Payment systems and payment methods

Abstract

To improve convenience. [Solution] The payment application causes the user terminal device to perform the following processes: acquire identification information read from wireless communication tags attached to products in the shopping basket by a tag reader attached to the shopping basket in the store; display a list of products and the total amount related to the acquired identification information; and, when the user confirms a purchase, send information that a purchase confirmation has been made to the payment server and make a payment request. When the payment server receives information that a purchase confirmation has been made, it performs payment processing based on the product information related to the acquired identification information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a payment system and a payment application.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in supermarkets, convenience stores, apparel stores, drugstores, cafeterias, and other stores, it is common to purchase multiple items together, but in such situations, the waiting time at the cash register may become long. In response, inventions for improving convenience have been disclosed. Patent Document 1 describes an invention in which a user scans a code image attached to an item with a user terminal device, puts it in a cart, and finally makes a collective electronic payment. Patent Document 2 describes an invention in which product information is read from an RF tag attached to an item by setting a shopping basket on a built-in type reader and collective electronic payment is made.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the invention described in Patent Document 1, the user needs to manually scan the code image of each item. In addition, in the invention described in Patent Document 2, the user cannot know the information of the items placed in the shopping basket until the shopping basket is set on the reader. Thus, the conventional technology has insufficient convenience.

[0005] This invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide a payment system and a payment application that can improve convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a payment system comprising a payment application that operates on a user terminal device and a payment server that communicates with the user terminal device, wherein the payment application is a payment application that causes the user terminal device to perform the following processes: acquiring identification information read from wireless communication tags attached to products in a shopping basket by a tag reader attached to the shopping basket of a store; displaying a list of products and a total amount related to the acquired identification information; and, when a user makes a purchase confirmation operation, sending information that a purchase confirmation operation has been made to the payment server and making a payment request, wherein the payment server is a payment system comprising a payment processing unit that performs payment processing based on the product information related to the acquired identification information when it receives information that a purchase confirmation operation has been made. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, convenience can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the basic forms of in-store electronic payment. [Figure 2] This diagram shows an example of a configuration for performing electronic payments (terminal payments) using a payment app. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the contents of user information 172. [Figure 4] This diagram shows an example of the contents of merchant / store information 174. [Figure 5] This diagram shows an overview of the processing flow when a user scan is performed. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an overview of the processing flow when a store scan is performed. [Figure 7] This diagram shows an example of a configuration for performing electronic payments (card payments) using payment cards. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the physical configuration necessary to enable bulk purchasing. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the contents of product correspondence information 176, with product type ID as the key. [Figure 10] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing flow for bulk purchases. [Figure 11] This is a diagram (part 1) showing an example of screen transitions in payment app 20 related to bulk purchases. [Figure 12] This is a diagram (part 2) showing an example of screen transitions in payment app 20 related to bulk purchases. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of a recommendation display screen IM4, which is provided to the payment app 20 and displays recommendation information before payment confirmation. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of the IM5 screen, which displays the purchase status of items registered on the wish list. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [overview] The following describes embodiments of the payment system and payment application according to the present invention, with reference to the drawings. The payment application (application program), payment server, and credit card server work together to provide an electronic payment service. The electronic payment service is a service that supports payment for the purchase of goods and services at a store. A store is, for example, a physical store (real store) that exists in the real world, but may also include a virtual store for e-commerce. A virtual store may include one provided by an entity different from the operator of the electronic payment service. In that case, when settling a purchase at a virtual store, the system is controlled to transition to the interface screen of the electronic payment service. In the electronic payment service, a store is treated as belonging to, for example, a merchant (brand), and electronic payment when a purchase is made at a store is mainly made between the user and the merchant. Alternatively, electronic payment may be made between the user and the store.

