Information processing device, method, and program
The information processing device addresses high franchise fees by calculating fees based on transaction attributes, reducing burdens and promoting non-cash payment system adoption.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LOYALTY MARKETING
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-16
Smart Images
Figure 0007874593000001 
Figure 0007874593000002 
Figure 0007874593000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] One aspect of this invention relates to an information processing apparatus, method, and program used in an information processing system related to commercial transactions.
Background Art
[0002] When paying for goods or services, non-cash payment methods such as credit cards and electronic money are widely used. For consumers using non-cash payment, there are advantages such as not having to carry cash, easier expenditure management, and receiving point reduction according to the usage amount. Also, for franchise stores introducing non-cash payment methods, there are advantages such as not having to prepare change, not having to store a large amount of cash, and further, alleviating the congestion at the cash register, reducing the burden on staff, and attracting customers who want to use non-cash payment.
[0003] Here, when using non-cash payment, a franchise store needs to pay a franchise fee to the operator providing the payment system. Generally, for each payment, the fee is calculated by multiplying the transaction amount related to the payment by a preset fee rate and is imposed on the franchise store. An operator providing a non-cash payment system regards such franchise fees as one of the sources of income and hopes for an increase in the number of stores introducing the non-cash payment method it provides.
[0004] However, generally, the franchise fee rate in Japan tends to be higher than that in foreign countries, and currently, there are many stores that cannot decide to introduce such non-cash payment methods due to cost.
[0005] On the other hand, in credit card transactions, a technique is known for calculating member-specific fees according to the card usage status of credit card members instead of a fee rate determined for each franchise store (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-197382 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0007] However, while the technology described in Patent Document 1 has the effect of encouraging merchants to acquire high-quality customers in the hope of reducing transaction fees once the credit card payment system is introduced, it is difficult to predict the effect of reducing transaction fees when considering the introduction of the payment system, and there remains a challenge in that merchants are still hesitant to adopt it.
[0008] This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a technology that reduces the fee burden on stores using the payment system and promotes the use of the payment system. [Means for solving the problem]
[0009] To solve the above problems, the first aspect of the present invention is an information processing device for calculating a fee to be imposed on a store for using a settlement system related to commercial transactions, comprising: a fee rate information storage medium that stores different fee rates set in advance in association with attribute information representing the attributes of the commercial transaction; a transaction data acquisition unit that acquires transaction data for each commercial transaction, including attribute information representing the attributes of the commercial transaction and value information representing the transaction price related to the commercial transaction, from the store's terminal; a fee calculation unit that reads the corresponding fee rate from the fee rate information storage medium according to the attribute information contained in the acquired transaction data and calculates a fee to be imposed on the store based on the fee rate and the value information contained in the acquired transaction data; and an output unit that outputs information representing the calculated fee.
[0010] A second aspect of this invention is that the attribute information includes date and time information representing the date and time the commercial transaction took place, and the rate information storage medium stores a commission rate set to a different value according to the date and time information.
[0011] A third aspect of this invention is that the rate information storage medium stores a rate that is lower than a predetermined standard rate for commercial transactions relating to a specific time period, a specific day of the week, a specific day, a specific month, a year, or a specific period.
[0012] A fourth aspect of this invention is that the attribute information includes location information representing the geographical location where the commercial transaction took place, store attribute information representing the attributes of the store where the commercial transaction took place, payment method identification information identifying the payment method related to the commercial transaction, or specific transaction identification information indicating whether or not the commercial transaction includes a specific product or service, and the rate information storage medium stores a fee rate reduced from a predetermined standard fee rate for at least one of the following: a commercial transaction relating to a specific geographical location, a commercial transaction at a store with specific attributes, and a commercial transaction including a specific payment method or a specific product or service. [Effects of the Invention]
[0013] According to the first aspect of this invention, when calculating merchant fees, a pre-set fee rate is obtained based on attribute information contained in the transaction data, and the fee is calculated based on the obtained fee rate and the value information contained in the transaction data. By setting fee rates according to the attributes of commercial transactions at each store, it becomes possible to offer more appropriate terms of use to each store, and to encourage stores to adopt the payment system.
[0014] According to a second aspect of this invention, a fee can be calculated using a fee rate set according to the date and time information of the commercial transaction as attribute information. This encourages stores to introduce a payment system in which a more appropriate fee rate is set according to the business conditions that change depending on the date and time. Generally, transaction data transmitted from a store's terminal to a system provider includes date and time information for each transaction, so by using date and time information as attribute information for setting the fee rate, it is possible to utilize the information contained in the existing transaction data without requiring new settings for each store. Furthermore, by setting the fee rate variably according to the date and time information, it may be possible to encourage stores to make business efforts during specific time periods, and as a result distribute the system load over time.
[0015] According to a third aspect of this invention, a commission rate lower than a predetermined standard commission rate will be applied to commercial transactions during specific time periods, specific days of the week, specific days, months, or years, or specific periods. This allows businesses to be presented with a commission rate that is flexibly and precisely set according to their business model, thereby encouraging them to adopt the payment system.
