Financial institution servers, financial institution systems, methods for controlling financial institution servers, and programs.

Abstract

The goal is to allow users to choose between receiving interest based on their deposit balance or receiving points that can be used with electronic payment services. [Solution] A financial institution server for managing user accounts at a financial institution, comprising: a reception unit that receives from the user either a first receiving method of receiving interest according to the deposit balance or a second receiving method of receiving points usable in an electronic payment service; an interest payment unit that, when the first receiving method is received, grants the interest according to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in cash; and a point payment unit that, when the second receiving method is received, grants the points according to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in the electronic payment service.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a financial institution server, a financial institution system, a control method for a financial institution server, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, deposit interest of financial institutions such as banks has generally been directly given in cash to a deposit account. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a financial institution server that adds interest corresponding to a deposit interest rate to a user's account balance at a predetermined timing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the financial institution server described in Patent Document 1, there are cases where a user cannot select whether to receive interest corresponding to the deposit balance or points available for use in an electronic payment service.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and one of its purposes is to provide a financial institution server, a financial institution system, a control method for a financial institution server, and a program that allow a user to select whether to receive interest corresponding to the deposit balance or points available for use in an electronic payment service. <00​​​​​One aspect of the present invention is a financial institution server for managing user accounts at a financial institution, comprising: a reception unit that receives from the user either a first receiving method for receiving interest according to the deposit balance or a second receiving method for receiving points usable in an electronic payment service; an interest payment unit that, when the first receiving method is received, grants the interest according to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in cash; and a point payment unit that, when the second receiving method is received, grants the points according to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in the electronic payment service. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a financial institution server, a financial institution system, a method for controlling the financial institution server, and a program can be provided that allow a user to choose whether to receive interest based on their deposit balance or points that can be used in an electronic payment service. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an example of a configuration for implementing an electronic payment service. [Figure 2] This is a sequence diagram (part 1) illustrating the general flow of electronic payments. [Figure 3] This is a sequence diagram (part 2) illustrating the general flow of electronic payments. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing the configuration of payment server 100. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the contents of user information 172. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the contents of merchant / store information 176. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a financial institution server 200. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the contents of account information 282. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the contents of Interest Rate Table 284. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an example of the home screen IM1-1 of the financial institution app 30 when interest receipt is set. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an example of the home screen IM1-2 of the financial institution app 30 when point receipt is set. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing an example of the receipt method setting screen IM2 of the financial institution app 30. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing an example of the grant details screen IM3 of the financial institution app 30. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing an example of the grant details detailed screen IM4 of the financial institution app 30. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed by the financial institution server 200. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing the first example (IM5-1) of the interest / point grant status screen IM5 of the financial institution app 30. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing an example of the display of area A11 when a special interest rate / grant rate is applied to a part of the deposit balance according to the amount of the foreign currency deposit. [Figure 18] It is a diagram showing an example of the display of area A11 when the interest rate / grant rate applied to each part of the user's deposit balance varies according to the user's deposit balance. [Figure 19] It is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed by the financial institution server 200. [Figure 20] It is a diagram showing the second example (IM5-2) of the interest / point grant status screen IM5 of the financial institution app 30. [Figure 21] It is a diagram showing the third example (IM5-3) of the interest / point grant status screen IM5 of the financial institution app 30. [Figure 22] It is a diagram showing the fourth example (IM5-4) of the interest / point grant status screen IM5 of the financial institution app 30. [Figure 23] It is a diagram showing the fifth example (IM5-5) of the interest / point grant status screen IM5 of the financial institution app 30. [Figure 24]It is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the financial institution server 200.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of the financial institution server, financial institution system, control method of the financial institution server, and program of the present invention will be described. Various devices for providing services to users or performing internal analysis, such as the "server" that appears below, may be realized by a decentralized group of devices, and the operators of each device may be different. Also, the holder of the hardware of the device (provider of the cloud server) and the operator who actually operates may be different. The electronic payment service is a service that supports the settlement related to the purchase of goods and services at a store. The store is, for example, a physical store (actual store) existing in the real space, but may include a virtual store for e-commerce. The virtual store may include those provided by a subject different from the electronic payment service provider. In that case, at the time of settlement for shopping in the virtual store, it is controlled to transition to the interface screen of the electronic payment service. In the electronic payment service, the store is, for example, treated as belonging to a franchise (brand), and processing such as settlement when a purchase action is performed at the store is mainly carried out between the user and the franchise. Instead of this, processing such as settlement may be carried out between the user and the store.

[0010] [Electronic Payment Service] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration for realizing the electronic payment service. The electronic payment service is realized centering around the settlement server 100. The settlement server 100 communicates with each of, for example, one or more user terminal devices 10, one or more first store terminal devices 50, one or more second store terminal devices 70, the financial institution server 200, and the securities server 300 via the network NW. The network NW includes, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless base station, a provider device, and the like.

[0011] Some or all of the functional components included in an electronic payment system may be distributed across multiple devices in any form, or integrated into any device. For example, some or all of the functional components of the payment server 100 or the financial institution server 200 may be included in other devices.

[0012] [User terminal device] The user terminal device 10 is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet. The user terminal device 10 is a computer device having at least optical reading function, communication function, display function, input acceptance function, and program execution function. In the following description, the components for realizing these functions will be referred to as a camera, communication device, touch panel, CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc. In the user terminal device 10, a payment application (hereinafter referred to as the payment app) 20 is executed by a processor such as the CPU, and it operates in cooperation with the payment server 100 to provide electronic payment services to the user. The payment app 20 is installed on the user terminal device 10, for example, from an application store, and controls the camera, communication device, touch panel, etc.

[0013] Furthermore, the user terminal device 10 operates by running a financial institution application (hereinafter referred to as the financial institution app) 30 using a processor such as a CPU, in cooperation with the financial institution server 200 to provide users with financial services offered by the financial institution. The financial institution app 30 is installed on the user terminal device 10, for example, from an application store, and controls the camera, communication device, touch panel, etc.

[0014] [Store Terminal Device #1] 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 may include a so-called POS (Point of Sale) device, and the product price acquisition function and 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 paper or plastic media. The store code image 60 may also be displayed on a display placed in the store (which may be the display of a terminal device such as a smartphone).

[0015] [Second store terminal device] 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, personal computer, etc. The affiliated store interface 72 operates on the second store terminal device 70. The affiliated store interface 72 may be an affiliated store application or a browser. The affiliated store interface 72 accepts coupon settings etc. from the affiliated store operator 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 by running the affiliated store application, or reading a code image displayed by the user terminal device 10.

[0016] [Payment Server] The payment server 100 implements 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 a merchant server, in which case payment information is transmitted from the POS device to the payment server 100 via the merchant server. In the following description, this distinction will not be made, and it will be assumed that payment information is transmitted from the first store terminal device 50.

[0017] [Financial institution server] The financial institution server 200 is a computer that manages user accounts at a financial institution and communicates with the settlement server 100 via a network NW. The financial institution may be a group company of an electronic payment service provider. The financial institution may be, for example, an institution that provides financial services such as a bank. In this embodiment, an example in which the financial institution is a bank will be described.

[0018] [Securities Server] The securities server 300 is a computer that provides securities services to a securities company and communicates with the settlement server 100 via a network (NW). The securities company may be a group company of an electronic payment service provider. Securities services are services that handle financial products such as stocks and bonds. As will be described in detail later, the securities server 300 invests and manages points usable in electronic payment services into financial products in response to requests from the settlement server 100.

[0019] Figures 2 and 3 are sequence diagrams illustrating the general flow of electronic payments. There may be two patterns for electronic payments: Pattern 1 and Pattern 2.

[0020] In the case of Pattern 1 shown in Figure 2 (hereinafter referred to as User Scan), 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 contains information about the store URL (Uniform Resource Locator). This store URL is an electronic payment service domain to which information that can identify the store has been added, and is associated with the merchant ID and store ID, etc., at the payment server 100 (described later). The payment application 20 sends the 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 later) from the merchant ID and store ID corresponding to the store URL, obtains the merchant name and store name information (S3), and sends it to the payment application 20 (S4). The user enters the payment amount into the user terminal device 10 on the screen where the merchant name and store name are displayed (S5). The user terminal device 10 then generates second payment information, including at least the payment amount, and sends it to the payment server 100 (S6). The payment server 100 performs electronic payment based on the received second payment information (S7). The payment server 100 then sends a payment completion notification (information for displaying the payment completion screen) to the payment application 20 (S8), and the payment application 20 displays the payment completion screen (S9). If the store code image 60 is displayed on a display placed in the store, the store code image 60 may include payment amount information as well as the store URL. In this case, the procedure for the user to enter the payment amount is omitted, and the payment amount information is included in the first payment information and sent to the payment server 100. Merchant name and store name information may be included and displayed on the payment completion screen.

[0021] In the case of Pattern 2 shown in Figure 3 (hereinafter referred to as Store Scan), when the payment app 20 is launched, when a payment operation is performed in the payment app 20, when it is time for an automatic update (for example, every minute), and at other times, the payment app 20 sends a request to the payment server 100 to issue a one-time code (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 that was generated based on the one-time code (S14). The user holds the display surface of the user terminal device 10 over the first store terminal device 50 (presents it), and the first store terminal device 50 decodes the code image using its optical reading function and obtains the one-time code, etc. (S15). Then, the first store terminal device 50 generates payment information including the one-time code, payment amount, merchant ID, store ID, etc., and sends it to the payment server 100 (S16). The payment amount information is obtained in advance by barcode scanning or manual input. Based on the received information, the payment server 100 identifies the user corresponding to the one-time code and performs the electronic payment (S17). The payment server 100 then sends a payment completion notification to the payment app 20 (S18), and the payment app 20 displays a payment completion screen (S19).