[0010] [Types of in-store electronic payment methods] Figure 1 shows a basic configuration of in-store electronic payment. Basically, electronic payment is executed by three parties: a medium M held by the user U, store equipment E, and a payment system S. The medium M is a portable computer device such as a smartphone or a credit card. Store equipment E is located in a physical store (hereinafter simply referred to as "store") in the real world and includes POS devices, wireless communication devices, credit card readers, printed materials with code images such as QR codes (registered trademarks), or display devices that show code images. In in-store electronic payment, first, user identification information and payment amount information are shared unidirectionally or bidirectionally between the medium M and the store equipment E. During this process, one of the medium M or store equipment E optically reads various information from the code image displayed by the other, provides information via NFC (Near Field Communication), or reads the PAN (Primary Account Number) by a credit card reader. Then, one of the medium M or store equipment E (the one that received information from the other) transmits the payment information necessary for payment to the payment system S via the network NW. Furthermore, both the medium M and the store equipment E may transmit some information to the payment system S. The payment system S manages various information of the user U and performs electronic payments between the store and the user U in various ways. Electronic payments are made using either a prepaid system or a post-paid system, or both, or by other methods. In addition, electronic payments may also include forms of so-called online shopping, which are performed by both the user's terminal device and the payment system. The network NW includes, for example, the internet, LAN (Local Area Network), wireless base stations, and provider equipment. Various devices that communicate via the network NW, as described later, are assumed to have communication devices such as network cards and wireless communication modules.

[0011] [Configuration (Terminal Payment)] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration for performing electronic payment (terminal payment) using a payment application. This electronic payment is executed centering around a payment application 20 operating on a user terminal device 10 which is one of the media M, one or more store payment terminals 30 and one or more store code images 40 which are one of the store facilities E, a payment server 100 which constitutes a part of the payment system S, and the like. The payment server 100 communicates with the user terminal device 10, the store payment terminal 30, and one or more information terminals 50 via a network NW.

[0012] The user terminal device 10 is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The user terminal device 10 is a computer device having at least an optical reading function, a communication function, a display function, an input reception function, and a program execution function. In the following description, the configurations for realizing these functions are respectively referred to as a camera, a communication device, a touch panel, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc. In the user terminal device 10, the payment application 20 is executed by a processor such as a CPU, and operates to provide an electronic payment service to the user in cooperation with the payment server 100. The payment application 20 is installed in the user terminal device 10 from, for example, an app distribution server (not shown), and controls the camera, the communication device, the touch panel, etc. of the user terminal device 10. In the following description, there may be a mixture of cases described as "transmitting information to the user terminal device 10 (or receiving / obtaining information from the user terminal device 10)" and cases described as "transmitting information to the payment application 20 (or receiving / obtaining information from the payment application 20)", but these are only differences in expression and are not intended to distinguish anything.

[0013] The store payment terminal 30 is installed in a store, for example. The store payment terminal 30 is a computer device (or an aggregate thereof) having at least a commodity price acquisition function, an optical reading function, a program execution function, and a communication function. The store payment terminal 30 includes a so-called POS (Point of Sale) device, and the POS device may have a commodity price acquisition function or an optical reading function. [[ID=IO]]

[0014] The store code image 40 is placed in the store and is a code image such as a QR code (registered trademark) printed on a paper or plastic medium. Note that the store code image 40 may be displayed by a display placed in the store (which may be a display of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal).

[0015] The information terminal 50 is used by the operator of the franchise that oversees the store. In the electronic payment service, the customer as the provider of goods or services is treated as a franchise (brand), and there is one or more stores under its umbrella. There may be a franchise that operates only one store. The information terminal 50 is a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, etc. The information terminal 50 operates the franchise interface 55. The franchise interface 55 may be a franchise application or a web page displayed by a general-purpose browser. The franchise interface 55 accepts settings of coupons, etc. by the operator of the franchise and transmits them to the payment server 100. The information terminal 50 may have a function of displaying a code image corresponding to the store code image 40 or reading the code image displayed by the user terminal device 10 by executing the franchise interface 55 (in the latter case, an optical reading function is required).

[0016] The payment server 100 communicates with the credit card server 200 via the network NW. The payment server 100 has, for example, a content providing unit 110, an information management unit 120, a payment processing unit 130, a recommendation unit 140, and a storage unit 170. Components other than the storage unit 170 are realized, for example, when a hardware processor such as a CPU executes a program (software). Some or all of these components are LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable The program may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as a Gate Array or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or by the collaboration of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance on 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 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.