[0016] According to a fourth aspect of this invention, when calculating fees, a reduced fee rate from a predetermined standard fee rate will be applied to transactions based on the specific geographical location where the transaction took place, the specific attributes of the store, the specific payment method, or the payment that includes specific goods or services. This allows stores to be presented with a fee rate that is more appropriately set according to their business model, thereby encouraging them to adopt the payment system.
[0017] In other words, according to each aspect of this invention, it is possible to provide a technology that reduces the fee burden on stores using the payment system and promotes the use of the payment system. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0018] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system including an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the software configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure and processing content by the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a first example of a fee rate table for specifying a fee rate according to attribute information. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a second example of a fee rate table for specifying a fee rate according to attribute information. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a diagram showing a third example of a fee rate table for specifying a fee rate according to attribute information. [Figure 5D] FIG. 5D is a diagram showing a fourth example of a fee rate table for specifying a fee rate according to attribute information. [Figure 5E] FIG. 5E is a diagram showing an example of a table for associating a regional classification as attribute information with each store. Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention
[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [One Embodiment] [Example 1] [Configuration] (1) System FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a system including an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] This system is one in which a store terminal STT of a franchise store ST that uses a settlement system related to commercial transactions and a settlement provider server PASV of a settlement system provider PA that provides the settlement system are connected via a network NW.
[0021] A network (NW) consists of, for example, a relay network and multiple access networks that access this relay network. Relay networks can include, for example, public networks or private networks using the Internet Protocol. Access networks can include, for example, LANs (Local Area Networks), wireless LANs, mobile phone networks, wired telephone networks, FTTH (Fiber To The Home), and CATV (Cable Television) networks.
[0022] A Payment System Provider (PA) includes all businesses that provide payment systems, such as credit card companies and electronic money providers. A Payment System Provider (PA) consists of a payment service server (PASV) and a transaction database (PAD).
[0023] The payment service provider server PASV consists of a server computer or personal computer operated by the payment system provider PA. To provide the payment system, the payment service provider server PASV receives payment data transmitted from the store terminal STT and performs settlement processing between the store ST and the customer CS. The payment service provider server PASV may include an information processing device 1 according to one embodiment of this invention. The information processing device 1 will be described in more detail later.
[0024] The transaction database PAD comprises a transaction database that links payment data transmitted from each store terminal STT with each store ST, a merchant database that stores various information about each store ST, and a member database that stores each member's identification number, personal information, card number, payment details, payment history, etc.
[0025] A store terminal (STT) is a POS (Point of Sale) terminal installed in a store (ST), a communication terminal that operates in conjunction with a POS terminal, or a portable information terminal used in place of a POS terminal. A store terminal (STT) may also be a device that manages multiple POS terminals within a store (ST). Furthermore, a store (ST) is not limited to a physical store; it may be an online shop or other non-storefront format. If the store (ST) is an online shop, the store terminal (STT) may function as a sales management application with similar capabilities to a POS terminal.
[0026] In reality, numerous terminals from numerous merchants are connected to the payment service provider PA's payment service provider server PASV, but for convenience, Figure 1 shows only one store terminal STT from one store ST. Similarly, for convenience, Figure 1 shows only one customer CS, but in reality, there may be numerous customers CS. Furthermore, in reality, payment service provider PAs often process settlements through payment service providers rather than directly interacting with merchant STs, but for the sake of simplicity, intermediaries such as payment service providers are omitted in this explanation. In the following Example 1, the processing overview will be explained assuming that the payment service provider PA in Figure 1 is a credit card company PA.
[0027] In the system shown in Figure 1, suppose a customer (CS) chooses to pay for goods or services by credit card at a store (ST). At this time, the store terminal (STT) acquires transaction information by having a store employee at ST operate a code reader associated with the store terminal (ST) to read a barcode for product identification affixed to or printed on the product, or by having the employee input product information via an input device such as a keyboard associated with the store terminal (STT). Product information includes the type, name, unit price, and quantity of the product or service. Furthermore, the store terminal (STT) acquires information about the credit card used for payment by having a store employee at ST read the IC chip or magnetic stripe of the credit card presented by the customer (CS) using a card reader (arrow S1).
[0028] The store terminal STT processes sales and inventory management based on acquired product information and credit card information, and also generates payment data to be sent to the payment service provider PA's payment service provider server PASV for settlement requests. For example, for each payment (transaction), the store terminal STT stores payment data including information that identifies the payment, such as a serial number, the date and time the payment was made, the transaction amount, credit card information (card number, expiration date, security code, etc.), and payment method (lump sum payment / installment payment / revolving payment). At regular intervals or in fixed amounts, it aggregates the stored payment data and sends it to the credit card company PA's payment service provider server PASV for settlement (arrow S2).
[0029] When the payment service provider server PASV receives payment data transmitted from the store terminal STT, it adds the store ST's identification information and stores it as transaction data in the transaction database PAD, while simultaneously preparing for billing the customer CS linked to the credit card information and payment to the store ST, as follows:
[0030] First, the payment service provider server PASV refers to the member database and issues an invoice to each customer CS according to their contract details and payment method (arrow S3). In response, the customer CS pays the invoiced amount to the credit card company PA (and its payment service provider server PASV) by bank transfer or direct debit from a bank account (arrow S4). Note that steps S3 and S4, shown by the dotted lines, are not essential processes for the information processing device 1 to implement this embodiment.
