Point management device, point management method, and point management program

Abstract

To provide a point management device capable constructing a point service based on a relation between a corporation and an individual.SOLUTION: In a point management system in which a POS terminal and a point management device are connected communicably through a network, the point management device 2 for managing points which are given according to a commodity or a service purchased by a customer includes storage means 22a for storing information on an account for an organization for storing points given to an organization related to a plurality of persons and information on an individual account for storing points given to an individual, and an evaluation part 232 for evaluating the account for an organization and the individual account. The evaluation part evaluates the individual account on the basis of the information on the individual account and information on the account for an organization related to an individual having the individual account.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a point management device, a point management method, and a point management program for managing points assigned to a customer's account. and point management progra Mu related.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, companies, stores, etc. issue point cards to customers, give points corresponding to the products and services purchased by the customers to the point cards, and provide point services that offer benefits and discounts according to the number of points given. In such a point service, for example, when purchasing a product, by presenting a point card issued by the store that provides the product, a part of the price of the purchased product is returned to the customer as points.

[0003] Here, as a customer who receives the above point service, a technology for providing a point service for corporations such as companies rather than individuals has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in the above point service, not only can points corresponding to the purchase amount be obtained, but there is also a mechanism in which the point reduction rate is improved or the quality of the benefits that can be enjoyed is improved according to the evaluation of the usage status of the point service.

[0006] On the other hand, in addition to conventional point services targeting individuals, point services targeting corporations, such as the one disclosed in Patent Document 1, have been proposed. However, these services are provided separately, and the relationship between corporations and individuals is not considered at all.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of these problems, and aims to provide a point management device that can construct a point service based on the relationship between a corporation and an individual. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a point management device for managing points awarded to a customer in accordance with goods or services purchased by the customer comprises: a storage means for storing information relating to an organization in which points awarded to an organization by multiple persons are stored; and information relating to an individual account in which points awarded to an individual are stored; and an evaluation means for evaluating the individual account. The evaluation means is characterized in that it evaluates the individual account based on information relating to the individual account and information relating to the organization account associated with the individual who has the individual account. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this embodiment, since an individual's personal account is evaluated based on the organization's account of the organization associated with that individual, it is possible to provide a point management device that can build a point service based on the relationship between a corporation and an individual. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a point management system to which the point management device in the first embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the management server in the first embodiment. [Figure 3]Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the account association process performed by the management server in the second embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a point card in the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] <First Embodiment> The first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings, etc.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a point management system 10 to which a point management device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied. The point management system 10 is composed of a POS (Point of Sale) terminal 1 and a point management server 2 that functions as the point management device of this embodiment.

[0013] POS terminal 1 is installed in stores and functions as an identification information reading means configured to read identification information (hereinafter also referred to as "account ID") contained in a group point card 3 or individual point card 4 presented by a customer when purchasing goods or services at the store. Furthermore, POS terminal 1 is connected to a management server 2 via a well-known network 5 using a VPN (Virtual Private Network), etc., and is configured to transmit the read account ID to the management server 2 for querying, and to obtain information about the customer's account corresponding to the transmitted account ID from the management server 2. This "customer account" is a point account registered to manage points, etc., awarded to the customer. Details regarding customer account information will be described later.

[0014] The point management server 2 (hereinafter also simply referred to as management server 2) is composed of, for example, a server device or a virtual server built on a cloud computing environment, and functions as a server that manages customer information, including points awarded to customers. Details of management server 2 will be described later with reference to Figure 2.

[0015] The group point card 3 is a point card issued to an organization that includes multiple individuals. The group point card 3 is configured so that an account ID that can identify the organization can be read by the POS terminal 1. For example, the group point card 3 is equipped with an identification information inquiry means such as a one-dimensional code, two-dimensional code, magnetic tape, or IC chip that can read the account ID of the organization, so that the POS terminal 1 can read the account ID of the organization. Furthermore, the term "organization" here refers to, for example, a corporation to which multiple employees belong, a corporation with multiple shareholders, a family consisting of multiple people, etc. In other words, the "organization" is not particularly limited as long as it is an organization composed of multiple people who have some kind of relationship and is recognized as an entity that pays money as a customer of the above-mentioned store, etc. In the following description, the "organization" in this embodiment is, as an example, a corporation A to which multiple employees belong.

[0016] The personal point card 4 is a point card issued to an individual. In this embodiment, it is a point card issued to an individual related to the above-mentioned organization, that is, to employee a, who is one of the employees belonging to corporation A. The personal point card 4 is configured so that an account ID that can identify the individual (employee a) can be read by the POS terminal 1. For example, the personal point card 4, like the organization point card 3 described above, is equipped with an identification information inquiry means such as a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, a magnetic tape, or an IC chip that can read employee a's account ID.

