Collection agency system, method, and program

Abstract

To provide a money collection substitute system in which, in money collection substitute processing for substituting for money collection from school students, bill items for which money collection can be substituted can be substantially increased.SOLUTION: A school money collection substitute system disclosed herein substitutes for money collection from school students. The system includes a student information database 24, an instructor information database 22, a payer information database 25, a bill information database 26, and billed amount notification means 17. The billed amount notification means 17 notifies a settlement substitute agent or an electronic settlement institution such as a bank of a billing amount indicated by bill information which is associated with payer information and is registered within a fixed payment period through approval of an instructor associated with student information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a collection agency system, method, and program for collecting fees from students of a school. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a collection system for businesses such as kindergartens and cram schools to collect fees for services such as tuition fees and monthly tuition fees from students and other members. The system issues an invoice for the fees to payers such as parents / guardians based on an application from the business, and notifies the payer of information about the invoice along with an electronic payment method. In the collection system described in Patent Document 1, the information about the invoice is not notified to the payer, but to the member receiving the service. This allows the information about the invoice to be more reliably notified to the payer, enabling payment to be received more quickly. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7015082 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the collection system described in Patent Document 1, the amount billed is determined solely based on the application of the business operator. Therefore, if the collection system described in Patent Document 1 is applied mutatis mutandis to cases where items such as educational materials and school supplies are distributed to students via a school, the amount billed to the payer will be determined solely based on the application of the business operator, such as a retailer of the items, and if a school student mistakenly orders educational materials, the payer will be billed for unnecessary items. As a result, applying the collection system described in Patent Document 1 mutatis mutandis to cases where the cost of educational materials distributed to school students via a school could cause inconvenience, and the collection system described in Patent Document 1 is substantially limited in the items for which it can collect payments.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a collection agency system, program, and method that can substantially increase the number of billing items that can be collected on behalf of a school in a collection agency process that collects money from students of a school. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The collection agency system disclosed herein is a computer-based system that collects fees from students at a school, and includes a student information registration means, an instructor information registration means, a payer information registration means, a billing information registration means, and a billing amount notification means. The student information registration means registers student information about the students in a student information database. The instructor information registration means links instructor information about instructors who instruct the students to the student information and registers it in the instructor information database. The payer information registration means links payer information about a payer to the student information and registers it in the payer information database. The payer is a person who makes payments in response to a bill from the school to the student. The billing information registration means links billing information about the school's collection of fees from the students to the payer information and registers it in the billing information database. The billing amount notification means, after approval from the instructor linked to the student information, notifies an electronic settlement institution of the billing amount indicated in the billing information linked to the payer information and registered within a certain settlement period.

[0007] In the collection agency system disclosed in the present application, the amount claimed includes the price of goods such as educational materials distributed to the students via the school.

[0008] The collection agency system disclosed in the present application further comprises a sibling information output means for outputting sibling information regarding whether the student has any siblings.

[0009] The collection agency method disclosed herein causes a computer-based collection agency system to execute a student information registration step, an instructor information registration step, a payer information registration step, a billing information registration step, and a billing amount notification step. In the student information registration step, student information about the student is registered in a student information database. In the instructor information registration step, instructor information about an instructor who teaches the student is linked to the student information and registered in the instructor information database. In the payer information registration step, payer information about a payer is linked to the student information and registered in the payer information database. The payer is a person who makes payments in response to a bill from the school to the student. In the billing information registration step, billing information about the school's collection of fees from the student is linked to the payer information and registered in the billing information database. In the billing amount notification step, after approval from the instructor linked to the student information, the billing amount indicated in the billing information linked to the payer information and registered within a certain settlement period is notified to an electronic settlement institution.