[0017] 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, merchant / store information 174, product compatibility information 176, special offer information 178, and similar product information 180.

[0018] The content provider unit 110, 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 content provider unit 110 provides content to the user terminal device 10 in the form of a web page, or provides the user terminal device 10 with parameters necessary for the payment application 20 to render images.

[0019] The Information Management Unit 120 edits, adds, and deletes user information 172, merchant / store information 174, product compatibility information 176, special offer information 178, and similar product information 180, and manages these. Product compatibility information 176 is information that assigns product information such as product description and price to each of multiple product IDs. Special offer information 178 is information such as the schedule of campaigns currently being held by each merchant and information on the conditions for granting special offers. Similar product information 180 defines the relationships between similar products and products that are recommended to be purchased together. All of these will be explained in more detail later.

[0020] Figure 3 shows an example of the contents of User Information 172. User Information 172 is a collection of information such as User URL, Account ID, Phone Number, Password, Registration Date, Charge Balance, Electronic Money Type, Terminal Payment Method, Card Payment Method, Various History Information, Identity Verification Flag, Name, Address, Date of Birth, Email Address, Bank Account, Postpay Settings, and Postpay Conditions Information, all of which are linked to each other. Hereafter, the user instance (electronic payment account) to which this information is linked may be referred to as an account. In the figure, items indicated by "-" indicate that they are not set.

[0021] The user URL is used for transferring funds between users. When registering for the electronic payment service, registration of a phone number and password is required. The account ID is issued to the user by the payment server 100. The registration date is the date the user registered for the electronic payment service (the date the account was created). The charge balance is information indicating the balance of electronic money set by the user beforehand by sending money to the account. Methods of transfer include depositing money into an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) of a designated company (bank) and transferring money from a registered bank account. The type of electronic money is information indicating, for example, whether the electronic money can be withdrawn or can only be used for electronic payments. The terminal payment method is setting information indicating whether the user will make an electronic payment using the charge balance (balance payment) or a deferred payment in terminal payments. The card payment method is setting information indicating whether the user will make an electronic payment using the charge balance (balance payment) or a deferred payment in card payments. Various types of transaction history information include charge history, which shows the history of users sending money to electronic payment services in advance to increase their balance, and payment history, which shows the details of each transaction made by the user (date and time, store ID of the store where the purchase was made, merchant ID, payment amount, payment method, etc.).

[0022] The "Verified" flag indicates whether the user has completed identity verification using an identification document. Post-payment becomes available only after identity verification is complete. In the diagram, the user with account ID "002" has not completed identity verification and therefore can only select balance payment as their terminal payment method. The bank account is the account number of a bank account into which funds can be deposited for the electronic payment service. The "Post-payment Settings" indicates whether the user has completed the necessary setup to enable post-payment. The "Post-payment Conditions" information shows various conditions for post-payment, such as the limit and the current month's usage amount.

[0023] Figure 4 shows an example of the contents of the merchant / store information 174. The merchant / store information 174 includes, for example, a first table 174A in which merchant IDs and store IDs are associated with store URLs, a second table 174B in which merchant names and sales figures (as described above) are associated with merchant IDs, and a third table 174C in which store IDs are associated with store IDs. In addition to this information, the merchant / store information 174 may also include information such as the merchant or store category, store location, and payment patterns.

[0024] The payment processing unit 130 performs various processes for electronic payment. There are two methods for terminal payment, which are described below: the first method (user scan) and the second method (store scan).

[0025] Figure 5 shows an overview of the processing flow when a user scan is performed. First, the user terminal device 10, with the payment application 20 running, reads and decodes the store code image 40 using its optical reading function (S1). The store code image 40 contains information about the store URL. The payment application 20 sends first payment information, including the store URL and the user's account ID, to the payment server 100 (S2). The payment server 100 searches for merchant / store information 174 using 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 payment application 20 on the screen where the merchant name and store name are displayed (S5). Then, the payment application 20 generates second payment information, including at least the payment amount, and sends it to the payment server 100 (S6).

