Information processing device, information processing method, program, and application program

Abstract

To provide a highly convenient service for users regarding electronic gift certificate services. [Solution] An information processing device comprising: a reception unit that receives input of code information for purchasing an electronic gift certificate that can be used for payment using an electronic payment service from a user terminal device of a user of the electronic payment service; a provision unit that provides the user terminal device with an interface for purchasing the electronic gift certificate in response to the input of the code information; and an granting unit that grants the electronic gift certificate to the user's electronic payment service account in response to operations performed by the user on the interface.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and an application program. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there has been disclosed a coupon providing device that provides a user with a coupon that can be used in an electronic payment service (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-93651 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] With conventional technology, there are cases where services relating to electronic gift certificates are not sufficiently convenient for users.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide an information processing device, information processing method, program, and application program that can provide highly convenient services related to electronic gift certificates to users (e.g., issuers, administrators of electronic payment services, users, etc.). [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that includes: a reception unit that receives input of code information from a user terminal device of a user of an electronic payment service for purchasing an electronic gift certificate that can be used for payment using the electronic payment service; a provision unit that provides the user terminal device with an interface for purchasing the electronic gift certificate in response to the input of the code information; and an granting unit that grants the electronic gift certificate to the user's electronic payment service account in response to operations performed by the user on the interface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and an application program that can provide a highly convenient service for users regarding electronic gift certificate services. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration for realizing an electronic payment service. [Figure 2] This is a sequence diagram (part 1) illustrating the general flow of electronic payment. [Figure 3] This is a sequence diagram (part 2) illustrating the general flow of electronic payment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a payment server 100 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of user information 172. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of affiliated store / store information 176. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the flow from issuance to use of a gift certificate. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of gift certificate code issuance information 178. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of gift certificate grant information 180. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a gift certificate code issuance request input to the member store interface 72. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of gift certificate code information output to an interface 72 for member stores. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a top screen of the payment application 20. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a charge screen of the payment application 20. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a gift certificate code input screen of the payment application 20. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a gift certificate acquisition completion screen of the payment application 20. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a payment completion screen using a gift certificate in payment application 20. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the payment server 100 in cooperation with member stores and users. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a gift certificate code issuance request input to an interface 72 for affiliated stores according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and an application program of the present invention will be described. Various devices, such as a "server," a "management device," and an "information providing device," that provide services to users or perform internal analysis, may be realized by a group of distributed devices, and each device may be operated by a different business. Furthermore, the hardware owner (the cloud server provider) and the business that actually operates the device may also be different. The application program and the payment server work together to provide an electronic payment service. In the following description, the application program is referred to as a "payment app." An electronic payment service is a service that supports payments for the purchase of goods and services at a store. A store is, for example, a physical store (real store) existing in real space, but may also include a virtual store for e-commerce transactions. A virtual store may also include a store operated by an entity other than the operator of the electronic payment service. In such a case, a transition to an interface screen for the electronic payment service may be performed when making a payment for a purchase at the virtual store. In an electronic payment service, a store is treated as belonging to, for example, an affiliated store (brand), and processing such as payment when a purchase is made at the store is primarily conducted between the user and the affiliated store. Alternatively, processing such as payment may be carried out between the user and the store.

[0010] [Electronic payment service] Figure 1 shows an example of a configuration for realizing an electronic payment service. The electronic payment service is realized mainly by a payment server 100. The payment server 100 communicates with, for example, one or more user terminal devices 10, one or more first store terminal devices 50, and one or more second store terminal devices 70 via a network NW. The network NW includes, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless base station, a provider device, etc.

[0011] The user terminal device 10 is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. The user terminal device 10 is a computer device having at least an optical reading function, a communication function, a display function, an input acceptance function, and a program execution function. In the following description, components for realizing these functions are referred to as a camera, a communication device, a touch panel, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc. In the user terminal device 10, a processor such as a CPU executes a payment app 20, which operates in cooperation with the payment server 100 to provide electronic payment services to users. The payment app 20 is installed on the user terminal device 10 from, for example, an application store, and controls the camera, communication device, touch panel, etc.

[0012] The first store terminal device 50 is installed, for example, in a store. The first store terminal device 50 is a computer device having at least a product price acquisition function, an optical reading function, a program execution function, and a communication function. The first store terminal device 50 includes a so-called POS (Point of Sale) device, and the product price acquisition function and the optical reading function may be realized by the POS device. The store code image 60 is placed in the store and is a code image such as a QR code (registered trademark) printed on a paper or plastic medium. The store code image 60 may be displayed on a display placed in the store (which may be the display of a terminal device such as a smartphone).

[0013] The second store terminal device 70 is used by the operator of the affiliated store. The second store terminal device 70 is a smartphone, tablet terminal, personal computer, etc. An interface for affiliated stores 72 runs on the second store terminal device 70. The interface for affiliated stores 72 may be an app for affiliated stores or a browser. The interface for affiliated stores 72 accepts coupon settings and the like from the operator of the affiliated store and transmits them to the payment server 100. The second store terminal device 70, which is a smartphone, has the function of displaying a code image corresponding to a store code image and reading the code image displayed by the user terminal device 10 by executing the app for affiliated stores.

[0014] The payment server 100 realizes electronic payment based on payment information received from the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50. The first store terminal device 50 may include a POS device and an affiliated store server, in which case payment information is sent from the POS device via the affiliated store server to the payment server 100. In the following explanation, this distinction will not be made and it is assumed that payment information is sent from the first store terminal device 50.

[0015] 2 and 3 are sequence diagrams illustrating the general flow of electronic payment. There may be two patterns for electronic payment: Pattern 1 and Pattern 2.

