of the user using the settlement - related means and the stamp card ID of the stamp card determined to satisfy the additional conditions (step S201). Next, the giving unit 1103 adds 1 to the current stamp count included in the retrieved issued card information and updates the current stamp count (step S202). Next, the stamp information storage control unit 1104 stores the stamp acquisition log in the stamp acquisition history DB 14h (step S203). At this time, the stamp information storage control unit 1104 may acquire the issued card number, stamp card ID, issued number, and updated current stamp count from the retrieved issued card information. Also, the stamp information storage control unit 1104 may acquire the user ID, settlement - related means ID, store ID, use date and time, and settlement - related information ID from the selected settlement - related information. Further, the stamp information storage control unit 1104 may set the stamp column number to the current stamp count. The stamp information storage control unit 1104 may generate a stamp acquisition log including the information acquired from the issued card information and the settlement - related information, and the stamp column number. The stamp information storage control unit 1104 may include the use date and time in the stamp acquisition log as the stamp acquisition date and time.

[0127] Next, the giving unit 1103 acquires the privilege setting information stored in the stamp card DB 14d in association with the stamp card ID included in the retrieved issued card information. The giving unit 1103 determines whether the updated stamp count matches any of the privilege stamp counts included in the privilege setting information (step S204). When the current stamp count matches any of the privilege stamp counts (step S204: YES), the giving unit 1103 changes the privilege status stored in the privilege DB 14i associated with the same combination as the combination of the privilege stamp count that matches the current stamp count, the issued card number included in the retrieved issued card information, the user ID, and the issued number, to "usable" (step S205).

[0128] After step S205, or when the current stamp count does not match any of the privilege stamp counts (step S204: NO), the granting unit 1103 determines whether the current stamp count matches the number of stamp columns (step S206). When the current stamp count matches the number of stamp columns (step S206: YES), the granting unit 1103 adds 1 to the issued number included in the retrieved issued card information and updates the issued number (step 207). Next, the granting unit 1103 changes the current stamp count included in the retrieved issued card information to 0 (step S208). Next, the granting unit 1103 generates new privilege information and stores it in the privilege DB 14i (step S209). At this time, the granting unit 1103 may obtain the privilege stamp count from the privilege setting information. The granting unit 1103 may generate privilege information including a combination identical to the combination of the issued card number, stamp card ID, user ID, and updated issued number included in the issued card information for each obtained privilege stamp count, the privilege stamp count, and a privilege status indicating "unused". After step S209, the stamp granting process ends.

[0129] Returning to FIG. 14, when the stamp granting process ends, the granting unit 1103 executes a point granting process (step S112).

[0130] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a point awarding process executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, the awarding unit 1103 generates a point addition request (step S301). The point addition request indicates a request to add a set number of points to the available points of any user. For example, the awarding unit 1103 may generate a point addition request including the user ID of a user who used the settlement-related means and a predetermined number of points. Next, the awarding unit 1103 transmits the generated point addition request to the point program system 3 (step S302), and the point awarding process ends. The point program system 3 adds the number of points included in the point addition request to the available points associated with the user ID included in the point addition request among the available points stored in the point program system 3. Thereby, the available points are updated.

[0131] Returning to FIG. 14, when the point awarding process ends, the stamp control process ends. Returning to FIG. 13, when the stamp control process ends, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 of the stamp card management server 1 determines whether there is any settlement-related information that has not yet been selected among the settlement-related information received from the membership information management server 2 (step S8). If there is unselected settlement-related information (step S8: YES), the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 selects one piece of settlement-related information from among the settlement-related information received from the membership information management server 2 that has not yet been selected. At this time, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 may acquire the settlement-related information in ascending order of the use date and time. When all the settlement-related information has been selected (step S8: NO), the process shown in FIG. 13 ends.

[0132] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of stamp screen information transmission processing executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. For example, the user operates the user terminal 8 to select a stamp card for displaying a stamp screen. The user terminal 8 that has detected this selection may transmit a stamp screen information request to the stamp card management server 1. The stamp screen information request indicates a request for an HTML document of the stamp screen. The stamp screen information request may include the stamp card ID of the selected stamp card and the user ID of the user who made the selection. The system control unit 11 may execute stamp screen information transmission processing in response to receiving the stamp screen information request from the user terminal 8.

[0133] As shown in FIG. 17, the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 acquires a template of an HTML document of the stamp screen from the storage unit 14 (step S401). This HTML document includes tag information for displaying the stamp card image. This tag information may include the URLs of the data of each stamp column image included in the stamp card image. The default URL included in this tag information may be the URL of the data of the stamp column image indicating that no stamp has been applied. Next, the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 searches the stamp card DB 14d for stamp card information including the stamp card ID included in the stamp screen information request. Also, the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 searches the issued card DB 14f for issued card information including the combination of the stamp card ID and the user ID included in the stamp screen information request (step S402). Next, the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 acquires the stamp name from the stamp card information. The stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 adds the acquired stamp name to the HTML document (step S403). Next, the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 sets the stamp column number i to 1 (step S404). Next, the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 searches the stamp acquisition history DB 14h for a stamp acquisition log including the combination of the stamp card ID and the user ID included in the stamp screen information request and the stamp column number indicating the i-th (step S405). As a result of the search, the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 determines whether there is a corresponding stamp acquisition log (step S406). If there is a corresponding stamp acquisition log (step S406: YES), the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 acquires the settlement-related means ID from the searched stamp acquisition log (step S407). Next, the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 rewrites the URL of the data of the i-th stamp column image among the URLs of the stamp column images included in the HTML document of the stamp screen to the URL of the data of the stamp column image including the stamp image corresponding to the settlement-related means indicated by the acquired settlement-related means ID (step S408).After step S408, or if there is no corresponding stamp acquisition log (step S406: NO), the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 determines whether the stamp column number i is less than the number of stamp columns (step S409). If the stamp column number i is less than the number of stamp columns (step S410: YES), the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 adds 1 to the stamp column number i to update the stamp column number i (step S410). Then, the process proceeds to step S405. If the stamp column number i matches the number of stamp columns (step S410: NO), the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 transmits the HTML document of the stamp screen to the user terminal 8 (step S411), and the stamp screen information transmission process ends.

[0134] The user terminal 8 that has received the HTML document from the stamp card management server 1 displays the stamp card screen based on this HTML document. At this time, the user terminal 8 displays the stamp card name included in the HTML document. Also, the user terminal 8 displays the stamp card image. For each stamp column, the user terminal 8 sends a stamp column image request to the stamp card management server 1. The stamp column image request includes the URL of the data of the stamp column image included in the HTML document. The stamp card management server 1 sends the image data corresponding to the URL included in the stamp column image request to the user terminal 8. The user terminal 8 displays the image of each stamp column on the stamp card image based on the image data received from the stamp card management server 1.

[0135] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of stamp acquisition history screen information transmission processing executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. For example, the user operates the user terminal 8 to select the display of the stamp acquisition history screen. The user terminal 8 that has detected this selection may transmit a stamp acquisition history screen information request to the stamp card management server 1. The stamp acquisition history screen information request indicates a request for the HTML document of the stamp acquisition history screen. The stamp acquisition history screen information request may include the user ID of the user who made the selection. When the user selects a stamp card, the stamp acquisition history screen information request may further include the stamp card ID of the selected stamp card. In response to receiving the stamp acquisition history screen information request from the user terminal 8, the system control unit 11 may execute the stamp acquisition history screen information transmission processing.

[0136] As shown in FIG. 18, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 acquires a template of the HTML document of the stamp acquisition history screen from the storage unit 14 (step S501). Next, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 determines whether a stamp card has been selected based on whether the stamp acquisition history screen information request includes a stamp card ID (step S502). If a stamp card has been selected (step S502: YES), the history screen information transmission unit 1106 searches the stamp acquisition history DB 14h for a stamp acquisition log including a combination that matches the combination of the user ID and the stamp card ID included in the stamp acquisition history screen information request (step S503). If a stamp card has not been selected (step S502: NO), the history screen information transmission unit 1106 searches the stamp acquisition history DB 14h for a stamp acquisition log including a user ID that matches the user ID included in the stamp acquisition history screen information request (step S504).

[0137] After step S503 or step S504, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 selects any one of the retrieved stamp acquisition logs (step S505). For example, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 may select the stamp acquisition log with the most recent stamp acquisition date and time. Next, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 adds tag information for displaying the stamp acquisition log display column to the HTML document of the stamp acquisition history screen based on the selected stamp acquisition log (step S506). For example, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 may obtain the stamp card ID, stamp acquisition date and time, store ID, payment-related means ID, issued quantity, stamp column number, etc. from the stamp acquisition log. The history screen information transmission unit 1106 may search for the stamp card information including the obtained stamp card ID from the stamp card DB14d. The history screen information transmission unit 1106 may obtain the stamp card name from the stamp card information. Also, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 may search for the store information including the obtained store ID from the store DB14c. The history screen information transmission unit 1106 may obtain the store name from the store information. Also, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 may obtain the payment-related means name associated with the obtained payment-related means ID from the payment-related means DB14a. Also, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 may calculate the total number of acquired stamps based on the issued quantity, number of stamp columns, and current number of stamps. The history screen information transmission unit 1106 may generate tag information including the stamp card name, stamp acquisition date and time, store name, payment-related means name, and total number of acquired stamps.

[0138] Next, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 determines whether there is an unselected stamp acquisition log among the retrieved stamp acquisition logs (step S507). If there is an unselected stamp acquisition log (step S507: YES), the process proceeds to step S505. In step S505, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 selects one stamp acquisition log from among the unselected stamp acquisition logs. At this time, the history screen information transmission unit 1106 may select the stamp acquisition logs, for example, in the order of the latest stamp acquisition date and time. When all the stamp acquisition logs have been selected (step S507: NO), the history screen information transmission unit 1106 transmits the HTML document of the stamp acquisition history screen to the user terminal 8, and the stamp acquisition history screen information transmission process ends.

[0139] The user terminal 8 that has received the HTML document from the stamp card management server 1 displays the stamp acquisition history screen based on this HTML document. At this time, the user terminal 8 displays each stamp acquisition log display column based on the tag information included in the HTML document. For example, the user terminal 8 displays the stamp card name, the stamp acquisition date and time, the store name, the settlement-related means name, and the total number of acquired stamps.

[0140] As described above, according to this embodiment, the stamp card management server 1 may acquire settlement information for each of two or more predetermined settlement means. Further, the stamp card management server 1 may grant a stamp to the user of the stamp card on the condition that any one of the two or more settlement means has been used, based on the settlement information and the user information indicating the user of the stamp card. At this time, the stamp card management server 1 may grant a stamp regardless of which of the two or more settlement means has been used. In this case, it is possible to provide a stamp card that allows the user to acquire a stamp regardless of which of the two or more settlement means is used.

[0141] In addition, the stamp card management server 1 may acquire point card usage information. Further, the stamp card management server 1 may grant a stamp on the condition that the point card has been used, based on the point card usage information and the user information. In this case, even if the point card is used, the user of the stamp card can acquire a stamp. Therefore, in addition to two or more payment means, the use of the point card can be promoted to the user.

[0142] Here, when the stamp card management server 1 grants a stamp to the user of the stamp card based on the payment information, the point card usage information, and the user information indicating the user of the stamp card, the stamp may be granted regardless of whether the payment means or the point card is used. In this case, a stamp is granted regardless of which of the used means is the payment means or the point card. Therefore, it is possible to provide a stamp card that allows the user to acquire a stamp regardless of which of the payment means and the point card is used.

[0143] Here, when the payment means and the point card are used in combination in the same transaction, the stamp may be granted only for either the use of the payment means or the use of the point card. In this case, double granting of stamps for one transaction due to the combined use of the payment means and the point card can be suppressed.

[0144] At this time, the stamp card management server 1 may determine whether the payment means and the point card are used in combination based on the payment means usage transaction information included in the payment information and the point card usage transaction information included in the point card usage information. In this case, it is determined whether the means for which the payment means is used and the transaction for which the point card is used are the same. Therefore, double granting of stamps for one transaction due to the combined use of the payment means and the point card can be suppressed.

[0145] Also, the operator providing the payment means and the operator providing the point card may be different. In this case, by using the payment means and the point card respectively provided by different operators, the user can obtain stamps respectively.

[0146] Here, when the stamp card management server 1 grants a stamp, it may also grant points. In this case, the user who obtains the stamp can also obtain points. Therefore, for example, the user of the stamp card can be further encouraged to use at least one of two or more payment means. Also, for example, the use of the payment means and the point card can be further encouraged to the user of the stamp card.

[0147] Also, two or more payment means may include code payment and ID payment. In this case, the user of the stamp card can obtain a stamp regardless of which of the code payment and the ID payment is used. Therefore, the use of the code payment and the ID payment can be encouraged.

[0148] Also, two or more payment means may include two code payments. In this case, the user of the stamp card can obtain a stamp regardless of which of the two code payment means is used. Therefore, the use of the two code payment means can be encouraged.