[0022] Furthermore, electronic payment may be performed using only one of the above patterns. Also, the "account ID" explained in Figure 2 may be other information that can be used as user identification information (for example, a phone number). In addition, the issuance of a one-time code may be omitted during store scanning, and the payment app 20 may display a code image generated based on the user's account ID. In that case, the payment server 100 identifies the user corresponding to the account ID instead of identifying the user corresponding to the one-time code.

[0023] [Payment Server] Figure 4 is a diagram of the configuration of the payment server 100. The payment server 100 includes, for example, a communication unit 110, a payment content provision unit 120, a payment processing unit 130, an information management unit 140, and a storage unit 170. Components other than the communication unit 110 and the storage unit 170 are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory (a storage device equipped with a non-transient storage medium), or it may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transient storage medium) and installed in the storage device when the storage medium is mounted on a drive device.

[0024] The storage unit 170 can be an HDD, flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage unit 170 may also be a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device that can be accessed by the payment server 100 via the network. The storage unit 170 stores information such as user information 172, payment content information 174, and merchant / store information 176.

[0025] The communication unit 110 is a communication interface for connecting to a network NW. The communication unit 110 is, for example, a network interface card.

[0026] The payment content provision unit 120, for example, has the functionality 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 provision unit 120 reads the necessary content from the payment content information 174 as appropriate and provides it to the user terminal device 10. The user terminal device 10 receives various inputs from the user while the content is being played by the payment application 20 and transmits the aforementioned payment information, etc., to the payment server 100.

[0027] The settlement processing unit 130 performs settlement processing based on settlement information transmitted by the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50. The settlement processing unit 130 performs settlement processing while referring to the user information 172. The settlement processing unit 130 also has a function to cause the financial institution server 200 to settle the account balance.

[0028] [User information] Figure 5 shows 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, user URL, account ID, telephone number, password, as well as email address, user ID, name, address, date of birth, registration date, electronic money balance, credit payment settings, credit payment limit, credit payment amount, available credit payment amount, payment method settings, bank account, credit card, charge history information, payment history information, and points. The user URL is used for money transfer processing between users. When registering for a new electronic payment service, registration of a telephone number and password is mandatory. The account ID is issued to the user by the payment server 100, and the user ID is an ID that the user can set at will (or not set). Similarly, the email address and name, address, and date of birth are also information that the user can set at will (or not set). The registration date is the date the user registered for the electronic payment service (the date the account was created). Hereafter, the user instance (electronic payment account) to which this information is associated will be referred to as an account.

[0029] The electronic money balance is information indicating the balance of electronic money that the user has set up by sending money to their account in advance. The electronic money balance may also include the balance of electronic money received from other users. Methods of sending money include sending from an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) of a designated provider (bank), sending from a registered bank account, etc. Sending from a bank account may also be done via direct debit. When charging electronic money, the charge amount is automatically debited from the user's bank account and transferred to the electronic payment service provider's account. The electronic payment service provider charges the user's electronic money upon receipt of the transfer to their account. Multiple bank accounts may be registered by the user. In this case, the user may select the bank account from which to send the charge. The credit payment setting indicates whether or not the settings for enabling electronic payments via credit card have been completed, and is set to either "Completed" or "Not Completed". The credit limit is the monthly limit on credit payments that can be made. The credit payment amount is the amount already used for credit payments during the current month. The available credit payment amount is the amount available for credit payments during the current month, calculated by subtracting the credit payment amount from the credit limit. Although the diagram shows only one credit limit, in reality there are also daily limits, etc., and the lower of these may be set as the credit limit. Further details on credit payments will be described later. The payment method setting is setting information that indicates whether the user will make an electronic payment using their electronic money balance, an electronic payment using a credit card, or an account balance payment using their bank account deposit balance at that time. The bank account is information about a bank account that can be used to deposit funds into the electronic payment service (branch number, account number, etc.). The credit card is information about a credit card that can be used to deposit funds into the electronic payment service (card number, etc.). The charge history information is a history of when the user has previously sent money to the electronic payment service to increase their electronic money balance. Payment history information shows the details of each payment made by the user (date and time, store ID of the store where the purchase was made, payment amount, payment method, etc.). Points refer to the number of points the user holds.For example, users can use points in electronic payments at a rate of 1 point = 1 yen. The account ID in user information 172 may be associated with a one-time code issued to the user (for example, the most recently issued one-time code).

[0030] [Franchise / Store Information] Figure 6 shows an example of the contents of the merchant / store information 176. The merchant / store information 176 includes, for example, a first table 176A in which merchant IDs and store IDs are associated with store URLs, a second table 176B in which merchant names and sales figures are associated with merchant IDs, and a third table 176C in which store names are associated with store IDs. In addition to this information, the merchant / store information 176 may also include information such as the merchant or store category, store location, and payment patterns.

[0031] The information management unit 140 manages user information 172 and affiliated store / store information 176 based on information obtained from the user terminal device 10 and the second store terminal device 70. For example, the information management unit 140 adds, edits, deletes, etc., new records for user information 172 and affiliated store / store information 176.

[0032] [Electronic payment] When the payment processing unit 130 obtains payment information from the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50, it refers to the user information 172 to obtain the user's "payment method setting". For users whose "payment method setting" is set to "electronic money balance", the payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment as follows. For example, the payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment by decreasing the electronic money balance managed in association with the account ID in the user information 172 and increasing the value of the merchant's sales amount managed in association with the merchant ID in the second table 176B of the merchant / store information 176. The value of the merchant's sales amount is not used as electronic money itself, for example, but rather the amount corresponding to the value of the merchant's sales amount is transferred to the merchant's bank account in a cycle according to the agreement between the merchant and the electronic payment service. The merchant may receive the sales amount as electronic money. In this case, the information management unit 140 may store the merchant wallet information, in which the merchant's electronic money balance is recorded, in the storage unit 170.

[0033] The payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment as follows for users whose "payment method setting" is set to "credit card payment". Credit card payment is a payment method that cooperates with a credit card company, which is a separate entity from the electronic payment service provider, and allows electronic payment that does not depend on the electronic money balance within the credit limit. In order to use the credit card payment service, it may be required to obtain a credit card provided by the electronic payment service provider. The amount used by credit card payment is settled by requesting the credit card company operator. In this case, the payment processing unit 130 sends the payment amount to the credit card company operator to settle the credit card payment and updates the credit card payment information in the user information 172. Specifically, the payment processing unit 130 adds the payment amount to the credit card usage amount in the user information 172 and subtracts the same amount from the available credit card payment amount. If the payment amount exceeds the available credit card payment amount, an error notification is sent back to the payment application 20.

[0034] The settlement processing unit 130 performs electronic payment as follows for users whose "payment method setting" is set to "account balance payment". Account balance payment is a payment method that is linked with a financial institution (e.g., a bank) which is a separate entity from the electronic payment service provider, and electronic payment is performed by deducting the payment amount from the deposit balance in the user's account. In order to use the account balance payment service, the user may be required to open an account with a financial institution designated by the electronic payment service provider. The amount used by account balance payment is settled by requesting it from the financial institution server 200. The details of the configuration of the financial institution server 200 will be explained below as a prerequisite for explaining the details of account balance payment.

[0035] [Financial institution server] Figure 7 shows an example of the configuration of a financial institution server 200. The financial institution server 200 includes, for example, a communication unit 210, an account balance settlement processing unit 215, an information management unit 220, a reception unit 225, an interest payment unit 230, a point payment unit 235, a screen generation unit 240, a display control unit 245, a calculation unit 250, a simulation unit 255, a proposal unit 260, a condition determination unit 265, a notification unit 270, and a storage unit 280. Components other than the communication unit 210 and the storage unit 280 are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSIs, ASICs, FPGAs, and GPUs, or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance on a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory (a storage device equipped with a non-transient storage medium), or it may be stored on a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transient storage medium) and installed on the storage device when the storage medium is inserted into a drive device.

[0036] The storage unit 280 can be an HDD, flash memory, RAM, etc. The storage unit 280 may also be a NAS device accessible by the financial institution server 200 via a network. The storage unit 280 stores information such as account information 282 and interest rate tables 284.

[0037] The communication unit 210 is a communication interface for connecting to a network NW. The communication unit 210 is, for example, a network interface card.

[0038] The account balance settlement processing unit 215 settles the account balance based on the user's account balance, using the settlement information received from the settlement server 100 and the account information 282 stored in the storage unit 280. Details of account balance settlement will be described later.

[0039] The information management unit 220 manages the account information 282 and interest rate table 284 stored in the storage unit 280. For example, the information management unit 220 adds, edits, deletes, etc., new records for the account information 282 and interest rate table 284.

[0040] Figure 8 shows an example of the contents of account information 282. Account information 282 is a collection of information such as branch number, account number, deposit balance, account balance payment limit, account balance payment usage amount, name, address, date of birth, password, transaction history information, payment method, and account ID. The branch number is a number used to identify a branch of a financial institution. The account number is a number used to identify the user's account. The deposit balance is information that shows the balance of the deposit the user has made with the financial institution. The account balance payment limit is the amount that the user can use to make account balance payments per month. Users can set the account balance payment limit as appropriate using the financial institution app 30. The account balance payment usage amount is the total amount the user has used for account balance payments during the current month. The name, address, and date of birth are the same information as the name, address, and date of birth included in user information 172 (Figure 5). The password is authentication information required when the user uses the financial institution's services and is used when launching the financial institution app 30 and logging in. Transaction history information shows the transaction history of the user's account (deposit source information, withdrawal destination information, amount, date and time, etc.). The payment method indicates whether the user will receive interest based on their deposit balance or points usable with the electronic payment service. Details on receiving interest / points will be described later. The account ID is the same information as the account ID included in user information 172 (Figure 5), and is identification information used to identify the user in the electronic payment service. Account linking is performed between the payment server 100 and the financial institution server 200, so that the user's account ID and account information (branch number, account number, etc.) are linked and managed.