[0031] Meanwhile, with respect to the store ST, the payment service provider server PASV processes payment to the store ST based on the merchant database, either in parallel with or at an appropriate time after the completion of steps S3 and S4 (arrow S5). At this time, the amount paid to the store ST is the above-mentioned invoice amount minus the fees imposed on merchants by the payment system.
[0032] In one embodiment, the payment service provider server PASV calculates the merchant fee for each transaction by obtaining the corresponding fee rate from a pre-configured fee rate table based on information representing the attributes of the commercial transaction related to that transaction, and multiplying the transaction amount by the obtained fee rate to calculate the fee. This process will be described further later. Here, "fee rate" refers to the value applied when calculating the fee, and is expressed, for example, as a percentage (%) of the amount. Note that even when the payment system provider PA is an electronic money provider (prepaid / postpaid) or a debit card (instant payment), the process can be explained in the same way as the system shown in Figure 1.
[0033] Regarding arrow S2, the store terminal STT may send payment data to the payment service provider server PASV in real time for each transaction, or it may accumulate payment data and send it to the payment service provider server PASV periodically, for example, every week or every month. Similarly, regarding arrow S5, the payment service provider server PASV may calculate a fee for each transaction each time it receives payment data from the store terminal STT and charge the store terminal STT a fee for each transaction, or it may calculate a fee for each week each time it receives, for example, a week's worth of payment data from the store terminal STT, or it may receive and accumulate payment data from the store terminal STT every week and calculate a fee on a monthly basis.
[0034] (2) Information Processing Device (2-1) Hardware configuration Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The information processing device 1 is used as part of the payment service provider server PASV. Alternatively, the information processing device 1 may be implemented as a separate device that functions in conjunction with the payment service provider server PASV.
[0035] The information processing device 1 has a hardware processor 20A, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). A program memory 20B, a data memory 30, a communication interface 11, and an input / output interface 12 are connected to this hardware processor 20A via a bus 50.
[0036] The input / output interface 12 is connected to an input device 2 and a display device 3 attached to the information processing device 1. The input / output interface 12 takes in operation data entered by the operator through the input device 2, such as a keyboard, touch panel, or mouse, and outputs display data to the display device 3, which uses liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence), for display. The input device 2 and display device 3 may be devices built into the device 1, or they may be input devices and display devices of other information terminals that can communicate via a network NW.
[0037] The communication interface 11 includes, for example, one or more wired or wireless communication interface units, enabling the transmission and reception of information with external devices. For the wired interface, a wired LAN may be used, and for the wireless interface, an interface employing a low-power wireless data communication standard such as wireless LAN or Bluetooth® may be used.
[0038] The communication interface 11 transmits data to the store terminal STT in accordance with the communication protocol defined by the network NW. While TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) is one example of such a communication protocol, it is not limited to this.
[0039] The program memory 20B uses a combination of non-volatile memory that can be written to and read at any time, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), and non-volatile memory such as ROM as storage media, and stores the programs necessary to execute various control processes according to one embodiment.
[0040] The data memory 30 uses a combination of non-volatile memory, such as an HDD or SSD, which allows writing and reading at any time, and volatile memory, such as RAM (Random Access Memory), as storage media, and is used to store various data acquired and created in the process of various information processing, including the calculation of fees.
[0041] (2-2) Software Configuration Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of an information processing device 1 according to one embodiment of this invention, in relation to the hardware configuration shown in Figure 2. The data memory 30 includes a transaction data storage unit 31, a rate information storage unit 32, and a commission storage unit 33 in its storage area.
[0042] The transaction data storage unit 31 is used to store the acquired transaction data (or settlement data).
[0043] The fee rate information storage unit 32 is used to store fee rate information used for calculating fees in the form of a fee rate table.
[0044] The fee storage unit 33 is used to store the calculated fee.
[0045] However, the above-mentioned memory units 31 to 33 are not mandatory and may be provided in, for example, the transaction database PAD mentioned above, external storage media such as USB memory, or storage devices such as database servers located in the cloud.
[0046] The control unit 20 consists of the hardware processor 20A and the program memory 20B, and includes a software-based processing function unit which includes a transaction data acquisition unit 21, an attribute information extraction unit 22, a rate information acquisition unit 23, a commission calculation unit 24, and an output control unit 25. All of these functions are realized by having the hardware processor 20A execute a program stored in the program memory 20B. The control unit 20 may also be realized in various other forms, including integrated circuits such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) and FPGAs (field-programmable gate arrays).
[0047] The transaction data acquisition unit 21 accesses the transaction database PAD to acquire transaction data that should be used for fee calculation processing and stores it in the transaction data storage unit 31.
[0048] The attribute information extraction unit 22 extracts attribute information necessary for obtaining the commission rate and value information representing the transaction price from the transaction data stored in the transaction data storage unit 31 for each settlement (transaction), and passes the attribute information to the commission rate information acquisition unit 23 and the value information to the commission calculation unit 24.
[0049] The rate information acquisition unit 23 reads the fee rate corresponding to the target settlement from the fee rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32 based on the attribute information received from the attribute information extraction unit 22, and passes it to the fee calculation unit 24.