[0016] In the case of pattern 1 (hereinafter referred to as user scan) shown in FIG. 2, the user terminal device 10, with the payment application 20 running, decodes the store code image 60 using its optical reading function (S1). The store code image 60 includes store URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information. This store URL is the domain of the electronic payment service to which store identification information has been added, and is associated with an affiliated store ID, store ID, etc. in the payment server 100 (described below). The payment application 20 sends first payment information including the store URL and account ID to the payment server 100 (S2). The payment server 100 searches for store information (described below) using the affiliated store ID and store ID corresponding to the store URL, acquires the affiliated store name and store name information (S3), and sends this to the payment application 20 (S4). The user enters the payment amount into the user terminal device 10 on the screen displaying the affiliated store name and store name (S5). Then, the user terminal device 10 generates second payment information including at least the payment amount and sends it to the payment server 100 (S6). The payment server 100 makes the electronic payment based on the received second payment information (S7). The payment server 100 then sends a payment completion notice (information for displaying a payment completion screen) to the payment app 20 (S8), and the payment app 20 displays the payment completion screen (S9). Note that when the store code image 60 is displayed on a display installed in the store, the store code image 60 may include information on the payment amount in addition to the store URL. In this case, the step of the user inputting the payment amount is omitted, and the payment amount information is included in the first payment information and sent to the payment server 100. Information on the affiliated store name and store name may be included and displayed on the payment completion screen.

[0017] In the case of pattern 2 (hereinafter referred to as store scan) shown in FIG. 3, the payment app 20 sends a request to issue a one-time code to the payment server 100 when the payment app 20 is launched, when a payment operation is performed in the payment app 20, at the automatic update timing (e.g., every minute), and at other timings (S11). The payment server 100 generates a one-time code (S12) and sends it to the payment app 20 (S13). The payment app 20 displays a code image, such as a QR code or barcode, generated based on the one-time code (S14). The user holds (presents) the display surface of the user terminal device 10 over the first in-store terminal device 50, and the first in-store terminal device 50 decodes the code image using its optical reading function and obtains the one-time code, etc. (S15). The first in-store terminal device 50 then generates payment information including the one-time code, payment amount, affiliated store ID, store ID, etc., and sends it to the payment server 100 (S16). The payment amount information is acquired in advance by reading a barcode, manually entering it, etc. Based on the received information, the payment server 100 identifies the user corresponding to the one-time code and performs electronic payment (S17). Then, the payment server 100 sends a payment completion notice to the payment application 20 (S18), and the payment application 20 displays a payment completion screen (S19).

[0018] Note that electronic payment may be performed using only one of the above patterns. Furthermore, the "account ID" described in FIG. 2 may be other information (e.g., a phone number) that can be used as user identification information. Furthermore, issuing a one-time code may be omitted in store scanning, and the payment application 20 may display a code image generated based on the user's account ID. In this case, the payment server 100 identifies the user corresponding to the account ID instead of identifying the user corresponding to the one-time code.

[0019] [Payment server] FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the payment server 100 according to the first embodiment. The payment server 100 includes, for example, a communication unit 110, a payment content providing unit 120, a payment processing unit 130, an information management unit 140, an information processing unit 150, and a storage unit 170. The information processing unit 150 further includes a gift certificate issuance processing unit 152 and a gift certificate granting processing unit 154. The components other than the communication unit 110 and the storage unit 170 are implemented by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the storage device by inserting the storage medium into a drive device. The gift certificate issuance processing unit 152 is an example of an "acquisition unit" and an "issuance unit" in the claims, and the gift certificate granting processing unit 154 is an example of an "reception unit," an "offering unit," and an "granting unit."

[0020] The storage unit 170 is a hard disk drive (HDD), flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage unit 170 may be a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device that the payment server 100 can access via a network. The storage unit 170 stores information such as user information 172, payment content information 174, affiliated store / shop information 176, gift certificate code issuance information 178, and gift certificate grant information 180.

[0021] The communication unit 110 is a communication interface for connecting to the network NW, and is, for example, a network interface card.

[0022] The payment content providing unit 120 has, for example, a function of a web server, and provides information (content) for displaying various screens of the electronic payment service to the user terminal device 10. The payment content providing unit 120 reads out necessary content from the payment content information 174 as appropriate and provides it to the user terminal device 10. The user terminal device 10 accepts various inputs from the user while content is being played by the payment application 20, and transmits the above-mentioned payment information and the like to the payment server 100.

[0023] The payment processing unit 130 performs payment processing based on the payment information transmitted by the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50. The payment processing unit 130 performs payment processing while referring to the user information 172.

[0024] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of user information 172. User information 172 is an example of user registration information. User information 172 includes, for example, a user URL, account ID, telephone number, and password, as well as associated information such as email address, user ID, name, address, date of birth, registration date, charge balance, credit card payment settings, credit card limit, credit card payment amount, available credit card payment amount, payment method settings, bank account, credit card number, charge history information, and payment history information. The user URL is used for remittance processing between users. Registration of a telephone number and password is required when registering for an electronic payment service. The account ID is issued to the user by the payment server 100, and the user ID can be set by the user (or does not have to be set). Similarly, the email address, name, address, and date of birth can be set by the user (or do not have to be set). The registration date is the date on which the user registered for the electronic payment service (the date on which the account was created). Hereinafter, the user's instance (electronic payment account) to which this information is associated will be referred to as an account.