[0041] The account balance settlement processing unit 215 settles the account balance based on the user's account balance, using the settlement information received from the settlement server 100 and the account information 282 stored in the storage unit 280. Specifically, the account balance settlement processing unit 215 receives settlement information from the settlement server 100, including the settlement amount and the user's account ID. The account balance settlement processing unit 215 also identifies the user's account information (store number, account number, etc.) corresponding to the user's account ID by referring to the account information 282, and processes the transfer of the settlement amount from the user's account to the electronic payment service provider's account. This allows the merchant's sales to be temporarily moved to the electronic payment service provider's account. The financial institution server 200 also increases the value of the merchant's sales, which is managed in association with the merchant ID in the second table 176B of the merchant / store information 176. As described above, the merchant's sales will be transferred to the merchant's account in a cycle according to the agreement between the merchant and the electronic payment service.

[0042] Figure 9 shows an example of the contents of Interest Rate Table 284. Interest Rate Table 284 associates, for example, a range of deposit balances with interest rates and accrual rates. The range of deposit balances is the range of amounts of deposit balances in the user's account. The interest rate and accrual rate is the interest rate and accrual rate applied to the user's deposit balance. In the example shown in Figure 9, an interest rate and accrual rate of 0.2% is applied when the deposit balance is less than 100,000 yen, an interest rate and accrual rate of 0.3% is applied when the deposit balance is 100,000 yen or more but less than 1,000,000 yen, and an interest rate and accrual rate of 0.4% is applied when the deposit balance is 1,000,000 yen or more. In this way, higher interest rates and accrual rates are set as the amount of the deposit balance increases. As will be explained in detail later, users can receive interest or points according to the interest rates and accrual rates set in Interest Rate Table 284.

[0043] Furthermore, interest rate table 284 may include multiple tables corresponding to the user's age. For example, a table with a lower deposit balance range may be applied to younger users (under 30 years old), and the tables applied to younger users (under 30 years old) and general users (30 years old and over) may be switched.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the financial institution will offer a "Step-Up Yen Deposit" service, which sets higher interest rates and accrual rates as the deposit balance increases, as well as a "Dollar & Yen 2% Deposit" service, which applies a 2% interest rate and accrual rate to the portion of the yen deposit balance equal to the US dollar deposit balance when the user makes a US dollar deposit.

[0045] The screen generation unit 240 generates a display screen for display on the financial institution application 30. The display control unit 245 transmits the display screen generated by the screen generation unit 240 to the user terminal device 10 (financial institution application 30) for display.

[0046] [Point Redemption Selection Service] Next, the point receipt selection service in this embodiment will be described. Conventionally, deposits at financial institutions such as banks were generally paid in cash directly to the user's account as interest. In general financial services, there were services that awarded points or offered preferential interest rates based on the usage history of specific transactions (such as salary deposits and utility bill payments) or affiliated credit cards. However, it was not common for users to actively choose whether to receive "interest" or "points" for their deposits at financial institutions, and for the applicable interest rate or the award rate itself to change depending on that choice. Furthermore, points used in electronic payment services were mainly awarded as incentives for electronic payments or campaigns, and were not awarded in direct conjunction with the deposit balance. In other words, the conventional technology had the following problems (1) to (2).

[0047] (1) Challenges regarding user convenience and satisfaction In an era of low interest rates, the cash interest earned from deposits is small, making it difficult for users to feel the benefits of wealth building. In particular, for younger generations who are accustomed to everyday cashless payments, points that can be used immediately for electronic payments may be perceived as more valuable than small amounts of cash interest. Furthermore, traditional interest rate preferential services often offer limited options for users and are provided under uniform conditions, failing to flexibly meet the needs of individual users. (2) Challenges in financial institutions Differentiating itself from other financial institutions was difficult, and new, attractive incentives were needed to increase deposit balances. Furthermore, there was a need to deepen the collaboration between electronic payment services and financial services offered by financial institutions, strongly attract users to an economic sphere centered around electronic payment service providers, and enhance customer engagement. There was a need to create a cycle where users could seamlessly utilize the benefits they gained from financial services through electronic payment services.

[0048] Therefore, in this embodiment, a financial institution system is provided in which a user of a yen ordinary deposit account at a financial institution (e.g., a bank) can choose to receive either "interest" or "points." In this embodiment, if the user chooses to receive points, a higher accrual rate is applied than if they choose to receive interest. It should be noted that if the user waives their right to receive interest, they may be allowed to receive points. The financial institution server 200 manages the user's selection information on how to receive payments (cash / points) and dynamically determines the applicable interest rate or point accrual rate based on the selection, the user's attributes (age), and the average deposit balance for the previous month. The financial institution server 200 also calculates the withholding tax amount from the calculated interest equivalent amount and then executes a series of processes to return it to the user in the specified method (accrual of interest or points). This point will be explained in detail below.

[0049] [Home screen of financial institution app] Figure 10 shows an example of the home screen IM1-1 of the financial institution app 30 when interest payments are enabled. The home screen IM1-1 is generated by the screen generation unit 240. As shown in Figure 10, the home screen IM1-1 of the financial institution app 30 includes areas A1 to A3 and buttons B1 to B3. Area A1 displays the user's deposit balance in the financial institution account. Area A2 displays various icons for using financial services such as transfers and loans. Area A3 displays the interest / point accrual status.

[0050] Specifically, area A3 displays the interest rate and accrual rate, the amount earned to date, and the interest / points payment settings. The interest rate and accrual rate is information indicating the percentage of the interest rate and point accrual rate applied to the user. In the example shown in Figure 10, the interest rate and accrual rate applied to the aforementioned 2% dollar & yen deposit (2.0%) and the interest rate and accrual rate applied to the aforementioned step-up yen deposit (0.3%) are displayed.

[0051] The amount earned so far shows the total amount of interest and points the user has earned to date. In the example shown in Figure 10, it is shown that the user has received 6,200 yen (cash) in interest so far.

[0052] The interest / points payment setting indicates whether the user has chosen to receive interest based on their deposit balance or points. In the example shown in Figure 10, it is shown that the setting to receive interest has been selected.

[0053] When the user selects (tap) button B1, the interest / point accrual status screen (Figure 16), described below, will be displayed. When the user selects (tap) button B2, the payment method setting screen (Figure 12), described below, will be displayed. When the user selects (tap) button B3, the account balance settlement screen (not shown) will be displayed, and the user can give instructions regarding account balance settlement from this screen.

[0054] Figure 11 shows an example of the home screen IM1-2 of the financial institution app 30 when point redemption is enabled. The home screen IM1-2 is generated by the screen generation unit 240. Areas A1 and A2 in the home screen IM1-2 of Figure 11 are the same as areas A1 and A2 in the home screen IM1-1 of Figure 10, so their explanation is omitted.

[0055] Area A3 in Figure 11 displays the interest / point accrual status, similar to area A3 in Figure 10. The "Total Earned Amount" column shows the total amount of interest and points earned by the user to date, along with a breakdown of the earned amount in area A3. In the example shown in Figure 11, the breakdown of earned amounts shows that the user has received 1,200 yen (cash) in interest and 5,000 points to date. Additionally, the "Interest / Point Receipt Settings" column indicates that the setting for receiving points has been enabled.

[0056] [Financial institution app's payment method settings screen] Figure 12 shows an example of the payment method setting screen IM2 of the financial institution app 30. The payment method setting screen IM2 is the screen that is displayed when button B2 in Figure 11 is selected (tapped) by the user. As shown in Figure 12, the payment method setting screen IM2 of the financial institution app 30 includes area A5, buttons B4 to B7, and the terms and conditions display area T.

[0057] Area A5 displays information comparing the interest rates and reward rates when the user receives interest based on their deposit balance versus when they receive points. In this embodiment, the reward rate for receiving points is 0.1% higher than the interest rate when the user receives interest based on their deposit balance. This is to encourage the use of electronic payment services by providing users with an incentive to make electronic payments using points.

[0058] Button B4 is used to set the primary payment method for receiving interest based on the user's deposit balance. When the user selects (tap) button B4, a check mark will appear on button B4. This allows the user to understand that the primary payment method (interest) has been selected.

[0059] Button B5 is used to set a second payment method, where users receive points based on their deposit balance. When a user selects (tap) button B5, a check mark will appear on it. This allows the user to understand that the second payment method (points) has been selected.

[0060] The Terms and Conditions Display Area T is the area where the terms and conditions regarding point redemption are displayed. While only a portion of the terms and conditions regarding point redemption are displayed in the Terms and Conditions Display Area T, the entire terms and conditions will be displayed when the user selects (tap) the Terms and Conditions Display Area T. As shown in Figure 12, the Redemption Method Setting Screen IM2 displays a clause stating that if the user selects the second redemption method (points), they are deemed to have agreed to waive their right to receive interest. This allows the user to set their redemption method after understanding the legal effects of their selection. Alternatively, the Terms and Conditions Display Area T may only be displayed the first time the user selects the second redemption method (points), and not thereafter. In other words, once the user has reviewed the terms and conditions and selected the second redemption method (points), the terms and conditions may not be displayed on the Redemption Method Setting Screen IM2 from then on. Furthermore, the Terms and Conditions Display Area T may only be displayed if the user checks "Receive Points" on the Redemption Method Setting Screen IM2.

[0061] Furthermore, the payment method setting screen IM2 may include a checkbox to obtain the user's consent to waive the right to receive interest, and the user may explicitly obtain consent using this checkbox.