[0026] The payment processing unit 130 of the payment server 100 performs electronic payment based on the received second payment information if the "terminal payment method" in the user information 172 of the user is set to "balance payment" (S7-1). At this time, the payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment by, for example, decreasing the charge balance managed in association with the user ID and increasing the item value of the merchant's sales proceeds. The item value of the merchant's sales proceeds is not used as electronic money itself, for example, but rather the amount corresponding to the item value of the sales proceeds is transferred to the bank account in a cycle according to the agreement between the merchant and the electronic payment service. On the other hand, if the "terminal payment method" is set to "post-payment", the payment processing unit 130 sends the first payment information and the second payment information to the credit card server 200 to request electronic payment (S7-2). The credit card server 200 performs electronic payment by adding the payment amount to the user's monthly usage amount based on the received information and deducting the monthly usage amount from the user's bank account after the closing date (S7-3).

[0027] Then, the payment processing unit 130 sends a payment completion notification (information for displaying the payment completion screen) to the payment application 20 via the content provision unit 110 (S8), and the payment application 20 displays the payment completion screen (S9). If the store code image 40 is displayed on a display placed in the store, the store code image 40 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.

[0028] Figure 6 shows an overview of the processing flow when a store scan is performed. First, 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 processing unit 130 of 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 store payment terminal 30, and the store payment terminal 30 reads and decodes the code image using its optical reading function and obtains the one-time code, etc. (S15). Then, the store payment terminal 30 generates payment information including the one-time code, payment amount, merchant ID, store ID, etc., and sends it to the payment server 100 (S16). Payment amount information is obtained in advance through methods such as barcode scanning or manual entry.

[0029] The payment processing unit 130 of the payment server 100 identifies the user corresponding to the one-time code based on the received information, and if the "terminal payment method" in the user information 172 of that user is set to "balance payment", it performs electronic payment based on the received second payment information (S17-1). The content of the processing at this time is the same as the processing in S7-1 in Figure 5. On the other hand, if the "terminal payment method" is set to "post-payment", the payment server 100 sends the first payment information and the second payment information to the credit card server 200 to request electronic payment (S17-2). The credit card server 200 adds the payment amount to the user's monthly usage amount based on the received information and performs electronic payment by deducting the monthly usage amount from the user's bank account after the closing date (S17-3).

[0030] Then, the payment processing unit 130 sends a payment completion notification to the payment application 20 via the content provision unit 110 (S18), and the payment application 20 displays a payment completion screen (S19).

[0031] 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 will identify the user corresponding to the account ID instead of identifying the user corresponding to the one-time code.

[0032] Furthermore, instead of managing the "post-payment" settlement through the credit card server 200, it may be handled internally by the payment server 100. In this case, the configuration of the payment card 60, credit card server 200, etc., may be omitted.

[0033] [Payment Method (Card Payment)] Figure 7 shows an example of a configuration for electronic payment (card payment) using a payment card. This electronic payment is executed around a payment card 60, which is one of the media Ms; a credit processing terminal 70, which is one of the store equipment Es; and a payment server 100 and a credit card server 200, which constitute part of the payment system S. The credit card server 200 communicates with the credit processing terminal 70 via a network NW.

[0034] The credit processing terminal 70 is installed in the store, similar to the store payment terminal 30. The credit processing terminal 70 includes, for example, a credit payment terminal (credit card reader) and a POS device. The credit payment terminal reads the PIN (Personal Identification Number) from the inserted or scanned credit card and verifies it against the PIN entered by the user, or transmits the PAN (Primary Account Number) read from the credit card to the credit card server 200 via the POS device. The POS device works with the credit payment terminal to transmit information such as the payment amount to the credit card server 200. An acquisitioner server may be interposed between the credit processing terminal 70 and the credit card server 200, but for the sake of simplicity, the description of the acquisitioner server will be omitted below. The payment card 60 is, for example, similar in form to a commonly used credit card, with a communication chip embedded in the card base material. The communication chip contains a storage medium that stores the PIN and communicates with an external device via a contactor (or wireless antenna). Alternatively, the payment card 60 may be a magnetic stripe card. Note that the information (messages) transmitted and received when using a credit card includes an authorization message for authentication and a sales message to convey the payment amount; however, a detailed explanation distinguishing between these will be omitted below.