[0025] The charge balance indicates the balance of electronic money set by the user by transferring funds to the account in advance. Transfer methods include transfers from a designated bank's ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) or from a registered bank account. The credit payment setting indicates whether the settings for electronic credit payment have been completed and is set to either "Completed" or "Not Completed." The credit payment limit is the monthly credit payment limit. The credit payment amount is the amount of credit payment already used in the current month. The available credit payment amount is the amount of credit payment available in the current month, calculated by subtracting the credit payment amount from the credit payment limit. While the figure shows only one credit payment limit, in reality, there may also be daily limits, and the lower of these may be set as the credit payment limit. Further details on credit payments will be discussed later. The payment method setting indicates whether the user will currently make electronic payments using the charge balance or by credit payment. The bank account and credit card number are information on the bank account or credit card number (account number, card number) that can be used to deposit funds into the electronic payment service. The charge history information is a history of the user's previous transfers to the electronic payment service to increase the charge balance. The payment history information is information that shows the breakdown of payments made by the user for each payment (date and time, store ID of the store where the purchase was made, payment amount, payment method, etc.).

[0026] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of affiliated store / store information 176. The affiliated store / store information 176 includes, for example, a first table 176A in which an affiliated store ID and a store ID are associated with a store URL, a second table 176B in which an affiliated store ID is associated with an affiliated store name and sales amount (described above), and a third table 176C in which a store ID is associated with a store name. In addition to this information, the affiliated store / store information 176 may also include information such as the category of the affiliated store or store, the store's location, and payment patterns.

[0027] The information management unit 140 manages the user information 172 and the affiliated store / store information 176 based on information acquired from the user terminal device 10 and the second store terminal device 70. The information management unit 140 adds new records to, edits, deletes, etc. the user information 172 and the affiliated store / store information 176.

[0028] [Electronic Payment] When payment information is acquired from the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50, the payment processing unit 130 references the user information 172 to acquire the "payment method setting" of the user. For users whose "payment method setting" is set to "charge balance," the payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment as follows: For example, the payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment by decreasing the charge balance managed in association with the user ID and increasing the item value of the affiliated store's sales proceeds. The item value of the affiliated store's sales proceeds is not used as electronic money itself, for example. Instead, the amount corresponding to the item value of the sales proceeds is transferred to a bank account in accordance with a cycle agreed upon between the affiliated store and the electronic payment service. The affiliated store may receive the sales proceeds as electronic money. In this case, the payment server 100 manages the account (wallet) corresponding to the affiliated store ID, the account's electronic money balance, and the sales proceeds history for each payment method in association with each other.

[0029] The payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payments for users whose "setting information" is set to "credit payment" as follows. Credit payment is a payment method in cooperation with a credit card company, which is a separate entity from the operator of the electronic payment service, and allows electronic payments within the credit payment limit and independent of the charge balance. To receive the credit payment service, a user may be required to obtain a credit card provided by the operator of the electronic payment service. The payment processing unit 130 adds the payment amount to the credit payment amount in the user information 172 and subtracts the payment amount from the available credit payment amount. If the payment amount exceeds the available credit payment amount, an error notification is returned to the payment app. The amount used for credit payment is settled, for example, for one month in a lump sum on the payment date of the following month, for example, by debit from a bank account. This processing is performed by the operator of the credit card company.

[0030] [Gift certificate overview] An overview of a gift certificate according to this embodiment will be described below. In this embodiment, the gift certificate is, for example, an electronic gift certificate that is funded and issued by a member store of an electronic payment service and can be used for payment at the member store. The user enters code information (e.g., a number with a predetermined number of digits) distributed by the member store into the payment application 20 for authentication. If the authentication is successful, the user is granted the right to purchase (or acquire) the gift certificate. When a user purchases or acquires a gift certificate and then makes an electronic payment at the member store that issued the gift certificate, the amount equivalent to the gift certificate is deducted from the payment amount. In this case, the payment amount is deducted from the amount of the gift certificate, taking priority over the balance payment or credit payment that the user has previously set. If the payment amount is greater than the amount of the gift certificate, the entire amount of the gift certificate is deducted first, and the remaining amount after subtracting the amount of the gift certificate from the payment amount is settled by balance payment or credit payment.

[0031] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the flow from issuance to use of a gift certificate. First, the operator of the affiliated store inputs a code issuance request to the payment server 100 to issue a gift certificate, for example, on the affiliated store interface 72 of the second store terminal device 70, and sends the request to the payment server 100. When the payment server 100 receives the code issuance request from the affiliated store, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 152 randomly generates, for example, a number of digits for the number of gift certificates specified in the code issuance request, and notifies the second store terminal device 70 of the generated numbers. At this time, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 152 may notify the second store terminal device 70 of, in addition to the gift certificate code, a deep link for acquiring the gift certificate code and automatically inputting it into the payment app 20, or two-dimensional code information including the gift certificate code. The gift certificate issuance processing unit 152 associates the issued gift certificate code with the identification information of the affiliated store and stores the associated gift certificate code as gift certificate code issuance information 178.

[0032] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the gift certificate code issuance information 178. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the gift certificate code issuance information 178 is generated and managed for each affiliated store, and includes, for example, a code number, a gift certificate code, a deep link, a sales amount, a gift certificate type, a usable amount, a usable store, a usable period, a purchase (acquisition) period, and an acquisition status, all of which are associated with each other. The sales amount represents the sales amount of the gift certificate sold by the affiliated store to the user within the purchase (acquisition) period (i.e., the amount the user pays to the affiliated store to purchase the gift certificate), and the usable amount represents the amount that can be paid with the gift certificate at an usable store within the usable period. In other words, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the user pays 10,000 yen to purchase a gift certificate, thereby obtaining a gift certificate worth 11,000 yen. In this case, the user gains an economic benefit of 1,000 yen by purchasing and using the gift certificate.

[0033] The gift certificate type is information that indicates whether the gift certificate is a type that can be purchased by the user or a type that can be acquired free of charge. As will be described later, if the gift certificate type is "purchase," the user can acquire the gift certificate by entering the gift certificate code and then paying the sales amount using their charge balance or credit card payment. On the other hand, if the gift certificate type is "acquire," the user can acquire the gift certificate by simply entering the gift certificate code. Therefore, in Figure 8, for gift certificate codes with a gift certificate type of "acquire," the sales amount is set to blank.