[0062] Button B7 is used to instruct the user to change the payment method. If the user selects (tap) button B4 and also selects (tap) button B7, the financial institution app 30 requests the financial institution server 200 to set the first payment method (interest) as the payment method. The financial institution server 200 then sets the payment method in account information 282 to "interest" in response to the request received from the financial institution app 30. On the other hand, if the user selects (tap) button B5 and also selects (tap) button B7, the financial institution app 30 requests the financial institution server 200 to set the second payment method (points) as the payment method. The financial institution server 200 then sets the payment method in account information 282 to "points" in response to the request received from the financial institution app 30. Through the above process, the payment method can be changed.

[0063] In this way, the screen generation unit 240 generates a payment method setting screen IM2 that allows the user to select one of two payment methods: a first payment method (interest) or a second payment method (points). The display control unit 245 transmits the payment method setting screen IM2 to the user terminal device 10 for display. This allows the user to choose whether to receive interest based on their deposit balance or points that can be used with the electronic payment service.

[0064] [Financial institution app's grant details screen] Figure 13 shows an example of the grant details screen IM3 of the financial institution application 30. The grant details screen IM3 is generated by the screen generation unit 240. The grant details screen IM3 is a screen showing the details of interest and points granted according to the user's deposit balance. As shown in Figure 13, the grant details screen IM3 of the financial institution application 30 includes areas A6 to A7.

[0065] Areas A6 and A7 display details of interest or points awarded to the user. In the example shown in Figure 13, the setting is to receive interest in December and points in January. Area A6 displays the details of the points awarded in January, and area A7 displays the details of the points awarded in December.

[0066] Specifically, area A6 shows the breakdown of points awarded to users for one month based on their deposit balance, including special points awarded through the Step-Up Yen Deposit (135pt), special points awarded through the Dollar & Yen 2% Deposit (100pt), and points awarded in addition to these special points (5pt).

[0067] Furthermore, area A7 displays a breakdown of the December interest paid to users based on their deposit balance, including special interest paid through the Step-Up Yen Deposit (135 yen), special interest paid through the Dollar & Yen 2% Deposit (200 yen), and interest paid in addition to these special interest payments (6 yen).

[0068] [Detailed screen of grant details in the financial institution app] Figure 14 shows an example of the grant details screen IM4 of the financial institution app 30. The grant details screen IM4 is generated by the screen generation unit 240. The grant details screen IM4 is a screen that shows the details of the breakdown of interest or points granted according to the user's deposit balance. The grant details screen IM4 shown in Figure 14 is displayed when the user selects (tap) the "135pt" portion in area A6 of Figure 13. As shown in Figure 14, the grant details screen IM4 of the financial institution app 30 includes areas A8 to A9 and button B8.

[0069] Area A8 displays the type of deposit applied (Step-Up Yen Deposit), the date and time the interest or points were awarded to the user (February 1, 2025, 09:21), and the amount of interest or points awarded (135pt).

[0070] Area A9 displays the breakdown of interest or points awarded to the user, including pre-tax deposit interest (140pt), national tax on interest income (-3pt), local tax on interest income (-2pt), and transaction amount (135pt). These values ​​(pre-tax deposit interest, national tax on interest income, local tax on interest income, and transaction amount) are calculated by the calculation unit 250.

[0071] Even when points are awarded to a user's account based on their deposit balance, these are treated as interest income for tax purposes. Therefore, the financial institution server 200 in this embodiment accurately calculates the pre-tax deposit interest and withholding tax (national tax on interest income, local tax on interest income) and awards the after-tax points to the user's account.

[0072] Button B8 is used to instruct the user to return to the previous screen. When the user selects (tap) button B8, they will return to the grant details screen IM3 shown in Figure 13.

[0073] In this way, when the second payment method (points) is accepted, the calculation unit 250 calculates points equivalent to the pre-tax deposit interest, interest income tax, and after-tax deposit interest, according to the user's deposit balance. The screen generation unit 240 generates a grant details screen IM4 that includes points equivalent to the pre-tax deposit interest, interest income tax, and after-tax deposit interest. The display control unit 245 transmits the grant details screen IM4 to the user terminal device 10 for display. This allows the user to easily understand the breakdown of taxes incurred due to the granting of points.

[0074] [flowchart] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the financial institution server 200. This flowchart is executed when a user instructs to change the receiving method settings through the receiving method setting screen IM2 shown in Figure 12.

[0075] First, the reception unit 225 of the financial institution server 200 receives a request from the user for either a first payment method, which is to receive interest based on the deposit balance, or a second payment method, which is to receive points usable with the electronic payment service (S101). Specifically, the financial institution app 30 sends a request to set the payment method to the financial institution server 200 in response to instructions from the user via the payment method setting screen IM2, and the reception unit 225 receives the request from the financial institution app 30. The request to set the payment method includes the user's account information (branch number, account number, etc.) and information indicating either the first payment method (interest) or the second payment method (points). As mentioned above, the payment method setting screen IM2 in Figure 12 may include a clause stating that if the user selects the second payment method (points), they are deemed to have agreed to waive their right to receive interest. However, regardless of whether the waiver is displayed on the payment method setting screen IM2, if the receiving unit 225 receives the second payment method (points) from the user, it may proceed with subsequent processing on the assumption that the user has agreed to waive the right to receive interest corresponding to the deposit balance and to receive points as compensation.

[0076] Furthermore, the reception unit 225 determines whether the accepted payment method is the first payment method (interest) or the second payment method (points) (S102). If the first payment method (interest) is accepted, the interest payment unit 230 adds the interest corresponding to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in cash (S103). Specifically, the interest payment unit 230 may add the interest to the user's deposit balance in the account information 282.

[0077] On the other hand, when the second receiving method (points) is accepted, the point awarding unit 235 awards points corresponding to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in the electronic payment service (S104). Specifically, the point awarding unit 235 may request the payment server 100 to award points to the user's account. The payment server 100 may also increase the user's points in the user information 172 in response to a request received from the financial institution application 30.

[0078] Interest and points may be awarded in a lump sum on a predetermined date. For example, one month's worth of interest and points may be awarded together on the first day of each month.

[0079] As described above, the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment is a server that manages user accounts at a financial institution, and comprises a reception unit 225, an interest payment unit 230, and a point payment unit 235. The reception unit 225 receives from the user either a first payment method, in which the user receives interest according to their deposit balance, or a second payment method, in which the user receives points that can be used in an electronic payment service. If the first payment method is accepted, the interest payment unit 230 grants interest according to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in cash. If the second payment method is accepted, the point payment unit 235 grants points according to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in the electronic payment service. Thus, the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment allows the user to choose whether to receive interest according to their deposit balance or points that can be used in an electronic payment service.

[0080] Furthermore, the financial institution system of this embodiment includes a financial institution server 200 that manages user accounts at the financial institution, and a financial institution application 30 installed on a user terminal device 10 operated by the user to use the financial institution's services. The financial institution server 200 includes a reception unit 225, an interest payment unit 230, and a point payment unit 235. The reception unit 225 receives from the financial institution application 30 either a first payment method, which is to receive interest according to the deposit balance, or a second payment method, which is to receive points that can be used in the electronic payment service. If the first payment method is accepted, the interest payment unit 230 grants interest according to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in cash. If the second payment method is accepted, the point payment unit 235 grants points according to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in the electronic payment service. Thus, the financial institution system of this embodiment allows the user to choose whether to receive interest according to their deposit balance or points that can be used in the electronic payment service.

[0081] In this embodiment, as mentioned above, the point accrual rate is 0.1% higher than the interest rate when the user receives interest based on their deposit balance. Therefore, the interest accrual unit 230 may accrue the interest obtained by multiplying the user's deposit balance by the first annual rate (for example, 0.4%) into the user's account in cash. The point accrual unit 235 may request the payment server 100 to accrue points equivalent to the amount obtained by multiplying the user's deposit balance by a second annual rate (for example, 0.5%) which is higher than the first annual rate, into the user's account in the electronic payment service. The payment server 100 may update the user's points in the user information 172 in response to a request from the financial institution server 200. By making the second annual rate (the annual rate when receiving points based on the deposit balance) higher than the first annual rate (the annual rate when receiving interest based on the deposit balance), the financial institution server 200 in this embodiment can provide users with an incentive to make electronic payments using points, thereby promoting the use of the electronic payment service.

[0082] Furthermore, the point awarding unit 235 may set the second-year interest rate (point awarding rate) according to the amount of electronic payments used in the electronic payment service. For example, the point awarding unit 235 may set a higher second-year interest rate the more electronic payments used in the electronic payment service. This allows the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment to provide users with an incentive to make electronic payments using points, and further promote the use of the electronic payment service.

[0083] Furthermore, the point awarding unit 235 may set the second-annual interest rate according to the usage status at a specific merchant in the electronic payment service. For example, a list of specific merchants may be stored in the storage unit 280 in advance, and the point awarding unit 235 may set a higher second-annual interest rate the more the amount of electronic payment usage at a specific merchant is. In this way, the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment can increase the sales of a specific merchant by promoting the use of the electronic payment service at that merchant.

[0084] Furthermore, the point awarding unit 235 may set a higher second-year interest rate if the user's account is set up for salary transfer. This allows the financial institution server 200 in this embodiment to increase the deposit balance available for account balance settlement, thereby further promoting the use of electronic payment services.

[0085] Furthermore, the point awarding unit 235 may set a higher second-year interest rate for users who have entered a limited-time campaign or event. The limited-time campaign or event may be, for example, a campaign or event in cooperation with a sales company that operates a shopping site and is a group company of the electronic payment service provider, or it may be a friend referral campaign for the electronic payment service. In this way, the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment can promote the use of the service as an entire economic zone centered on the electronic payment service provider.