[0050] The fee calculation unit 24 calculates the fee for each settlement based on the fee rate received from the fee rate information acquisition unit 23 and the value information received from the attribute information extraction unit 22, and stores the calculated fee in the fee storage unit 33.
[0051] The output control unit 25 reads the information stored in the fee storage unit 33, generates output data, and outputs it via the communication interface 11 or the input / output interface 12.
[0052] (operation) Next, we will explain the information processing operation of the information processing device 1 configured as described above. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure and content.
[0053] In one embodiment, the information processing device 1 monitors for the presence or absence of a trigger to start the fee calculation process in step S101. In this state, for example, if an operator inputs a request to instruct the calculation of the fee via the input device 2, and this request is received as a start trigger, the information processing device 1 executes the fee calculation process as follows.
[0054] First, in step S102, the information processing device 1, under the control of the control unit 20, reads the necessary transaction data from the transaction database PAD using the transaction data acquisition unit 21 and stores it in the transaction data storage unit 31. The transaction data acquisition unit 21, for example, accesses the transaction database PAD and extracts transaction data corresponding to the identification information of the store ST specified by the operator and the specified period. Each record included in the transaction data corresponds to a unit settlement related to a unit commercial transaction and includes at least date and time information and transaction price information related to the commercial transaction. The transaction data acquisition unit 21 may also acquire settlement data from the store terminal STT via the network NW and use this settlement data as transaction data for calculating the commission. In this case, the transaction data acquisition unit 21 adds the identification information of the store ST to the acquired settlement data and stores it in the transaction data storage unit 31.
[0055] Next, in step S103, the information processing device 1, under the control of the control unit 20, reads the records stored in the transaction data storage unit 31 using the attribute information extraction unit 22, and extracts date and time information and transaction price information as attribute information, along with information identifying the settlement and information identifying the store ST.
[0056] In step S104, the information processing device 1, under the control of the control unit 20, uses the rate information acquisition unit 23 to acquire rate information representing the corresponding rate from the rate rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32, based on the date and time information as attribute information and the identification information of the store ST. The rate rate table may be a data table set up for each store ST, or a data table set up for each store type. Alternatively, the rate information acquisition unit 23 may acquire rate information from another database managed by the credit card company PA. Alternatively, the rate information acquisition unit 23 may acquire rate information by accessing a database that stores a rate rate table shared among multiple credit card company PAs, which is centrally managed by another business operator (not shown).
[0057] The commission rate is set to a different value for each attribute information. In one embodiment, the attribute information is date and time information, and different commission rates are set according to various date and time information such as daytime and nighttime, weekdays and holidays, late-night hours, or specific days of the week. For example, in the food and beverage industry, the average customer spending is generally higher at night than during the daytime, and the proportion of credit card payments is higher at night. Therefore, as an example, a predetermined standard commission rate can be set for the nighttime hours from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and a commission rate lower than the predetermined standard commission rate can be set for the daytime hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. This is expected to encourage stores that have not adopted credit card payments because they felt the commission charged during the daytime hours, when the average customer spending is lower, to consider adopting them because of the attractive lower commission rate.
[0058] Figure 5A shows an example of a commission rate table stored in the commission rate information storage unit 32. In this commission rate table, date and time information is specified as attribute information, and different commission rates are set for daytime and nighttime hours. In Figure 5A, the commission rate is set to 3.0% during daytime hours from 6am to 6pm, and the commission rate is set to 5.0% during nighttime hours from 6pm to 6am. Although this example shows one commission rate table set for each merchant ID, a common commission rate table may be set for businesses in the same industry.
[0059] Figure 5B shows another example of a commission rate table stored in the commission rate information storage unit 32. In this commission rate table, as in Figure 5A, date and time information is specified as attribute information, and different commission rates are set depending on the day of the week. For example, consider industries such as clothing wholesale or beauty salons, where sales tend to increase towards the weekend rather than Monday. For such industries, as shown in Figure 5B, it may be preferable to have the same commission rate from Monday to Wednesday, slightly higher on Thursday and Friday, and even higher on Saturday and Sunday.
[0060] Figure 5C shows another example of a fee rate table stored in the fee rate information storage unit 32. In this fee rate table, the fee rate is set as attribute information depending on whether or not a specific product or service is included in the commercial transaction related to the unit settlement. For example, a store ST may want to promote the sale of a specific product or service at the request of a company or for the public good, such as a product on a campaign by a specific manufacturer, a product from an affiliated company of a credit card company, a product with environmental measures in place, a product nearing its expiration date, or a service where a portion of the payment is returned to the local government. In such cases, the introduction of credit card payments by the store ST can be supported by setting a reduced fee rate for settlements that include such products or services in a single commercial transaction. The store ST can, for example, attach a flag to the settlement data indicating that it is a transaction related to the above-mentioned target product, etc. (a transaction that includes a product or service that is subject to a fee rate reduction) and send it to the credit card company PA. The flag can be easily attached by setting a predetermined value in the free area included in the settlement data. The information processing device 1, having acquired settlement data (or transaction data), can determine the presence or absence of a flag (value) as attribute information, refer to a pre-configured fee rate table based on the presence or absence of the flag, obtain the fee rate, and calculate the fee for each settlement.