[0010] The collection agency program disclosed herein is a program for acting as an agent for collecting fees from students at a school, and causes a computer to function as a student information registration means, an instructor information registration means, a payer information registration means, a billing information registration means, and a billing amount notification means. The student information registration means registers student information about the students in a student information database. The instructor information registration means links instructor information about instructors who instruct the students to the student information and registers it in the instructor information database. The payer information registration means links payer information about a payer to the student information and registers it in the payer information database. The payer is a person who makes payments in response to a bill from the school to the student. The billing information registration means links billing information about collection from the students at the school to the payer information and registers it in the billing information database. The billing amount notification means, after approval from the instructor linked to the student information, notifies an electronic settlement institution of the billing amount indicated in the billing information linked to the payer information and registered within a certain settlement period. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the collection agency system, program, and method of the present invention, it is possible to substantially increase the number of billing items that can be collected on behalf of a school in a collection agency process that collects money from students of a school. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a bill collection agency system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an administration server according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 1A is a table diagram showing a school information database according to an embodiment, FIG. 1B is a table diagram showing an instructor information database according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1C is a table diagram showing a business information database according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are table diagrams showing a student information database and a payer information database, respectively, according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are table diagrams showing the header and details of a billing information database according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of registering instructor information in the collection agency system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a business information registration process in the bill collection agency system of the embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a student information registration process in the collection agency system of the embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the first half of a billing information registration process in the bill collection agency system of the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the second half of the billing information registration process in the bill collection agency system of the embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a settlement process in the collection agency system of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The following describes in detail the collection agency system, method, and program according to the embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is a preferred example for carrying out the present invention, and therefore various technical limitations are imposed. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment unless otherwise specified in the following description to the effect that the invention is limited.

[0014] First Embodiment A collection agency system, method, and program according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a collection agency system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an administration server according to an embodiment. Fig. 3(a) is a table diagram showing a school information database according to an embodiment. Fig. 3(b) is a table diagram showing an instructor information database according to an embodiment. Fig. 3(c) is a table diagram showing a business operator information database according to an embodiment.

[0015] Figure 4(a) is a table diagram showing a student information database of an embodiment. Figure 4(b) is a table diagram showing a payer information database of an embodiment. Figure 5(a) is a table diagram showing a header of a billing information database of an embodiment. Figure 5(b) is a table diagram showing details of a billing information database of an embodiment.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the collection agency system of the embodiment includes an operating server 1 and is a system for acting as an agent for collecting money from students of a school. The collection agency system of the embodiment typically collects money for items such as educational materials and school supplies distributed to students through the school. The collection agency system of the embodiment can also collect money for PTA membership fees, savings for school trips, school lunch fees, etc.

[0017] The management server 1 is a computer and includes a control unit 10, a memory unit 20, and a communication unit 30. The control unit 10 is composed of a central processing unit, a main memory unit, etc., and controls the overall operation of the management server 1. The memory unit 20 is composed of an auxiliary memory unit, and stores and preserves various types of information. The communication unit 30 performs processing to enable the management server 1 to communicate with external devices.

[0018] The management server 1 is connected to the network 2 by the communication unit 30, and communicates with terminal devices 3, such as a business operator terminal 3A, a payer terminal 3B, and an instructor terminal 3C, via the network 2. The network 2 is a communication network including a global network such as the Internet. The business operator terminal 3A is a terminal device 3 through which a business operator (described later) connects to the network 2. The payer terminal 3B is a terminal device 3 through which a payer (described later) connects to the network 2. The instructor terminal 3C is a terminal device 3 through which an instructor (described later) connects to the network 2.

[0019] The terminal device 3 is a computer such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, or a notebook computer, and has communication functions such as wireless communication and wired communication, and is connected to the network 2.

[0020] 2, the control unit 10 of the management server 1 controls the management server 1 by having the central processing unit load a program stored in the computer's main memory and execute the instructions contained in the program, and also functions as school information registration means 11, instructor information registration means 12, business information registration means 13, student information registration means 14, payer information registration means 15, billing information registration means 16, billing amount notification means 17, and sibling information output means 18. The program may be stored on a storage medium such as a CD-ROM or USB memory and read from the storage medium to be installed on the management server 1, or it may be installed on the management server 1 via the network 2.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the memory unit 20 of the management server 1 stores and saves a school information database 21, an instructor information database 22, a business information database 23, a student information database 24, a payer information database 25, and a billing information database 26.

[0022] The school information registration means 11 registers school information relating to schools in the school information database 21. In the embodiment, the schools refer to elementary schools and junior high schools. However, the schools of the present invention may be any schools defined by the School Education Act, including high schools, universities, technical colleges, etc.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3(a), in an embodiment, the school information database 21 has the following fields: school ID, school name, billing period, location, and contact information. The "School ID" field stores the school's identification number. The "School Name" field stores the name of the school. The "Billing Period" field stores information related to the closing date of a certain settlement period determined for each school. The "Location" field stores the school's address. The "Contact Information" field stores contact information such as a telephone number.