[0017] It should be noted that the group point card 3 and the individual point card 4 do not necessarily have to be physical cards made of paper, plastic, etc. The group point card 3 and the individual point card 4 only need to have the identification information of their respective accounts (group point account and individual point account) readable by the POS terminal 1. Therefore, the group point card 3 and the individual point card 4 also include virtual point cards, such as those where a QR code or similar image is displayed on the screen of a smartphone.

[0018] Here, we will explain the problems that the point management server 2 of this embodiment solves.

[0019] First, as a premise, traditionally, when purchasing equipment for Corporation A, employee a would go to a store that sells the desired equipment and present the group point card 3 when making the purchase. In other words, employee a, who belongs to Corporation A, is required to carry the group point card 3 when Corporation A purchases goods or services, while the points generated from the purchase are awarded to the organization. From the perspective of point accrual associated with product purchases, there is no benefit whatsoever for the effort put in. Furthermore, in reality, if employee a possesses a point card issued by a store that sells equipment for Corporation A, there is a possibility that employee a could obtain points that should rightfully be awarded to Corporation A by presenting that point card (personal point card 4) when purchasing equipment for Corporation A. This is a disadvantage for Corporation A, as they do not receive the points they are entitled to, and even if Corporation A approves, it may create negative feelings among other employees, who may feel that it is unfair that only employee a benefits. Furthermore, even if a company were to consider an attempt to prevent such negative feelings from arising among employees, such as distributing points earned by company A fairly to all employees, the points gifted from company A to individuals would be subject to taxation. Considering the costs involved in tax management and the actual benefits that could be provided to employees, it is highly likely that the company would decide against such an attempt.

[0020] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and in one embodiment, the point management server 2 is configured such that even when points are given to Corporation A when purchasing goods or services with Corporation A as the payment entity, some benefit (predetermined profit) is provided to all employees belonging to Corporation A.

[0021] More specifically, the point management server 2 has a mechanism in which the personal point account of an individual (employee a) related to Corporation A is evaluated based on the evaluation of the group point account of a group (Corporation A) to which a plurality of people belong. According to the management server 2, for example, when the evaluation of the group point account of Corporation A increases because Corporation A purchases goods or the like in large quantities or frequently, the evaluation of the personal point account also increases accordingly, and as a result, it is realized that the point reduction rate set for the personal point account improves. Hereinafter, the specific configuration and details of the method for realizing such a mechanism will be described while referring to the drawings and the like.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the functional configuration of the management server 2 included in the point management system 10 of the present embodiment.

[0023] The management server 2 includes a computer (controller) that can provide information necessary for giving points to customers via the network 5 and manage the points given to the customers in association with the customers. The management server 2 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 23.

[0024] The communication unit 21 is an interface for performing wireless or wired communication with external devices. The communication unit 21 is connected to the POS terminal 1 via the network 5 and is configured to enable information communication between the POS terminal 1 and the management server 2.

[0025] The storage unit 22 is a storage medium (memory) that stores programs that implement the various functions of the control unit 23, which will be described later, or a storage means configured as a memory area allocated on a cloud computing environment. The storage unit 22 also includes a database 22a that stores at least information about a group point account (hereinafter simply referred to as "group account") in which points awarded to corporation A are stored, and information about an individual point account (hereinafter simply referred to as "individual account") in which points awarded to employee a, an individual associated with corporation A, are stored. Details of the information about group accounts and individual accounts stored in the database 22a will be described later.

[0026] The control unit 23 is configured to include a CPU or processor as a processing unit, an input / output interface connected to the communication unit 21 and the storage unit 22, and a bus connecting them to each other. The control unit 23 has the function of storing various information acquired via the communication unit 21 in the database 22a and transmitting the various information stored in the database 22a to the POS terminal 1 via the communication unit 21. Furthermore, the control unit 23 in this embodiment has a calculation unit 231 and an evaluation unit 232 as functional units that realize the following functions.

[0027] The calculation unit 231 calculates various information to gain a more detailed understanding of the usage status of organizations and individuals, based on the information regarding organizational accounts (hereinafter also simply referred to as "organizational account information") and information regarding individual accounts (hereinafter also simply referred to as "individual account information") stored in the database 22a. Usage here refers to the customer's commercial use. This refers to using one's own account, which is registered to receive point services when purchasing goods, and more specifically, it refers to a customer earning or using points based on their account information when purchasing goods. When a customer uses the point service, at least the date and time the point service was used and the purchase amount are recorded as usage information in the customer's account.

[0028] Here, it is assumed that the date and time of use of the group point card 3 and the purchase amount are stored in the group account each time the group point card 3 is used. In this case, the calculation unit 231 calculates one or more items such as the frequency of use of the group point card 3, the number of uses, the most recent use date, the total purchase amount, the maximum purchase amount, the minimum purchase amount, and the average purchase amount, based on the date and time of use of the group point card 3 and the purchase amount. The calculated one or more items are stored in the database 22a as group account information.

[0029] The evaluation unit 232 functions as an evaluation means that evaluates group accounts and individual accounts based on the usage status of the point service.