[0061] Figure 5D shows another example of a commission rate table stored in the commission rate information storage unit 32. In this example, the commission rate table is shared among multiple stores ST, and the commission rates are set according to the regional classifications A to D of the stores ST as attribute information. For example, regions classified as "A" have the highest commission rates, and regions classified as "D" have the lowest commission rates. For example, "A" is classified as regions with the best location conditions, such as large cities and areas in front of train stations with many users, while "B," "C," and "D" are classified as regions with decreasing population density in that order.
[0062] Figure 5E shows yet another example of a table that associates the regional classifications shown in Figure 5D with each store. The table in Figure 5E is set up for a single business operator that manages multiple stores. Each store is assigned a store ID and a regional classification corresponding to its location. The regional classification may be arbitrarily set by the administrator of the information processing device 1, or it may be automatically assigned based on the location. For example, according to Figure 5E, the store ID "DG6001" "XYZ Drugstore △△ Station Branch" is assigned regional classification "A", and referring to the commission rate table in Figure 5D based on this regional classification "A", a commission rate of "4.0%" is set. Therefore, the commission rate information acquisition unit 23 acquires the "commission rate of 4.0%" according to the regional classification "A" extracted based on the store ID "DG6001".
[0063] Thus, it is possible to set different commission rates depending on the geographical location where the transaction takes place. For businesses such as drugstores and supermarkets that operate numerous stores nationwide, it is conceivable to offer different commission rates to stores located in densely populated areas and stores located in sparsely populated areas, thereby providing an incentive for the business or individual stores to adopt the payment system. Specifically, a higher commission rate could be set for stores in densely populated areas, and a lower commission rate for stores in sparsely populated areas.
[0064] Next, in step S105, the information processing device 1, under the control of the control unit 20, calculates the merchant fee for each transaction using the fee calculation unit 24, based on the value information extracted in step S103 and the fee rate information obtained in step S104.
[0065] In one example, the fee calculation unit 24 calculates the merchant fee for each transaction by multiplying the transaction value obtained from the price information by the fee rate. For example, if the transaction value is 10,000 yen and the acquired fee rate is 3.0%, the fee is calculated as 10,000 yen × 0.03 = 300 yen. The fee calculation unit 24 stores the calculated fee in the fee storage unit 33 in association with the transaction data. The calculated fee may be stored in association with each record of the transaction data (i.e., for each transaction), or it may be stored in a separate data table for each store ST, separate from the transaction data.
[0066] In step S106, the information processing device 1, under the control of the control unit 20, can create output data based on the information read from the fee storage unit 33 by the output control unit 25, and output it via the communication interface 11 or the input / output interface 12. In one example, the output control unit 25 reads transaction data for each store ST, including the calculated fee information, at regular intervals, and generates output data that presents the amount obtained by subtracting the total fees from the total amount billed by the store ST as the payment amount to the store ST. This output data can then be transmitted to the store ST via the network NW and also displayed on the display device 3 for the operator. Upon receiving the display, the operator can perform any processing, such as processing payment to the store ST or matching it with the remittance details.
[0067] Furthermore, the processes in steps S101 to S106 described above may be performed at any time and for any data unit. For example, the start of the fee calculation process described in step S101 does not need to be in response to an instruction from the operator. Instead, an internal timer in the information processing device 1 may generate a trigger at regular intervals, and the process may be started periodically in response to that trigger, or it may be performed each time data is received from the store terminal STT. Alternatively, the payment service provider server PASV may monitor the data accumulated in the transaction database PAD and instruct the information processing device 1 to start the fee calculation process whenever a certain amount of data for which fees have not been calculated has accumulated.
[0068] [Example 2] The information processing device 1 according to one embodiment is applicable to any information processing system or payment system in which a usage fee is charged to member stores. In Example 2, we will describe an information processing device 1 used in a system that provides a point service (points program) that awards points as a reward to customers who use a store, as another example of such a payment system.
[0069] Similar to credit card payments, participating merchants are required to pay a merchant fee to the point service provider when using a point service. Generally, the fee is calculated by multiplying the transaction value or the number of points awarded for each payment by a predetermined fee rate, and this fee is then imposed on the participating merchant. The fee rate used to calculate this fee can be set in advance to be different in association with attribute information representing the attributes of the commercial transaction, as in Example 1 above. In Example 2, the "fee rate" is expressed, for example, as a percentage (%) of the amount or as an equivalent amount (yen / point) for points.
[0070] More specifically, when the information processing device 1 according to Example 2 calculates the fee to be charged to a store for using a point service as a settlement system for commercial transactions, the system shown in Figure 1 performs the following processing.
[0071] When a customer (CS) expresses their intention to use the point service when purchasing a product and presents their point card, the store terminal (STT) acquires the point card information by, for example, having a store employee (ST) operate the card reader or scanner attached to the store terminal (STT) to read the IC chip, magnetic stripe, QR code (registered trademark), etc. of the point card (arrow S1).