[0035] The credit card server 200 communicates with the settlement server 100 via a network NW. The credit card server 200 includes, for example, an information management unit 210, a credit interface 220, a settlement distribution unit 230, a credit settlement processing unit 240, and a storage unit 270. Components other than the storage unit 270 are implemented, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory (a storage device 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 in a drive device. The storage unit 270 stores information such as card user information 272.

[0036] The information management unit 210 edits, adds, and deletes card user information 272 and manages it. Card user information 272 is information that associates, for example, information unique to the user (e.g., PAN), the card payment method, and the user's account ID (used by the payment server 100) with each other. The card payment method is setting information that indicates whether the user will make an electronic payment using their charged balance (balance payment) or a deferred payment in card payments.

[0037] The credit interface 220 determines whether the BIN (Bank Identification Number) in the PAN included in the message received from the credit processing terminal 70 is a code for the company. If it is a code for the company, it passes the message received from the credit processing terminal 70 to the settlement distribution unit 230. If it is not a code for the company, it discards the received message.

[0038] The settlement distribution unit 230 refers to the user's card user information 272 corresponding to the message obtained from the credit interface 220 and determines whether the "card payment method" is set to "post-payment". If the "card payment method" is set to "post-payment", the settlement distribution unit 230 notifies the credit interface 220 of this and passes the message obtained from the credit interface 220 to the credit payment processing unit 240. On the other hand, if the "card payment method" is set to "balance payment", the settlement distribution unit 230 adds the user's account ID to the message obtained from the credit interface 220 and sends it to the settlement server 100 to request electronic payment. The settlement server 100, upon receiving the request for electronic payment, performs the same processing as in S7-1 in Figure 5 and S17-1 in Figure 6.

[0039] The credit interface 220 checks the PAN and expiration date, and verifies whether the cumulative payment amount exceeds the monthly limit. The credit payment processing unit 240 adds the payment amount to the user's monthly usage amount based on the information contained in the message obtained from the payment distribution unit 230, and performs electronic payment by deducting the monthly usage amount from the user's bank account after the closing date.

[0040] [Bulk purchase] The following describes bulk purchase, a form of electronic payment. Bulk purchase is a system primarily applied to stores where customers are expected to purchase multiple items together, as mentioned above. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the physical configuration for realizing bulk purchase. The shopping basket 310 is installed in the store 300. The shopping basket 310 is made to a size that can be carried by one person. The shopping basket 310 is made of a non-conductive material such as plastic in a mesh pattern, so that part of the contents can be seen from the side.

[0041] The shopping cart 310 is equipped with one or more (two in the diagram) tag readers 320 and a relay device 330. The tag readers 320 communicate wirelessly with wireless communication tags (e.g., RFID tags) 350 attached to products (including those converted into services such as tickets) 340 and obtain the product ID attached to the wireless communication tag 350. The product ID is different information even if the product type is the same, and includes, for example, a product type ID that indicates the product type and a unique ID for each product. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of product correspondence information 176 with the product type ID as the key. As mentioned above, product correspondence information 176 is information to which product information such as product description and price is attached to each of multiple product type IDs.

[0042] The communication range of the tag reader 320 is set to a size that covers, for example, the entire shopping cart 310. The tag reader 320 outputs the read product ID to the relay device 330. The relay device 330 is connected to the tag reader 320, for example, by a cable. The relay device 330 is any computer device with communication capabilities and may have a battery to supply power to itself and the tag reader 320. The relay device 330 is configured to be detachable from the shopping cart 310 and may be able to charge its battery by connecting it to an electrical outlet. The relay device 330 transmits the product ID obtained from the tag reader 320 to the user terminal device 10 (payment application 20). The relay device 330 and the user terminal device 10 communicate using short-range wireless communication, for example, Bluetooth®. Alternatively, the relay device 330 and the user terminal device 10 may communicate via wired connection. Also, the tag reader 320 and the payment application 20 may communicate directly without going through the relay device 330. The shopping basket 310 may also be provided with a smartphone holder for placing the user terminal device 10.