[0030] First, let's explain the evaluation of group accounts. The evaluation unit 232 evaluates the group account based on the group account information. Specifically, it evaluates the group account based on the usage status stored in the group account. For example, the evaluation unit 232 evaluates the group account based on the frequency of use and the total purchase amount. In this case, the evaluation unit 232 evaluates the group account more highly if the frequency of use and the total purchase amount are high. The evaluation results are reflected in the point redemption rate and / or status set for the group account. Naturally, the higher the evaluation of the account, the better the point redemption rate and / or status will be.

[0031] The "point redemption rate" refers to the percentage of points awarded relative to the purchase amount in a point service where points are awarded based on the purchase amount when a customer purchases goods or services. The point redemption rate may be set individually according to the customer's account evaluation. When a point card is presented when purchasing goods, the POS terminal 1 refers to the account information identified from the point card's identification number and awards points according to the point redemption rate set for the referenced account. For example, if a customer's account is set to a 5% point redemption rate, the customer will receive points equivalent to 500 yen for a purchase of 10,000 yen.

[0032] Furthermore, "Status" is a setting value that indicates the grade (level) assigned to each group account and individual account. Status is expressed using different terms for each grade, such as Standard, Gold, and Platinum. The higher the status, the more advantageous services can be enjoyed. For example, as the status increases from Standard to Gold, and from Gold to Platinum, services such as preferential plans and / or discounts at better hotels or restaurants can be offered. The specific services may be the same as the publicly known services adopted in conventional point cards and credit cards, and may be set as appropriate. Also, the terms Standard and Gold used to distinguish the grades are examples and may be set as appropriate.

[0033] Furthermore, the evaluation items, evaluation criteria, the targets to which the evaluation results are reflected, and the degree to which the evaluation results are reflected in the evaluation conducted by the evaluation unit 232 may be set as appropriate.

[0034] First, "evaluation items" refer to the items that are subject to evaluation, and which are selected from the above items (frequency of use, total purchase amount, etc.) calculated by the calculation unit 231 as details of usage. There may be one evaluation item or multiple evaluation items. For example, only the frequency of use may be evaluated. It may be used as one of the evaluation items, or it may be used as two items: frequency of use and total purchase amount.

[0035] "Evaluation criteria" are the standards set when evaluating the selected evaluation items. For example, thresholds may be set as evaluation criteria. The value of the thresholds and the number of thresholds may also be set as appropriate. Specifically, one threshold may be set for each evaluation item, and for example, whether the usage frequency is 5 times or more per month, and whether the total purchase amount to date is 1 million yen or more may be set as evaluation criteria for usage frequency and total purchase amount, respectively. Alternatively, if multiple thresholds are set as evaluation criteria, evaluation criteria may be set so that the evaluation items can be evaluated in stages, for example, total purchase amount of 0 to 100,000 yen, 100,001 yen to 300,000 yen, 300,001 yen to 600,000 yen, and so on.

[0036] "Items to which evaluation results are reflected" refers to items to which the results of the account evaluation are reflected, such as point redemption rate and / or status. Specifically, in the case of point redemption rate, the evaluation result will be reflected by increasing or decreasing the percentage value. In the case of status, the evaluation result will be reflected by increasing or decreasing the grade.

[0037] "Degree of reflection" refers to the extent to which the evaluation results are reflected in each item. For example, in the case of the point redemption rate, it is set to increase or decrease the point redemption rate by a certain percentage depending on the evaluation results. To give a more specific example of the extent to which the evaluation results are reflected in the point redemption rate, for example, if the usage frequency of a group account goes from below a threshold to above a threshold, the point redemption rate may be increased from 3% to 5%, or from 2% to 6%. In other words, the extent to which the evaluation results are reflected may be set as appropriate depending on the predetermined evaluation results. Furthermore, upper and lower limits may be set for the range in which the evaluation results are reflected.

[0038] Furthermore, if there are multiple evaluation items, the evaluation criteria set do not need to be the same for all of them; they may be set individually for each item. Also, if the evaluation results are reflected in multiple items, the evaluation results do not need to be reflected in each item to the same degree; they may be set individually for each item.

[0039] Next, the evaluation of personal accounts will be described. The evaluation unit 232 evaluates personal accounts based on personal account information and organizational account information. For the evaluation of personal accounts based on personal account information, the evaluation of personal accounts is based on the usage status of the personal account, similar to the evaluation of organizational accounts based on organizational account information described above. In addition, the evaluation unit 232 in this embodiment evaluates employee a's personal account based on the organizational account related to the personal account, that is, the organizational account information of corporation A to which employee a belongs.

[0040] Furthermore, the control unit 23 can identify the organizational account associated with a personal account based on the personal account information by referring to the database 22a. The account association process performed to link the personal account and the organizational account in a way that makes them referable on the database 22a will be described later in the second embodiment.