[0072] The store terminal STT generates point processing data that includes point processing information, which associates the acquired point card information with the product information acquired in the same manner as in Example 1 above, and transmits it to the payment service provider server PASV of the payment system provider PA, which is the point service provider (arrow S2). The point processing data includes, for example, information that identifies the transaction, such as a serial number, point processing information such as the date and time the transaction was made, information that identifies the target customer (member ID, point card number, etc.), and the type of points, as well as product information such as the name and type of product involved in the transaction and the transaction price.
[0073] When the payment service provider server PASV receives point processing data sent from the store terminal STT, it adds the store ST identification information and stores it in the transaction database PAD as transaction data, and then processes the customer CS as a point member and the store ST as a merchant as follows:
[0074] The payment service provider server PASV first calculates the number of points to be awarded to the customer CS based on predetermined conditions, using the point processing data. Next, the payment service provider server PASV reads the customer CS's point balance from the member database and generates point award data including the calculated number of points to be awarded, the point type, and the point balance after the addition, and sends it to the store terminal STT (arrow S5). The store terminal STT, upon receiving the point award data, generates output data based on the received point award data and prints it on a receipt to be given to the customer CS, or displays it on the display for the customer CS to present. The payment service provider server PASV also stores the calculated number of points to be awarded and the point balance after the addition in the transaction database PAD, linked to the member database or transaction data.
[0075] The payment service provider server PASV also reads point processing data stored in the transaction database PAD at regular intervals or in fixed amounts, and calculates the point fee to be charged to the store ST according to the transaction value or the number of points awarded. The calculated point fee is billed to the store ST together with, for example, a fixed monthly usage fee (arrow S5).
[0076] As described in Example 1, with respect to arrow S2, the store terminal STT may send point processing data to the payment service provider server PASV in real time for each transaction, or it may accumulate point processing data and send it to the payment service provider server PASV periodically, for example, every week or every month. Similarly, with respect to arrow S5, the payment service provider server PASV may calculate a fee for each transaction each time it receives point processing data from the store terminal STT and charge the store terminal STT a fee for each transaction, or it may calculate a fee for each week each time it receives, for example, a week's worth of point processing data from the store terminal STT, or it may receive and accumulate point processing data from the store terminal STT every week and calculate a fee on a monthly basis.
[0077] The operation of the information processing device 1 according to Example 2 will be further explained. The information processing device 1 according to Example 2 may have the same hardware and software configuration as shown in Figures 2 and 3. When the information processing device 1 receives a trigger to start the fee calculation process in step S101 shown in Figure 4, it executes the fee calculation process as follows.
[0078] First, in step S102, the information processing device 1, under the control of the control unit 20, reads the necessary transaction data from the transaction database PAD using the transaction data acquisition unit 21 and stores it in the transaction data storage unit 31. The transaction data acquisition unit 21, for example, accesses the transaction database PAD and extracts transaction data corresponding to the identification information of the store ST specified by the operator and the specified period. Each record included in the transaction data corresponds to a unit settlement related to a unit commercial transaction and includes date and time information related to the commercial transaction, transaction price information, information identifying the point member, and the number of points awarded. The transaction data acquisition unit 21 may also acquire settlement data from the store terminal STT via the network NW and use this settlement data as transaction data for calculating fees. In this case, the transaction data acquisition unit 21 adds the identification information of the store ST to the acquired settlement data and stores it in the transaction data storage unit 31.
[0079] Next, in step S103, the information processing device 1, under the control of the control unit 20, reads the record stored in the transaction data storage unit 31 using the attribute information extraction unit 22, and extracts date and time information as attribute information, along with information identifying the settlement and information identifying the store ST, as well as transaction price information or the number of points awarded.
[0080] In step S104, the information processing device 1, under the control of the control unit 20, uses the rate information acquisition unit 23 to acquire rate information representing the corresponding rate from the rate rate table stored in the rate information storage unit 32, based on the date and time information as attribute information and the identification information of the store ST. Similar to Embodiment 1, the rate rate table may be a data table set up for each store ST, or a data table set up for each store type. Alternatively, the rate information acquisition unit 23 may acquire rate information from another database managed by the payment system provider PA as a point service provider. Alternatively, the rate information acquisition unit 23 may acquire rate information by accessing a database containing a shared rate table among multiple payment system provider PAs, which is centrally managed by another business operator (not shown).
[0081] The commission rate is set to a different value for each attribute information. The attribute information includes arbitrary attribute information such as date and time information indicating the date and time the transaction took place, location information indicating the geographical location where the transaction took place, store attribute information indicating the attributes of the store where the transaction took place, payment method identification information indicating the payment method related to the transaction, or specific transaction identification information indicating whether or not the transaction includes a specific product or service. Similar to Example 1, attribute information can be easily included in the transaction data by adding a flag (value) representing the attribute information to the point processing data transmitted from the store terminal STT to the payment service provider server PASV via the store terminal STT.
[0082] Next, in step S105, the information processing device 1, under the control of the control unit 20, calculates the merchant fee using the fee calculation unit 24 based on the value information or number of points awarded extracted in step S103 and the fee rate information obtained in step S104.