[0043] A code image 360 ​​may be printed on the bottom of the shopping basket 310, or a sheet with the code image 360 ​​printed on it may be attached or affixed. The code image 360 ​​encodes information for initiating a bulk purchase. This information may include information about the store (similar to the merchant ID or store ID mentioned above). This information may also include information (access information) that allows the user terminal device 10 to connect to the relay device 330. For example, when the user terminal device 10 scans the code image 360 ​​and reads the above information (an example of predetermined information), the payment app 20 starts the bulk purchase process.

[0044] [Processing flow] Figure 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing flow for bulk purchases. First, the user terminal device 10 (payment app 20) scans the code image 360 ​​(S100), and the bulk purchase process begins. This scan may be performed as a function of the payment app 20, or it may be performed by a code reader installed on the user terminal device 10 that is unrelated to the payment app 20. When the product 340 is placed in the shopping basket 310, the tag reader 320 reads the product ID from the wireless communication tag 350 (S101) and transmits the product ID to the payment app 20 via the relay device 330 (S102). The payment app 20 transmits at least the product type ID from the product ID to the payment server 100 (S103). The payment server 100 searches for product correspondence information 176 using the product type ID and transmits the product information (including price) corresponding to the product type ID to the payment app 20 (S104). The payment app 20 displays the total amount obtained by adding up the information and prices of the items currently in the shopping cart 310 based on the received product information (S105). Each time a new item is added to the shopping cart 310, the processes S101 to S105 are repeatedly executed asynchronously with the processes from S110 onwards, which will be described later. As a result, the bulk purchase progress screen, which will be described later, is updated in real time. Although not shown in the diagram, if an item is removed from the shopping cart 310 and returned to the shelf, the display of information about that item stops.

[0045] Subsequently, when the user confirms the purchase in the payment app 20 (S110), the payment app 20 sends the product information and total amount stored at that time, along with information indicating that the purchase confirmation operation has been performed, to the payment server 100 to request payment (S111). The payment processing unit 130 of the payment server 100 performs payment processing (electronic payment) based on the received information (S112; see Figure 5-6) and sends a payment completion notification to the payment app 20 (S113). The payment app 20 displays the payment completion notification screen (S114). The bulk purchase is completed through this process. This realizes a payment method that is less stressful for both the user and the seller, and improves convenience.

[0046] The process of totaling the prices of items placed in the shopping cart 310 may be performed exclusively by the payment application 20 or by the payment server 100. If the payment application 20 manages the items placed in the shopping cart 310 internally without communicating with the payment server 100 when items are removed from the shopping cart 310 and returned to the display shelf, the payment application 20 may be solely responsible for totaling the prices of the items. Conversely, if the payment application 20 notifies the payment server 100 when items are removed from the shopping cart 310 and returned to the display shelf, the payment server 100 may calculate the total amount and notify the payment application 20. Furthermore, if the product ID contains information about the product description and price, or if the payment application 20 holds information equivalent to the product correspondence information 176, the processing in S103 to S104 may be omitted.

[0047] In the example in Figure 10, the bulk purchase process is initiated when the user terminal device 10 (payment application 20) scans the code image 360. However, instead, the bulk purchase process (the process of acquiring identification information) may be initiated when, for example, communication is established between the relay device 330 and the payment application 20.

[0048] [Screen transition] Figures 11-12 show an example of screen transitions in the payment application 20 related to bulk purchases. The left figure in Figure 11 shows an example of the bulk purchase start screen IM1, which is displayed after the user terminal device 10 (payment application 20) scans the code image 360. The bulk purchase start screen IM1 displays information indicating that a bulk purchase is starting, information about the relevant store, etc. At this point, there are no items in the shopping cart 310, so the product list is blank. The right figure in Figure 11 shows an example of the bulk purchase in progress screen IM2, where five items have been placed in the shopping cart 310 and the total amount is displayed. The bulk purchase in progress screen IM2 shows that two of the items displayed second from the top have been placed in the shopping cart 310. The payment application 20 refers to the unique ID of each item and determines that these two items are different items even if they are the same item (even if the product type ID is the same), and recognizes that there are two of them. When the "Checkout" button B1 is pressed on the bulk purchase in progress screen IM2, the payment request screen IM3 shown in Figure 12 is displayed.