[0041] The organizational account information referenced by the evaluation unit 232 when evaluating individual accounts includes the above-mentioned items indicating usage status calculated by the calculation unit 231 (frequency of use, total purchase amount, etc.), the status of the organizational account, the point redemption rate, and the number of individual accounts associated with the organizational account (for example, the number of employees or shareholders of a corporation). It may be one or more of the above items. The evaluation unit 232 evaluates the personal account based on the group account information. For example, if the associated group account is used frequently, the evaluation result for that usage frequency will be reflected in the personal account's point redemption rate, and the personal account's point redemption rate will be set higher. Also, for example, if the associated group account has a high status, the evaluation result for that status will be reflected in the personal account's point redemption rate and status, and the personal account's status may be improved and the point redemption rate may be set higher. In addition to or instead of the above items, the personal account may be evaluated more highly simply on the fact that it is associated with a group account. For example, if there is an associated group account for the personal account, this may be evaluated to improve the personal account's point redemption rate.

[0042] Furthermore, multiple organizational accounts may be associated with a single personal account. In this case, the number of organizational accounts that influence the evaluation of the personal account may be one or multiple. If the evaluation is based on a single organizational account, the evaluation may be based on the organizational account with the highest rating among the multiple related organizational accounts.

[0043] Alternatively, the evaluation may be based on the organization account that has the strongest connection to a single personal account among multiple related organization accounts. The organization account with the strongest connection may be arbitrarily set by the individual, for example, or it may be set appropriately based on the order of registration or usage status. For example, if the organization account with the strongest connection to a personal account is set based on the usage status of the organization accounts used by that individual, the organization account that the individual uses most frequently may be set as the organization account with the strongest connection. When the organization account with the strongest connection is set based on the usage status of the organization accounts used by an individual, it is desirable for the management server 2 to obtain the individual's personal account ID when the individual uses an organization account in order to understand the individual's usage status. Furthermore, if the evaluation is based on multiple organization accounts, the evaluation may be based on the average value of the evaluations of the multiple organization accounts. In this case, in addition to simply averaging the evaluations of all organization accounts, the evaluation of each organization account may be weighted according to the strength of the connection between each organization with an organization account and the individual. Alternatively, the personal account may be evaluated based on the sum of the evaluations of multiple organization accounts.

[0044] Thus, the point management server 2 of this embodiment evaluates individual accounts not only based on the usage status of the individual account, but also based on related organizational account information. In other words, the point management server 2 evaluates individual accounts based on information about the individual account and information about organizational accounts associated with the individual who has the individual account. As a result, an individual (employee a) who has an individual account can enjoy the benefits of the evaluation of the organizational account acquired by the related (affiliated) organization, corporation A, according to the usage status. Furthermore, since corporation A can improve the evaluation of its employees' individual accounts in accordance with the evaluation of the organizational account, it can return benefits to employees as part of employee welfare through the point service without incurring taxation.

[0045] Here, we will explain an example of the evaluation status for individual and group accounts with reference to Table 1.

[0046] [Table 1]

[0047] Table 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure showing the evaluation status of individual and corporate accounts. Table 1 shows the points, usage status (frequency of use), redemption rate, and status of individual accounts related to ID1-ID5 and corporate accounts related to ID6-ID8, as well as the IDs of corporate accounts associated with individual accounts and the number of individual accounts associated with corporate accounts.

[0048] As shown in Table 1, for example, the personal accounts related to ID1 and ID2 show that ID2, which is used more frequently, has a higher reward rate and status than ID1. Furthermore, the personal accounts related to ID4 and ID5 show that the reward rate and status of the personal accounts differ depending on the status of the corporate account of the associated company. Specifically, while the corporate account (ID7) associated with ID4 has a standard status, the corporate account (ID8) associated with ID5 has a platinum status, so the reward rate and status of ID5, which has a higher rating for its associated corporate account, are set higher than those of ID4.

[0049] Furthermore, it can be seen that the reward rates and status of corporate accounts related to ID6 to ID8 are evaluated according to the number of associated individual accounts. In other words, ID8, which has the most associated individual accounts, has the highest reward rate and status, while ID7, which has the fewest individual accounts, has the lowest reward rate and status.

[0050] Thus, the evaluation unit 232 of this embodiment grasps the relationship between personal accounts and organizational accounts using a table having a data structure such as that shown in Table 1, and evaluates the personal account of an individual based on the evaluation of the organizational account associated with that individual.

[0051] As explained above, the entity that issues the group point card 3 and the individual point card 4, that is, the entity that provides the point service described above, does not necessarily have to be a company with a physical store. The entity that provides the point service described above may be an operator of an e-commerce site that sells goods or services on the internet. The e-commerce site that provides the point service described above does not necessarily have to issue the group point card 3 and / or the individual point card 4 to a customer, or generate a virtual point card equivalent thereto, if the customer has an account on the e-commerce site (group account or individual account). In this case, the control unit 23 may be configured so that the customer's account can be identified by the customer entering, for example, a login ID and password, on any screen displayed on a user terminal such as a PC or smartphone, instead of the POS terminal 1.