[0149] Also, when the first payment means is used with a predetermined offline store as the payment destination by the stamp card management server 1, a stamp may be granted. Also, when the second payment means is used with an online store operated by at least one of the same operator as the operator operating the offline store and the related parties of the operator as the payment destination by the stamp card management server 1, a stamp may be granted. In this case, the user of the stamp card can obtain a stamp regardless of which of the offline store and the online store operated by the same operator is used. Here, the user can obtain stamps for the use of each even if different payment means are used for the offline store and the online store.

[0150] Also, when a stamp is given, the stamp card management server 1 may store a stamp acquisition log in the stamp acquisition history DB 14h in association with user information indicating the user of the stamp card. Further, the stamp card management server 1 may transmit stamp card screen display information to the user terminal 8 of the user of the stamp card. At this time, based on the stamp acquisition log associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card, the stamp card management server 1 may vary the display mode of the stamp on the stamp card screen according to the means used. In this case, the stamps included in the stamp card on the stamp card screen are displayed in a mode according to the means used. Therefore, the user can recognize through the stamp card screen by which means the stamp was acquired.

[0151] Also, the stamp card management server 1 may transmit history screen information for causing the user terminal 8 to display a stamp acquisition history screen. At this time, based on the stamp acquisition log associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card, the stamp card management server 1 may display information indicating the means used together with the history on the stamp acquisition history screen. In this case, on this stamp acquisition history screen, information indicating the means used is displayed together with the history of stamp acquisitions. Therefore, the user can recognize through the stamp acquisition history screen by which means the stamp was acquired.

[0152] Further, the stamp card management server 1 may acquire corresponding store information indicating at least one store corresponding to the stamp card. Also, when any one of at least one store corresponding to the stamp card is used as a payment destination for the price and any one of two or more payment means is used, stamps may be granted. In this case, when any one of the at least one store is used, the user can acquire stamps. Therefore, the user can acquire stamps regardless of which of the two or more payment means is used, and a stamp card that allows the user to pre-select a store where the user can acquire stamps can be provided.

[0153] Also, when any one of at least one store corresponding to the stamp card is used as a payment destination for the price and any one of a payment means and a point card is used, stamps may be granted. In this case, when any one of the at least one store is used, the user can acquire stamps. Therefore, the user can acquire stamps regardless of which of the payment means and the point card is used, and a stamp card that allows the user to pre-select a store where the user can acquire stamps can be provided.

[0154] [2. Second Embodiment] Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 25. The second embodiment may be the same as the first embodiment except for the points described below. In this embodiment, the creator of the stamp card can select a payment-related means corresponding to the created stamp card. The payment-related means corresponding to the stamp card is a payment-related means by which the user of the stamp card can acquire stamps by using the payment-related means.

[0155] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the content stored in the stamp card DB 14d of the stamp card management server 1. As shown in FIG. 19, in the stamp card DB 14d, as stamp card information, in addition to the stamp card ID, stamp card name, creator ID, description text, privilege setting information, and granting conditions, selection settlement-related means information may be stored in association with the stamp card ID and the like. The selection settlement-related means information may be information indicating whether or not each of a plurality of predetermined settlement-related means is selected as a settlement-related means for which a stamp is to be given to the user of the stamp card indicated by the stamp card ID. Each of the plurality of predetermined settlement-related means may be a settlement-related means determined to be selectable as a settlement-related means for which a stamp is to be given to the user of the stamp card on the condition that it is used. The plurality of predetermined settlement-related means may be, for example, all of the settlement means from which the membership information management server 2 or the stamp card management server 1 can acquire settlement-related information from the settlement system 4, or may be a part of those settlement means. The plurality of predetermined settlement-related means may or may not include a point card. In response to a request from the creator of the stamp card, the operator of the stamp card service may set the selection settlement-related means information. Alternatively, on the stamp card creation screen provided by the stamp card management server 1 to the creator terminal 7, it may be possible to select the settlement-related means corresponding to the stamp card to be created. The stamp card management server 1 may acquire the selection settlement-related means information corresponding to the selection of the settlement-related means on the stamp card creation screen from the creator terminal 7 and store this selection settlement-related means information in the stamp card DB 14d. One of the plurality of predetermined settlement-related means may be selectable, or two or more settlement-related means may be selectable, or all of the settlement-related means may be selectable.

[0156] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of setting information on selection settlement related means. As shown in FIG. 20, it is assumed that a plurality of predetermined settlement related means include a predetermined code settlement, a predetermined point card, a predetermined IC type electronic money, a predetermined credit card, and a predetermined ID settlement. For example, for the stamp card 601, only code settlement is selected. For the stamp card 602, only the point card is selected. For the stamp card 603, only the IC type electronic money is selected. For the stamp card 604, code settlement, credit card, and ID settlement are selected. For the stamp card 605, code settlement and point card are selected. For the stamp card 606, all of code settlement, point card, IC type electronic money, credit card, and ID settlement are selected.

[0157] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 21, the same elements as those in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 21, the system control unit 11 may function as a selection settlement related means information acquisition unit 1107 in addition to a settlement related information acquisition unit 1101, a corresponding store information acquisition unit 1102, a granting unit 1103, a stamp information storage control unit 1104, a stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105, and a history screen information transmission unit 1106.

[0158] The selection settlement related means information acquisition unit 1107 may acquire selection settlement related means information indicating at least one settlement means selected as a selection settlement means to which a stamp is to be given to a created stamp card among a plurality of predetermined settlement means. The plurality of predetermined settlement means may or may not include a point card. The at least one selection settlement means may or may not include a point card. The selection settlement related means information acquisition unit 1107 may acquire the selection settlement related means information from the stamp card DB 14d or may acquire the selection settlement related means information from the creator terminal 7.

[0159] The payment-related information acquisition unit 1101 may acquire payment-related information indicating the use of at least one selected payment method indicated by the selected payment-related method information acquired by the selected payment-related method information acquisition unit 1107 among a plurality of predetermined payment methods. The payment-related information acquisition unit 1101 may acquire payment-related information for each of the selected payment methods. The payment-related information acquisition unit 1101 may acquire payment-related information from the member information management server 2, or may acquire payment information or point card usage information from the point program system 3 or the payment system 4. The payment-related information acquisition unit 1101 may acquire the payment-related information of the selected payment method even if the selected payment method indicated by the selected payment-related method information is any one of the plurality of predetermined payment methods.

[0160] The stamp awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp on the condition that any one of at least one selected payment method indicated by the selected payment-related method information acquired by the selected payment-related method information acquisition unit 1107 is used. When there are two or more selected payment methods, as in the case of the first embodiment, the stamp awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp even when any one of the two or more selected payment methods is used. The two or more payment methods selected as the selected payment methods may correspond to the two or more predetermined payment methods described in the first embodiment.

[0161] Figs. 22(a) to (d) are diagrams showing examples of stamp grants. As shown in Fig. 22(a), assume that a stamp card 605 has been issued to user U4. As shown in Fig. 20, for the stamp card 605, code settlement and a point card have been selected. As shown in Fig. 22(b), user U4 purchased a product using code settlement with the user terminal 8-4 held by user U4. The granting unit 1103 grants a stamp in response to the use of code settlement. As a result, the number of stamps pressed on the stamp card 605 becomes 1. As shown in Fig. 22(c), user U4 purchased a product with cash. At this time, user U4 obtained points by using the point card 340. The granting unit 1103 grants a stamp in response to the use of the point card. As a result, the number of stamps pressed on the stamp card 605 becomes 2. As shown in Fig. 22(d), user U4 purchased a product with the credit card 350. The granting unit 1103 does not grant a stamp for the use of the credit card. As a result, the number of stamps pressed on the stamp card 605 remains 2. Note that all of the stores where user U4 purchased products in Figs. 22(b) to (d) correspond to the stamp card 605.

[0162] Rules for selecting stores corresponding to the stamp card may be determined in advance. For example, the store corresponding to the stamp card may be a store where the selected settlement means indicated by the selection settlement related means information can be used. When there are two or more selected settlement means and the store corresponding to the stamp card is one store, that store may be a store where all the selected settlement means can be used. When there are two or more selected settlement means and there are a plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp card, each of those plurality of stores may be a store where at least one of those selected settlement means can be used. However, in order for a stamp to be granted to the user regardless of which of the two or more settlement means is used, it may be determined that each franchise of the two or more settlement means needs to be included in the plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp card.

[0163] The stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 may transmit the stamp card screen information to the user terminal 8 such that the stamp card screen includes the corresponding payment-related means information indicating at least one selected payment means corresponding to the stamp card. The corresponding payment-related means information 450 may include the name of the selected payment means, or may include symbols, images, etc. indicating the selected payment means. For example, the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 may cause the user terminal 8 to display the corresponding payment-related means information by transmitting the stamp card screen information including the corresponding payment-related means information.

[0164] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a stamp card screen. In FIG. 23, the same elements as those in FIG. 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 23, the stamp card screen 400 may include corresponding payment-related means information 450 in addition to the stamp card name 410, the stamp card image 420, and the stamp acquisition history display menu item 440. The corresponding payment-related means information 450 indicates the payment-related means by which the user of the stamp card indicated by the stamp card name 410 can acquire stamps. In the example shown in FIG. 23, it is shown that the user can acquire stamps by using any of a predetermined code payment, a predetermined point card, a predetermined credit card, and a predetermined ID payment.

[0165] FIG. 24 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the communication system S according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 24, the same reference numerals are given to the same processes as those in FIG. 13. As shown in FIG. 24, steps S1 and S2 are executed at any time or periodically. When the acquisition timing of settlement-related information arrives, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 of the stamp card management server 1 selects one stamp card from the created stamp cards based on the stamp card DB 14d (step S21). The settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 acquires the stamp card information of the selected stamp card from the stamp card DB 14d. The settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 specifies the settlement-related means ID of the selected settlement-related means corresponding to the selected stamp card based on the selected settlement-related means information included in the stamp card information (step S22). Next, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 transmits a settlement-related information request to the member information management server 2 (step S23). At this time, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 may include the specified settlement-related means ID in the settlement-related information request. The settlement-related information transmission unit 2102 of the member information management server 2 that has received the settlement-related information request transmits one or a plurality of settlement-related information newly stored in the settlement-related information DB 24b to the stamp card management server 1, for example, between the reception of the previous settlement-related information request and the reception of the current settlement-related information request (step S24). At this time, the settlement-related information transmission unit 2102 may transmit only the settlement-related information including the settlement-related means ID for each settlement-related means ID included in the settlement-related information request. The settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 of the stamp card management server 1 that has received the settlement-related information stores the received settlement-related information in the settlement-related information DB 14g (step S6). Here, when the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 receives the same settlement-related information as the settlement-related information already stored in the settlement-related information DB 14g from the member information management server 2, it is not necessary to store the settlement-related information in the settlement-related information DB 14g again. Next, the settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101 selects one settlement-related information from the settlement-related information received from the member information management server 2 (step S6). Next, the granting unit 1103 executes stamp control processing for the selected settlement-related information (step S7).Here, the stamping unit 1103 executes the stamp control process, limiting the stamp card that may be stamped by the user to the stamp card selected in step S21. In other respects, the stamp control process may be the same as the process shown in FIG. 14. Next, the payment-related information acquisition unit 1101 determines whether there is any payment-related information that has not yet been selected among the payment-related information received from the membership information management server 2 (step S8). If there is unselected payment-related information (step S8: YES), the process proceeds to step S6. When all the payment-related information has been selected (step S8: NO), the payment-related information acquisition unit 1101 determines whether there is any stamp card that has not yet been selected among the created stamp cards (step S25). If there is an unselected stamp card (step S25: YES), the process proceeds to step S21. In step S21, the payment-related information acquisition unit 1101 selects one stamp card from among the stamp cards that have not yet been selected. When all the stamp cards have been selected (step S25: NO), the process shown in FIG. 24 ends.

[0166] FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing an example of the stamp screen information transmission process executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 25, the same processes as those in FIG. 17 are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 25, first, steps S401 to 403 are executed. Next, the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 identifies the payment-related means ID of the selected payment means corresponding to the stamp card selected by the user based on the selected payment-related means information included in the searched stamp card information (step S421). Next, the stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 acquires the payment-related means name associated with each identified payment-related means ID from the stamp card DB 14d. The stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105 adds the acquired payment-related means name to the HTML document of the stamp card screen (step S422). Thereafter, similar to FIG. 17, steps S404 to S411 are executed.

[0167] As described above, according to this embodiment, the stamp card management server 1 may acquire selection settlement-related means information. Further, the stamp card management server 1 may acquire settlement information indicating that settlement has been made using any one of at least one selection settlement means indicated by the selection settlement-related means information. Further, the stamp card management server 1 may grant a stamp to the user based on the settlement information and user information indicating the user of a predetermined stamp card. At this time, the stamp card management server 1 may grant a stamp on the condition that any one of at least one selection settlement means has been used. In this case, at least one of the several settlement means is selected as the selection settlement means for which a stamp is to be granted to a predetermined stamp card. When any one of the selected at least one settlement means is used, a stamp is granted to the user of the used settlement means who is the user of the stamp card. Therefore, it becomes possible to select the settlement means for which a stamp is to be granted by the created stamp card.