[0049] On the payment request screen IM3, the payment method can be selected (balance payment is selected in the diagram), and when the "Confirm" button B2 is pressed, an electronic payment request for the bulk purchase is sent to the payment server 100. Pressing buttons B1 and B2 in sequence is an example of a "purchase confirmation operation". After this, a payment completion notification screen for bulk purchases is displayed.

[0050] [Real-time recommendations] The recommendation unit 140 provides the payment app 20 with recommendation information before payment confirmation, in addition to the usual various recommendations after payment is completed. The recommendation information before payment confirmation is generated in parallel with the processing S101-S105 in Figure 10 and provided to the payment app 20 at an asynchronous timing with the processing shown in Figure 10. Figure 13 shows an example of the recommendation display screen IM4 provided to the payment app 20 and based on the recommendation information before payment confirmation. In the recommendation display screen IM4, in addition to the products listed in the bulk purchase in progress screen IM2, content recommending the purchase of other products if purchasing those other products would qualify the user for a campaign (benefit) is displayed. In the example in Figure 13, area A1 is displayed recommending the purchase of cheese in conjunction with red wine. Area A1 is provided with a button B3 that instructs the user to add the cheese to the wish list (described later).

[0051] For example, the recommendation unit 140 compares the product group corresponding to the product type ID sent from the payment app 20 with the information on the conditions for granting benefits included in the benefit information 178, searches for products that will qualify for the campaign (benefit) with one (or two) additional purchases, and uses the information of the missing products in the discovered campaign (benefit) as recommendation information. Alternatively (or in addition to this), the recommendation unit 140 may generate recommendation information that recommends the purchase of products that combine well with the product corresponding to the product type ID sent from the payment app 20. For example, if the recommendation unit 140 needs to purchase one or two more products, such as beef, onions, and tomatoes, to make curry, it may generate recommendation information that recommends the purchase of carrots and curry roux. Furthermore, the recommendation unit 140 may generate recommendation information to encourage the purchase of compatible products together, such as whiskey and nuts, or wine and cheese, for example, if whiskey is in the shopping cart 310, it may recommend purchasing nuts. The similar product information 180 defines product groups that are recommended to be purchased together using product type IDs, and the recommendation unit 140 searches the similar product information 180 using product type IDs obtained from the payment application 20 and generates recommendation information based on the obtained information.

[0052] By providing recommendations before payment is finalized, it's possible to alert users at the right time, and for the store, this can have a sales promotion effect.

[0053] [Wishlist] In conjunction with the real-time recommendations described above, or entirely independently of them, the payment app 20 may assist users in creating a wish list (shopping list) and allow users to confirm whether all items registered in the wish list are in the shopping cart 310 before payment is confirmed. The wish list may be maintained solely by the payment app 20, or it may be shared with the payment server 100 and downloaded from the payment server 100 at the start of a bulk purchase. For example, as shown in Figure 13, a "Add to Wish List" button B3 is provided for items recommended by the recommendation unit 140, and by operating this button, the recommended items are registered in the wish list. However, a dedicated screen (not shown) for creating a wish list may also be provided. Figure 14 shows an example of a bulk purchase in progress screen IM5 that displays the purchase status of items registered in the wish list. As shown in the figure, the bulk purchase in progress screen IM5 displays a list of items registered in the wish list and a flag image indicating whether or not the item is in the shopping cart 310 (a check mark if it is in the cart, and a blank rectangle if it is not). The payment app 20 determines whether an item is registered in the wish list each time an item is placed in the shopping cart 310, and changes the flag image if it is. In this way, the payment app 20 compares the pre-registered wish list (shopping list) with the item associated with the acquired item type ID and displays whether an item registered in the wish list is in the shopping cart 310 in a recognizable manner.

[0054] By informing users in real time about the purchase status of items registered on their wish list, it is possible to prevent users from forgetting to buy items.

[0055] [Use of user information] By using electronic payment for bulk purchases, it is possible to obtain more detailed information about each user's preferences than with conventional electronic payment systems. This is because conventional electronic payment systems often only transmitted the store name or merchant name and the total amount to the payment server 100.