[0083] For example, the fee calculation unit 24 calculates the merchant fee for each transaction by multiplying the transaction value obtained from the price information by the fee rate. For example, if the transaction value is 10,000 yen and the acquired fee rate is 3.0%, the calculation would be 10,000 yen × 0.03 = 300 yen. Alternatively, the fee calculation unit 24 can also calculate the merchant fee for each transaction by multiplying the number of points awarded by the fee rate. For example, if 10 points are awarded and the acquired fee rate is 1.5 yen / PT, the calculation would be 10 PT × 1.5 yen / PT = 15 yen.
[0084] The fee calculation unit 24 stores the calculated fee in the fee storage unit 33, associating it with the transaction data. The calculated fee may be stored as an association with each record of the transaction data (i.e., for each settlement), or it may be stored as a separate data table for each store ST, distinct from the transaction data.
[0085] In step S106, the information processing device 1, under the control of the control unit 20, can create output data based on the information read from the fee storage unit 33 by the output control unit 25, and output it via the communication interface 11 or the input / output interface 12. In one example, the output control unit 25 reads transaction data for each store ST, including the calculated fee information, at regular intervals, and generates output data to be presented to the store ST as the billing amount, along with fixed usage fees for the store ST. This output data can then be transmitted to the store ST via the network NW and also displayed on the display device 3 for the operator.
[0086] As described in Example 1, the processes in steps S101 to S106 above may be performed at any time and for any data unit. For example, the start of the fee calculation process described in step S101 does not have to be in response to an instruction from an operator. Instead, the internal timer of the information processing device 1 may generate a trigger at regular intervals, and the process may be started periodically in response to that trigger, or it may be performed each time data is received from the store terminal STT. Alternatively, the payment service provider server PASV may monitor the data accumulated in the transaction database PAD and instruct the information processing device 1 to start the fee calculation process whenever a certain amount of data for which fees have not been calculated has accumulated.
[0087] (effect) As detailed above, in one embodiment of this invention, when the information processing device 1 calculates the fee to be imposed on the store ST for using the payment system, it acquires attribute information of the commercial transaction related to each payment and calculates the fee based on a fee rate table that is set in advance so that the value differs depending on the attribute information.
[0088] This allows for flexible commission rates to be set for each store ST based on attribute information such as date and time information (time of day, day of the week, specific day, month, year, specific period, etc.) indicating the date and time of the transaction, location information indicating the geographical location where the transaction took place, store attribute information indicating the attributes of the store where the transaction took place, payment method identification information identifying the payment method related to the transaction, or specific transaction identification information indicating whether or not the transaction includes a specific product or service, thereby encouraging stores ST to adopt payment systems.
[0089] For example, a store that had not adopted credit card payments due to high transaction fees may decide to do so after considering setting a fee rate that suits their business model and transaction situation. Alternatively, a store that hesitated to use credit card payments during daytime hours due to low average customer spending may be encouraged to adopt credit card payments by offering a lower fee rate during daytime hours compared to nighttime hours. Furthermore, by reducing the fee rate for transactions that contribute to the public interest, it may be possible to contribute to society while also improving the image of the store ST and the business PA.
[0090] Similarly, even stores that have not introduced point services due to high commission rates can be encouraged to adopt them by offering variable commission rates based on customer attributes, such as setting lower commission rates for points awarded during daytime hours when the average customer spending is lower than for points awarded at night.
[0091] In the above embodiment, optimization can be easily performed in response to changes in the transaction status of merchants by changing the settings of the commission rate table or by simple operations such as adding a flag to the payment data transmitted from the STT terminal of each store, without changing complex system settings.
[0092] [Other embodiments] However, this invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, each process described in Figures 1 to 4 above may be processed sequentially (continuous or real-time) each time new data is acquired in the store terminal STT, payment service provider server PASV, or information processing device 1, or the acquired data may be accumulated and processed in batches at regular intervals or in fixed amounts.
[0093] Furthermore, although the information processing device 1 has been described as reading the fee rate table from the fee rate information storage unit 32 of the data memory 30, the fee rate table may be stored in an external database or any other storage medium.
[0094] As attribute information, even more diverse information can be considered. For example, the commission rate may vary according to the attributes of each store ST. Similar to the case of regional classification described above with respect to FIGS. 5D and 5E, it can be easily applied by associating attributes with the store ID included in the settlement data. Even for the same operator, there may be diverse store attributes such as whether fresh food is handled, whether pharmaceuticals are handled, whether it is open 24 hours, whether a self-checkout is installed, etc. By presenting diverse commission rates according to such store attributes, the introduction of the settlement system can be promoted.
[0095] Alternatively, the commission rate may vary according to the settlement method for each settlement data. For example, it may be set such that the commission rate varies according to whether it is a lump-sum payment or a deferred payment, or the commission rate may be varied according to diverse settlement methods such as the combined use of gift vouchers and credit cards or the presence or absence of presenting other membership cards, so as to set a commission rate suitable for the business form of each store. Similarly, the commission rate may vary according to the type of points. For example, it may be set such that the commission rate varies according to whether the points are granted according to the transaction amount or points granted regardless of the transaction amount (such as in-store points, rainy-day points, birthday-month points, etc.), or campaign points (period-limited points with a restricted usage period, store-limited points with a restricted usage store). Or, different amount thresholds may be set for each store, and if the transaction amount for each settlement is less than the threshold, the commission rate may be set to be reduced.