[0034] As will be described later, the sales amount, available amount, available stores, available period, and purchase period are entered by the operator of the affiliated store on the affiliated store interface 72. The grant status is information indicating whether a gift certificate corresponding to each gift certificate code has already been granted to the user. When a gift certificate has been granted to a user, the gift certificate granting processing unit 154 sets the grant status of the corresponding gift certificate code to "granted." As a result, even if another user attempts to acquire a gift certificate with the same gift certificate code, the gift certificate granting processing unit 154 will prohibit this, for example.

[0035] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 7 , when the second store terminal device 70 acquires the list of gift certificate codes from the payment server 100, the affiliated store interface 72 displays the acquired list of gift certificate codes. The operator of the affiliated store checks the displayed list of gift certificate codes and distributes the gift certificate codes to users. For example, the operator of the affiliated store can distribute the gift certificate codes to the email addresses of customers who subscribe to the affiliated store's email newsletter, or print multiple gift certificate codes and prepare them in-store to distribute only to users who have made payments of a predetermined amount or more. In another embodiment, the payment server 100 may provide an application programming interface (API) that returns gift certificate codes in response to a request from the affiliated store's external server. In this case, the affiliated store's external server can call the API, acquire gift certificate codes from the payment server 100, and distribute the acquired gift certificate codes to users by displaying them on the payment completion screen of the e-commerce site, for example, when a user makes a payment of a predetermined amount or more on the affiliated store's e-commerce site.

[0036] When a gift certificate code is distributed to a user, the user launches the payment app 20 on the user terminal device 10 and inputs the distributed gift certificate code. At this time, the payment app 20 transmits the input gift certificate code to the payment server 100, and the gift certificate granting processing unit 154 confirms that the input gift certificate code matches a gift certificate code in the gift certificate code issuance information 178, that the gift certificate type of the gift certificate code is “purchased,” and that the grant status of the gift certificate code is not “granted.” If it is confirmed that the input gift certificate code matches a gift certificate code in the gift certificate code issuance information 178 and that the grant status of the gift certificate code is not “granted,” the gift certificate granting processing unit 154 permits the user to purchase a gift certificate corresponding to the gift certificate code and transitions the payment app 20 to a purchase screen. The user purchases a gift certificate on the purchase screen by paying with their balance or credit card. When the user purchases a gift certificate, the gift certificate granting processing unit 154 grants the gift certificate to the user and stores the grant information in the gift certificate granting information 180. When the user then makes an electronic payment at a store where the gift certificate can be used, the payment amount is preferentially deducted from the available amount of the gift certificate. Meanwhile, if the gift certificate granting processor 154 confirms that the input gift certificate code matches a gift certificate code in the gift certificate code issuance information 178, that the gift certificate type of the gift certificate code is "earned," and that the granting status of the gift certificate code is not "granted," the gift certificate granting processor 154 grants the gift certificate to the user and stores the granting information in the gift certificate granting information 180.

[0037] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the gift certificate granting information 180. The gift certificate granting information 180, for example, associates an account ID, a gift certificate code, an acquisition date, a used amount, and a remaining amount. The account ID is information indicating the account ID of the user who purchased (or acquired) the gift certificate corresponding to the gift certificate code. The gift certificate granting processing unit 154 stores the user's account ID in the gift certificate granting information 180 when the user purchases (or acquires) the gift certificate. The acquisition date is information indicating the date and time when the user purchased (or acquired) the gift certificate. The gift certificate granting processing unit 154 stores the date and time when the user purchased the gift certificate in the gift certificate granting information 180 when the user purchased the gift certificate. The used amount is information indicating the amount of the gift certificate's available amount that the user has already used for electronic payment. The remaining amount is the value obtained by subtracting the used amount from the gift certificate's available amount, and is information indicating the remaining amount of the gift certificate that the user can use for payment. Each time the user makes an electronic payment using a gift certificate, the payment processing unit 130 subtracts the payment amount from the remaining balance, and then updates the used amount and remaining amount in the gift certificate grant information 180.

[0038] As described above, in the conventional technology, a user purchases a prepaid card sold at a store, such as a convenience store, checks the code information printed on the card, and enters the code information into a predetermined application program to purchase an electronic gift certificate or charge electronic money. In other words, in the conventional technology, the process is performed in the following order: purchase, code input, and charge. In contrast, in the present invention, the user first receives code information from the affiliated store, enters it into payment application 20, and then purchases and charges the gift certificate. As a result, the present invention allows only specific users targeted by affiliated stores to purchase gift certificates, unlike the conventional technology that allows an unspecified number of users to purchase gift certificates. Furthermore, as described above, instead of a single gift certificate code for multiple users, multiple codes are issued, and each code can only be used by one user. As a result, the present invention prevents a single gift certificate code from being misused by multiple users (e.g., spread via the Internet, social networking sites, etc.). Below, detailed processing from a gift certificate issuance request to its use is described.

[0039] [Request for gift certificate issuance] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a gift certificate code issuance request entered into the affiliated store interface 72. FIG. 10 shows the affiliated store interface that is displayed on the first store terminal device 50 when logging in to an affiliated store account, either an affiliated store account or a store account. In FIG. 10, area A1 shows the affiliated store that has logged in to the affiliated store interface 72 and the type of account. Clicking the arrow shown in the lower right of area A1 displays a list of accounts that can be logged in (affiliated store accounts and store accounts of multiple stores). The user of the first store terminal device 50 can switch login accounts (in other words, levels) by clicking one of the displayed accounts. When switching login accounts, the user may be required to enter a password associated with the account to which the user is switching.