[0168] Further, at least one selection settlement means may include code settlement and ID settlement. In this case, the user of the stamp card can acquire a stamp regardless of which of code settlement and ID settlement is used. Therefore, the use of code settlement and ID settlement can be promoted.

[0169] Further, at least one selection settlement means may include two code settlements. In this case, the user of the stamp card can acquire a stamp regardless of which of the two code settlement means is used. Therefore, the use of the two code settlement means can be promoted.

[0170] In addition, at least one selected payment means may include a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other. Further, when the first payment means is used with a predetermined offline store as the payment destination by the stamp card management server 1, stamps may be granted. Also, when the second payment means is used with an online store operated by at least one of the same operator as the operator operating the offline store and the related parties of that operator as the payment destination by the stamp card management server 1, stamps may be granted. In this case, the user of the stamp card can obtain stamps regardless of whether they use an offline store or an online store operated by the same operator. Here, even if the user uses different payment means for the offline store and the online store, they can obtain stamps for each use.

[0171] In addition, the stamp card management server 1 may transmit stamp card screen display information to the user terminal 8 of the user of the stamp card. At this time, based on the stamp acquisition log associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card, the stamp card management server 1 may vary the display mode of the stamps on the stamp card screen according to the payment means used among at least one selected payment means. In this case, the stamps included in the stamp card on the stamp card screen are displayed in a manner corresponding to the means used. Therefore, the user can be made to recognize through the stamp card screen for which means the stamps were obtained.

[0172] In addition, the stamp card management server 1 may include in the stamp card screen information indicating at least one selected payment means indicated by the selected payment related means information as the payment means for which stamps are granted. In this case, on the stamp card screen, information indicating at least one payment means selected as the selected payment means for which stamps are granted is displayed. Therefore, through the stamp card screen, the user can be made to recognize which payment means among the plurality of payment means can be used to obtain stamps.

[0173] Further, the stamp card management server 1 may transmit history screen information for causing the user terminal 8 to display a stamp acquisition history screen. At this time, based on a stamp acquisition log associated with user information of the user of the stamp card, the stamp card management server 1 may cause information indicating the payment means used among at least one selected payment means to be displayed together with the history on the stamp acquisition history screen. In this case, on this stamp acquisition history screen, information indicating the used means is displayed together with the history of stamp acquisition. Therefore, the user can recognize through the screen of the stamp acquisition history for what means the stamp was acquired.

[0174] Further, when any one of at least one store corresponding to the stamp card is used as a payment destination and any one of at least one selected payment means indicated by the selected payment related means information is used, a stamp may be granted. In this case, at least one store corresponding to the stamp card is determined. When any one of the at least one store is used, the user can acquire a stamp. Therefore, it is possible to provide a stamp card in which the user can acquire a stamp when the selected payment means is used and the stores where the user can acquire a stamp can be selected in advance.

[0175] [3. Third Embodiment] Next, the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 26 to 29. The third embodiment may be the same as the second embodiment except for the points described below. In the present embodiment, among a plurality of predetermined payment means, the payment means available at the store selected by the creator of the stamp card is automatically or selected by the creator as the selected payment means.

[0176] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 26, the same elements as those in FIG. 21 are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 26, the system control unit 11 may function as an available payment-related means information acquisition unit 1108 and a selected payment-related means information generation unit 1109 in addition to a settlement-related information acquisition unit 1101, a corresponding store information acquisition unit 1102, a granting unit 1103, a stamp information storage control unit 1104, a stamp card screen information transmission unit 1105, a history screen information transmission unit 1106, and a selected payment-related means information acquisition unit 1107.

[0177] The available payment-related means information acquisition unit 1108 may acquire available payment means information indicating at least one payment means available at at least one store indicated by the stamp card corresponding store information acquired by the corresponding store information acquisition unit 1102 for the stamp card to be created among a plurality of predetermined payment means. The available payment means information may be, for example, payment-related service membership status information stored in the store DB 14c. For example, the available payment-related means information acquisition unit 1108 may search the store DB 14c for store information including the same store ID as the store ID included in the acquired stamp card corresponding store information for each acquired stamp card corresponding store information. The available payment-related means information acquisition unit 1108 may acquire payment-related service membership status information from the searched store information.

[0178] The selected payment-related means information generation unit 1109 may generate selected payment means information indicating at least one selected payment means as a payment means for which a stamp is to be granted to the stamp card to be created among at least one selected payment means indicated by the available payment-related means information acquired by the available payment-related means information acquisition unit 1108. The selected payment-related means information generation unit 1109 may store the generated selected payment means information in the stamp card DB 14d in association with the stamp card ID of the stamp card to be created.

[0179] The selection payment-related means information generation unit 1109 may automatically determine the selection payment means and generate selection payment means information. For example, the selection payment-related means information generation unit 1109 may determine all payment means available at the store indicated by the stamp card-compatible store information as the selection payment means. When there are a plurality of stores indicated by the stamp card-compatible store information, the selection payment-related means information generation unit 1109 may determine the selection payment means so that all payment means available at each of these plurality of stores are included in the selection payment means. Alternatively, the selection payment-related means information generation unit 1109 may determine one or more payment means that are commonly available at all of these plurality of stores as the selection payment means.

[0180] Alternatively, the selection payment-related means information generation unit 1109 may enable the creator of the stamp card to select the selection payment means from among the payment means available at the store indicated by the stamp card-compatible store information. For example, on the stamp card creation screen, it may be possible to select the payment means. The rules for selecting the store may be determined in advance. For example, the selection payment-related means information generation unit 1109 may generate the HTML document of the stamp card creation screen so that only the payment means available at at least one of the stores selected by the creator on the stamp card creation screen can be selected. When a plurality of stores are selected by the creator, the HTML document of the stamp card creation screen may be generated so that the operation for registering the information input on the stamp card creation screen is prohibited until the payment means is selected so that the user can obtain stamps at all of those stores. For example, according to the script included in the HTML document, the user terminal 8 may control the permission and prohibition of the information registration operation. Alternatively, the stamp card management server 1 may control the permission and prohibition of the information registration operation based on the information input on the stamp card creation screen.

[0181] FIG. 27(a) is a diagram showing an example of store selection. It is assumed that a plurality of predetermined settlement-related means include predetermined code settlement, a predetermined point card, a predetermined IC-type electronic money, a predetermined credit card, and predetermined ID settlement. As shown in FIG. 27(a), the creator of the stamp card 801 selected the store 701. In the store 701, only code settlement among the plurality of settlement-related means is available. FIG. 27(b) is a diagram showing an example of setting selection settlement-related means information. As shown in FIG. 27(b), the stamp card management server 1 may automatically select code settlement for the stamp card 801.

[0182] FIG. 28(a) is a diagram showing an example of store selection. As shown in FIG. 28(a), the creator of the stamp card 820 selected the store 720. In the store 720, the point card and the credit card are available. FIGS. 28(b) and (c) are diagrams showing examples of setting selection settlement-related means information. As shown in FIG. 28(b), the stamp card management server 1 may automatically select the point card and the credit card for the stamp card 820. When the creator selects a settlement-related means, at least one settlement-related means can be selected from among the point card and the credit card. For example, as shown in FIG. 28(c), the point card is selected for the stamp card 820.

[0183] FIG. 29(a) is a diagram showing an example of store selection. As shown in FIG. 29(a), the creator of the stamp card 830 selected stores 731, 732, and 733. At store 731, a point card and a credit card can be used. At store 732, a credit card and ID settlement can be used. At store 733, code settlement and a credit card can be used. FIGS. 29(b) to (c) are diagrams showing examples of setting selection settlement-related means information. For example, as shown in FIG. 28(b), the stamp card management server 1 may automatically select code settlement, a point card, a credit card, and ID settlement for the stamp card 830. When the creator selects settlement-related means, at least one settlement-related means can be selected from code settlement, a point card, a credit card, and ID settlement. For example, as shown in FIG. 28(c), code settlement, a point card, and ID settlement are selected for the stamp card 830. For example, only the selection of code settlement may be prohibited. If stamps are only given for code settlement, at stores 731 and 732, the user cannot obtain stamps. In this case, the creator may need to add other settlement-related means or delete stores 731 and 732. For example, as shown in FIG. 29(d), only a credit card may be selected for the stamp card 830. In this case, the user can obtain stamps at each of stores 731, 732, and 733. This selection of the credit card may be made by the creator or may be an automatic selection by the stamp card management server 1.

[0184] The selection settlement-related means information acquisition unit 1107 may acquire the selection settlement-related means information generated by the selection settlement-related means information generation unit 1109. For example, the selection settlement-related means information acquisition unit 1107 may acquire the selection settlement-related means information from the stamp card DB 14d.

[0185] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the settlement means available at each of at least one store corresponding to the stamp card is determined such that it includes at least one of the settlement means to which stamps are given. Therefore, it is possible to create a stamp card in which the settlement means is selected so that stamps can be acquired at the stores corresponding to the stamp card.

[0186] [4. Fourth Embodiment] Next, the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 30 to 32. Except for the points described below, the fourth embodiment may be the same as at least one of the first to third embodiments. In the present embodiment, as a stamp card, it is possible to create a stamp rally card (or a stamp rally sheet). The stamp rally may be an event in which a privilege is given to a user when the user uses all of a plurality of stores selected by the creator of the stamp rally card. The plurality of stores may include at least one of an offline store and an online store.

[0187] FIG. 30 is a diagram showing an example of the contents stored in the stamp card DB 14d and the stamp card corresponding store DB 14e of the stamp card management server 1. As shown in FIG. 30, in the stamp card DB 14d, as stamp card information, in addition to the stamp card ID, stamp card name, creator ID, explanatory text, privilege setting information, and granting conditions, the stamp card type may be stored in association with the stamp card ID and the like. Similar to FIG. 19, the stamp card DB 14d may further store selected settlement related means information. The stamp card type indicates whether the stamp card indicated by the stamp card ID is a stamp rally card. For example, an operator of a stamp card service that has received a request from the creator of the stamp card may set the stamp card type. Alternatively, an operation of selecting the stamp card type may be possible on the stamp card creation screen.

[0188] As shown in FIG. 30, in the stamp card - compatible store DB 14e, as stamp card - compatible store information, in addition to the stamp card ID and the store ID, the stamp field number may be stored in association with the stamp card ID and the like. The stamp field number may be valid when the stamp card indicated by the stamp card ID is a card for the stamp rally. The stamp field number indicates the stamp field associated with the store indicated by the store ID among the stamp fields included in the card for the stamp rally. When the user uses the settlement - related means at that store, a stamp is pressed in the stamp field associated with that store. The plurality of stamp fields included in the stamp card may correspond to, for example, different stores. The stamp card management server 1 may automatically determine which store is associated with which stamp field. Alternatively, the creator of the stamp card may determine it. For example, on the stamp card creation screen, an operation of selecting a store may be selectable for each stamp field. The plurality of stores corresponding to the card for the stamp rally may be different stores from each other. Some of the plurality of stores may be the same store as each other. In this case, for that store, it may be associated with two or more stamp fields. The creator of the card for the stamp rally can select the plurality of stores corresponding to that card. Here, the number of stamp fields on the card for the stamp rally may be predetermined in common for all cards. In this case, the creator may need to select the number of stores corresponding to the number of stamp fields. Alternatively, the creator may be able to select the number of stores corresponding to the card for the stamp rally. In this case, the card for the stamp rally may include the number of stamp fields corresponding to the number of selected stores. The basic rules for store selection may be the same as the rules described in the first embodiment, the second embodiment, or the third embodiment.

[0189] When the settlement-related means is used at any one of a plurality of stores indicated by the stamp rally card information by the user of the stamp rally card, the awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp to the user. Similar to the first embodiment, the awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp on the condition that any one of two or more predetermined settlement-related means is used. Similar to the second or third embodiment, the awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp on the condition that any one of at least one selected settlement means is used.

[0190] Here, when the settlement-related means is used at a store that is the same as the store to which the awarding unit 1103 has already awarded a stamp to the user of the stamp rally card, the awarding of the stamp may be suppressed. That is, the awarding unit 1103 may limit the awarding of the stamp to once for each of the plurality of stores. This limitation may be effective only within one issued card. Due to this limitation, for each issued card, by using the settlement means at all of the plurality of stores, the user can obtain a privilege.