[0052] In this way, the management server 2 can build a new point service based on the relationship between corporations and individuals by evaluating individual accounts based on group accounts. The management server 2 may also have a determination unit (determination means) as a functional unit (not shown), which determines whether an individual's purchase of goods or services is using an individual account or a group account based on the usage status of individual and group accounts, and may be configured to award points to either the individual account or the group account determined to be used. Furthermore, the management server 2 may be configured to detect fraudulent use of an individual account by referring to the usage status of the group account when an individual makes a purchase using an individual account. For example, if the management server 2 includes a history of purchased goods or services as part of the usage status, and the goods purchased using an individual account are similar in trend to goods purchased using a related group account, it may determine that corporate equipment, etc., is being purchased fraudulently using an individual account and issue an alert. It is not necessarily required to refer to the usage status of the group account. Management server 2 may be configured to issue an alert if an amount or item that deviates significantly from the usage history of the personal account is about to be settled, as it may determine that someone else is using the personal account without permission.

[0053] The following describes the operation and effects of the point management system 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0054] The point management device (management server 2) of this embodiment is a point management device that manages points awarded to customers in accordance with goods or services purchased by customers, and includes a storage means (database 22a) that stores information on group accounts in which points awarded to a group of related individuals are stored, and information on individual accounts in which points awarded to individuals are stored, and an evaluation means (evaluation unit 232) that evaluates individual accounts. The evaluation means (evaluation unit 232) evaluates individual accounts based on the information on individual accounts and the information on group accounts.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the point management method for managing points awarded to customers in accordance with goods or services purchased by customers includes a storage step that stores information about a group account in which points awarded to a group by multiple people are stored, and information about an individual account in which points awarded to an individual are stored. In addition, the point management method includes an evaluation step in which a management server 2, acting as a controller, evaluates individual accounts, and in the evaluation step, the management server 2 evaluates individual accounts based on the information about individual accounts and the information about group accounts.

[0056] With these configurations, an individual's personal account is evaluated based on the organization's account of the organization associated with that individual. This allows for the creation of a point service that can return the evaluation gained by the organization through the use of the point service to the individual belonging to that organization, and provides a point management device that can create a point service based on the relationship between corporations and individuals.

[0057] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the evaluation means (evaluation unit 232) further evaluates the group account based on information regarding the group account. This allows the group account to be evaluated as well.

[0058] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, each group account and individual account is set with at least one of the following: a point redemption rate that defines the percentage of points awarded relative to the purchase amount when purchasing goods or services, and a status that indicates the grade of the group account and individual account. The evaluation means is the group account and individual account The evaluation results for each point will be reflected in at least one of the set point redemption rates and status levels. This will allow the evaluations that the organization has gained through the use of the point service to be returned to the members as concrete benefits.

[0059] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the group is either a corporation or a family. This allows for the use of a points service that converts evaluations on a group account to evaluations on an individual account, for example, between a corporation and its employees, or between a family and the children who make up that family.

[0060] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, information regarding group accounts includes the usage status of the group accounts, and information regarding individual accounts includes the usage status of the individual accounts. The usage status includes at least one of the following: the date and time the corresponding group account or individual account was used, and the purchase amount when goods or services were purchased using the group account or individual account. This allows for evaluation of group accounts and individual accounts based on the usage status of each group account.

[0061] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when an individual purchases goods or services, the system further includes a determination means (determination unit) that determines whether to use the group account or the individual account based on the usage status of both the group account and the individual account, respectively, and points are awarded to either the group account or the individual account determined by the determination means. This makes it possible to determine, for example, whether the points generated for a purchased goods or services should be awarded to the individual account or the group account, thus preventing points generated by an individual purchase that should rightfully be awarded to the group account from being unfairly awarded to the individual account.

[0062] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, information regarding the group account further includes a status indicating the grade of the group account. This makes it possible to evaluate the personal accounts of related individuals based on the status set for the group account.

[0063] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the system is further equipped with a calculation means (calculation unit 231) that calculates one or more of the following items based on usage status: frequency of use, number of uses, latest usage date, total purchase amount, maximum purchase amount, minimum purchase amount, and average purchase amount. One or more of the calculated items are stored in a storage means (database 22a) as information related to the corresponding group account or individual account. This makes it possible to evaluate group accounts and individual accounts, respectively, based on more detailed usage status such as frequency of use.

[0064] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the evaluation means evaluates the group account or the individual account more highly the higher the frequency of use obtained based on the usage status. This makes it possible to improve the evaluation of an account by using it more often, thereby increasing the incentive for customers to shop at stores where they have registered their accounts.

[0065] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, information regarding the group account includes the number of individual accounts associated with the group account. This means that the more individual accounts associated with the group account, the higher the evaluation of the group account, and consequently, the higher the evaluation of the individual accounts associated with the group account. As a result, organizations can improve their incentive to have associated individuals register individual accounts, and individuals can improve their incentive to register proactively. Therefore, organizations providing point services can increase the number of customers using their point services by encouraging individual customers to actively register accounts.