[0096] Furthermore, as attribute information, the system may allow stores to set their own flags by arbitrarily setting the value of the free space included in the payment data. For example, stores may configure the system to assign a flag to transaction data when the transaction includes environmentally friendly products or services, or when a customer presents another membership card. Conversely, flags may be assigned depending on whether a transaction does not include certain services, such as not using plastic bags or omitting paper receipts through electronic information. Transaction data to which a flag has been assigned can be set to have a lower or higher commission rate.
[0097] The attribute information described above can be combined and adopted as desired. For example, a commission rate table can be set for each store, combining date and time information, geographical location information, and a transaction threshold. For example, for a convenience store located in a quiet residential area, the commission rate during daytime hours could be set at 3.1% for payments under 1,000 yen and 3.3% for payments of 1,000 yen or more, while the commission rate during nighttime hours could be set at a flat 3.5%. For a convenience store located in a busy commercial area, several commission rates based on the transaction threshold could be set only for the late-night hours from 9:00 PM to 3:00 AM, and a flat rate could be set for all other times.
[0098] Generally, payment data sent from stores (ST) to credit card companies (PA) for billing purposes does not include detailed product information. However, for payments involving payment data that includes detailed product information, the commission rate may be reduced. This would allow credit card companies (PA) to obtain additional POS data, which can be used for marketing purposes. Furthermore, if transaction data containing detailed product information is available, it would be possible to set more flexible commission rates based on that information.
[0099] Furthermore, although the information processing device 1 was described as acquiring a commission rate for each unit transaction and calculating the commission, it is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to configure it to group multiple transactions having the same attribute information together, acquire a commission rate for each group, and calculate the commission.
[0100] The information processing system or payment system that utilizes the information processing device 1 is not limited to systems such as the credit cards, electronic money, or point services described above. The above embodiment is applicable to all systems that incur usage fees for participating merchants, such as debit cards, QR code (registered trademark) payments, house electronic money, and other information processing systems related to commercial transactions.
[0101] Furthermore, the functional units 21-25 of the information processing device 1 may be distributed across cloud servers, edge servers, etc., and these devices may work together to perform processing. In addition, the fee rate table may be set arbitrarily through consultation between the credit card company PA and the store ST, or a program that analyzes payment data to find the optimal solution may be used.
[0102] Furthermore, the configuration of the fee rate table and other aspects can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of this invention.
[0103] In short, this invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and in the implementation stage, the components can be modified and materialized without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Moreover, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0104] 1...Information processing device, 2...Input device, 3...Display device, 11...Communication interface, 12...Input / output interface, 20...Control unit, 20A...Hardware processor, 20B...Program memory, 21...Transaction data acquisition unit, 22...Attribute information extraction unit, 23...Rate information acquisition unit, 24...Fee calculation unit, 25...Output control unit, 30...Data memory, 31...Transaction data storage unit, 32...Rate information storage unit, 33...Fee storage unit, 50...Bus, CS...Customer, ST...Store, STT...Store terminal, NW...Network, PA...Payment system provider, PASV...Payment service provider server, PAD...Transaction database.
Claims
1. An information processing device for calculating the fees to be imposed on stores for using a payment system related to commercial transactions, A transaction data acquisition unit acquires transaction data corresponding to the identification information of the store, including attribute information representing the attributes of each commercial transaction and value information representing the transaction price related to the commercial transaction. A fee rate information acquisition unit acquires a corresponding fee rate from a fee rate table according to the identification information and attribute information of the store, wherein the fee rate table comprises attribute information set to different information for each store's identification information, and fee rates set to different values according to the attribute information set to the different information, and is configured to output a fee rate according to the attribute information set to the different information for each store's identification information. A fee calculation unit that calculates the fee to be imposed on the store based on the aforementioned fee rate and the aforementioned value information, An information processing device equipped with the following:
2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the identification information of the store is a merchant ID, and a single commission rate table corresponding to the merchant ID is set.
3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attribute information includes date and time information representing a time period, date and time information representing a day of the week, target product-related transaction information indicating whether or not a specific product or service is included in a commercial transaction relating to unit settlement, location information representing the geographical location where the commercial transaction took place, store attribute information representing the attributes of the store where the commercial transaction took place, payment method identification information identifying the payment method relating to the commercial transaction, or specific transaction identification information indicating whether or not a specific product or service is included in the commercial transaction.
4. An information processing method performed by an information processing device that calculates the fees to be imposed on stores for using a payment system related to commercial transactions, A process for acquiring transaction data corresponding to the identification information of the store, including attribute information representing the attributes of each commercial transaction and value information representing the transaction price related to the commercial transaction, The process involves obtaining a corresponding commission rate from a commission rate table according to the identification information and attribute information of the store, wherein the commission rate table comprises attribute information set to different information for each store's identification information, and commission rates set to different values according to the attribute information set to the different information, and the commission rate is configured to output a commission rate according to the attribute information set to the different information for each store's identification information. A process for calculating the commission to be imposed on the store based on the aforementioned commission rate and the aforementioned value information, An information processing method comprising the following:
5. A program that causes a computer to perform the processing performed by each part of the apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 3.