[0191] FIG. 31 is a flowchart showing an example of stamp control processing executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 31, the same reference numerals are given to the same processes as in FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 31, steps S101 to S105 are executed in the same manner as in FIG. 14. When the granting condition is satisfied (step S105: YES), the granting unit 1103 determines whether the stamp card type included in the stamp card information of the stamp card determined to satisfy the granting condition in step S105 indicates a card for a stamp rally (step S121). When the stamp card type does not indicate a card for a stamp rally (step S121: NO), the process proceeds to step S106. Then, steps S106 to S112 are executed in the same manner as in FIG. 14. When the stamp card type indicates a card for a stamp rally (step S121: YES), the granting unit 1103 searches the stamp acquisition history DB 14h for a stamp acquisition log for the same store as the store where the settlement-related means was used (step S122). For example, the granting unit 1103 may select issued card information including the stamp card ID of the stamp card determined to satisfy the granting condition among the issued card information retrieved in step S101. The granting unit 1103 may search for a stamp acquisition log including a combination of the issued card number and the number of issued cards included in the selected issued card information and the store ID included in the selected settlement-related information. As a result of the search, the granting unit 1103 determines whether there is a corresponding stamp acquisition log (step S123). When there is no corresponding stamp acquisition log (step S123: NO), the process proceeds to step S106. When there is a corresponding stamp acquisition log (step S123: YES), the stamp control processing ends.

[0192] FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing an example of a stamp awarding process executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 32, the same processes as those in FIG. 15 are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 32, steps S201 and S202 are executed in the same manner as in FIG. 15. Next, the awarding unit 1103 determines whether the stamp card type included in the stamp card information of the stamp card determined to satisfy the awarding condition indicates a card for a stamp rally (step S221). When the stamp card type does not indicate a card for a stamp rally (step S221: NO), the stamp information storage control unit 1104 stores a stamp acquisition log including a stamp column number that matches the current number of stamps updated in step S202 in the stamp acquisition history DB 14h (step S222). Step S222 may be the same as step S203 shown in FIG. 15. When the stamp card type indicates a card for a stamp rally (step S221: NO), the stamp information storage control unit 1104 acquires a stamp column number from the stamp card corresponding store information including the stamp card ID of the stamp card determined to satisfy the awarding condition among the stamp card corresponding store information acquired in step S103 of the stamp control process (step S223). Next, the awarding unit 1103 stores a stamp acquisition log including the stamp column number acquired from the stamp card corresponding store information in the stamp acquisition history DB 14h (step S224). Except that the method of determining the stamp column number is different, step S224 may be the same as step S222. After step S222 or step S224, steps S204 to S209 are executed in the same manner as in FIG. 15.

[0193] As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the stamp card management server 1 uses any one of a plurality of stores as a payment destination for the price and any one of a predetermined two or more payment means is used, a stamp may be awarded. In this case, the user can acquire a stamp regardless of which of the two or more payment means is used, and a stamp rally in which a plurality of stores where the user can acquire a stamp can be selected in advance can be held.

[0194] In addition, when the stamp card management server 1 designates any one of a plurality of stores as a payment destination for the price, and either a payment means or a point card is used, a stamp may be granted. In this case, the user can acquire a stamp regardless of which of the payment means and the point card is used, and a stamp rally can be held in which a plurality of stores where the user can acquire a stamp can be selected in advance.

[0195] In addition, when the stamp card management server 1 designates any one of a plurality of stores as a payment destination for the price, and any one of at least one selected payment means indicated by the selected payment-related means information is used, a stamp may be granted. In this case, the user can acquire a stamp when the selected payment means is used, and a stamp rally can be held in which a plurality of stores where the user can acquire a stamp can be selected in advance.

[0196] [5. Fifth Embodiment] Next, the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 33 to 36. Except for the points described below, the fifth embodiment may be the same as at least one of the first to fourth embodiments. In this embodiment, the value of another privilege given to the user of the stamp card when a stamp is granted may differ depending on the payment-related means.

[0197] FIG. 33 is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the stamp card management server 1 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 33, the same elements as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 33, in the storage unit 14, in addition to the payment-related means DB 14a, the business operator DB 14b, the store DB 14c, the stamp card DB 14d, the stamp card corresponding store DB 14e, the issued card DB 14f, the payment-related information DB 14g, the stamp acquisition history DB 14h, and the privilege DB 14i, a stamp card corresponding payment-related means DB 14j may be stored.

[0198] FIG. 34 is a diagram showing an example of the content stored in the stamp card-related settlement means DB 14j of the stamp card management server 1. In the stamp card-related settlement means DB 14j, stamp card-related settlement means information regarding the settlement means associated with the stamp card may be stored for each combination of the stamp card and the settlement means corresponding to the stamp card. For example, as described in the case of the first embodiment, when a stamp is given on the condition that any one of two or more predetermined settlement means is used, for each stamp card, the stamp card-related settlement means may be stored for each of the two or more predetermined settlement means. Also, for example, as described in the second embodiment, when a stamp is given on the condition that any one of at least one selected settlement means selected by the creator of the stamp card is used, for each stamp card, the stamp card-related settlement means may be stored for each of the selected settlement means. In the stamp card-related settlement means DB 14j, as the stamp card-related settlement means information, for example, a stamp card ID, a settlement means ID, and the number of points to be given, etc. may be stored in association with each other. The stamp card ID indicates the stamp card to which the settlement means corresponds. The settlement means ID indicates the settlement means. The number of points to be given indicates the number of points given to the user of the stamp card when the user uses the settlement means. The number of points to be given may be specified by, for example, the creator of the stamp card. For example, the operator of the stamp card service who has received a request from the creator may register the stamp card-related settlement means information in the stamp card-related settlement means DB 14j. Alternatively, on the stamp card creation screen, it may be possible to input the number of points to be given for each settlement means. The stamp card management server 1 may generate the stamp card-related settlement means information including the input number of points to be given.

[0199] As described in the first embodiment, when a stamp is given on the condition that any one of two or more predetermined payment means is used, these two or more payment means shall include a first payment means and a second payment means different from the first payment means. The combination of the first payment means and the second payment means may be any combination. As already described, when the granting unit 1103 gives a stamp to the user of the stamp card, it may give a privilege different from the stamp to the user. At this time, the granting unit 1103 may vary the value of the privilege granted depending on whether the first payment means or the second payment means is used. For example, when the privilege is points, the points granted may be different between the first payment means and the second payment means. When the privilege is a coupon, the discount amount or discount rate of the coupon granted may be different between the first payment means and the second payment means.

[0200] As described in the second embodiment, the granting unit 1103 may give a stamp on the condition that any one of at least one selected payment means selected by the creator of the stamp card is used. Here, there may be a case where two or more selected payment means are selected. Also in this case, these selected payment means shall include the first payment means and the second payment means. The granting unit 1103 may vary the value of the privilege granted depending on whether the first payment means or the second payment means is used.

[0201] Also, the granting unit 1103 may vary the value of the privilege granted depending on whether a payment means or a point card is used.

[0202] The value of the benefits given for the use of each payment-related means may be determined by the creator of the stamp card. Alternatively, the value of the benefits given for the use of each payment-related means may be predetermined and common to all stamp cards. For example, as shown in FIG. 34, the number of points to be given is stored in the payment-related means DB14j corresponding to the stamp card so that the creator of the stamp card can determine the number of points to be given. When the number of points to be given is determined to be common to all stamp cards, the number of points to be given may be stored in the payment-related means DB14a, for example.

[0203] FIG. 35 shows an example of setting the number of points to be given. As shown in FIG. 35, when code payment is used, 20 points are given. When a point card is used, 5 points are given. When IC-type electronic money is used, 10 points are given. When a credit card is used, 10 points are given. When ID payment is used, 10 points are given.

[0204] FIG. 36 is a flowchart showing an example of a point granting process executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 36, the same processes as those in FIG. 16 are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 36, the granting unit 1103 acquires the number of points to be granted from the stamp card corresponding payment-related means information of the payment-related means used by the user (step S321). For example, the granting unit 1103 may search the stamp card corresponding payment-related means DB 14j for the stamp card corresponding payment-related means information including the combination of the stamp card ID of the stamp card determined to satisfy the granting condition in step S105 of the stamp control process and the payment-related means ID included in the selected payment-related information. The granting unit 1103 may acquire the number of points to be granted from the retrieved stamp card corresponding payment-related means information. Next, the granting unit 1103 generates a point addition request including the acquired number of points to be granted (step S322). Next, the granting unit 1103 transmits the generated point addition request to the point program system 3, and the point granting process ends. The point program system 3 adds the number of points to be granted included in the point addition request to the available number of points.

[0205] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the stamp card management server 1 may vary the value of the privilege granted depending on whether the payment means used is the first payment means or the second payment means. In this case, depending on the payment means used, the value of the privilege separately acquired by the user who acquires the stamp may be different. Therefore, the use of a specific payment means can be particularly promoted.

[0206] Also, the stamp card management server 1 may vary the value of the privilege granted depending on whether the payment means is used or the point card is used. In this case, the use of a specific means among the payment means and the point card can be further promoted.

[0207] [6. Sixth Embodiment] Next, the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 37 to 39. Except for the points described below, the sixth embodiment may be the same as at least one of the first to fifth embodiments. In this embodiment, the number of stamps to be given may vary depending on the settlement-related means used.

[0208] As shown in FIG. 33, a stamp card corresponding settlement-related means DB14j may be stored in the storage unit 14 of the stamp card management server 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 37 is a diagram showing an example of the content stored in the stamp card corresponding settlement-related means DB14j of the stamp card management server 1. As shown in FIG. 37, in the stamp card corresponding settlement-related means DB14j, for example, a stamp card ID, a settlement-related means ID, and the number of stamps to be given may be stored in association with each other as stamp card corresponding settlement-related means information. The stamp card ID indicates the stamp card corresponding to the settlement-related means. The settlement-related means ID indicates the settlement-related means. The number of stamps to be given indicates the number of stamps given to the user of the stamp card when the user uses the settlement-related means.

[0209] As described in the first embodiment, the granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp on the condition that any one of two or more predetermined settlement means has been used. Similarly to the above, it is assumed that the two or more settlement means include a first settlement means and a second settlement means. The granting unit 1103 may vary the number of stamps to be granted depending on whether the first settlement means or the second settlement means is used among the two or more settlement means.

[0210] As described in the second embodiment, the granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp on the condition that any one of at least one selected payment means selected by the creator of the stamp card is used. Here, there may be a case where two or more selected payment means are selected. In this case as well, it is assumed that the two or more payment means include a first payment means and a second payment means. Similar to the fifth embodiment, the granting unit 1103 may vary the number of stamps to be granted depending on whether the first payment means or the second payment means among the two or more selected payment means is used.

[0211] Also, the granting unit 1103 may vary the number of stamps to be granted depending on whether a payment means or a point card is used.

[0212] Similar to the fifth embodiment, the number of stamps granted for the use of each payment-related means may be determined by the creator of the stamp card, or may be predetermined and common to all stamp cards.

[0213] FIG. 38 shows an example of setting the number of stamps to be granted. As shown in FIG. 38, when code settlement is used, one stamp is granted. When a point card is used, two stamps are granted. When IC type electronic money is used, three stamps are granted. When a credit card is used, one stamp is granted. When ID settlement is used, one stamp is granted.

[0214] FIG. 39 is a flowchart showing an example of a stamp awarding process executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 39, the same reference numerals are given to the same processes as those in FIG. 15. As shown in FIG. 39, first, the awarding unit 1103 searches for issued card information (step S201). Next, the awarding unit 1103 obtains the number of stamps to be awarded from the stamp card corresponding payment-related means information of the payment-related means used by the user (step S241). For example, the awarding unit 1103 may search the stamp card corresponding payment-related means DB 14j for stamp card corresponding payment-related means information including a combination of the stamp card ID of the stamp card determined to satisfy the awarding condition in step S105 of the stamp control process and the payment-related means ID included in the selected payment-related information. The awarding unit 1103 may obtain the number of stamps to be awarded from the searched stamp card corresponding payment-related means information. Next, the awarding unit 1103 then adds the obtained number of stamps to be awarded to the current number of stamps included in the searched issued card information to update the current number of stamps (step S242). Next, the stamp information storage control unit 1104 stores the stamp acquisition log in the stamp acquisition history DB 14h (step S243). At this time, the stamp information storage control unit 1104 may store the number of stamp acquisition logs corresponding to the number of stamps. Alternatively, the stamp information storage control unit 1104 may store one stamp acquisition log including the number of stamps to be awarded. In other respects, step S243 may be the same as step S203 shown in FIG. 15.

[0215] Next, the awarding unit 1103 acquires the privilege setting information stored in the stamp card DB 14d in association with the stamp card ID included in the retrieved issued card information. The awarding unit 1103 determines whether the number of stamps before update is less than any of the privilege stamp numbers included in the privilege setting information (step S244). If the number of stamps before update is less than any of the privilege stamp numbers (step S244: YES), the awarding unit 1103 determines whether the number of stamps after update is equal to or greater than that privilege stamp number (step S245). If the number of stamps after update is equal to or greater than the privilege stamp number (step S245: YES), the awarding unit 1103 changes the privilege status of the privilege corresponding to that privilege stamp number to "usable" (step S205).