[0040] Area A2 represents a menu screen showing information items provided by the affiliated store interface 72. The menu screen includes items such as deposit, transaction, profile, coupon, and gift certificate. When a user of the first store terminal device 50 clicks on an item displayed on the menu screen, information corresponding to that item is displayed in area A3. FIG. 10 shows, as an example, a case where an input screen for requesting the issuance of a gift certificate code with a gift certificate type of "purchase" is displayed in response to the operator of the affiliated store clicking on a gift certificate.

[0041] The input screen for requesting the issuance of a gift certificate code includes, for example, input fields IN1 to IN6 for inputting the budget, sales amount, available amount, available stores, available period, and purchase period. The budget represents the total amount secured by the affiliated store for issuing gift certificates. In other words, the number of gift certificates to be issued is determined by dividing the budget by the available amount. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10, the budget is set to 1.1 million yen and the available amount is set to 11,000 yen, so the number of gift certificates to be issued is 100. Alternatively, the input screen may include input fields for inputting the number of gift certificates to be issued. In this case, the available amount may be automatically set by dividing the budget by the number of gift certificates to be issued. Furthermore, for clarity of explanation, in FIG. 10, the available stores are specified by store name; however, the available stores may alternatively be specified by store ID. By setting separate usage periods and purchase periods, issuers of gift certificates can flexibly formulate sales strategies for gift certificates, such as setting a regular usage period after a pre-sale period. Note that for gift certificates with a "earn" type, the input screen for requesting the issuance of a gift certificate code may include input fields for inputting, for example, the budget, the amount available, the stores where the gift certificate can be used, the usage period, and the acquisition period.

[0042] When the user enters input items IN1 to IN6 and presses the issuance request button B1, the first store terminal apparatus 50 transmits the input code issuance request to the payment server 100. When the payment server 100 receives the code issuance request, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 152 randomly generates, for example, numbers with a predetermined number of digits based on the received code issuance request, and issues them as gift certificate codes for the number of cards specified in the code issuance request. As described above, at this time, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 152 may issue a deep link or two-dimensional code information in addition to the gift certificate code. The gift certificate issuance processing unit 152 notifies the first store terminal apparatus 50 of the issued gift certificate code, deep link, two-dimensional code information, etc. Furthermore, for example, the payment processing unit 130 may at this time withdraw an amount equivalent to the budget amount from a bank account registered by the affiliated store.

[0043] In FIG. 8, the usable period and purchase (acquisition) period are specified with absolute start and end dates. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the usable period may be specified as a relative period, such as within a predetermined period (e.g., one month) after the user purchases (or acquires) the gift certificate. This compensates for the drawback of the absolute period method, in which the purchase amount tends to decrease as the end date approaches, and ensures fairness among users who purchase gift certificates. Furthermore, for example, the usable period and purchase (acquisition) period may be specified based on the issue date, such as within a predetermined period (e.g., one month and three months, respectively) after the affiliated store issues the gift certificate code. This improves the convenience of gift certificate issuers in managing campaigns.

[0044] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of gift certificate code information output to the member store interface 72. The gift certificate code information includes, for example, a code number representing the index of the issued gift certificate code, the gift certificate code, a deep link, the gift certificate type, the redemption status, and the remaining balance. In the example shown in FIG. 10, 100 gift certificates have been issued, so code numbers ranging from 1 to 100 are assigned. When the operator of the member store presses, for example, the download button B2, the member store interface 72 downloads the gift certificate code information to the first store terminal device 50, for example, in the form of a spreadsheet. At this time, the member store interface 72 may also download two-dimensional code information (not shown) as image data to the first store terminal device 50. The operator of the member store who has downloaded the gift certificate code information and two-dimensional code information may, for example, print the information and display it in the store or distribute it to users (by email, writing it on receipts, etc.).

[0045] 11, the gift certificate code information includes, for example, the gift certificate type, the grant status, and the remaining amount, where the gift certificate type is notified by the gift certificate issuance processing unit 152 together with the issuance of the gift certificate code, the grant status is notified as "granted" by the gift certificate grant processing unit 154 when the gift certificate is granted to the user, and the remaining amount is updated by the payment processing unit 130 by subtracting the payment amount when an electronic payment using the gift certificate is made. This allows the operator of the affiliated store to check the acquisition status and usage status of each gift certificate in real time as a list.

[0046] In FIG. 11, an example was described in which gift certificate codes are issued in a limited manner based on the budget and available amount set by the operator of the affiliated store so that the number of gift certificate codes issued does not exceed the budget. However, since users who receive gift certificate codes do not necessarily purchase gift certificates, if many users do not purchase gift certificates, the budget will be significantly overdrawn. To prevent this situation, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 152 may issue an unlimited number of gift certificate codes in response to a request from the affiliated store interface 72. In this case, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 154 may prohibit the issuance of gift certificates once the number of gift certificates purchased by users reaches the budget. This allows for the budget to be used up more quickly, even if some users who receive gift certificate codes do not purchase gift certificates.

[0047] [Earn gift certificates] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the top screen of the payment app 20. A code image CI is displayed on the top screen. The code image CI includes, for example, a barcode and a QR code. A selector switch SW is displayed next to the code image CI, allowing the user to select whether to make an electronic payment using the remaining balance or a credit card payment. The "switch" and "button" refer to a graphical user interface (GUI) implemented in cooperation with a touch panel. In FIG. 12, "credit" is displayed, indicating that the electronic payment is set to be made using a credit card. For example, a user can swipe the selector switch SW to switch between making an electronic payment using the remaining balance and a credit card payment. The top screen also includes an operation area OA, a transition button TB1, and a transition button TB2. The operation area OA includes buttons for instructing key operations in electronic payment, such as a button for instructing scanning (starting a user scan), a button for displaying the history of electronic payments performed by the user, a button for displaying the points earned by the user, and a button B3 for the user to top up the remaining balance. When the transition button TB1 is pressed, the screen transitions to a payment screen that displays the code image used for electronic payment and the available balance. When the transition button TB2 is pressed, the screen transitions to a screen that displays the available balance for balance payment or credit payment.