[0066] <Second Embodiment> Next, a point management device of the second embodiment will be described. The management server 2, which functions as a point management device in this embodiment, performs account association processing to associate group accounts and individual accounts on the database 22a.

[0067] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the account association process. The control unit 23 of the management server 2 reads the control program stored in the storage unit 22 and executes the processes from steps S11 to S14 described below. In other words, the control unit 23 of this embodiment includes an association unit (association means) as a functional unit that executes the account association process described below.

[0068] The following flow describes the process when an individual registers their personal account, assuming that an organization account associated with that individual has already been registered prior to the registration of the personal account. Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, the individual is assumed to be employee a, and the organization associated with that individual is assumed to be corporation A.

[0069] In step S11, the control unit 23 obtains employee a's account registration information. More specifically, let's consider a scenario where employee a registers an account (personal account) with, for example, a consumer electronics retailer as the entity providing point services. When registering the account, employee a provides the consumer electronics retailer with predetermined registration information, for example, at the storefront of the retailer. The predetermined registration information may include general personal information that is usually required when registering an account in conventional point services, such as name, address, and email address. The predetermined registration information may also include information that proves the relationship with the organization. This information provided by the individual is transmitted to the management server 2 via the network 5. The method of inputting this information when it is transmitted via the network 5 is not particularly limited. For example, employee a may directly input the information via a known terminal that can connect to the network 5, such as a POS terminal 1 or a tablet terminal, or, for example, the registration information that employee a has written on a predetermined form may be input by a store clerk at the consumer electronics retailer using a POS terminal 1 or the like. Furthermore, if the entity providing the point service is an e-commerce site, the control unit 23 may be configured to obtain such information by having employee a input account registration information, including information proving their relationship with the organization, on any screen displayed on a user terminal such as a PC or smartphone.

[0070] When the control unit 23 obtains account registration information via the network 5, it executes the process in the following step S12.

[0071] In step S12, the control unit 23 determines whether information proving the association with the organization (corporation A) was obtained from employee a in step S11. Specifically, for example, the control unit 23 determines whether the account registration information obtained in step S11 includes information proving the association with the organization. The information proving the association with the organization can be any information that reasonably proves that the individual is associated with the organization, and may be set as appropriate. For example, the information proving the association with the organization may be the identification information (account ID) of the organization account of the related organization, corporation A, or the employee ID number of corporation A. The method of inputting the information proving the association with the organization is not particularly limited, similar to the input method of the predetermined registration information described above. Also, for example, if information such as the identification information of the organization account or the employee ID number can be displayed as an image such as a two-dimensional code, the information proving the association with the organization can be presented or transmitted. It may be configured to allow input of information. Furthermore, if the group point card 3 or employee ID card corresponding to the group account is capable of transmitting an identification number or employee number via NFC (Near Field Communication), it may be configured to allow input of information proving the association with the group using the NFC function.

[0072] If the control unit 23 determines that information proving the association with the organization has been properly acquired, it executes the process in step S13. On the other hand, if it determines that information proving the association with the organization has not been acquired, it executes the process in step S14.

[0073] In step S13, the control unit 23 recognizes that employee a, who wishes to register a personal account, is associated with corporation A, which has already registered a corporate account. Therefore, it registers employee a's personal account in association with the corporate account of the organization to which employee a is associated. Specifically, when registering employee a's personal account, the control unit 23 stores it in the database 22a by attaching predetermined attribute values ​​(tags, labels, etc.) that are common to the corporate account of the associated organization. As a result, employee a's personal account is linked to corporation A's corporate account in database 22a in a referable manner. Once the personal account is properly linked to the corporate account, the account association process is completed.

[0074] In step S14, the control unit 23 registers the personal account of employee a, for whom there is no organizational account for the associated organization, independently, as in the conventional method. Once the personal account is registered without being associated with an organizational account, the account association process ends.

[0075] The above describes the details of the account association process performed by the point management server 2 in the second embodiment. However, the above description assumes that an organization account related to a personal account has already been registered before the personal account is registered, but this is not necessarily the case. For example, the account association process may be performed when a personal account and an organization account are registered simultaneously. Alternatively, the account association process may be performed when an organization account related to the individual who registered the personal account is registered after the personal account has been registered. In this case, for example, when the organization account is registered, or after the organization account has been registered, if information proving the association with the organization is obtained from an individual related to the organization that registered the organization (see step S12), the already registered personal account and the organization account can be associated.

[0076] In this way, personal accounts registered by individuals and organizational accounts registered by organizations associated with those individuals are linked in a way that allows them to be referenced on database 22a, making it possible to appropriately evaluate personal accounts based on the associated organizational account information.

[0077] The following describes the operation and effects of the point management system 10 according to the second embodiment.