[0216] After step S205, if the number of stamps before update is equal to or greater than all the privilege stamp numbers (step S244: NO), or if the number of stamps after update is less than the privilege stamp number (step S245: NO), the awarding unit 1103 determines whether the current number of stamps after update is equal to or greater than the number of stamp columns (step S246). If the current number of stamps is less than the number of stamp columns (step S246: NO), the stamp process ends. If the current number of stamps is equal to or greater than the number of stamp columns (step S246: YES), the awarding unit 1103 adds 1 to the number of issued sheets (step S207). Next, the awarding unit 1103 subtracts the number of stamp columns from the current number of stamps after update and updates the current number of stamps included in the retrieved issued card information (step S247). Next, the awarding unit 1103 stores the new privilege information in the privilege DB 14i (step S209), and the stamp process ends.

[0217] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the stamp card management server 1 may vary the number of stamps awarded depending on whether the used payment means is the first payment means or the second payment means. In this case, depending on the used payment means, the number of stamps acquired by the user of the stamp card may differ. Therefore, the use of a specific payment means can be further promoted.

[0218] Further, when the stamp card management server 1 uses different numbers of stamps to be given depending on whether a payment means or a point card is used, it is possible to particularly encourage the use of a specific means among the payment means and the point card.

[0219] [7. Seventh Embodiment] Next, the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 40 to 42. Except for the points described below, the seventh embodiment may be the same as at least one of the first to sixth embodiments. In this embodiment, the granting conditions may differ depending on the payment-related means used.

[0220] As shown in FIG. 33, a payment-related means DB 14j corresponding to a stamp card may be stored in the storage unit 14 of the stamp card management server 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 40 is a diagram showing an example of the content stored in the stamp card DB 14d and the payment-related means DB 14j corresponding to the stamp card of the stamp card management server 1. As shown in FIG. 40, the granting condition information may not be stored in the stamp card DB 14d. In the payment-related means DB 14j corresponding to the stamp card, for example, a stamp card ID, a payment-related means ID, and granting condition information may be stored in association with each other as payment-related means information corresponding to the stamp card. The stamp card ID indicates the stamp card corresponding to the payment-related means. The payment-related means ID indicates the payment-related means. The granting condition information may indicate additional conditions for giving a stamp to the user of the stamp card when the user uses the payment-related means.

[0221] As described in the first embodiment, the awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp on the condition that any one of two or more predetermined payment means is used. Similarly to the above, it is assumed that the two or more payment means include a first payment means and a second payment means. It is assumed that a first condition is defined as an awarding condition for the first payment means. Therefore, when the first payment means is used, the awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp if the mode of use of the first payment means satisfies the first condition. It is assumed that a first condition is defined as an awarding condition for the second payment means. Therefore, when the second payment means is used, the awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp if the mode of use of the second payment means satisfies the second condition. Here, the first condition and the second condition may be different from each other.

[0222] In the awarding conditions, for example, the conditions of the transaction target purchased by the user may be different. Also, the conditions of the payment amount may be different. Also, for example, the conditions of the date or period when the user uses the payment-related means may be different. Also, for example, the conditions of the time or time zone when the user uses the payment-related means may be different. Also, for example, the conditions of the number of points acquired by the user by using the payment-related means may be different. Also, when a stamp is awarded according to the cumulative value of the payment amount, the amount per yen for which the stamp is awarded may be different. Also, the types of awarding conditions may be different depending on the payment means. For example, for the first payment means, the conditions of the transaction target may be defined, and for the second payment means, the conditions of the payment amount may be defined.

[0223] As described in the second embodiment, the awarding unit 1103 may award a stamp on the condition that any one of at least one selected payment means selected by the creator of the stamp card is used. Also in this case, it is assumed that the two or more payment means include a first payment means and a second payment means. A first condition is defined as an awarding condition for the first payment means. A second condition is defined as an awarding condition for the second payment means. Also in this case, the first condition and the second condition may be different from each other.

[0224] Also, the awarding unit 1103 may have different awarding conditions for the payment means and the awarding conditions for the point card.

[0225] FIG. 41 shows an example of setting the awarding conditions. For example, it is assumed that the awarding conditions are determined by the payment amount. As shown in FIG. 41, when code settlement is used, a stamp is awarded regardless of the payment amount. When a point card is used, a stamp is awarded when the amount paid is 1,000 yen or more. When IC type electronic money is used, a stamp is awarded when the amount paid is 2,000 yen or more. When a credit card is used, a stamp is awarded when the amount paid is 2,000 yen or more. When ID settlement is used, a stamp is awarded when the amount paid is 500 yen or more.

[0226] FIG. 42 is a flowchart showing an example of stamp control processing executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 42, the same processes as those in FIG. 14 are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 42, first, steps S101 to S104 are executed in the same manner as in FIG. 14. When the store where the settlement-related means is used is a store corresponding to any stamp card (step S104: YES), the granting unit 1103 acquires granting condition information from the stamp card corresponding settlement-related means information of the settlement-related means used by the user (step S141). For example, the granting unit 1103 may acquire the stamp card ID from the stamp card information of the stamp card for which the settlement-related means was used at the corresponding store among the stamp card information acquired in step S102. The granting unit 1103 may acquire the stamp card corresponding settlement-related means information including the combination of the acquired stamp card ID and the settlement-related means ID included in the selected settlement-related information from the stamp card corresponding settlement-related means DB 14j. The granting unit 1103 may acquire the granting condition from the acquired stamp card corresponding settlement-related means information. Next, the granting unit 1103 determines whether the granting condition is satisfied based on the selected settlement-related information and the acquired granting condition information (step S142). If the granting condition is not satisfied (step S142: NO), the stamp control processing ends. If the granting condition is satisfied (step S142: YES), steps S107 to S112 are executed in the same manner as in FIG. 14.

[0227] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the granting conditions may be different between the first settlement means and the second settlement means. In this case, depending on the settlement means, the granting conditions that the user should satisfy are different. Therefore, stamps can be granted under different conditions according to the settlement means.

[0228] Also, the granting conditions may be different between the settlement means and the point card. In this case, stamps can be granted under conditions according to each of the settlement means and the point card.

[0229] [8. Eighth Embodiment] Next, the eighth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 43 to 44. Except for the points described below, the eighth embodiment may be the same as at least one of the first to seventh embodiments. In this embodiment, the method of suppressing double stamping when a payment means and a point card are used in combination is different from the method described in the first embodiment.

[0230] The granting unit 1103 may grant a stamp once per predetermined period at most. The predetermined period may be a period that appears repeatedly in succession. Examples of the length of the predetermined period include 1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, and the like. Here, the granting of a stamp by the granting unit 1103 due to the use of either the payment means or the point card may be included in the granting of a stamp for a predetermined period including the time when either the payment means or the point card was used. When the payment means and the point card are used in combination, the use date and time of the payment means and the use date and time of the point card either match or the difference between the use date and time of the payment means and the use date and time of the point card is relatively short. Therefore, the use date and time of the payment means and the use date and time of the point card are highly likely to be included in the same period. By granting a stamp once per period at most, double granting of stamps can be prevented. The use time of the payment means and the use time of the point card may be indicated, for example, by the use date and time included in the payment-related information. Also, for example, the use time of the payment means and the use time of the point card may be indicated by the stamp acquisition date and time included in the stamp acquisition log. When a stamp is granted, the use date and time included in the payment-related information will be included in the stamp acquisition log as the stamp acquisition date and time. During the period in which a stamp is granted once due to the use of the payment means or the point card, the granting unit 1103 does not have to grant a stamp even if any other payment-related means is used separately. Alternatively, during the period in which a stamp is granted once for the use of the payment means, the granting unit 1103 does not grant a stamp for the use of the point card, but may grant a stamp when a payment means other than the point card is used. Also, during the period in which a stamp is granted once for the use of the point card, the granting unit 1103 does not grant a stamp for the use of a payment means other than the point card, but may grant a stamp when the point card is used.

[0231] FIG. 43 is a diagram showing an example of stamp application. For example, assume that the length of a predetermined period is one day. Each period may start at 0:00, for example, and end at 0:00 the next day. The user of the stamp card used code settlement and a point card together at 10:00 on October 1. As a result, settlement-related information indicating that code settlement was used and settlement-related information indicating that the point card was used are stored in the settlement-related information DB 24b. For example, the granting unit 1103 grants a stamp for the use of code settlement based on the settlement-related information of code settlement. Therefore, from the use date and time included in the settlement-related information of code settlement, it means that one stamp was granted for October 1. Since the use date and time included in the settlement-related information of the point card is included in October 1 and a stamp has already been granted for October 1, the granting unit 1103 does not grant a stamp for the use of the point card. After that, the user used the point card at 18:00 on October 1. Also in this case, the granting unit 1103 does not grant a stamp. After that, the user used the point card at 7:00 on October 2. Since the period has changed, the granting unit 1103 grants a stamp for the use of the point card.

[0232] FIG. 44 is a flowchart showing an example of stamp control processing executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 44, the same processes as those in FIG. 14 are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 44, first, steps S101 to S105 are executed in the same manner as in FIG. 14. When the granting condition is satisfied (step S105: YES), the granting unit 1103 specifies the start date and time and the end date and time of the period including the usage date and time based on the usage date and time included in the selected settlement-related information and the length of the predetermined period (step S161). Next, the granting unit 1103 searches the stamp acquisition history DB 14h for a stamp acquisition log including the stamp acquisition date and time within the same period as the specified period (step S162). At this time, the granting unit 1103 may search for a stamp acquisition log including the stamp card ID of the stamp card determined to satisfy the granting condition in step S105 and the user ID included in the selected settlement-related information. As a result of the search, the granting unit 1103 determines whether there is a corresponding stamp acquisition log (step S163). If there is a corresponding stamp acquisition log (step S163: YES), the stamp control processing ends. If there is no corresponding stamp acquisition log (step S163: NO), steps S111 and 112 are executed.

[0233] As described above, according to the present embodiment, a stamp is granted at most once per period for that period. Which period the stamp is granted for is determined according to the timing when the payment means or the point card is used. When the payment means and the point card are used in combination, there is a high probability that the usage timing of the payment means and the usage timing of the point card are included in the same period. Therefore, it is possible to prevent double granting of stamps for one transaction due to the combined use of the payment means and the point card.

[0234] [9. Ninth Embodiment] Next, the ninth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 45 to 46. Except for the points described below, the ninth embodiment may be the same as at least one of the first to eighth embodiments. In this embodiment, the method for suppressing double stamping when the payment means and the point card are used in combination is different from both the method described in the first embodiment and the method described in the eighth embodiment.

[0235] When the granting unit 1103 grants a stamp for the use of either the payment means or one of the settlement-related means of the stamp card, it may suppress the granting of a stamp for the use of the other settlement-related means of the payment means and the stamp card within a predetermined period starting from the use time of the settlement-related means. Examples of the length of the predetermined period include 1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, and the like. As described above, when the payment means and the point card are used in combination, the use date and time of the payment means and the use date and time of the point card coincide, or the difference between the use date and time of the payment means and the use date and time of the point card is relatively short. Therefore, the period starting from the use date and time of either the payment means or the point card is highly likely to include the use date and time of the other of the payment means and the point card. By suppressing the granting of a stamp within that period, double stamping can be prevented. The granting unit 1103 does not have to grant a stamp even if any other settlement-related means is used separately within the period in which a stamp is granted once by the use of the payment means or the point card. Alternatively, within the period in which a stamp is granted once for the use of the payment means, the granting unit 1103 does not grant a stamp for the use of the point card, but may grant a stamp when a settlement means other than the point card is used. Also, within the period in which a stamp is granted once for the use of the point card, the granting unit 1103 does not grant a stamp for the use of a settlement means other than the point card, but may grant a stamp when the point card is used.

[0236] FIG. 45 is a diagram showing an example of stamp application. For example, assume that the length of a predetermined period is 6 hours. As shown in FIG. 45, the user of the stamp card used a credit card and a point card together at 10:00 on October 1. For example, the granting unit 1103 grants a stamp for the use of the point card based on the settlement-related information of the point card. Therefore, the granting of the stamp is suppressed from 10:00 to 16:00 on October 1, which is the usage date and time included in the settlement-related information of the point card. The usage date and time included in the settlement-related information of the credit card is included in October 1, and since this usage date and time is included in the period during which the granting of the stamp is suppressed, the granting unit 1103 does not grant a stamp for the use of the credit card. After that, the user used the credit card at 15:00 on October 1. Also in this case, the granting unit 1103 does not grant a stamp. After that, the user used the credit card at 18:00 on October 1. Since the period during which the granting of the stamp is suppressed has ended, the granting unit 1103 grants a stamp for the use of the credit card.