[0048] Below the operation area OA, a group of buttons (switches) M1, M2, ... for launching mini apps are further displayed. A mini app is an app that operates using the payment app 20 as a platform and provides some kind of service. A service provider develops a mini app by referring to a Software Development Kit (SDK), which is an app development program and technical documentation provided by the administrator of the payment app 20. A mini app is an app that operates while the payment app 20 is running. For example, a part or all of the mini app may be installed when the payment app 20 is installed, or a part or all of the mini app may be installed from a service server corresponding to the mini app. For example, when a mini app is launched, it accesses a service server (not shown) that provides a service corresponding to the mini app, and the mini app and the service server work together to provide the service to the user. In this case, the service server may be the payment server 100 itself or an external server different from the payment server 100. 12 shows, as an example, a button M1 for a mini-app that provides a function for viewing information about coupons offered by affiliated stores, and a button M2 for a mini-app that provides a function for viewing information about stamp cards, but buttons for launching various types of mini-apps, such as an investment app for managing a charge balance or a payment app for paying public transportation fares, may also be displayed. Also, the gift certificate usage function described below may be implemented as a mini-app.

[0049] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a charge screen of payment application 20. The charge screen shown in FIG. 13 is transitioned to, for example, when a user presses charge button B3 on the top screen shown in FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 13, the charge screen includes, for example, area A4 for inputting the charge amount, charge button B4, and area A5 for selecting other charge methods. Area A4 also displays the user's current charge balance, and the user can determine the required charge amount by checking the charge balance.

[0050] When the user enters the charge amount in area A4 and presses the charge button B4, the payment app 20 sends the charge request information to the payment server 100, and the payment processing unit 130 deducts the entered charge amount from the bank account in the user information 172 and adds it to the charge balance. If the account balance of the bank account in the user information 172 is less than the entered charge amount, the payment server 100 causes the payment app 20 to display an error screen indicating that the charge has failed.

[0051] Area A5 is provided with buttons for instructing various operations for charging, such as a button for setting auto-charge (a function that automatically deducts a predetermined amount from the bank account balance and adds it to the charged balance when the charged balance is below a predetermined value), a button for setting the bank account from which the charge will be made, and button B5 for inputting a gift certificate code. When the user presses button B5, payment app 20 transitions to a screen for inputting the gift certificate code.

[0052] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a gift certificate code input screen of payment application 20. The gift certificate code input screen shown in the left part of FIG. 14 is transitioned to, for example, when a user presses button B5 on the charge screen shown in FIG. 13. In another aspect, the gift certificate code input screen shown in FIG. 14 may be transitioned to, for example, when a user presses a mini-app button indicating a gift certificate on the top screen shown in FIG. 12. As shown in the left part of FIG. 14, the gift certificate code input screen includes, for example, an area A6 for inputting a gift certificate code, a button B6 for confirming the input code, and a button B7 for scanning two-dimensional code information including the gift certificate code.

[0053] When a user enters a gift certificate code provided by an affiliated store and presses button B6, the payment app 20 transmits the entered gift certificate code to the payment server 100, and the gift certificate granting processor 154 confirms that the received gift certificate code matches a gift certificate code in the gift certificate code issuance information 178 and that the granting status of the gift certificate code is not "granted." If it is confirmed that the entered gift certificate code matches a gift certificate code in the gift certificate code issuance information 178 and that the granting status of the gift certificate code is not "granted," the gift certificate granting processor 154 transitions the screen of the payment app 20 to a gift certificate purchase screen shown on the right side of FIG. 14. On the other hand, if the gift certificate granting processor 154 confirms that the entered gift certificate code does not match a gift certificate code in the gift certificate code issuance information 178 or that the granting status of the gift certificate code is "granted," it causes the payment app 20 to display an error screen.

[0054] When the user presses button B7, the payment app 20, for example, activates a camera mounted on the user terminal device 10, scans the two-dimensional code information presented by the user, and transmits the scanned two-dimensional code information to the payment server 100. In response to this, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 154 similarly transitions the payment app 20 screen to a gift certificate purchase screen shown in the right part of FIG. 14. Alternatively, as another route, when the user clicks, for example, a deep link included in an email received from an affiliated store, the user terminal device 10 launches the payment app 20 and transmits the clicked deep link information to the payment server 100. In response to this, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 154 transitions the payment app 20 screen to a gift certificate purchase screen shown in the right part of FIG. 14. By providing functions such as scanning two-dimensional code information and clicking deep links, the user can be spared the trouble of inputting a gift certificate code. Similarly, when a user scans two-dimensional code information or clicks on a deep link, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 154 verifies that the gift certificate code contained in the two-dimensional code information or deep link matches the gift certificate code in the gift certificate code issuance information 178 and that the issuance status of the gift certificate code is not "already issued."

[0055] As shown in the right part of FIG. 14, the gift certificate purchase screen includes, for example, an area A7 for the user to confirm details of the gift certificate to be purchased, and a button B8 for confirming the purchase of the gift certificate. Area A7 includes information such as the name of the gift certificate to be purchased, the payment amount, the available balance of the gift certificate, the gift certificate code, the purchase period, and the available period. The payment amount corresponds to the purchase price of the gift certificate. As shown in FIG. 14, area A7 may also include, for example, the economic benefit the user will receive from purchasing the gift certificate (e.g., the available balance minus the payment amount).