[0056] [Confirm Purchase Details] To increase the certainty that a user has electronically paid for the items placed in the shopping basket 310, for example, a weight sensor may be installed at the bottom of the shopping basket 310 and roughly compared with the total weight of the electronically paid items. Alternatively, if the store's inventory information can be monitored in real time, the decrease in inventory information may be compared with the number of electronically paid items.

[0057] According to the embodiments described above, convenience can be improved.

[0058] 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]

[0059] E. Store facilities M medium S Payment System 10. User terminal device 20 Payment Apps 30 Store Payment Terminals 40 Store Code Images 60 Payment Cards 70 Credit card processing terminal 100 Payment Servers 130 Payment Processing Unit 140 Recommendation Department 170 Storage section 176 Product Compatibility Information 178 Bonus Information 180 Similar product information 200 credit card servers

Claims

1. A payment system comprising a shopping basket installed in a store and fitted with a tag reader, a payment application running on a user terminal device, and a payment server communicating with the user terminal device, The aforementioned payment application is installed on the user terminal device, The process involves obtaining identification information read from wireless communication tags attached to products in the shopping basket by the tag reader attached to the shopping basket, A process to display a list of products and their total amount related to the acquired identification information, When a user confirms a purchase, the process involves sending information to the payment server indicating that a purchase confirmation has been made and requesting payment. It is a payment app for executing payments. The payment server includes a payment processing unit that, upon receiving information indicating that the purchase confirmation operation has been performed, performs payment processing based on the product information related to the acquired identification information. The shopping basket is equipped with a relay device that relays communication between the tag reader and the user terminal device. The relay unit can be removed from the shopping basket and charged. Payment system.

2. The communication range of the tag reader is set to cover the entire shopping cart. The payment system according to claim 1.

3. The shopping basket is provided with a holder for placing the user terminal device. The payment system according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned payment application is installed on the user terminal device, The acquired identification information is transmitted to the payment server. The payment server refers to product correspondence information, which associates identification information with product information, and transmits the product information corresponding to the received identification information to the payment application. The aforementioned payment application is installed on the user terminal device, Based on the product information received from the payment server, a list of products and their total amounts related to the acquired identification information are displayed. The payment system according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned payment application is installed on the user terminal device, When predetermined information is scanned from the code image attached to the shopping cart, the process of acquiring the identification information is initiated. The payment system according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned payment application is installed on the user terminal device, When communication is established with the relay device, the process of acquiring the identification information is initiated. The payment system according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned identification information is assigned to each wireless communication tag as different information even if the product type is the same. The aforementioned payment application is installed on the user terminal device, In the process of displaying the list of the aforementioned products, the quantity of the same product is also displayed. The payment system according to claim 1.

8. The aforementioned payment application is installed on the user terminal device, The process of acquiring the aforementioned identification information and the process of displaying a list of products related to the acquired identification information are repeatedly executed asynchronously with the process of sending information to the payment server indicating that a purchase confirmation operation has been performed. The payment system according to claim 1.

9. The payment server further includes a recommendation unit that, before receiving information that a purchase confirmation operation has occurred, provides the payment application with pre-payment confirmation recommendation information based on the product information related to the acquired identification information. The payment system according to claim 1.

10. The aforementioned payment application is installed on the user terminal device, When starting the process of acquiring the aforementioned identification information, the system retrieves a shopping list previously registered on the payment server, compares the shopping list with the products related to the acquired identification information, and displays whether the products registered on the shopping list are in the shopping cart in a recognizable manner. The payment system according to claim 1.

11. A procedure for placing a shopping basket equipped with a tag reader, and equipped with a relay device that relays communication between the tag reader and a user terminal device, in a store, The procedure involves the tag reader reading identification information from a wireless communication tag attached to a product placed in the shopping basket of the store and transmitting it to a payment application running on a user terminal device. The payment application obtains the identification information and displays a list of products and the total amount related to the identification information. The payment application, upon receiving a purchase confirmation operation from a user, sends information to the payment server indicating that a purchase confirmation operation has occurred and initiates a payment request. The procedure for processing a payment when the payment server receives information indicating that the purchase confirmation operation has been performed, based on the product information related to the acquired identification information, Equipped with, The relay unit can be removed from the shopping basket and charged. Payment methods.

Images