[0078] The point management device (management server 2) of this embodiment further includes association means (control unit 23) for associating an individual's personal account with an organization's organization account. The association means (control unit 23) associates the personal account with the organization account when it acquires predetermined information indicating the relationship between the individual and the organization. As a result, personal accounts and organization accounts can be associated based on information provided by the individual, allowing for appropriate reference to the organization account that is actually related and evaluation of the related personal account.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the point management device (management server 2) of this embodiment, the relationship with the organization is shown The specified information is the account ID corresponding to the group account. This ensures that the group account associated with an individual can be reliably identified.

[0080] <Third Embodiment> Next, the point card 30 according to the third embodiment will be described. The point card 30 described below is a card that combines the group point card 3 and the individual point card 4 described in the first embodiment. More specifically, the point card 30 is configured to be readable (verifiable) for both the identification information of the individual account registered by the individual (individual account ID) and the identification information of the group account of the group associated with the individual (group account ID).

[0081] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the point card 30. The point card 30 includes two account display units 31 and 32. The account display units 31 and 32 display a personal account ID and a group account ID, respectively. The identification information displayed in the account display units 31 and 32 may consist of an identification information inquiry means such as a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, a magnetic tape, or an IC chip that can be read by the POS terminal 1.

[0082] For example, the account display unit 31 may consist of a magnetic tape that displays a personal account ID, and the account display unit 32 may consist of a two-dimensional code that displays a group account ID. The identification information inquiry means, such as the two-dimensional code that constitutes the account display units 31 and 32, may be of the same type, or two different types may be selected.

[0083] In this way, by providing the point card 30 with multiple identification information retrieval methods corresponding to both personal and organizational accounts, it becomes possible to use both personal and organizational accounts with a single card. Furthermore, if an individual possessing the point card 30 is associated with two or more organizations, the card may be equipped with multiple identification information retrieval methods corresponding to the number of organizations.

[0084] Furthermore, the point card 30 does not necessarily need to have account display sections 31 and 32 on one side (one side) as shown in the figure, but may be configured to have them on both sides. Also, as a modification, the point card 30 does not necessarily need to have two or more account display sections, as long as the POS terminal 1 can query two sets of identification information relating to a group account ID and an individual account ID. For example, it may have one account display section 31 composed of a one-dimensional code, and the individual account ID and group account ID may be switchable by covering a part of the account display section 31. Specifically, the account display section 31 may be composed of, for example, a one-dimensional code, and when the entire account display section 31 is read by the POS terminal 1, it may function as identification information corresponding to an individual account, and when a predetermined part of the account display section 31 is covered with a thumb or the like and read by the POS terminal 1, it may function as identification information corresponding to a group account.

[0085] Furthermore, the control unit 23 of the management server 2 includes a functional unit, an unshown availability determination unit (availability determination means), which is configured to allow the use of points assigned to a corresponding group account only when a group account ID corresponding to a group account is obtained, and to allow the use of points assigned to a corresponding individual account only when an individual account ID corresponding to an individual account is obtained. This makes it possible to individually set the right to use points according to multiple identification information inquiry means.

[0086] The following describes the effects and benefits of the point management system 10 according to the third embodiment.

[0087] The point management device (management server 2) of this embodiment further includes a usage eligibility determination means (control unit 23) that determines whether points assigned to group accounts and individual accounts can be used. The usage eligibility determination means (control unit 23) permits the use of points assigned to a group account only when an account ID corresponding to a group account is obtained, and permits the use of points assigned to an individual account only when an account ID corresponding to an individual account is obtained. As a result, since the right to use points can be granted only to account IDs corresponding to the identification information inquiry means, the right to use points accumulated in an account ID can be set individually for each account ID.

[0088] Furthermore, the point card 30 of this embodiment has identification information inquiry means (account display unit 31 and / or 32) capable of checking at least two or more account IDs, and the identification information inquiry means (account display unit 31 and / or 32) is configured to be able to read the account ID of the group account and the account ID of the individual account. This eliminates the inconvenience of having to carry not only one personal point card 4 but also the group point card 3 of corporation A when, for example, an employee a belonging to corporation A purchases equipment from corporation A.

[0089] Furthermore, according to the point card 30 of this embodiment, the identification information inquiry means (account display units 31, 32) is composed of a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, a magnetic tape, or an IC chip. This allows for quick inquiry of the account corresponding to the account ID.

[0090] Furthermore, the point card 30 of this embodiment has at least two types of identification information inquiry means (account display units 31, 32) that can look up the account ID corresponding to the group account and the account ID corresponding to the individual account. As a result, the account ID corresponding to the group account and the account ID corresponding to the individual account are looked up by different means, so the risk of mistakenly looking up the individual account when the group account is to be looked up can be reduced.

[0091] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments represent only a portion of the applications of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the embodiments described above. Furthermore, the above embodiments can be combined as appropriate, as long as no contradictions arise.