[0086] Furthermore, the point awarding unit 235 may request the settlement server 100 to invest the points awarded to the user's account in the electronic payment service. The settlement server 100 may, in response to a request from the financial institution server 200, request, for example, the securities server 300 to purchase financial products (such as investment trusts or ETFs) for an amount equivalent to the user's points. By investing points, users can easily gain investment experience without reducing their cash. For this reason, the financial institution server 200 in this embodiment can promote the use of securities services at securities companies.

[0087] Furthermore, the simulation unit 255 may predict the interest or points that the user can receive in the future through simulation. The screen generation unit 240 may generate a simulation screen that displays the interest or points predicted by the simulation. The display control unit 245 may transmit the simulation screen to the user terminal device 10 for display. This allows the user to understand how interest and points will be awarded in the future according to the current settings.

[0088] Furthermore, the reception unit 225 may accept from the user the percentage to be received by the first payment method (interest) and the percentage to be received by the second payment method (points). The interest payment unit 230 may award interest in cash to the user's account according to the percentage to be received by the first payment method. The point payment unit 235 may award points in the user's account in the electronic payment service according to the percentage to be received by the second payment method. This allows the user to appropriately set the percentage of interest and points to be awarded.

[0089] Furthermore, the proposal unit 260 may analyze the user's past electronic payment service usage history and deposit trends, and propose a suitable payment method for the user. Specifically, the proposal unit 260 may make a suggestion such as, "Given your usage style, receiving points will save you XX yen per year." For example, the proposal unit 260 may obtain the user's payment history information from the payment server 100, and if the frequency of using account balance payments is higher than a predetermined threshold, it may propose a first payment method (interest) to the user, and otherwise propose a second payment method (points). The proposal unit 260 may also analyze the user's past electronic payment service usage history and deposit trends using AI (Artificial Intelligence). For example, the proposal unit 260 may generate a trained model by machine learning with payment history information in electronic payment services and deposit history information in financial institutions as explanatory variables, and the payment method (interest or points) as the dependent variable. The proposal unit 260 may also propose a payment method obtained by inputting the user's payment history information in electronic payment services and deposit history information in financial institutions into the trained model as a suitable payment method for the user.

[0090] Furthermore, the reception unit 225 may accept the second payment method (points) if the user has selected it, assuming that the user has agreed to waive their right to receive interest. For example, the payment method setting screen IM2 in Figure 12 may include a cautionary statement indicating that if the user selects the second payment method (points), they will be deemed to have agreed to waive their right to receive interest. If the user confirms the content of the cautionary statement and then selects the second payment method (points), the reception unit 225 may determine that the user has agreed to waive their right to receive interest. This allows the user to set a payment method while being aware of the legal effects of their selection.

[0091] [Visualization of the application status of tiered interest rates, etc.] Next, we will explain the visualization of the application status of tiered interest rates in this embodiment. Conventionally, when financial institutions (such as banks) offer financial products in which the applicable interest rate changes in stages according to the deposit balance, the methods for presenting this information to users have been limited. For example, it is conceivable to post information such as "annual interest rate A% up to 1 million yen" and "annual interest rate B% ​​from 1 million yen up to 10 million yen" on the financial institution's app 30 or website. However, with this method, users had to visually compare this posted information with their own deposit balance and determine the applicable interest rate themselves. Alternatively, it is conceivable to display only the final interest rate or average interest rate applied to the user's current deposit balance. However, with this method, it is unclear which interest rate is applied to which part of the deposit balance, and it was sometimes difficult to grasp the overall picture of the interest rate system. In other words, the conventional technology had the following problems (1) to (3).

[0092] (1) Lack of transparency and barriers to understanding For users, the calculation logic of tiered interest rates is not intuitive, making it difficult to accurately understand which interest rate is applied to their assets and how. This has led to distrust of the service and a decrease in motivation to take actions to seek more favorable conditions (such as switching accounts). (2) Loss of opportunity to encourage users to take action Because information on "how much more deposit balance is needed to reach the next higher interest rate stage" is not visually provided, the desire to increase deposit balances among users was not effectively stimulated. From the financial institutions' perspective, they were missing a crucial opportunity to further encourage customers to withdraw their assets. (3) A uniform and unappealing user experience Because interest rate information is often provided in text and numbers, it failed to capture users' attention and provide an experience that made them perceive asset management as something relevant to their own lives. This weakened the service's appeal, especially to the digital native generation.

[0093] Therefore, in this embodiment, in a financial product where multiple interest rates are applied to a user's deposit balance according to the balance tier, the individual user's deposit balance information is obtained, divided at the boundaries where the interest rate changes, and the interest rate corresponding to each divided balance portion is displayed integrally on a single graphical user interface. Specifically, a graphical element showing the total balance (e.g., a bar graph) is divided into each segment of the interest rate tier. Then, the interest rate applied to that portion is explicitly displayed on each segment. This allows the user to understand at a glance and intuitively how their deposit balance is evaluated and how interest is calculated. In addition, in this embodiment, it is also clearly indicated whether interest or points are awarded according to the deposit balance. This point will be explained in detail below.

[0094] [Example 1 of the interest / points accrual status screen in a financial institution app] Figure 16 shows the first example (IM5-1) of the interest / point accrual status screen IM5 of the financial institution application 30. In the following explanation, several specific examples of the interest / point accrual status screen IM5 will be described, and these examples will be distinguished by adding a number after a hyphen. The example shown in Figure 16 is the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1. The interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 is generated by the screen generation unit 240. As shown in Figure 16, the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 of the financial institution application 30 includes areas A10 to A13 and button B9.

[0095] Area A10 displays the total amount earned to date and the interest / points payment settings. The total amount earned to date shows the total amount of interest and points the user has earned so far. The interest / points payment settings show the user's settings regarding whether to receive interest based on their deposit balance or points. In the example shown in Figure 16, Area A10 shows that the user has received 6,200 yen in interest so far and that they have set their account to receive interest. Also, button B9 is displayed in Area A10. When the user selects (tap) button B9, the aforementioned payment method setting screen (Figure 12) is displayed.

[0096] Area A11 displays the balance of the user's yen savings account, the balance of the user's US dollar savings account, and the interest rate and accrual rate applied to the user's deposit balance. By checking Area A11, users can easily understand which interest rate and accrual rate are applied to which part of their deposit balance. Details of Area A11 will be described later.

[0097] Area A12 displays the breakdown of the tiered interest rates and accrual rates for step-up yen deposits. In the example shown in Figure 16, Area A12 shows that a 0.2% interest rate is applied when the condition of "deposit of 1 yen or more" is met, an additional 0.1% interest rate is applied when the condition of "deposit of 100,000 yen or more" is met, and an additional 0.1% interest rate is applied when the condition of "deposit of 1,000,000 yen or more" is met. A check mark is also placed next to the conditions that the user has met.

[0098] Area A13 displays the reward rate that applies when you set up to receive points based on your deposit balance. In the example shown in Figure 16, Area A13 shows that a reward rate of +0.1% is applied when the condition "receive points" is met.

[0099] Figure 17 shows an example of how area A11 is displayed when a special interest rate / credit rate is applied to a portion of the deposit balance depending on the amount of the foreign currency deposit. Area A11 includes areas A14 to A17. Area A14 displays a bar graph showing the yen ordinary deposit balance. Area A15 displays a bar graph showing the US dollar ordinary deposit balance. Area A16 displays the interest rate / credit rate for the dollar & yen 2% deposit. As mentioned above, the dollar & yen 2% deposit is a service in which a 2% interest rate / credit rate is applied to the portion of the yen deposit balance equal to the US dollar deposit balance. Area A17 displays the interest rate / credit rate for the step-up yen deposit. As mentioned above, the step-up yen deposit is a service in which a higher interest rate / credit rate is set as the deposit balance increases. Note that the interest rate / credit rate for the step-up yen deposit is calculated according to the achievement status of the conditions shown in areas A12 and A13 in Figure 16.

[0100] In the example shown in Figure 17, area A14 displays that the yen savings account balance is 900,000 yen, and area A15 displays that the US dollar savings account balance is 432,000 yen. Area A16 displays that the interest rate for the 2% dollar & yen deposit is 2%, and area A17 displays that the interest rate for the step-up yen deposit is 0.3%. Furthermore, in area A14, the bar graph showing the user's yen savings account balance is divided into the portion to which the 2% dollar & yen deposit interest rate applies and the portion to which the step-up yen deposit interest rate applies. Specifically, area A14 displays that the portion of the user's yen savings account balance corresponding to the US dollar savings account balance (the portion of 432,000 yen) is subject to the 2% dollar & yen deposit interest rate, and the remaining portion (the portion of 468,000 yen) is subject to the step-up yen deposit interest rate. Here, we have explained a US dollar savings account as an example of a foreign currency deposit, but other foreign currency deposits (such as euros, British pounds, or Australian dollars) are also acceptable.

[0101] In this way, when a special interest rate or accrual rate is applied to a portion of the user's deposit balance according to the amount of the user's foreign currency deposit, the screen generation unit 240 divides the user's deposit balance at the boundary where the interest rate or accrual rate changes, and generates a display screen (interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1) that displays the interest rate or accrual rate corresponding to each divided balance portion. This allows the user to easily understand which interest rate or accrual rate is applied to which portion of their deposit balance.

[0102] Note that the display examples for area A11 are not limited to those shown in Figure 17. Other display examples for area A11 are described below.

[0103] Figure 18 shows an example of how area A11 is displayed when the interest rate and accrual rate applied to each portion of the user's deposit balance fluctuate according to the user's deposit balance. In Figure 18, an example is shown where an increase of 300,000 yen in the user's deposit balance results in a +0.1% interest rate being applied to the increased portion. As shown in Figure 18, area A11 includes areas A18 to A21. Area A18 displays a bar graph showing the yen ordinary deposit balance. Area A19 displays the interest rate and accrual rate (0.1%) applied to the first portion of the yen ordinary deposit (the portion from 1 yen to 300,000 yen). Area A20 displays the interest rate and accrual rate (0.2%) applied to the second portion of the yen ordinary deposit (the portion from 300,001 yen to 600,000 yen). Area A21 displays the interest rate and accrual rate (0.3%) applied to the third portion of the yen ordinary deposit (the portion from 600,001 yen to 900,000 yen).