[0024] The instructor information registration means 12 links the student information about the students to the instructor information database 22 and registers the instructor information about the instructors who instruct the students. In this embodiment, the instructors registered in the instructor information database 22 are the students' main instructors, such as homeroom teachers, who are in charge of the classes to which the students belong. In addition, if there are multiple homeroom teachers, it is possible to register instructor information about multiple instructors for each student.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3(b), in an embodiment, the instructor information database 22 has the following items: instructor ID, instructor name, password, contact information, and school ID. The item "instructor ID" stores the identification number of the instructor. The item "instructor name" stores the name of the instructor. The item "password" stores the password used by the instructor when connecting to the management server 1 using the instructor terminal 3C. The item "contact information" stores information related to contact information such as an email address. The item "school ID" stores the school ID of the school to which the instructor belongs.

[0026] The business information registration means 13 registers business information relating to businesses in the business information database 23. Businesses registered in the business information database 23 are claimants such as educational materials distributors who have the final right to receive the invoiced amount collected from school students, or who are the agents entrusted with collecting the invoiced amount, or who have the authority to store the invoiced amount. For example, in the case of payment for educational materials distributed to school students, the educational materials distributor or other entity that delivers the educational materials to the school is the business; in the case of PTA fees or school trip savings, the school is the business; and in the case of school lunch fees, the school, school lunch center, local government, or the like is the business.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3(c), in an embodiment, the business information database 23 has the following fields: business ID, business name, password, representative name, location, and contact information. The "business ID" field stores the identification number of the business. The "business name" field stores the name of the business. The "password" field stores the password used by the business to connect to the management server 1 via the business terminal 3A. The "representative name" field stores the name of the representative. The "location" field stores the address of the business. The "contact information" field stores information related to contact information such as an email address.

[0028] The student information registration means 14 registers student information relating to the school students in the student information database 24 .

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4(a), in an embodiment, the student information database 24 has the following fields: student ID, student name, payer ID, school ID, class, instructor ID, unavailable, and older sibling. The "Student ID" field stores the identification number of the student. The "Student Name" field stores the name of the student. The "Payer ID" field stores the identification number of the payer, such as the student's parent. The "School ID" field stores the identification number of the school to which the student belongs. The "Class" field stores the name of the class to which the student belongs. The "Instructor ID" field stores the identification number of the instructor, such as the student's homeroom teacher. The "Unavailable" field stores information indicating that the payer of the student does not own a payer terminal 3B that can connect to the management server 1 via the network 2. The "Older Sibling" field stores information indicating whether the student has older siblings. In an embodiment, when an older sibling attends the same school as the school student, the fact that the school student has an older sibling is recorded in the item "older sibling."

[0030] The payer information registration means 15 registers payer information about payers in the payer information database 25. A payer registered in the payer information database 25 is a person who makes a payment in response to a bill from a school to a student, and is a person who is legally or socially expected to make a payment in response to a bill from a school to a student, such as a parent or guardian of a student.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 4(b), in an embodiment, the payer information database 25 has the following fields: payer ID, payer name, password, payment method, and contact information. The "payer ID" field stores the payer's identification number. The "payer name" field stores the payer's name. The "password" field stores the password used by the payer to connect to the operation server 1 using the payer terminal 3B. The "payment method" field stores information indicating the payment method used by the payer to settle the bill linked to the payer. For example, various payment methods can be stored, such as "credit card payment," which allows automatic payment by credit card, "direct debit," which is also automatic payment, "convenience store payment," which allows payment at a convenience store, and "bank transfer." The "contact information" field stores contact information such as an email address.

[0032] The billing information registration means 16 links billing information relating to the collection of fees from the school's students with payer information and registers the information in the billing information database 26 .

[0033] 5, billing information database 26 includes a header 26A and details 26B. Header 26A of billing information database 26 includes the following fields: invoice number, student ID, billing date, payment due date, business payment date, payment date, and whether payment has been made. Details 26B of billing information database 26 includes the following fields: serial number, invoice number, expense item, billing amount, and business ID.

[0034] The "Invoice Number" field in header 26A stores the identification number of the invoice linked to the student information. The "Student ID" field stores the identification number of the school student. In an embodiment, student information is linked to payer information, and billing information is linked to payer information via the student information. The "Invoice Date" field stores the closing date for the current settlement period. In an embodiment, the settlement period is predetermined to an appropriate period for each school, such as one month or two months.