[0092] Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to a service in which customers register accounts and receive predetermined benefits based on the amount of goods or services they purchase. For example, the present invention can also be applied to credit cards. In this case, the system may be configured so that the mileage redemption rate for individual accounts changes according to the evaluation of the group account. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 2. Management Server (Point Management Device) 22, 22a Memory unit, database (storage means) 31, 32 Identification Information Inquiry Means 23 Control Unit (Calculation means, evaluation means, association means, usability determination means) 231 Calculation Unit (Calculation Means) 232 Evaluation Unit (Evaluation Means)

Claims

1. A point management device that manages points awarded to customers in accordance with the goods or services they purchase, A storage means for storing information about an organization account that stores the points awarded based on purchases made by an organization involving multiple individuals, and information about an individual account that stores the points awarded based on purchases made by individuals. The system includes an evaluation means for evaluating the aforementioned personal account, The evaluation means, when the storage means stores information relating to the organization account of the individual having the personal account, determines the evaluation of the personal account based on the information including the points relating to the personal account and the information including the points relating to the organization account of the individual having the personal account, If the storage means does not store information relating to the organization account associated with the individual having the personal account, the evaluation of the personal account is determined based on information including the points relating to the personal account, without using any information relating to the organization account. Point management device.

2. A point management device according to claim 1, The evaluation means further evaluates the organization account based on information including the points relating to the organization account. Point management device.

3. A point management device according to claim 2, The aforementioned organizational account and the aforementioned personal account include: A point redemption rate that defines the percentage of points awarded based on the purchase amount when purchasing the aforementioned goods or services, and at least one of the statuses indicating the grade of the group account and the individual account are set accordingly. The evaluation means reflects the evaluation results for the group account and the individual account in at least one of the point redemption rate and the status set for each. Point management device.

4. A point management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The aforementioned organization is a legal entity or a family. Point management device.

5. A point management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The information including the points relating to the aforementioned group account includes the usage status of the aforementioned group account, The information including the points relating to the aforementioned personal account includes the usage status of the aforementioned personal account, The aforementioned usage details include at least one of the following: the date and time the corresponding organizational account or personal account was used, and the purchase amount when goods or services were purchased using the organizational account or personal account. Point management device.

6. A point management device according to claim 5, The aforementioned usage status includes the right to use the aforementioned points, The system further includes a determination means that determines whether to use the organizational account or the personal account when the individual purchases the goods or services, based on the usage status of the organizational account and the personal account, respectively. The aforementioned points are awarded to either the group account or the individual account determined by the determination means. Point management device.

7. A point management device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, Information including the points relating to the aforementioned group account indicates the status of the group account. Includes more than just tas Point management device.

8. A point management device according to claim 5, The evaluation means evaluates the group account or individual account more highly if the frequency of use is higher, based on the usage status. Point management device.

9. A point management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The system further comprises association means for linking the personal account of the individual with the organization's organization account. The association means, upon obtaining predetermined information indicating a relationship between the individual and the organization, associates the individual account with the organization account. Point management device.

10. A point management device according to claim 9, The specified information indicating the connection with the aforementioned organization is the account ID corresponding to the account for the aforementioned organization. Point management device.

11. A point management device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The information including the points relating to the said group account includes the number of said individual accounts associated with the said group account. Point management device.

12. A point management device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, The system further includes a means for determining whether the points assigned to the group account and the individual account, respectively, can be used. The means for determining whether or not it is usable is, Only when an account ID corresponding to the aforementioned group account is obtained will the use of the points granted to that group account be permitted. The use of the points granted to the aforementioned personal account will only be permitted if the account ID corresponding to that personal account is obtained. Point management device.

13. A computer that manages points awarded to customers based on the goods or services they purchase, A storage step that stores information about an organization account that stores the points awarded based on purchases made by an organization involving multiple individuals, and information about an individual account that stores the points awarded based on purchases made by individuals. The evaluation step of evaluating the aforementioned personal account is performed, The evaluation step, if the storage step stores information relating to the organization account of the individual having the personal account, determines the evaluation of the personal account based on the information including the points relating to the personal account and the information including the points relating to the organization account of the individual having the personal account, If, in the storage step, no information regarding the organization account relating to the individual having the personal account is stored, the evaluation of the personal account is determined based on the information including the points relating to the personal account, without using any information regarding the organization account. program.

14. A point management method for managing points awarded to customers in accordance with the goods or services they purchase, A storage step that stores information about an organization account that stores the points awarded based on purchases made by an organization involving multiple individuals, and information about an individual account that stores the points awarded based on purchases made by individuals. The system includes an evaluation step in which the controller evaluates the personal account, The evaluation step, if the storage step has stored information relating to the organization account of the individual having the personal account, determines an evaluation of the personal account by the controller based on the information including the points relating to the personal account and the information including the points relating to the organization account of the individual having the personal account, If, in the storage step, no information regarding the organization account relating to the individual having the personal account is stored, the controller determines the evaluation of the personal account based on the information including the points relating to the personal account, without using any information regarding the organization account. Point management methods.

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