[0104] Thus, when the interest rate and accrual rate applied to each portion of the user's deposit balance fluctuate depending on the user's deposit balance, the screen generation unit 240 divides the user's deposit balance at the boundaries where the interest rate and accrual rate fluctuate, and generates a display screen (interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1) that displays the interest rate and accrual rate corresponding to each divided balance portion. This allows the user to easily understand which interest rate and accrual rate are applied to which portion of their deposit balance.

[0105] In this embodiment, the user's deposit balance is displayed as a bar graph, but this is not the only option. For example, the user's deposit balance may be displayed using other types of graphs, such as a pie chart.

[0106] [flowchart] Figure 19 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the financial institution server 200. This flowchart is executed when the user selects (taps) button B1 shown in Figure 10 or Figure 11.

[0107] First, the information management unit 220 of the financial institution server 200 acquires deposit balance information showing the user's deposit balance (S201). Specifically, the information management unit 220 acquires the deposit balance linked to the user's account information (branch number, account number) as deposit balance information by referring to the account information 282.

[0108] Next, the information management unit 220 obtains interest rate information, which is information regarding the interest rate and accrual rate applied to the user's deposit balance (S202). Specifically, the information management unit 220 obtains the interest rate table for step-up yen deposits as interest rate information by referring to the interest rate table 284. As mentioned above, the interest rate table 284 may include multiple tables corresponding to the user's age. In this case, the information management unit 220 may obtain the interest rate table corresponding to the user's age as interest rate information. In addition, the storage unit 280 may store the interest rate and accrual rate for dollar and yen 2% deposits, and the information management unit 220 may obtain the interest rate and accrual rate for dollar and yen 2% deposits stored in the storage unit 280 as interest rate information.

[0109] Next, the screen generation unit 240 divides the user's deposit balance into multiple balance portions based on the deposit balance information and interest rate information, and generates an interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 that displays the interest rate and accrual rate corresponding to each divided balance portion (S203). For example, the screen generation unit 240 may generate an interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 that includes area A11 shown in Figure 17 or Figure 18.

[0110] Next, the display control unit 245 transmits the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1, generated by the screen generation unit 240, to the user terminal device 10 for display (S204). This allows the user to easily understand which part of their deposit balance is being treated with which interest rate and accrual rate by checking the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 displayed on the display unit of the user terminal device 10.

[0111] As described above, the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment is a server that manages user accounts at a financial institution, and comprises an information management unit 220, a screen generation unit 240, and a display control unit 245. The information management unit 220 acquires deposit balance information, which shows the user's deposit balance, and interest rate information, which is information regarding the interest rate and accrual rate applied to the user's deposit balance. Based on the deposit balance information and interest rate information, the screen generation unit 240 divides the user's deposit balance into multiple balance portions and generates an interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 that displays the interest rate and accrual rate corresponding to each divided balance portion. The display control unit 245 transmits the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 to a user terminal device 10 operated by the user for display. As a result, the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment allows the user to easily understand which interest rate and accrual rate are applied to which portion of their deposit balance.

[0112] Furthermore, the financial institution system of this embodiment includes a financial institution server 200 that manages user accounts at the financial institution, and a financial institution application 30 installed on a user terminal device 10 operated by the user to use the financial institution's services. The financial institution server 200 includes an information management unit 220, a screen generation unit 240, and a display control unit 245. The information management unit 220 acquires deposit balance information showing the user's deposit balance and interest rate information, which is information regarding the interest rate and accrual rate applied to the user's deposit balance. Based on the deposit balance information and interest rate information, the screen generation unit 240 divides the user's deposit balance into multiple balance portions and generates an interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 that displays the interest rate and accrual rate corresponding to each divided balance portion. The display control unit 245 transmits the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 to the financial institution application 30 for display. As a result, the financial institution system of this embodiment allows users to easily understand which interest rate and accrual rate are applied to which portion of their deposit balance.

[0113] The reception unit 225 may accept from the user either a first receiving method, in which the user receives interest based on their deposit balance, or a second receiving method, in which the user receives points that can be used with the electronic payment service. The screen generation unit 240 may update the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 in response to an increase or decrease in the user's deposit balance or a change in the receiving method. As a result, the financial institution server 200 in this embodiment can generate an interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 that reflects the changes even when the user's deposit balance increases or decreases or the receiving method changes, allowing the user to understand the latest interest / point accrual status.

[0114] Furthermore, the interest rate table 284 may include a first interest rate table for the first payment method (interest) and a second interest rate table for the second payment method (points). When the first payment method (interest) is accepted, the information management unit 220 may refer to the first interest rate table to obtain interest rate information, and when the second payment method (points) is accepted, it may refer to the second interest rate table to obtain interest rate information. This allows the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment to appropriately switch the interest rate and accrual rate applied to the user's deposit balance depending on whether the user receives interest based on the deposit balance or points.

[0115] Furthermore, the second annual interest rate applied when the second payment method (points) is accepted may be higher than the first annual interest rate applied when the first payment method (interest) is accepted. This allows the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment to provide users with an incentive to make electronic payments using points, thereby promoting the use of electronic payment services.

[0116] Furthermore, the screen generation unit 240 may generate an interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 that includes at least one of the following as a breakdown of the interest / accrual rates applied to the deposit balance: the basic interest / accrual rate, the campaign interest / accrual rate, and the interest / accrual rate for using the electronic payment service. This allows the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment to easily understand which interest / accrual rates are applied to which part of the deposit balance, even when various types of interest / accrual rates are applied to the user's deposit balance.

[0117] [Display of financial product condition fulfillment status] Next, the display of the condition fulfillment status of financial products in this embodiment will be explained. Conventionally, the interest rate conditions of deposit products offered by financial institutions (for example, banks) were generally listed on the financial institution app 30 or website. However, users had to compare this information with their own deposit balance and determine the applicable interest rate themselves. Furthermore, the screen of the financial institution app 30 only displayed the final interest rate after application and the total amount of interest granted, making it difficult for users to intuitively understand "what conditions were met to obtain that interest rate" or "what more needs to be done to obtain an even higher interest rate." Although some financial services display loyalty program ranks and achievement conditions, they did not adequately provide functions to show real-time difference information such as "how much more is needed" to achieve the conditions, or to directly guide users to the procedures necessary to achieve the conditions (for example, deposit procedures). In addition, it was not common to have a function that displays in detail which preferential conditions the granted interest is based on. In other words, the conventional technology had the following problems (1) to (4).

[0118] (1) Difficulty in understanding Deposit products like step-up deposits, where interest rates fluctuate in stages based on deposit balance, age, and other factors, have complex conditions that are difficult for users to understand. As a result, it has been difficult for users to grasp how favorable the conditions they are enjoying are, and whether they are missing out on opportunities to obtain even more favorable conditions. (2) Insufficient call to action Users had to think for themselves and take specific actions (for example, making deposits) to obtain higher interest rates. However, the financial institution app 30 did not provide specific guidance (for example, "Your interest rate will increase if you deposit another XX yen"), which meant it had little power to encourage users to take proactive deposit actions or use the service. (3) Service fragmentation For example, even though transferring electronic money to a financial institution account could increase the deposit balance and potentially meet interest rate requirements, the functions of the financial institution app 30 and the payment app 20 are separate, making it difficult for users to realize this possibility. Even if they do realize it, they have to manually switch between apps, which is cumbersome. (4) Uncertainty of benefits Because the awarded interest and points were only displayed as a total amount, users had difficulty understanding how much profit each condition they met had resulted in, and sometimes were unable to properly evaluate the value of each preferential treatment condition.

[0119] Therefore, in this embodiment, for financial products such as "Step-Up Yen Deposits" offered by financial institutions, where the annual interest rate fluctuates according to multiple conditions, a user interface is provided that visualizes the achievement status of each condition in real time and provides specific guidance on how to achieve unfulfilled conditions. This user interface displays the achievement conditions, such as deposit balance, in a checklist format, and presents the situation in an easy-to-understand, game-like manner, such as by placing a check mark on achieved conditions. Furthermore, for unfulfilled conditions, it shows the amount of specific action required to achieve them, such as "Deposit another XX yen to get +0.1%". In particular, in this embodiment, user information (such as electronic money balance) is acquired from a linked external service (payment app 20), and when "the condition can be achieved by sending electronic money," the system notifies the user of this fact and displays a link button that directly transitions to the electronic money sending function, thereby smoothly guiding the user to achieve the action. In addition, the grant details screen displays how much interest (or points) was earned for each condition, broken down by item. This point will be explained in detail below.

[0120] [Second example of the interest / points accrual status screen in a financial institution app] Figure 20 shows a second example (IM5-2) of the interest / point accrual status screen IM5 of the financial institution app 30. The interest / point accrual status screen IM5-2 is generated by the screen generation unit 240. As shown in Figure 20, the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-2 of the financial institution app 30 includes areas A10-A13, button B9, and messages M1 and M2. Areas A10-A13 and button B9 in Figure 20 are the same as areas A10-A13 and button B9 in Figure 16, so their explanation is omitted. Messages M1 and M2 include content that suggests actions to be taken by the user to achieve specific conditions for preferential interest rates and accrual rates if those conditions have not been met.