[0237] FIG. 46 is a flowchart showing an example of stamp control processing executed by the system control unit 11 of the stamp card management server 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 46, the same processes as those in FIG. 14 are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 46, first, steps S101 to S105 are executed in the same manner as in FIG. 14. When the granting condition is satisfied (step S105: YES), the granting unit 1103 subtracts a predetermined time defined as the length of the period during which the granting of the stamp is suppressed from the use date and time included in the selected settlement-related information, and calculates the start date and time of that period. The granting unit 1103 specifies the period from the calculated start date and time to the use date and time (step S181). Next, the granting unit 1103 searches the stamp acquisition history DB 14h for a stamp acquisition log including the stamp acquisition date and time within the same period as the specified period (step S182). At this time, the granting unit 1103 may search for a stamp acquisition log including the stamp card ID of the stamp card determined to satisfy the granting condition in step S105 and the user ID included in the selected settlement-related information. As a result of the search, the granting unit 1103 determines whether there is a corresponding stamp acquisition log (step S183). If there is a corresponding stamp acquisition log (step S183: YES), the stamp control processing ends. If there is no corresponding stamp acquisition log (step S183: NO), steps S111 and 112 are executed.

[0238] As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a stamp is granted for the use of either one of the settlement means and the point card, even if the other means is used within a predetermined period starting from the time when that means is used, the stamp is not granted. When the settlement means and the point card are used in combination, the probability that the time when the other means is used is included in that period is high. Therefore, it is possible to suppress double granting of stamps for one transaction due to the combined use of the settlement means and the point card.

[0239] (Appendix 1-1) For each of two or more predetermined settlement means that can be used for settlement of payment in a transaction, settlement information indicating that settlement has been made using the settlement means, the settlement information including settlement means user information indicating the user who used the settlement means, a settlement information acquisition means for acquiring the settlement information; and, based on the acquired settlement information and user information indicating the user of the electronic stamp card, an awarding means for awarding a stamp regardless of which of the two or more settlement means the used settlement means is. A stamp card management system characterized by comprising the same.

[0240] (Appendix 1-2) The awarding means according to Appendix 1-1, wherein when awarding the stamp, a privilege different from the stamp is awarded to the user of the stamp card.

[0241] (Appendix 1-3) The two or more settlement means include a first settlement means and a second settlement means that are different from each other, and the awarding means varies the value of the privilege to be awarded depending on whether the used settlement means is the first settlement means or the second settlement means. The stamp card management system according to Appendix 1-2, characterized by the above.

[0242] (Appendix 1-4) The two or more settlement means include a first settlement means and a second settlement means that are different from each other, and the awarding means varies the number of stamps to be awarded depending on whether the settlement means used for settlement is the first settlement means or the second settlement means. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 1-1 to 1-3, characterized by the above.

[0243] (Appendix 1-5) The two or more settlement means include a first settlement means and a second settlement means that are different from each other, and the awarding means awards the stamp when the mode in which any of the two or more settlement means is used satisfies a predetermined awarding condition, and the awarding conditions are different depending on whether the settlement means to be used is the first settlement means or the second settlement means. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 1-1 to 1-4, characterized by the above.

[0244] (Appendix 1-6) A profit acquisition means that can be used in combination with at least one of the above two or more payment means, enabling at least one of the following: the user of the profit acquisition means to acquire a profit, and the user of the profit acquisition means to use the profit acquired in the past for settlement of the price. A profit acquisition means utilization information acquisition means for acquiring profit acquisition means utilization information indicating that such a profit acquisition means has been used is further provided. The acquired profit acquisition means utilization information includes profit acquisition means utilization user information indicating the user who used the profit acquisition means. The granting means stamps the stamp on the condition that the profit acquisition means has been used, based on the acquired profit acquisition means utilization information and the user information. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 1-1 to 1-5, characterized in that.

[0245] (Appendix 1-7) The acquired payment information is such that when the payment means and the profit acquisition means are used in combination in the same transaction, the granting means stamps the stamp only for either the use of the payment means or the use of the profit acquisition means. The stamp card management system according to Appendix 1-6, characterized in that.

[0246] (Appendix 1-8) The acquired payment information includes payment means utilization transaction information regarding the transaction in which the payment means was used, and the acquired profit acquisition means utilization information includes profit acquisition means utilization transaction information regarding the transaction in which the profit acquisition means was used. The granting means determines whether the payment means and the profit acquisition means were used in combination based on the payment means utilization transaction information and the profit acquisition means utilization transaction information. The stamp card management system according to Appendix 1-7, characterized in that.

[0247] (Appendix 1-9) The payment means usage transaction information indicates the time when the payment means was used, the profit acquisition means usage transaction information indicates the time when the profit acquisition means was used, the granting means grants the stamp once per predetermined period at most, and the granting of the stamp for the use of either the payment means or the profit acquisition means is included in the granting of the stamp for the predetermined period including the time when either was used. The stamp card management system according to Appendix 1-8, characterized in that.

[0248] (Appendix 1-10) The payment means usage transaction information indicates the time when the payment means was used, the profit acquisition means usage transaction information indicates the time when the profit acquisition means was used, and when the granting means grants the stamp for the use of either one of the payment means and the profit acquisition means, the granting of the stamp for the use of the other of the payment means and the profit acquisition means within a predetermined period starting from the usage time of the one means is suppressed. The stamp card management system according to Appendix 1-8 or 1-9, characterized in that.

[0249] (Appendix 1-11) The two or more payment means include a code payment means that enables payment in response to an electronic device optically reading code information indicating either the payer or the payee of the consideration in a transaction, and an online transaction payment means that is available for transactions in an e-commerce service and enables payment in response to providing account identification information for identifying a user's account in a payment service different from the e-commerce service to the e-commerce service. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendix 1-10, characterized in that.

[0250] (Appendix 1-12) The two or more payment means include a first code payment means and a second code payment means that are different from each other and enable payment respectively in response to an electronic device optically reading code information indicating either the payer or the payee of the consideration in a transaction. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendix 1-1 to 1-11, characterized in that.

[0251] (Appendix 1-13) The above two or more payment means include a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other. The acquired payment information includes payment destination store information indicating the store that is the payment destination of the price. When the first payment means is used with a predetermined offline store as the payment destination of the price, the stamping means grants the stamp. When the second payment means is used with an online store operated by at least one of the operator of the offline store and the related parties of the operator as the payment destination of the price, the stamping means grants the stamp. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 1-1 to 1-12, characterized in that.

[0252] (Appendix 1-14) When the stamp is granted by the granting means, stamp information storage control means for storing, in stamp information storage means, stamp information indicating that the stamp has been granted, which is associated with user information indicating the user of the stamp card and which can identify the used payment means among the two or more payment means; and stamp card screen information transmission means for transmitting, to the terminal device of the user of the stamp card, screen information of the stamp card including the granted stamp, the stamp card screen information transmission means being configured to vary the display mode of the stamp on the screen of the stamp card according to the used payment means, based on the stamp information associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 1-1 to 1-13, further comprising.

[0253] (Appendix 1-15) When the stamp is applied by the applying means, stamp information indicating that the stamp has been applied is associated with user information indicating the user of the stamp card, and the stamp information is capable of identifying the payment means used among the two or more payment means. Stamp information storage control means for storing the stamp information in the stamp information storage means; and history screen information transmission means for transmitting to the terminal device of the user of the stamp card a screen of the history of acquisition of the stamp to be displayed on the terminal device. The history screen information transmission means displays, on the history screen, utilization payment means information indicating the payment means used for the settlement together with the history, based on the stamp information associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 1-1 to 1-14, further comprising:

[0254] (Appendix 1-16) The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 1-1 to 1-15, further comprising corresponding store information acquisition means for acquiring corresponding store information indicating at least one store corresponding to the stamp card, each of the at least one store being a store capable of using at least one of the two or more payment means, the at least one store including stores capable of using each of the two or more payment means, the acquired payment information including payment destination store information indicating the store that is the payment destination of the price, and the applying means applying the stamp when any one of the at least one store corresponding to the stamp card is used as the payment destination of the price and any one of the two or more payment means is used.

[0255] (Appendix 1-17) The stamp card is a card for a stamp rally that grants stamps to the user on the condition that the user settles the payment at each of a plurality of stores, and grants a privilege different from the stamp to the user on the condition that the user obtains the stamp at the plurality of stores. The at least one store is the plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp rally card. The granting means grants the stamp when any one of the plurality of stores is used as the payment destination for the payment and any one of the two or more payment means is used. The stamp card management system according to Appendix 1-16, characterized in that.

[0256] (Appendix 1-18) In a stamp card management method executed by a computer, for each of two or more predetermined payment means that can be used for payment in a transaction, a payment information indicating that payment has been made using the payment means, and including payment means user information indicating the user who used the payment means. A payment information acquisition step of acquiring payment information, and a granting step of granting a stamp based on the acquired payment information and user information indicating the user of the digitized stamp card, regardless of which of the two or more payment means the used payment means is. A stamp card management method characterized by including.

[0257] (Appendix 1-19) A computer is configured to acquire, for each of two or more predetermined payment means that can be used for payment in a transaction, payment information indicating that payment has been made using the payment means, and including payment means user information indicating the user who used the payment means. A payment information acquisition means, and based on the acquired payment information and user information indicating the user of the digitized stamp card, a granting means for granting a stamp regardless of which of the two or more payment means the used payment means is. A stamp card management program characterized by functioning as.

[0258] (Appendix 2-1) A settlement information indicating that a settlement has been made using a settlement means that can be used for settling the price in a transaction, the settlement information acquisition means for acquiring settlement information including settlement means user information indicating a user who has used the settlement means, a profit acquisition means that can also be used in combination with the settlement means, enabling at least one of the following: the user of the profit acquisition means to acquire a profit, and the user of the profit acquisition means to use the profit acquired in the past for settling the price, and a profit acquisition means utilization information acquisition means for acquiring profit acquisition means utilization information including profit acquisition means user information indicating a user who has used the profit acquisition means, and based on the acquired settlement information, the acquired profit acquisition means utilization information, and user information indicating a user of the digitized stamp card, an awarding means for awarding a stamp regardless of whether the settlement means or the profit acquisition means is used. A stamp card management system characterized by comprising the above.

[0259] (Appendix 2-2) The awarding means according to Appendix 2-1, wherein when awarding the stamp, a privilege different from the stamp is awarded to the user of the stamp card.

[0260] (Appendix 2-3) The awarding means according to Appendix 2-2, wherein the value of the privilege awarded is made different between the case where the settlement means is used and the case where the profit acquisition means is used.

[0261] (Appendix 2-4) The awarding means according to any one of Appendices 2-1 to 2-3, wherein the number of stamps awarded is made different between the case where the settlement means is used and the case where the profit acquisition means is used.

[0262] (Appendix 2-5) When the mode in which any one of the settlement means and the profit acquisition means is used satisfies a predetermined granting condition, the stamp is granted, and the granting conditions are different between the case where the settlement means is used and the case where the profit acquisition means is used. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 2-1 to 2-4.

[0263] (Appendix 2-6) The settlement means is provided by a predetermined first operator, and the profit acquisition means is provided by a predetermined second operator different from the first operator. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 2-1 to 2-5.

[0264] (Appendix 2-7) When the settlement means and the profit acquisition means are used in combination in the same transaction, the stamp is granted only for either the use of the settlement means or the use of the profit acquisition means. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 2-1 to 2-6.

[0265] (Appendix 2-8) The acquired settlement information includes settlement means usage transaction information regarding the transaction in which the settlement means was used, and the acquired profit acquisition means usage information includes profit acquisition means usage transaction information regarding the transaction in which the profit acquisition means was used. The granting means determines whether the settlement means and the profit acquisition means are used in combination based on the settlement means usage transaction information and the profit acquisition means usage transaction information. The stamp card management system according to Appendix 2-7.

[0266] (Appendix 2-9) The settlement means usage transaction information indicates the time when the settlement means was used, and the profit acquisition means usage transaction information indicates the time when the profit acquisition means was used. The granting means grants the stamp once every predetermined period at most, and the granting of the stamp for the use of either the settlement means or the profit acquisition means is included in the granting of the stamp for the predetermined period including the time when either was used. The stamp card management system according to Appendix 2-7 or 2-8.

[0267] (Appendix 2-10) The settlement means usage transaction information indicates the time when the settlement means was used, the profit acquisition means usage transaction information indicates the time when the profit acquisition means was used, and when the granting means grants the stamp for the use of either one of the settlement means and the profit acquisition means, the granting of the stamp for the use of the other one of the settlement means and the profit acquisition means within a predetermined period starting from the time of use of the one means is suppressed. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 2-7 to 2-9.

[0268] (Appendix 2-11) When the stamp is granted by the granting means, stamp information storage control means for storing, in stamp information storage means, stamp information indicating that the stamp has been granted, which is associated with user information indicating the user of the stamp card and which can identify the means used among the settlement means and the profit acquisition means; and stamp card screen information transmission means for transmitting, to the terminal device of the user of the stamp card, stamp card screen display information for displaying on the terminal device a screen of the stamp card including the granted stamp, the stamp card screen information transmission means varying the display mode of the stamp on the screen of the stamp card according to the means used, based on the stamp information associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 2-1 to 2-10, further comprising the above.