[0056] When the user presses button B8, the payment app 20 sends payment request information to the payment server 100 indicating that the user intends to purchase a gift certificate corresponding to the gift certificate code, and the payment processing unit 130 performs payment processing for the gift certificate based on the payment request information. More specifically, the payment processing unit 130 settles the payment amount included in the payment request information using a pre-set credit payment or balance payment. At the same time, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 154 updates the issuance status of the gift certificate code issuance information 178 from blank to "Issued," and sets the user's account ID, gift certificate code, acquisition date, used amount (zero at the time of purchase), and remaining amount (the same as the available amount at the time of purchase) in the gift certificate issuance information 180. This allows the user to acquire the gift certificate. When the purchase of the gift certificate is completed, the payment app 20 transitions the screen to a gift certificate acquisition completion screen.

[0057] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a gift certificate acquisition completion screen of the payment app 20. The gift certificate acquisition completion screen shown in FIG. 15 is transitioned to, for example, when a user presses button B8 on the gift certificate purchase screen shown in the right part of FIG. 14. As shown in the left part of FIG. 15, the gift certificate acquisition completion screen includes, for example, an area A8 for indicating completion of acquisition of the gift certificate and a button B9 for confirming details of the gift certificate. The gift certificate acquisition completion screen includes, for example, information regarding the expiration date of the gift certificate. When the user presses button B9, the payment app 20 transitions to a gift certificate detailed information screen shown in the right part of FIG. 15.

[0058] As shown in the right part of FIG. 15 , the gift certificate detail information screen includes, for example, an area A9 showing detailed information about the gift certificate and an area A10 showing stores where the gift certificate can be used. In FIG. 15 , as an example, area A9 includes information showing the remaining amount of the available gift certificate, the expiration date, and stores where the gift certificate can be used. Area A10 shows stores where the gift certificate can be used, sorted as a card in order of proximity to the user's current location (e.g., the current location measured by the GNSS positioning function installed in the user terminal device 10). The gift certificate detail information screen shown in the right part of FIG. 15 does not necessarily have to be transitioned immediately after acquiring a gift certificate. For example, the screen may be transitioned when the user presses a mini-app button showing gift certificates on the top screen shown in FIG. 12 and then selects the acquired gift certificate. Furthermore, the gift certificate detail information screen is not limited to the format shown in FIG. 15 . For example, area A10 showing stores where the gift certificate can be used may be in a map format instead of a card format, and the store location may be linked to the user's current location.

[0059] [Electronic payment using gift certificates] After a user acquires a gift certificate, when the user executes electronic payment using payment app 20, payment processing unit 130 determines whether the electronic payment satisfies the conditions for the gift certificate acquired by the user, and if it is determined that the conditions for the gift certificate are met, it processes the payment by subtracting the payment amount from the balance of the gift certificate, prioritizing pre-set credit payment or balance payment. Thereafter, payment processing unit 130 updates gift certificate grant information 180 by adding the payment amount to the used amount in gift certificate grant information 180 and subtracting the payment amount from the balance.

[0060] FIG. 16 shows an example of a payment completion screen for electronic payment using a gift certificate. The payment completion screen displays, for example, an area A11 displaying the payment store, an area A12 displaying the payment amount, and an area A13 displaying details of the payment method. FIG. 13 shows, as an example, a case where a user has a gift certificate balance of 500 yen and makes an electronic payment of 1,000 yen by credit card. In this case, the payment processing unit 130 first subtracts the remaining gift certificate balance of 500 yen from the payment amount of 1,000 yen, and then pays the remaining 500 yen by credit card. This configuration allows the user to use the entire gift certificate balance for electronic payment without any waste.

[0061] [Processing flow] Fig. 17 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the payment server 100 in cooperation with the affiliated store and the user. The processing in the sequence diagram shown in Fig. 17 shows a series of steps from a request by the affiliated store to issue a gift certificate code to electronic payment by the user using the gift certificate.

[0062] First, the affiliated store inputs a request for issuing a gift certificate code on the affiliated store interface 72 of the first store terminal device 50 (S100). Next, the first store terminal device 50 transmits the input request for issuing a gift certificate code to the payment server 100 (S102). Next, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 152 issues a gift certificate code in response to the request for issuing a gift certificate code and notifies the affiliated store interface 72 (S104). At the same time, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 152 records information about the issued gift certificate code in the gift certificate code issuance information 178 (S106).

[0063] Next, the affiliated store provides the issued gift certificate code to the user (S107). Upon receiving the gift certificate code, the user inputs the gift certificate code into the payment application 20 (S108). The payment application 20 transmits the input gift certificate code to the payment server 100 (S110). Upon receiving the gift certificate code, the gift certificate issuance processing unit 154 determines whether the received gift certificate code matches a gift certificate code in the gift certificate code issuance information 178 and whether the issuance status of the gift certificate code is not "issued" (S112).

[0064] If the received gift certificate code matches a gift certificate code in gift certificate code issuance information 178 and it is determined that the grant status of the gift certificate code is not "granted," gift certificate granting processing unit 154 permits payment application 20 to purchase a gift certificate (S114). In response, the user purchases a gift certificate on a gift certificate purchase screen of payment application 20 (S116), and payment application 20 notifies payment server 100 of the purchase of the gift certificate (S118). In response, gift certificate granting processing unit 154 notifies affiliated store interface 72 of information indicating that the gift certificate has been granted (i.e., information indicating that the grant status is "granted") (S119). Furthermore, gift certificate granting processing unit 154 records the user's gift certificate purchase information in gift certificate granting information 180 (S120).