[0121] Message M1 includes content that suggests to the user that they deposit an amount into their account to meet certain conditions regarding their deposit balance if those conditions have not been met. In the example shown in Figure 20, the user's deposit balance is 900,000 yen, so the two conditions of "deposit of 1 yen or more" and "deposit of 100,000 yen or more" have been met. Therefore, check marks are placed to indicate that these two conditions have been met. On the other hand, the condition of "deposit of 1,000,000 yen or more" is not checked because the user's deposit balance is 100,000 yen short. Therefore, Message M1 includes content suggesting "add 0.1% for deposits of 100,000 yen or more." In addition, the interest rate for the step-up yen deposit is 0.2 + 0.1 = 0.3%.

[0122] Message M2 includes content to suggest that the user change their payment method if certain conditions regarding the setting of how to receive interest or points have not been met. In the example shown in Figure 20, the first payment method (interest) is set, so the condition of "receive in points" has not been met and is not checked. Therefore, message M2 includes content suggesting "add +0.1% to point payment settings."

[0123] In this way, the screen generation unit 240 generates an interest / point accrual status screen IM5-2 to suggest the user the action necessary to achieve a specific condition if that condition has not been met. The display control unit 245 transmits the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-2 to the user terminal device 10 for display. This allows the user to easily understand the action necessary to achieve the specific condition.

[0124] Furthermore, the specific conditions may be conditions related to the user's deposit balance. The screen generation unit 240 may generate an interest / point accrual status screen IM5-2 to suggest to the user that they deposit the amount necessary to fulfill the specific conditions into their account if those conditions are not met. This allows the user to easily understand the action necessary to fulfill the specific conditions related to their deposit balance (depositing money into their account).

[0125] Furthermore, the specific conditions may be conditions related to the payment method, including the first payment method (interest) or the second payment method (points). The screen generation unit 240 may generate an interest / points awarding status screen IM5-2 to suggest to the user to set the second payment method (points) if the specific conditions are not met. This allows the user to easily understand the actions (setting the second payment method) necessary to meet the specific conditions regarding the user's deposit balance.

[0126] [Example 3 of the interest / points accrual status screen in a financial institution app] Figure 21 shows a third example (IM5-3) of the interest / point accrual status screen IM5 of the financial institution app 30. The interest / point accrual status screen IM5-3 is generated by the screen generation unit 240. When the user confirms message M1 in Figure 20 and deposits 100,000 yen into the user's account, the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-3 shown in Figure 21 is displayed in the financial institution app 30.

[0127] In Figure 20, the deposit balance is 900,000 yen. However, by depositing 100,000 yen into the user's account, the deposit balance will become 1,000,000 yen, thus fulfilling the condition of "deposit of 1,000,000 yen or more." Therefore, as shown in area A12 of Figure 21, a checkmark will be added to the condition of "deposit of 1,000,000 yen or more." In addition, the interest rate for the step-up yen deposit will increase to 0.2 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 0.4%.

[0128] [Fourth example of the interest / points accrual status screen in a financial institution app] Figure 22 shows the fourth example (IM5-4) of the interest / point accrual status screen IM5 of the financial institution app 30. The interest / point accrual status screen IM5-4 is generated by the screen generation unit 240. When the user confirms message M2 in Figure 21 and sets the second payment method (points), the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-4 shown in Figure 22 is displayed in the financial institution app 30.

[0129] In Figure 21 mentioned above, the first payment method (interest) is set, but by setting the second payment method (points), the condition of "receive in points" will be met. Therefore, as shown in area A13 of Figure 22, a check mark will be added to the condition of "receive in points". In addition, the accrual rate for step-up yen deposits will increase to 0.2 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 0.5%.

[0130] [Example 5 of the interest / points accrual status screen in a financial institution app] Figure 23 shows the fifth example (IM5-5) of the interest / point accrual status screen IM5 of the financial institution application 30. The interest / point accrual status screen IM5-5 is generated by the screen generation unit 240. In the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-5 in Figure 23, message M3 is displayed instead of message M1 in the aforementioned Figure 20.

[0131] Message M3 includes content that suggests to the user that if certain conditions regarding the user's deposit balance are not met, the user should transfer the amount of electronic money needed to meet those conditions to their account. In the example shown in Figure 23, the user's deposit balance is 900,000 yen, so the two conditions of "deposit of 1 yen or more" and "deposit of 100,000 yen or more" are met. Therefore, check marks are placed to indicate that these two conditions have been met. On the other hand, the condition of "deposit of 1,000,000 yen or more" is not checked because the user's deposit balance is 100,000 yen short. Therefore, message M3 includes content suggesting "+0.1% for electronic money transfer of 100,000 yen or more."

[0132] Specifically, the screen generation unit 240 may, if certain conditions are not met, query the payment server 100 for the user's electronic money balance, and if the electronic money balance exceeds the amount required to meet the specific conditions, generate an interest / point accrual status screen IM5-5 to suggest to the user that electronic money equivalent to the amount required to meet the specific conditions be transferred to the user's account. This allows the user to easily understand the action required to meet the specific conditions (transferring electronic money to the user's account).

[0133] Furthermore, the screen generation unit 240 may generate an interest / point accrual status screen IM5-5 that includes a link to a remittance screen for transferring the user's electronic money to the user's account. For example, message M3 in the interest / point accrual status screen IM5-5 may be a link button with an embedded link to the remittance screen of the payment application 20. In response to the user selecting (tapping) message M3, the user terminal device 10 may access the link embedded in the link button to display the remittance screen of the payment application 20. This allows the user to easily perform the action necessary to fulfill a specific condition (transferring electronic money to the user's account).

[0134] [flowchart] Figure 24 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the financial institution server 200. This flowchart is executed when the user selects (taps) button B1 shown in Figure 10 or Figure 11.

[0135] First, the condition determination unit 265 of the financial institution server 200 determines whether the user has met specific conditions regarding interest rates and accrual rates (S301). As mentioned above, the specific conditions may be conditions related to the user's deposit balance, or conditions related to the method of receipt, including the first method of receipt (interest) or the second method of receipt (points). Specifically, the specific conditions may be conditions related to the user's deposit balance, such as "a deposit of XX million yen or more," or conditions related to the method of receipt, such as "receive in points." The condition determination unit 265 may determine whether the specific conditions have been met by referring to the user's deposit balance and the method of receipt (interest or points) in the account information 282.

[0136] Next, the screen generation unit 240 generates an interest / point accrual status screen IM5 that includes specific conditions, the status of achieving those conditions, and the preferential interest rate / accrual rate that is applied as a result of achieving those conditions (S302). Specifically, the screen generation unit 240 may generate display screens such as interest / point accrual status screen IM5-1 (Figure 16), interest / point accrual status screen IM5-2 (Figure 20), interest / point accrual status screen IM5-3 (Figure 21), interest / point accrual status screen IM5-4 (Figure 22), or interest / point accrual status screen IM5-5 (Figure 23) based on the determination result of the condition determination unit 265.

[0137] Next, the display control unit 245 transmits the interest / point accrual status screen IM5 to the user terminal device 10 operated by the user for display (S303). This allows the user to easily understand the status of achieving specific conditions for preferential interest rates and accrual rates by checking the interest / point accrual status screen IM5 displayed on the display unit of the user terminal device 10.

[0138] As described above, the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment is a server that manages user accounts at a financial institution, and comprises a condition determination unit 265, a screen generation unit 240, and a display control unit 245. The condition determination unit 265 determines whether or not the user has met specific conditions regarding interest rates and accrual rates. The screen generation unit 240 generates an interest / point accrual status screen IM5 that includes specific conditions, the status of achieving those conditions, and the preferential interest rates and accrual rates that are applied as a result of achieving those conditions. The display control unit 245 transmits the interest / point accrual status screen IM5 to a user terminal device 10 operated by the user for display. Thus, according to the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment, if the user is eligible for preferential interest rates and accrual rates when they meet specific conditions, the user can easily grasp the status of achieving those conditions.

[0139] Furthermore, the financial institution system of this embodiment includes a financial institution server 200 that manages user accounts at a financial institution, and a financial institution application 30 installed on a user terminal device 10 operated by the user to use the financial institution's services. The financial institution server 200 includes a condition determination unit 265, a screen generation unit 240, and a display control unit 245. The condition determination unit 265 determines whether the user has met specific conditions regarding interest rates and accrual rates. The screen generation unit 240 generates an interest / point accrual status screen IM5 that includes specific conditions, the status of achieving those conditions, and the interest rates and accrual rates that are preferential due to the achievement of those conditions. The display control unit 245 transmits the interest / point accrual status screen IM5 to the financial institution application 30 for display. Thus, according to the financial institution system of this embodiment, if the interest rate and accrual rate are preferential when the user meets specific conditions, the user can easily grasp the status of achieving those conditions.

[0140] The specific conditions are defined as conditions related to the user's deposit balance, such as "deposits of XX million yen or more," or conditions related to the method of receipt, such as "receive in points," but are not limited to these. For example, the specific conditions may also be conditions related to the usage status of securities services. Specifically, the specific conditions may be something like "investment amount of XX million yen or more" in securities services. If the specific conditions are not met, the screen generation unit 240 may generate a display screen that suggests to the user to apply for the use of securities services necessary to meet the specific conditions. This allows the user to easily understand the actions necessary to meet the specific conditions (application for use of securities services).

[0141] Furthermore, the screen generation unit 240 may generate a display screen that includes a link to an application screen for applying to use securities services. For example, in response to the user selecting (tapping) such link (e.g., a link button), the user terminal device 10 may access the link and display the securities service application screen. This allows the user to easily take the action necessary to fulfill specific conditions (apply for securities services).

[0142] Furthermore, the screen generation unit 240 may generate a display screen that includes a suggestion such as, "Condition fulfilled when you sell the securities and deposit the funds into your financial institution account!" This allows the user to easily understand the actions necessary to fulfill specific conditions (selling securities and depositing funds into the account).