[0269] (Supplementary Note 2-12) When the stamp is applied by the applying means, stamp information indicating that the stamp has been applied is associated with user information indicating the user of the stamp card, and the stamp information can identify the means used among the payment means and the profit acquisition means. Stamp information storage control means for storing the stamp information in the stamp information storage means, and history screen information transmission means for transmitting to the terminal device of the user of the stamp card a screen of the history of acquisition of the stamp, and displaying the screen on the terminal device. Based on the stamp information associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card, the history screen information transmission means for displaying the utilization means information indicating the utilized means together with the history on the history screen. The stamp card management system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 2-1 to 2-11, further comprising:

[0270] (Supplementary Note 2-13) The stamp card management system further comprises corresponding store information acquisition means for acquiring corresponding store information indicating at least one store corresponding to the stamp card. Each of the at least one store is a store where at least one of the payment means and the profit acquisition means can be used. The at least one store includes a store where the payment means can be used and a store where the profit acquisition means can be used. The acquired payment information includes payment destination store information indicating the store where the payment for the price is made. When any one of the at least one store corresponding to the stamp card is used as the payment destination for the price and any one of the payment means and the profit acquisition means is used, the applying means applies the stamp. The stamp card management system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 2-1 to 2-12.

[0271] (Supplementary Note 2-14) The stamp card is a card for a stamp rally that grants stamps to the user on the condition that the user settles the payment at each of a plurality of stores, and grants a privilege different from the stamp to the user on the condition that the user obtains the stamp at the plurality of stores. The at least one store is the plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp rally card. The granting means grants the stamp when any one of the plurality of stores is used as the payment destination of the payment by any one of the settlement means and the profit acquisition means, and is the stamp card management system according to Supplementary Note 2-13.

[0272] (Supplementary Note 2-15) In a stamp card management method executed by a computer, a settlement information acquisition step of acquiring settlement information indicating that settlement has been made using settlement means that can be used for settlement of payment in a transaction, the settlement information including settlement means user information indicating the user who used the settlement means; a profit acquisition means utilization information acquisition step of acquiring profit acquisition means utilization information indicating that a profit acquisition means that is available for use at the time of settlement in a transaction and can also be used in combination with the settlement means has been used, the profit acquisition means utilization information including profit acquisition means user information indicating the user who used the profit acquisition means, the profit acquisition means enabling the user of the profit acquisition means to acquire a profit and enabling the user of the profit acquisition means to use the profit acquired in the past for settlement of the payment; and a granting step of granting a stamp based on the acquired settlement information, the acquired profit acquisition means utilization information, and user information indicating the user of the electronic stamp card, regardless of which of the settlement means and the profit acquisition means is used.

[0273] (Appendix 2-16) Settlement information indicating that settlement has been made using a settlement means that enables a computer to be used for settlement of the price in a transaction, the settlement information acquisition means for acquiring settlement information including settlement means user information indicating the user who used the settlement means, and a profit acquisition means that is available for use at the time of settlement in a transaction and can also be used in combination with the settlement means, enabling the user of the profit acquisition means to acquire a profit and enabling the user of the profit acquisition means to use the profit acquired in the past for settlement of the price, and the profit acquisition means utilization information acquisition means for acquiring profit acquisition means utilization information including profit acquisition means user information indicating the user who used the profit acquisition means, and based on the acquired settlement information, the acquired profit acquisition means utilization information, and user information indicating the user of the digitized stamp card, a stamp card management program characterized by functioning as an awarding means for awarding a stamp regardless of whether the settlement means or the profit acquisition means is used.

[0274] (Appendix 3-1) Selection settlement means information acquisition means for acquiring selection settlement means information indicating at least one selected settlement means selected as a settlement means to which a stamp is to be affixed to a predetermined stamp card among a plurality of settlement means that can be used for settlement of the price in a transaction, and settlement information indicating that settlement has been made using any one of the at least one selected settlement means indicated by the acquired selection settlement means information, the settlement information acquisition means for acquiring settlement information including settlement means user information indicating the user who used the selection settlement means, and awarding means for awarding a stamp on the condition that any one of the at least one selected settlement means among the plurality of settlement means is used, based on the acquired settlement information and user information indicating the user of the predetermined stamp card, a stamp card management system characterized by comprising the same.

[0275] (Supplementary Note 3-2) The stamp card management system according to Supplementary Note 3-1, wherein when the giving means gives the stamp, a privilege different from the stamp on the predetermined stamp card is given to the user of the predetermined stamp card.

[0276] (Supplementary Note 3-3) The at least one selective payment means includes a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other, and the giving means varies the value of the privilege given depending on whether the payment means used is the first payment means or the second payment means. The stamp card management system according to Supplementary Note 3-2.

[0277] (Supplementary Note 3-4) The at least one selective payment means includes a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other, and the giving means varies the number of stamps given depending on whether the payment means used for payment is the first payment means or the second payment means. The stamp card management system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 3-1 to 3-3.

[0278] (Supplementary Note 3-5) The at least one selective payment means includes a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other, and the giving means gives the stamp when the mode in which any one of the at least one selective payment means is used satisfies a predetermined giving condition, and the giving conditions are different depending on whether the payment means used is the first payment means or the second payment means. The stamp card management system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 3-1 to 3-4.

[0279] (Appended Note 3-6) A profit acquisition means that can be used for settlement in a transaction and can also be used in combination with at least one of the at least one selected settlement means, enabling the user of the profit acquisition means to acquire profits and use the profits acquired in the past for the settlement of the price by the user of the profit acquisition means. It further includes a profit acquisition means utilization information acquisition means for acquiring profit acquisition means utilization information indicating that the profit acquisition means has been used. The acquired profit acquisition means utilization information includes profit acquisition means utilization user information indicating the user who has used the profit acquisition means. The stamping means stamps the stamp on the condition that the profit acquisition means has been used, based on the acquired profit acquisition means utilization information and the user information. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appended Notes 3-1 to 3-5, characterized in that.

[0280] (Appended Note 3-7) The stamping means stamps the stamp only on either the use of the selected settlement means or the use of the profit acquisition means when the selected settlement means and the profit acquisition means are used in combination in the same transaction. The stamp card management system according to Appended Note 3-6, characterized in that.

[0281] (Appended Note 3-8) The acquired settlement information includes settlement means utilization transaction information regarding the transaction in which the settlement means has been used. The acquired profit acquisition means utilization information includes profit acquisition means utilization transaction information regarding the transaction in which the profit acquisition means has been used. The stamping means determines whether the selected settlement means and the profit acquisition means have been used in combination based on the settlement means utilization transaction information included in the acquired settlement information and the profit acquisition means utilization transaction information included in the acquired profit acquisition information. The stamp card management system according to Appended Note 3-7, characterized in that.

[0282] (Supplementary Note 3-9) The transaction information using the settlement means indicates the time when the selected settlement means was used. The transaction information using the profit acquisition means indicates the time when the profit acquisition means was used. The stamping means stamps the stamp once per predetermined period at most. The stamping of the stamp for the use of either the selected settlement means or the profit acquisition means is included in the stamping of the stamp for the predetermined period including the time when either of them was used. The stamp card management system according to Supplementary Note 3-8, characterized in that.

[0283] (Supplementary Note 3-10) The transaction information using the settlement means indicates the time when the selected settlement means was used. The transaction information using the profit acquisition means indicates the time when the profit acquisition means was used. When the stamping means stamps the stamp for the use of either one of the selected settlement means and the profit acquisition means, the stamping of the stamp for the use of the other means among the selected settlement means and the profit acquisition means within a predetermined period starting from the use time of the one means is suppressed. The stamp card management system according to Supplementary Note 3-8 or 3-9, characterized in that.

[0284] (Supplementary Note 3-11) The at least one selected settlement means includes a code settlement means that enables settlement when an electronic device optically reads code information indicating either the payer or the payee in a transaction, and an online transaction settlement means that enables settlement in response to providing account identification information for identifying a user's account in a different settlement service from the e-commerce service, which can be used in transactions in the e-commerce service. The stamp card management system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 3-1 to 3-10, characterized in that.

[0285] (Appendix 3-12) The at least one selectable payment method includes a first code payment method and a second code payment method that are different from each other and are each capable of making a payment in response to an electronic device optically reading code information indicating either the payer or the payee in a transaction. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 3-1 to 3-11, characterized in that it includes such.

[0286] (Appendix 3-13) The at least one selectable payment method includes a first payment method and a second payment method that are different from each other, the acquired payment information includes payee store information indicating the store that is the payee of the price, and when the first payment method is used with a predetermined offline store as the payee of the price, the stamp is given, and when the second payment method is used with an online store operated by at least one of the operator of the offline store and the related parties of the operator as the payee of the price, the stamp is given. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 3-1 to 3-12, characterized in that it includes such.

[0287] (Appendix 3-14) When the stamp is given by the giving means, stamp information indicating that the stamp has been given, which is associated with user information indicating the user of the stamp card and is capable of specifying the used selectable payment method among the at least one selectable payment method, is stored in the stamp information storage means by the stamp information storage control means, and stamp card screen information transmission means for transmitting to the terminal device of the user of the stamp card screen information for displaying on the terminal device the screen of the stamp card including the given stamp, and the display mode of the stamp on the screen of the stamp card is made different according to the used selectable payment method based on the stamp information associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card. The stamp card management system according to any one of Appendices 3-1 to 3-13, characterized in that it further includes such.

[0288] (Appended Note 3-15) Stamp card screen information transmission means for transmitting stamp card screen display information for causing a terminal device of a user of the stamp card to display a screen of the stamp card including the given stamp on the terminal device, wherein as a payment means for which the stamp is given, stamp target payment means information indicating the at least one selected payment means indicated by the acquired selected payment means information is included in the screen of the stamp card, and the stamp card screen information transmission means further comprises a stamp card management system according to any one of Appended Notes 3-1 to 3-14.

[0289] (Appended Note 3-16) When the stamp is given by the giving means, stamp information storage control means for storing, in stamp information storage means, stamp information indicating that the stamp has been given, in association with user information indicating the user of the stamp card, the stamp information being capable of specifying the used selected payment means among the at least one selected payment means, and history screen information transmission means for transmitting, to a terminal device of the user of the stamp card, history screen information for causing the terminal device to display a screen of a history of acquisition of stamps, wherein, based on the stamp information associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card, utilization payment means information indicating the selected payment means used for the payment is displayed together with the history on the history screen, and the history screen information transmission means further comprises a stamp card management system according to any one of Appended Notes 3-1 to 3-15.

[0290] (Appendix 3-17) The stamp card management system further includes corresponding store information acquisition means for acquiring corresponding store information indicating at least one store corresponding to the stamp card. Each of the at least one store is a store where at least one of the at least one selected payment means can be used. The at least one store includes stores where each of the at least one selected payment means can be used. The acquired payment information includes payment destination store information indicating the store where the payment for the price is made. When any one of the at least one store corresponding to the stamp card is used as the payment destination for the price and any one of the at least one selected payment means indicated by the acquired selected payment means information is used, the giving means gives the stamp. The stamp card management system according to Appendix 3-1 described above is characterized in this regard.

[0291] (Appendix 3-18) The stamp card management system further includes available payment means information acquisition means for acquiring available payment means information indicating the payment means available at each of the at least one store indicated by the acquired corresponding store information among the plurality of payment means, and selection payment means information generation means for generating selection payment means information indicating at least one payment means as the selected payment means among the payment means indicated by the acquired available payment means information. The giving means acquires the generated selection payment means information. The stamp card management system according to Appendix 3-17 described above is characterized in this regard.

[0292] (Supplementary Note 3-19) The specified stamp card is a stamp rally card that, for each of a plurality of stores, grants a stamp to the user on the condition that the user settles the payment at the store, and grants a privilege different from the stamp to the user on the condition that the user obtains the stamp at the plurality of stores. The at least one store is the plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp rally card. The granting means grants the stamp when any one of the plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp rally card is used as the payment destination for the payment and any one of the at least one selected payment means indicated by the acquired selected payment means information is used. The stamp card management system according to Supplementary Note 3-17 or 18, characterized in that.

[0293] (Supplementary Note 3-20) In a stamp card management method executed by a computer, a selected payment means information acquisition step of acquiring selected payment means information indicating at least one selected payment means selected as a payment means to which a stamp is to be attached to a specified stamp card among a plurality of payment means that can be used for settling the payment in a transaction; a settlement information acquisition step of acquiring settlement information indicating that settlement has been made using any one of the at least one selected payment means indicated by the acquired selected payment means information, the settlement information including settlement means use user information indicating the user who used the selected payment means; and a granting step of granting a stamp on the condition that any one of the at least one selected payment means among the plurality of payment means has been used based on the acquired settlement information and user information indicating the user of the specified stamp card. A stamp card management method characterized by including.