[0065] The user then performs electronic payment at the store that accepts the gift certificate (S122), and the payment application 20 requests the payment server 100 to perform the electronic payment (S124). In response, the payment processing unit 130 performs the electronic payment, using the gift certificate as a priority (S126). When the electronic payment is completed, the payment processing unit 130 notifies the payment application 20 of a payment completion notice (S128) and notifies the affiliated store interface 72 of the updated balance amount, which is the balance amount minus the payment amount (S129). Furthermore, the payment processing unit 130 updates the gift certificate issuance information 180 (S130). Upon receiving the payment completion notice, the payment application 20 displays a payment completion screen (S132). This ends the processing of this sequence diagram.

[0066] [Variations] In the above embodiment, a single member store issues gift certificates for stores belonging to that member store. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and as a modified example, gift certificates may be issued for multiple stores belonging to multiple member stores. For example, the operator of a shopping mall, commercial facility, or shopping street may issue gift certificates for multiple member stores located in the shopping mall, commercial facility, or shopping street on the member store interface 72.

[0067] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a gift certificate code issuance request entered into the member store interface 72 according to a modified example. The member store interface 72 shown in FIG. 18 is obtained by modifying the input item IN4 of the member store interface 72 shown in FIG. 10. In this modified example, the input item IN4 is an item for specifying an available member store (store). For example, if a shopping mall operator specifies multiple member stores in the shopping mall in the input item IN4 and presses the issue request button B1, the first store terminal device 50 sends the entered code issuance request to the payment server 100, and the payment server 100 notifies the member store interface 72 of gift certificate code information related to the issued gift certificate code. At this time, the payment server 100 may notify the gift certificate code information only to the person requesting the issuance of the gift certificate code (i.e., the shopping mall operator, for example), or may notify each member store included in the available member stores (stores).

[0068] When a gift certificate is issued for multiple stores belonging to multiple member stores, for example, in the right part of FIG. 14, the "Purchased Gift Certificate" in area A7 displays information related to the issuer of the gift certificate that bundles these member stores (e.g., the name of the shopping mall, commercial facility, shopping street, campaign name, etc.) rather than the name of a single member store, and in the right part of FIG. 15, the "Target Stores" in area A9 displays the names of multiple stores belonging to the multiple member stores. Furthermore, the "Sorting" in area A10 sorts and displays these multiple stores, for example, in descending order of distance. This allows users to use the gift certificate without confusion even when it is for multiple member stores.

[0069] According to the embodiment described above, input of code information for purchasing an electronic gift certificate that can be used for payments using the electronic payment service is accepted from a user terminal device of a user of the electronic payment service, an interface for purchasing the electronic gift certificate is provided to the user terminal device in response to the input of the code information, and the electronic gift certificate is granted to the user's electronic payment service account in response to an operation by the user on the interface. This makes it possible to provide a highly convenient service for users regarding electronic gift certificate services.

[0070] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 10 User terminal device 20. Payment App 100 Payment Server 110 Communications Department 120 Payment Contents Department 130 Payment processing unit 140 Information Management Department 150 Information Processing Department 152 Gift certificate issuing processing unit 154 Gift certificate issuing processing unit 178 Gift certificate code issuance information 180 Gift Certificate Grant Information

Claims

1. a reception unit that receives input of code information for purchasing an electronic gift certificate that can be used for payment of the electronic payment service from a user terminal device of the user of the electronic payment service; a providing unit that provides the user terminal device with an interface for purchasing the electronic gift certificate in response to the input of the code information; an awarding unit that awards the electronic gift certificate to the electronic payment service account of the user in response to an operation on the interface by the user, an acquisition unit that acquires a request for issuing the code information from a member store terminal device of a member store of the electronic payment service; an issuing unit that issues a list of the code information to the affiliated store terminal device in response to acquisition of the issuance request, The electronic gift certificate can be used for payment at the affiliated store. Information processing device.

2. The issuance request includes information regarding the sales price of the electronic gift certificate, the available amount, the available stores, the available period, and the number of certificates to be issued or the budget amount. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the providing unit determines whether the input code information is included in the list of code information, and if it determines that the input code information is included in the list of code information, provides the user terminal device with an interface for purchasing the electronic gift certificate; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. When the user purchases the electronic gift certificate on the interface, the granting unit stops accepting input of code information corresponding to the purchased electronic gift certificate from the list of code information. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. further comprising a payment processing unit that processes payments made by the user on the electronic payment service; When the electronic gift certificate has been granted to the user's electronic payment service account, the payment processing unit processes the payment using the electronic gift certificate in preference to a payment method previously set by the user in the electronic payment service. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. The amount of the electronic gift certificate that can be used for payment at the affiliated store is set to be greater than the purchase amount of the electronic gift certificate. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. The issuing unit notifies and displays, for each of the list of code information, the grant status of the code information and the remaining amount of the electronic gift certificate on the affiliated store terminal device. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

8. The computer receiving input of code information for purchasing an electronic gift certificate that can be used for payment using the electronic payment service from a user terminal device of the user of the electronic payment service; providing an interface for purchasing the electronic gift certificate to the user terminal device in response to the input of the code information; granting the electronic gift certificate to the user's electronic payment service account in response to an operation on the interface by the user; acquires a request for issuing the code information from a member store terminal device of a member store of the electronic payment service; In response to the issuance request, a list of the code information is issued to the affiliated store terminal device; The electronic gift certificate can be used for payment at the affiliated store. Information processing methods.

9. On the computer, Accepting input of code information for purchasing an electronic gift certificate that can be used for payment of the electronic payment service from a user terminal device of the user of the electronic payment service; causing the user terminal device to provide an interface for purchasing the electronic gift certificate in response to the input of the code information; granting the electronic gift certificate to the electronic payment service account of the user in response to an operation on the interface by the user; acquires a request for issuing the code information from a member store terminal device of a member store of the electronic payment service; In response to the acquisition of the issuance request, the member store terminal device issues a list of the code information; The electronic gift certificate can be used for payment at the affiliated store. program.

Images