[0143] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the interest rate and accrual rate applied when the second payment method (points) is accepted is higher than the interest rate and accrual rate applied when the first payment method (interest) is accepted. The screen generation unit 240 may, when the user has selected the first payment method (interest), generate a display screen that shows how many more points would have been awarded if the second payment method (points) had been selected. This allows the financial institution server 200 of this embodiment to encourage the user to receive payment in points, thereby promoting the use of electronic payment services.

[0144] Furthermore, if multiple specific conditions exist, the screen generation unit 240 may generate a grant details screen IM3 that displays the interest or points granted to the user for each specific condition. In the example shown in Figure 13 above, the grant details screen IM3 displays the interest or points granted to the user for each specific condition (step-up yen deposit, dollar & yen 2% deposit). This allows the user to easily understand the interest or points granted to them for each specific condition.

[0145] The screen generation unit 240 may generate a simulation screen showing the time-series changes in interest or points that will be awarded to the user in the future if the user takes a specific action. The specific action may include either depositing money into the user's account or setting up salary transfers to the user's account. For example, if the user selects a hypothetical action such as "What if I deposit another 50,000 yen?" or "What if I set up salary transfers?" on the screen of the financial institution app 30, the screen generation unit 240 may generate a simulation screen showing how the interest rate or point accrual rate will change and how the interest or points that will be earned in the future will change as a result. This allows the user to take appropriate actions to obtain more interest or points.

[0146] Furthermore, the notification unit 270 may notify the user terminal device 10 when the user is close to achieving a specific condition or when the user has achieved a specific condition. For example, the notification unit 270 may send a push notification to the user terminal device 10 (financial institution app 30) such as "Interest rate / bonus rate increase soon! Learn more," and directly guide the user to the relevant screen within the financial institution app 30. This makes it easy for the user to understand when they are close to achieving a specific condition or when they have achieved a specific condition.

[0147] Furthermore, the proposal unit 260 may analyze the user's past electronic payment service usage history and deposit trends, and propose specific conditions that are easy for the user to achieve. For example, the proposal unit 260 may use AI to analyze the user's past electronic payment service usage history and deposit trends, and extract preferential conditions that are easiest for the user to achieve and offer the greatest benefits as "next recommended goals." For example, the proposal unit 260 may generate a trained model by machine learning using payment history information in electronic payment services and deposit history information in financial institutions as explanatory variables, and specific conditions (such as deposits of XX million yen or more) as the dependent variable. The proposal unit 260 may also propose specific conditions obtained by inputting the user's payment history information in electronic payment services and deposit history information in financial institutions into the trained model as specific conditions that are easy for the user to achieve. Furthermore, the screen generation unit 240 may generate a display screen that highlights the specific conditions proposed by the proposal unit 260 as "next recommended goals." This allows the user to easily understand the specific conditions that are easy for them to achieve.

[0148] The above explanation uses the example of a financial institution being a bank, but it is not limited to this. For example, the financial institution may be a securities company. In this case, the account balance settlement processing unit 215 may settle the account balance using the deposit balance of the securities account. The securities account may be an account for an MRF (Money Reserve Fund). This allows the deposit balance of the securities account to be used for account balance settlement.

[0149] Although embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0150] 10. User terminal device 20 Payment Apps 30 Financial Institution Apps 50. First store terminal device 70. Second store terminal device 100 Payment Servers 110 Communications Department 120 Payment Content Provision Department 130 Payment Processing Unit 140 Information Management Department 170 Storage section 200 Financial Institution Servers 210 Communications Department 215 Account Balance Settlement Processing Unit 220 Information Management Department 225 Reception Department 230 Interest Payment Section 235 points awarded 240 Screen generation section 245 Display Control Unit 250 Calculation Unit 255 Simulation Department 260 Proposal Department 265 Condition judgment section 270 Notification Department 280 Storage section 300 Securities Servers

Claims

1. A financial institution server that is communicably connected to a user terminal device operated by a user and manages the user's account at a financial institution, A reception unit that accepts from the aforementioned user either a first receiving method, in which the user receives interest based on their deposit balance, or a second receiving method, in which the user receives points that can be used with electronic payment services. When the first receiving method is accepted, the interest payment unit pays the interest corresponding to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in cash, When the second receiving method is accepted, a point awarding unit awards the points corresponding to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in the electronic payment service, When the second method of receiving the funds is accepted, a calculation unit calculates the points corresponding to the pre-tax deposit interest, interest income tax, and after-tax deposit interest, based on the user's deposit balance. A screen generation unit generates a detailed grant details screen that includes the pre-tax deposit interest, the interest income tax, and the points corresponding to the after-tax deposit interest. A display control unit that transmits the aforementioned details screen to the user terminal device for display, A financial institution server equipped with these features.

2. The financial institution server is connected to the payment server that provides the electronic payment service in a way that allows it to communicate with the payment server. The interest payment unit pays the interest obtained by multiplying the user's deposit balance by the first annual rate in cash to the user's account. The point awarding unit requests the payment server to award points to the user's account in the electronic payment service, equivalent to an amount obtained by multiplying the user's deposit balance by a second annual interest rate higher than the first annual interest rate. A financial institution server according to claim 1.

3. The point awarding unit sets the second annual rate according to the amount of electronic payments used in the electronic payment service. The financial institution server according to claim 2.

4. The point awarding unit sets the second annual rate according to the usage status at a specific merchant in the electronic payment service. The financial institution server according to claim 2.

5. The point awarding unit sets the second annual interest rate higher if the user has set up salary transfers to the account. The financial institution server according to claim 2.

6. The point awarding unit sets a higher second-year interest rate for users who have entered a limited-time campaign or event. The financial institution server according to claim 2.

7. The point awarding unit requests the payment server to invest the points awarded to the user's account in the electronic payment service. The financial institution server according to claim 2.

8. The screen generation unit generates a receiving method setting screen for allowing the user to select one of the first receiving method and the second receiving method, The display control unit transmits the receiving method setting screen to the user terminal device for display. A financial institution server according to claim 1.

9. The system further includes a simulation unit that predicts, through simulation, the interest or points that the user may receive in the future. The screen generation unit generates a simulation screen that displays the interest or points predicted by the simulation. The display control unit transmits the simulation screen to the user terminal device for display. A financial institution server according to claim 1.

10. The reception unit receives from the user the percentage to be received by the first receiving method and the percentage to be received by the second receiving method. The interest payment unit pays the interest in cash to the user's account in proportion to the rate received by the first payment method. The point awarding unit awards the points corresponding to the percentage received by the second receiving method to the user's account in the electronic payment service. A financial institution server according to claim 1.

11. The system further comprises a proposal unit that generates a trained model by machine learning using the user's past usage history of the electronic payment service and deposit history information at the financial institution as explanatory variables, and the method of receipt as the dependent variable, and proposes a method of receipt obtained by inputting the user's payment history information for the electronic payment service and deposit history information at the financial institution into the trained model as a method of receipt suitable for the user. A financial institution server according to claim 1.

12. The reception unit accepts the second payment method, assuming that the user has agreed to waive the right to receive the interest, when the user has set the second payment method. A financial institution server according to claim 1.

13. A financial institution server that is communicably connected to a user terminal device operated by a user and manages the user's account at a financial institution, A financial institution application installed on the user terminal device for using the services of the financial institution, A financial institution system equipped with, The aforementioned financial institution server, A receiving unit that accepts from the aforementioned financial institution application one of two receiving methods: a first receiving method in which interest is received according to the deposit balance, and a second receiving method in which points usable with electronic payment services are received. When the first receiving method is accepted, the interest payment unit pays the interest corresponding to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in cash, When the second receiving method is accepted, a point awarding unit awards the points corresponding to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in the electronic payment service, When the second method of receiving the funds is accepted, a calculation unit calculates the points corresponding to the pre-tax deposit interest, interest income tax, and after-tax deposit interest, based on the user's deposit balance. A screen generation unit generates a detailed grant details screen that includes the pre-tax deposit interest, the interest income tax, and the points corresponding to the after-tax deposit interest. A display control unit that transmits the aforementioned grant details screen to the financial institution application for display, A financial institution system equipped with these features.

14. A financial institution server that is communicably connected to a user terminal device operated by a user and manages the user's account at a financial institution, The user can choose one of the following payment methods: a first method of receiving interest based on the deposit balance, or a second method of receiving points usable with electronic payment services. If the first method of receiving the funds is accepted, the interest corresponding to the user's deposit balance will be credited to the user's account in cash. If the second payment method is accepted, the points corresponding to the user's deposit balance will be credited to the user's account in the electronic payment service. If the second method of receiving is accepted, the points corresponding to the pre-tax deposit interest, interest income tax, and after-tax deposit interest will be calculated according to the user's deposit balance. A detailed information screen is generated that includes the points corresponding to the pre-tax deposit interest, the interest income tax, and the after-tax deposit interest. The aforementioned details screen for the granted items is transmitted to the user terminal device for display. Methods for controlling financial institution servers.

15. A financial institution server that manages user accounts at a financial institution is connected to a user terminal device operated by a user in a communicative manner, The process involves receiving from the aforementioned user either a first method of receiving payment, in which the user receives interest based on their deposit balance, or a second method of receiving payment, in which the user receives points that can be used with electronic payment services. If the first method of receiving the funds is accepted, the process of adding the interest corresponding to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in cash is performed. If the second receiving method is accepted, the process of granting the points corresponding to the user's deposit balance to the user's account in the electronic payment service is performed. If the second method of receiving the funds is accepted, the process involves calculating the points corresponding to the pre-tax deposit interest, interest income tax, and after-tax deposit interest, based on the user's deposit balance. A process to generate a detailed grant details screen including the pre-tax deposit interest, the interest income tax, and the points corresponding to the after-tax deposit interest, The process of sending the aforementioned details screen to the user terminal device for display, A program that executes the command.

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