[0294] (Appended Note 3-21) A selection settlement means information acquisition means for acquiring selection settlement means information indicating at least one selected settlement means selected from a plurality of settlement means that can be used for settlement of payment in a transaction as a settlement means to which a stamp is to be affixed to a predetermined stamp card to be created; a settlement information acquisition means for acquiring settlement information indicating that settlement has been made using any one of the at least one selected settlement means indicated by the acquired selection settlement means information, the settlement information including settlement means use user information indicating a user who has used the selection settlement means; and an affixing means for affixing a stamp on the condition that any one of the at least one selected settlement means among the plurality of settlement means has been used, based on the acquired settlement information and user information indicating a user of the predetermined stamp card. A stamp card management program characterized by functioning as such.

Explanation of Signs

[0295] 1 Stamp card management server 2 Membership information management server 3 Point program system 4 Settlement system 5 Store terminal 6 E-commerce server 7 Creator terminal 8 User terminal 11 System control unit 12 System bus 13 Input / output interface 14 Storage unit 14a Settlement-related means DB 14b Operator DB 14c Store DB 14d Stamp card DB 14e Stamp card corresponding store DB 14f Issued card DB 14g Settlement-related information DB 14h Stamp acquisition history DB 14i Privilege DB 14j Stamp card corresponding settlement-related means DB 15 Communication unit 21 System control unit 22 System bus 23 Input / output interface 24 Memory unit 24a Member DB 24b Settlement-related information DB 25 Communication unit 1101 Settlement-related information acquisition unit 1102 Corresponding store information acquisition unit 1103 Granting unit 1104 Stamp information storage control unit 1105 Stamp card screen information transmission unit 1106 History screen information transmission unit 1107 Selected settlement-related means information acquisition unit 1108 Available settlement-related means information acquisition unit 1109 Selected settlement-related means information generation unit 2101 Settlement-related information acquisition unit 2102 Settlement-related information transmission unit NW Network S Communication system

Claims

1. Among a plurality of payment means that can be used for payment in a transaction, at least one selection payment means information acquisition means for acquiring selection payment means information indicating at least one selected payment means selected as the payment means to which a stamp is to be applied from among the stamp cards to which the stamp is applied; Payment information indicating that a payment has been made, including usage payment means information indicating the payment means used for payment among the plurality of payment means and payment means usage user information indicating the user who used the payment means, from payment information storage means that stores the payment information every time the payment means is used, payment information acquisition means for acquiring the payment information including the usage payment means information indicating any one of the at least one selected payment means indicated by the acquired selection payment means information; An awarding means for awarding a stamp based on the acquired payment information, stamp card identification information indicating the stamp card, user information indicating the user of the stamp card, and the number of stamps applied to the user's stamp card, which stores them in association for each combination of the stamp card and the user to whom the stamp card was issued. When the user information that matches the payment means usage user information included in the payment information and the user information associated with the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card is stored in the stamp number storage means, the awarding means awards a stamp to the selected one stamp card of the user indicated by the user information, thereby awarding a stamp on the condition that any one of the at least one selected payment means among the plurality of payment means is used. comprising The awarding means awards the stamp by adding to the number of stamps stored in the stamp number storage means in association with a combination of the user information that matches the payment means usage user information and the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card. A stamp card management system characterized by this.

2. When the stamping means applies the stamp, the stamping card management system according to claim 1, characterized in that a privilege different from the stamp of the selected one stamp card is given to the user of the selected one stamp card.

3. The at least one selected payment means includes a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other. The stamping means varies the value of the privilege to be given depending on whether the payment means used is the first payment means or the second payment means, the stamping card management system according to claim 2.

4. The at least one selected payment means includes a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other. The stamping means varies the number of stamps to be given depending on whether the payment means used for payment is the first payment means or the second payment means, the stamping card management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The at least one selected payment means includes a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other. The acquired payment information includes mode information indicating the mode in which the payment means was used. The stamping means applies the stamp when the mode in which any of the at least one selected payment means is used satisfies a predetermined stamping condition. The stamping condition is different depending on whether the payment means used is the first payment means or the second payment means, the stamping card management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The acquired selected payment means information indicates the at least one selected payment means and the profit acquisition means selected as the means for applying the stamp to the one stamp card. The benefit acquisition means is a means that can be used in combination with at least one of the at least one selected payment means, and enables at least one of the user of the benefit acquisition means to acquire a benefit and the user of the benefit acquisition means to use the benefit acquired in the past for settlement of the price. The system further includes a benefit acquisition means usage information acquisition means for acquiring benefit acquisition means usage information indicating that the benefit acquisition means has been used. The acquired benefit acquisition means usage information includes benefit acquisition means usage user information indicating the user who used the benefit acquisition means. The stamping means is the user information that matches the benefit acquisition means usage user information included in the acquired benefit acquisition means usage information, and when the user information associated with the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card is stored in the stamp number storage means, the stamping means stamps the selected one stamp card of the user indicated by the user information, and stamps the stamp on the condition that the benefit acquisition means has been used. The stamp card management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. The stamping means stamps the stamp only on either the use of the selected payment means or the use of the benefit acquisition means when the selected payment means and the benefit acquisition means are used in combination in the same transaction. The stamp card management system according to claim 6.

8. The acquired settlement information includes settlement means usage transaction information regarding the transaction in which the settlement means was used. The acquired benefit acquisition means usage information includes benefit acquisition means usage transaction information regarding the transaction in which the benefit acquisition means was used. The stamping means determines whether the selected payment means and the benefit acquisition means are used in combination based on the settlement means usage transaction information and the benefit acquisition means usage transaction information. The stamp card management system according to claim 7.

9. The transaction information using the settlement means indicates the time when the selected settlement means was used. The transaction information using the profit acquisition means indicates the time when the profit acquisition means was used. The stamping means stamps the stamp once per predetermined cycle at most. The stamping of the stamp for the use of either the selected settlement means or the profit acquisition means is included in the stamping for the predetermined cycle including the time when either of them was used. The stamp card management system according to claim 8, characterized in that.

10. The transaction information using the settlement means indicates the time when the selected settlement means was used. The transaction information using the profit acquisition means indicates the time when the profit acquisition means was used. When the stamping means stamps the stamp for the use of either one of the selected settlement means and the profit acquisition means, the stamping for the use of the other of the selected settlement means and the profit acquisition means within a predetermined period starting from the use time of the one means is suppressed. The stamp card management system according to claim 8, characterized in that.

11. The at least one selected settlement means includes code settlement means that enables settlement in response to an electronic device optically reading code information indicating either the payer or the payee in a transaction, and online transaction settlement means that enables settlement in response to providing account identification information that can be used in transactions in an e-commerce service and that identifies the user's account in a settlement service different from the e-commerce service to the e-commerce service. The stamp card management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

12. The at least one selectable payment means includes a first code payment means and a second code payment means that are different from each other and are each capable of making a payment in response to the electronic device optically reading code information indicating either the payer or the payee in the transaction. The stamp card management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

13. The at least one selectable payment means includes a first payment means and a second payment means that are different from each other. The acquired payment information includes payee store information indicating the store where the payment for the price is made. When the first payment means is used with a predetermined offline store as the payee for the price, the stamping means gives the stamp, and when the second payment means is used with an online store operated by at least one of the operator of the offline store and the related parties of the operator as the payee for the price, the stamping means gives the stamp. The stamp card management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

14. When the stamp is given by the giving means, stamp information storage control means for storing in the stamp information storage means stamp information indicating that the stamp has been given, which is associated with user information indicating the user of the stamp card and which can identify the selected payment means used among the at least one selectable payment means. Stamp card screen information transmission means for transmitting to the terminal device of the user of the stamp card stamp card screen information for displaying on the terminal device a screen of the stamp card including the given stamp, and the display mode of the stamp on the screen of the stamp card is made different according to the selected payment means used, based on the stamp information associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card. Stamp card screen information transmission means. The stamp card management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

15. Stamp card screen information transmission means for transmitting, to the terminal device of the user of the stamp card, stamp card screen display information for causing the terminal device to display a screen of the stamp card including the applied stamp, wherein, as a payment means for applying the stamp, stamp target payment means information indicating the at least one selected payment means indicated by the acquired selected payment means information is included in the screen of the stamp card. The stamp card management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the stamp card screen information transmission means.

16. When the stamp is applied by the applying means, stamp information storage control means for storing, in stamp information storage means, stamp information indicating that the stamp has been applied, in association with user information indicating the user of the stamp card, the stamp information being capable of specifying the selected payment means used among the at least one selected payment means. History screen information transmission means for transmitting, to the terminal device of the user of the stamp card, history screen information for causing the terminal device to display a screen of the history of stamp acquisition, wherein, based on the stamp information associated with the user information of the user of the stamp card, utilization payment means information indicating the selected payment means used for the payment is displayed together with the history on the history screen. The history screen information transmission means. The stamp card management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the above.

17. The stamp card management system further comprises corresponding store information acquisition means for acquiring corresponding store information indicating at least one store corresponding to the stamp card. Each of the at least one store is a store capable of using at least one of the at least one selected payment means, and the at least one store includes stores capable of using each of the at least one selected payment means. The acquired payment information includes payment destination store information indicating the store to which the payment for the price is made. When any one of the at least one selection payment means indicated by the acquired selection payment means information is used with any one of the at least one store corresponding to the stamp card as the payment destination of the price, the stamp is given. The stamp card management system according to claim 1, characterized in that.

18. Available payment means information acquisition means for acquiring available payment means information indicating payment means available at each of the at least one store indicated by the acquired corresponding store information among the plurality of payment means; Selection payment means information generation means for generating selection payment means information indicating at least one payment means among the payment means indicated by the acquired available payment means information as the selection payment means; Further comprising The giving means acquires the generated selection payment means information. The stamp card management system according to claim 17, characterized in that.

19. The selected one stamp card gives the stamp to the user on the condition that the user pays the price at each of the plurality of stores, and gives a privilege different from the stamp to the user on the condition that the user acquires the stamp at the plurality of stores. It is a card for a stamp rally, The at least one store is the plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp rally card, When any one of the at least one selection payment means indicated by the acquired selection payment means information is used with any one of the plurality of stores corresponding to the stamp rally card as the payment destination of the price, the stamp is given. The stamp card management system according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that.

20. Further comprising selection means for selecting the one stamp card from among a plurality of stamp cards, The selection settlement means information acquisition means acquires the selection settlement means information of the one stamp card selected by the selection means from selection settlement means information storage means that stores the selection settlement means information for each of the plurality of stamp cards. The stamp card management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

21. In a stamp card management method executed by a computer, A selection settlement means information acquisition step of acquiring selection settlement means information indicating at least one selection settlement means selected as the settlement means to which a stamp is to be applied to one stamp card selected from among stamp cards for which a settlement means that can be used for settlement in a transaction has been selected; A settlement information acquisition step of acquiring settlement information indicating that settlement has been performed, the settlement information including utilization settlement means information indicating the settlement means used in the settlement among the plurality of settlement means and settlement means utilization user information indicating the user who used the settlement means, from settlement information storage means that stores the settlement information each time the settlement means is used, and acquiring the settlement information including the utilization settlement means information indicating any one of the at least one selection settlement means indicated by the acquired selection settlement means information; An awarding step of awarding a stamp based on the acquired settlement information, stamp card identification information indicating a stamp card, user information indicating a user of the stamp card, and the number of stamps applied to the user's stamp card, stored in stamp number storage means. The awarding step awards a stamp to the selected one stamp card of the user indicated by the user information when the user information that matches the settlement means utilization user information included in the settlement information and the user information associated with the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card is stored in the stamp number storage means, thereby awarding a stamp on the condition that any one of the at least one selection settlement means among the plurality of settlement means has been used. including wherein the stamping step stamps the stamp by adding to the number of stamps stored in the stamp number storage means in association with a combination of the user information that matches the user information for using the payment means and the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card. The stamp card management method is characterized in that.

22. a computer selection payment means information acquisition means for acquiring at least one selection payment means information indicating a selection payment means selected as a payment means to which a stamp is to be applied from among a plurality of stamp cards in which a payment means to which a stamp is to be applied is selected from among a plurality of payment means that can be used for payment in a transaction; payment information storage means for storing, each time the payment means is used, payment information indicating that payment has been made, the payment information including the used payment means information indicating the payment means used among the plurality of payment means and the payment means user information indicating the user who used the payment means; payment information acquisition means for acquiring the payment information including the used payment means information indicating any one of the at least one selection payment means indicated by the acquired selection payment means information from the payment information storage means; granting means for granting a stamp based on the acquired payment information, stamp card identification information indicating a stamp card, user information indicating a user of the stamp card, and the number of stamps granted to the user's stamp card, the granting means being configured to grant a stamp to the selected one stamp card of the user indicated by the user information when the user information that matches the payment means user information included in the payment information and the user information associated with the stamp card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card are stored in the stamp number storage means, thereby granting a stamp on the condition that any one of the at least one selection payment means among the plurality of payment means is used. function as The stamp - giving means adds to the number of stamps stored in the stamp - number storage means in association with a combination of the user information that matches the payment - means - using user information and the stamp - card identification information indicating the selected one stamp card, and gives the stamp. A stamp - card management program characterized by this.

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