[0035] The "Payment Due Date" item in header 26A stores the date and time of the current period when the automatic payment is executed, for automatic payments such as "credit card payment" and "direct debit," and stores information indicating the deadline by which the payer must make payment, for payment methods other than automatic payments such as "convenience store payment" and "bank transfer." The "Business Payment Date" item stores the date and time when payment is made to the business for the settled invoice amount. The "Deposit Date" item stores the date and time when payment is made from the electronic settlement institution or the payer to the operator, which is the administrator of the operation server 1. The "Deposit Status" item stores information indicating whether payment has been made from the electronic settlement institution or the payer to the operator.

[0036] The "Serial Number" item in Detail 26B stores the serial number of the claim for the current period. The "Invoice Number" item stores the identification number of the invoice to which the claim is linked. The "Expense Item" item stores information indicating the classification of the claim. The "Invoice Amount" item stores the invoice amount for the claim. The "Business ID" item stores the identification number of the business that has the right to receive payment for the claim or the authority to store the invoice amount.

[0037] The billing amount notification means 17 notifies the electronic settlement institution of the billing amount indicated in the billing information linked to the payer information and registered within a certain settlement period, after approval by the instructor linked to the student information. In an embodiment, among the billing information registered up to the "Billing Date" item in the header 26A of the billing information database 26, the billing information that has not been canceled by the instructor is counted for each payer as having been approved by the instructor, and notified to the electronic settlement institution. In an embodiment, the electronic settlement institution is an electronic settlement agent or a bank pursuant to laws and regulations such as the Banking Act, the Banking Act Enforcement Order, and the Banking Act Enforcement Regulations.

[0038] The sibling information output means 18 outputs sibling information regarding whether or not a school student has siblings. In an embodiment, when multiple school students are linked to a payer registered in the payer information database 25, the sibling information output means 18 outputs a message indicating that the school student has siblings as needed, and when multiple school students linked to a payer belong to the same school, the sibling information output means 18 records that the school student has older siblings in the item "older sibling" of the student information database 24 for all school students excluding the oldest school student.

[0039] Hereinafter, the collection agency process in the embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 11. Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing the instructor information registration process in the embodiment. Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing the business operator information registration process in the embodiment. Fig. 8 is a flow chart showing the student information registration process in the embodiment. Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing the first half of the billing information registration process in the embodiment. Fig. 10 is a flow chart showing the second half of the billing information registration process in the embodiment. Fig. 11 is a flow chart showing the payment process in the embodiment.

[0040] 6, an instructor of a school connects to the management server 1 using the instructor terminal 3C and applies for the school to participate in the collection agency system of the embodiment on a web page set up by the management server 1. When applying to participate in the collection agency system, various information such as the school name, location, contact information, a list of instructors belonging to the school, and the payment period is transmitted.

[0041] 6, the management server 1 receives an application for participation from a school, and the school information registration means 11, after a predetermined screening, registers the school information of the school that has applied to participate in the school information database 21. Also, the instructor information registration means 12 registers the instructor information of the instructors belonging to the school that has applied to participate in the instructor information database 22.

[0042] In step S202 of FIG. 6, the administration server 1 transmits the instructor ID and login password registered in the instructor information database 22 to the instructor by email or the like.

[0043] In step S102 of FIG. 6, the instructor receives an instructor ID and a login password via the instructor terminal 3C, and in step S103, the instructor uses the received instructor ID and password to log in to the management server 1 and perform initial settings such as instructor authentication.

[0044] In step S203 of FIG. 6, the operation server 1 accepts initial settings such as instructor authentication.

[0045] In step S401 of Figure 7, a business operator such as a teaching materials retailer connects to the management server 1 using the business operator terminal 3A to apply for membership in the collection agency system of the embodiment, and enters various information such as the business operator name, representative name, location, contact information, etc. on the web page of the management server 1.

[0046] 7, the management server 1 receives an application for participation from a business operator, and the business operator information registration means 13 registers the business operator information of the business operator who has applied for participation in the business operator information database 23. In step S205, the management server 1 transmits the business operator ID and login password registered in the business operator information database 23 to the business operator by email or the like, and in step S402, the business operator receives the business operator ID and password.

[0047] In step S104 of FIG. 8, the instructor logs in to the administration server 1 and transmits a student list that lists the names and classes of all students at the school that the instructor is responsible for.

[0048] In step S207 of FIG. 8, the administration server 1 receives the student list, and the student information registration means 14 registers the student information of each school student in the student information database 24.

[0049] In step S301 of Figure 8, the payer receives information about the collection agency system from the instructor and applies to join the collection agency system by, for example, connecting to the operation server 1. When the payer applies to join, various information such as the payer's name, address, and contact details are sent to the operation of the collection agency system. When the operation of the collection agency system receives the payer's application to join, the payer information registration means 15 registers the payer information about the payer who has applied to join in the payer information database 25, and in step S208, the payer ID and login password registered in the payer information database 25 are sent to the payer terminal 3B to notify the payer.

[0050] In step S302 of FIG. 8, the payer receives a payer ID and password.

[0051] In step S209 of FIG. 8, the administration server 1 issues a student authentication code for authenticating the student stored in the student information database 24, and notifies the instructor of the code.

[0052] In step S105 of FIG. 8, the instructor receives the student authentication code of each student, and in step S106 notifies the payer, such as a guardian of each student, of the student authentication code.

[0053] In step S303 of Figure 8, the payer receives a student authentication code equal to the number of their children, and in step S304, they log in to the operation server 1 using their payer ID and password and enter all of the received student authentication codes into the designated input fields. By the payer entering the student authentication codes, in step S210, the payer ID is stored in the student information database 24 and the payer information is linked to the student information. The payer also specifies the payment method and performs procedures for automatic payment by credit card or for direct debit.

[0054] In step S107 of Fig. 8, if the payer does not own a payer terminal 3B that can connect to network 2 and there is a student at a school who cannot use the collection agency system, the instructor logs in to the management server 1 and notifies the student that the system is "unavailable." In addition, for children in need of protection and quasi-children in need of protection, the instructor notifies the student that the student is a child in need of protection or a quasi-child in need of protection, as necessary.

[0055] 8, the management server 1 receives a notification from the instructor, and the student information registration means 14 registers in the student information database 24 that the student is "unavailable." In addition, if necessary, the student information registration means 14 registers in the student information database 24 that the student is a child in need of protection or a quasi-child in need of protection.

[0056] 9, a business such as a teaching material distributor inputs product information such as the name, photo, and price of the product, such as a teaching material or school supplies, that it wishes to sell, into a product registration page or the like on the web page of the management server 1. In step S212, the management server 1 registers the product information for each product category on the web page so that it can be viewed.

[0057] In step S305 of Fig. 9, the payer logs in to the operation server 1, views the product information on the webpage, and orders the product needed by the student. For a payer of a student for whom information indicating that the student has older siblings is stored in the "older sibling" item of the student information database 24, the sibling information output means 18 may display a message on the screen when the order is finalized to reconfirm the need to purchase the product, such as "This student has older siblings. Is this product really necessary?"

[0058] When an order is placed in step S305 of Figure 9, in step S213, the billing information registration means 16 registers the billing information by adding a billing item with a new serial number linked to the student information and payer information to the details 26B of the billing information database 26.

[0059] 9, the instructor can log in to the management server 1 from the instructor terminal 3C, view the product information on the web page, and order the necessary products in the required quantities for the students at the school that he / she is in charge of. When the instructor logs in to the management server 1, the screen that displays the product information on the web page may display the names of students at the school who have older siblings in the "Older Siblings" field in the student information database 24.

[0060] In addition, in step S213 of FIG. 9, the management server 1 accepts an order from the business operator, and in S214 transmits an order form to the business operator.

[0061] In step S405 of Fig. 9, the business receives the order form, and in S406 delivers the goods to the school and sends a detailed invoice to the instructor's terminal 3C. The detailed invoice includes, for goods ordered by the payer, the name of the student to whom the goods are to be delivered, the name of the goods, the quantity, the invoice amount, etc. If the goods are paid in installments, the invoice amount for the current term is also included.

[0062] In step S306 of FIG. 9, the instructor receives the items such as teaching materials, and distributes the items ordered by the payer to the students if there are no problems such as duplicate purchases or ordering unnecessary items, and distributes the items ordered by the instructor to the students who need them.

[0063] In step S307 of Figure 9, the instructor notifies the business operator that the bill for the items actually distributed to the students is approved. For items that are not distributed for some reason, the instructor can reject the bill and return them. If the item for which the bill is rejected was ordered by the payer, the instructor can notify the collection agency system operator and the payer that the bill is rejected, and can delete the rejected bill from the details 26B of the billing information database 26.

[0064] In step S407 of FIG. 9, the business receives notification of approval or disapproval of the claim.

[0065] In step S108 of Fig. 10, the instructor allocates bills to the students who have received the items, such as teaching materials, ordered for the students, and notifies the operation server 1 of billing information such as the amount billed to each student. When allocating bills to students, if there is a payment made using school fees, the amount after deducting the payment made using school fees is allocated to each student.

[0066] In step S215 of Figure 10, the billing information registration means 16 registers the billing information for the bills allocated to each school student in the billing information database 26, and in step S216, the management server 1 notifies the payer of the billing information registered in the billing information database 26.

[0067] Also, in step S108 of FIG. 10, billing information such as PTA membership fees, school trip savings, and school lunch fees is also sent to the management server 1 based on an application from the business operator (school, school lunch center, local government, etc.) and approval by the instructor, and is registered in the billing information database 26 in step S215 and notified in step S216.

[0068] In step S308 of Figure 10, the payer receives a notice of the billing information newly registered in the billing information database 26. If the notice of billing information received by the payer is for goods, it includes the name of the student to whom the goods were distributed, the name and quantity of the goods, the billing amount, etc. The same applies to PTA membership fees, school trip savings, school lunch fees, etc.

[0069] 11, the management server 1 issues an invoice to the payer totaling the invoice amounts for the current period on the invoice date registered in the header 26A of the invoice information database 26, and prepares for automatic settlement by "credit card payment," "direct debit," etc. In addition, the management server 1 notifies the specific payment method to payers who use "convenience store payment" or "bank transfer."

[0070] In preparation for automatic settlement, the billing amount notification means 17 notifies the electronic settlement institution of the billing amount indicated in the billing information for the billing item that has been approved by the supervisor in step S307 of Figure 9, step S108 of Figure 10, etc.

[0071] In step S309 of FIG. 11, the payer receives the bill from the operation server 1.

[0072] In step S218 of Figure 11, the electronic settlement institution executes automatic settlement on the payment due date registered in the header 26A of the billing information database 26, and the billing amount notified to the electronic settlement institution by the billing amount notification means 17 is deposited to each business through operation, and the payment result is notified to the payer. In addition, billing amounts paid by the payment due date by "convenience store payment," "bank transfer," etc. are also deposited to each business through operation, and the payment result is notified to the payer. Note that payments for children in need of protection and children in quasi-need of protection are settled separately.

[0073] In step S310 of FIG. 11, the payer receives notification of the settlement result.

[0074] In step S219 of Figure 11, the management server 1 sends a reminder email to the unpaid payer, in step S311 the payer receives the reminder email, in step S312 the payer makes the payment, and in step S220 the management receives the payment and the paid invoice amount is deposited into the business operator.

[0075] In step S221 of Figure 11, the management server 1 requests the instructor to send a reminder to any further defaulters, in step S109 the instructor receives the reminder request, in step S110 the instructor sends a reminder to the defaulters, in step S313 the payer receives the reminder, in step S314 the payer makes the payment, and in step S222 the management, which is the administrator of the management server 1, deposits the paid invoice amount to the business operator and defers the invoice for the unpaid invoice amount to the next period, and the payment to the business operator is also deferred.

[0076] As explained above with reference to Figures 1 to 11, according to the embodiment of the collection agency system, the student information registration means 14 registers student information about school students in the student information database 24, the instructor information registration means 12 links instructor information about instructors who instruct school students with the student information and registers it in the instructor information database 22, the payer information registration means 15 links payer information about payers with student information and registers it in the payer information database 25, the billing information registration means 16 links billing information about collections from school students with the payer information and registers it in the billing information database 26, and the billing amount notification means 17, after approval of the instructor linked to the student information, notifies the electronic settlement agency of the billing amount indicated in the billing information linked to the payer information and registered within a certain settlement period.

[0077] By finalizing the billing after approval by the instructor, even if a school student mistakenly orders teaching materials, the payer will not be charged for unnecessary teaching materials, the reliability of the system can be improved, and the number of billing items that can be collected from the school students on behalf of the school can be substantially increased.

[0078] As described above, in the collection agency system of the embodiment, the billing amount includes the price of goods such as educational materials distributed to students through the school. Therefore, not only the billing amount for tuition fees, etc., which is a predetermined amount, but also the payment for goods such as educational materials and school supplies that are purchased as needed can be received directly from the payer without going through the student, eliminating the risk associated with students keeping money and allowing the business operator to receive payment safely and smoothly.

[0079] As described with reference to Figures 1 to 11, in the bill collection agency system of the embodiment, the sibling information output means 18 outputs sibling information regarding whether or not the student has any siblings. Therefore, when ordering an item, the instructor can know whether the student has any older siblings, for example, and can prevent duplicate purchases and unnecessary orders. The instructor can also warn the payer not to order unnecessary items.

[0080] Second Embodiment Another embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS.

[0081] In this embodiment, the collection agency system is operated by a public institution such as a city, town, village, or prefecture, which is a local government, and the operation server 1 is managed by the public institution. Payments from payers and settlement amounts at electronic settlement institutions are paid to sellers and schools as businesses via the operator, which is a public institution. Furthermore, demands for unpaid payments are generally sent to payers by the operator, which is a public institution.

[0082] Conventionally, various payments of city taxes and the like to public institutions such as municipalities have been made by over-the-counter payment at financial institutions, payment at convenience stores, account transfers, etc. In addition, in recent years, it has become possible to make payments of various city taxes and the like by credit card. In this embodiment, by utilizing a system similar to that used by public institutions such as municipalities or prefectures to receive various payments, public institutions such as municipalities or prefectures function as operators of the present invention. Below, only the characteristic parts of embodiment 2 will be mainly explained.

[0083] In step S217 of Fig. 11, the management server 1 prepares for automatic payments such as "credit card payment" and "direct debit." Furthermore, for payers who use "convenience store payment" or "bank transfer," the management server 1 notifies them of the specific payment method, with the management, a public institution, as the transfer destination. In preparing for automatic payment, the billing amount notification means 17 notifies the electronic settlement institution of the billing amount indicated in the billing information for the billing item that has been approved by the instructor in step S307 of Fig. 9, step S108 of Fig. 10, etc.

[0084] 11, the electronic settlement institution executes automatic settlement on the payment due date registered in the header 26A of the billing information database 26, and the billing amount notified to the electronic settlement institution by the billing amount notifying means 17 is deposited to each business operator via the operation of a public institution, and the settlement result is notified to the payer. In addition, billing amounts paid by the payment due date via "convenience store payment," "bank transfer," etc. are also deposited to each business operator via the operation of a public institution, and the settlement result is notified to the payer.

[0085] In step S219 of Figure 11, the management server 1 sends a reminder email to the unpaid payer in the name of a public institution such as a city, town, village, prefecture, etc., and in step S311, the payer receives the reminder email, and in step S312, the payer makes the payment, and in step S220, the management, which is a public institution, receives the payment and the paid invoice amount is deposited into the business operator.

[0086] In step S221 of Figure 11, the management server 1 requests the instructor to send a reminder to any further defaulters, in step S109 the instructor receives the reminder request, in step S110 the instructor sends a reminder to the defaulters, in step S313 the payer receives the reminder, in step S314 the payer makes the payment, and in step S222 the management, which is the administrator of the management server 1, deposits the paid invoice amount to the business operator and defers the invoice for the unpaid invoice amount to the next period, and the payment to the business operator is also deferred.

[0087] As explained above with reference to Figures 1 to 11, according to the second embodiment, the operator, which is the administrator of the operation server 1, is a public institution such as a city, town, village, or prefecture, and the public institution such as a city, town, village, or prefecture is the party in whose name the bill and demand are made to the payer. Therefore, the payer is billed and demanded for payment by a public institution that is generally highly trustworthy, so the payer can make the payment with peace of mind, and is more likely to respond to demands for unpaid payments, making payments smoother and substantially further increasing the number of bill items that can be collected on behalf of a school in a collection agency process that collects money from students on behalf of a school.

[0088] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 11). However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention (for example, the following (1) to (3)).

[0089] (1) In the processing of steps S404, S212, S305, S213, S214, and S405 in FIG. 9, for items such as teaching materials and school supplies (e.g., kanji workbooks, arithmetic workbooks, science teaching materials) that are scheduled to be distributed to school students at specific times, the instructor, instead of the payer, may order the required quantity of items from the business operator based on the number of school students in the class, taking into consideration the circumstances of each individual school student, etc.

[0090] (2) In the present invention, delivery can also be made after payment such as settlement has been completed. For example, in step S406 of FIG. 9, the business operator makes an invoice prior to delivery, and in step S306, the instructor decides whether to approve or disapprove the invoice notice from the business operator. In step S108 of FIG. 10, the instructor allocates the approved invoices to the students to whom the educational materials or other items should be distributed, and notifies the administration of the invoice information, such as the amount invoiced for each student.

[0091] Next, in step S215, the billing information is registered in the billing information database 26, and in step S218 of Figure 11, the electronic payment institution executes the payment. After the payment is executed, the business operator delivers the goods to the school. The instructor approves the delivery of the goods that correspond to the approved billing and for which the payment has been completed as scheduled, and the management etc. pays the billed amount for the approved delivery to the business operator. The delivery that is not approved due to non-payment of the billed amount etc. can be returned.

[0092] (3) Payments from payers may be made from pre-pooled deposits. Instructors or administrators may receive and store a predetermined amount from payers at a fixed date, such as the beginning of a semester or the beginning of a month, and when a bill is billed to a payer, the billed amount may be deducted from the amount received and stored from the payer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1...Operation server 2. Network 3...Terminal device 12...Instructor information registration method 14...Method of registering student information 15...Payer information registration means 16...Means for registering billing information 17… Billing amount notification means 18...Sibling information output means 22...Instructor information database 24...Student information database 25...Payer Information Database 26...Billing information database

Claims

1. A collection agency system that collects fees from students at a school, a business terminal linked to a business that sells goods to be distributed to the students through the school; An instructor terminal linked to an instructor who instructs the students of the school; a payer terminal linked to a payer who makes payments in response to bills from the school to the students; An operating server that communicates with each of these terminals is provided, The operation server, a student information registration means for registering student information relating to the students of the school in a student information database; an instructor information registration means for linking instructor information of the instructor with the student information and registering the information in an instructor information database; a payer information registration means for linking the payer information about the payer with the student information and registering the linked information in a payer information database; a business information registration means for registering business information relating to the business in a business information database; a billing information registration means for registering billing information relating to collection of money from said school students in a billing information database, said billing information registration means receiving from said instructor terminal said billing information relating to a bill for which a notice of approval of the bill for said item has been sent from said instructor terminal after details of the bill for said item have been sent from said business operator terminal to said instructor terminal, and registering said billing information in said billing information database; a billing amount notifying means for notifying the payer terminal of the billing information and notifying an electronic settlement institution of the billing amount indicated in the billing information; A bill collection agency system comprising a payment recording means for recording whether or not a payment has been made in said billing information database based on information on whether or not a payment has been made from said electronic payment institution.

2. The collection agency system described in Claim 1, wherein the management server further comprises a sibling information output means for outputting sibling information regarding whether or not the school student has siblings.

3. A collection agent method for acting as an agent for collecting money from students of a school, the method comprising: a computer that communicates with a business terminal linked to a business that sells goods to be distributed to the students through the school, an instructor terminal linked to an instructor who instructs the students, and a payer terminal linked to a payer who makes payments in response to bills from the school to the students, the computer comprising: a student information registration step of registering student information about the students of the school in a student information database; an instructor information registration step of linking instructor information of the instructor with the student information and registering the information in an instructor information database; a payer information registration step of linking payer information about the payer with the student information and registering the linked information in a payer information database; a business information registration step of registering business information relating to the business in a business information database; a billing information registration step of registering billing information relating to collection of money from the school students at the school in a billing information database, in which after billing details for the item are transmitted from the business terminal to the instructor terminal, the billing information for a bill for which a notice of approval of the bill for the item has been sent from the instructor terminal is received from the instructor terminal, and the billing information is registered in the billing information database; a billing amount notifying step of notifying the payer terminal of the billing information and notifying an electronic settlement institution of the billing amount indicated in the billing information; A bill collection agent method that executes a payment recording step of recording whether or not a payment has been made in the billing information database based on information on whether or not a payment has been made from the electronic settlement institution.

4. A collection agency program that acts as an agent for collecting money from students of a school, the program comprising a computer that communicates with a business terminal linked to a business that sells goods to be distributed to the students through the school, an instructor terminal linked to an instructor who instructs the students, and a payer terminal linked to a payer who makes payments in response to bills from the school to the students, a student information registration means for registering student information relating to the students of the school in a student information database; an instructor information registration means for linking instructor information of the instructor with the student information and registering the information in an instructor information database; a payer information registration means for linking the payer information about the payer with the student information and registering the linked information in a payer information database; a business information registration means for registering business information relating to the business in a business information database; a billing information registration means for registering billing information relating to collection of money from said school students in a billing information database, said billing information registration means receiving from said instructor terminal the billing information relating to a bill for which a notice of approval of the billing for said item has been sent from said instructor terminal after details of the billing for said item have been sent from said business operator terminal to said instructor terminal, and registering said billing information in said billing information database; a billing amount notifying means for notifying the payer terminal of the billing information and notifying an electronic settlement institution of the billing amount indicated in the billing information; A bill collection agency program that functions as a payment recording means for recording whether or not a payment has been made in the billing information database based on information on whether or not a payment has been made from the electronic payment institution.

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