Payment management device, payment management method, and program

Abstract

To provide a payment management device, payment management method, and program that can improve convenience for companies operating affiliated stores. [Solution] A payment management device for managing an electronic payment service using electronic money, comprising: an information management unit that manages merchant wallet information relating to the wallets of merchants in the electronic payment service and corporate wallet information relating to the wallets of companies that operate the merchants in the electronic payment service; a receiving unit that receives a transfer instruction that instructs the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to another wallet; and a transfer processing unit that executes the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to the other wallet based on the transfer instruction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a settlement management device, a settlement management method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known an electronic payment service that executes electronic payment by causing a user terminal device owned by a user to display code information and causing a store terminal device installed in a store to read the code information. Further, Patent Document 1 proposes an electronic payment system that transfers the sales amount of a franchise store due to an electronic payment made at the store to the bank account of the franchise store.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the electronic payment system described in Patent Document 1, the wallet of a franchise store in an electronic payment service cannot be used for purposes other than transferring money to the bank account of the franchise store. For this reason, it has been inconvenient for a company operating a franchise store to use the electronic payment service.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a settlement management device, a settlement management method, and a program that can improve the convenience for a company operating a franchise store.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a payment management device for managing an electronic payment service using electronic money, comprising: an information management unit for managing merchant wallet information relating to the wallets of merchants in the electronic payment service and corporate wallet information relating to the wallets of companies operating the merchants in the electronic payment service; a receiving unit for receiving transfer instructions that instruct the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to another wallet; and a transfer processing unit that executes the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to the other wallet based on the transfer instructions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a payment management device, a payment management method, and a program can be provided that can improve convenience for companies operating affiliated stores. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an example of the configuration of an electronic payment system that enables electronic payment services. [Figure 2] This is a sequence diagram (part 1) illustrating the general flow of electronic payments. [Figure 3] This is a sequence diagram (part 2) illustrating the general flow of electronic payments. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing the configuration of payment server 100. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the contents of user information 181. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an example of the contents of merchant / store information 183. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the contents of user wallet information 184. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the contents of merchant wallet information 185. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the ID structure of enterprise wallet information 186. [Figure 10]This is a diagram (part 1) illustrating an example of a C2B offline transfer when making a donation to a fundraising organization. [Figure 11] This is a diagram (part 2) illustrating an example of a C2B offline transfer when making a donation to a fundraising organization. [Figure 12] This diagram shows an example of a C2B online transfer when donating to a volunteer organization. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of the business account information screen IM6. [Figure 14] This is a diagram illustrating use case 1 of money flow. [Figure 15] This is a diagram illustrating use case 2 of money flow. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of the payment management device, payment management method, and program of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Various devices, such as servers, that appear below and are used to provide services to users or perform internal analysis may be implemented by a distributed group of devices, and the operators of each device may be different. Furthermore, the owner of the hardware of the devices (the provider of the cloud server) and the operator that actually operates them may also be different. The application program and the payment management device work together to provide electronic payment services. In the following description, the application program will be referred to as the payment app, and the payment management device will be referred to as the payment server. 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 the virtual store, the user is controlled to transition to the interface screen of the electronic payment service. In the electronic payment service, stores are treated as belonging to, for example, affiliated merchants (brands), and processing such as payment when a purchase is made at a store is mainly carried out between the user and the affiliated merchant. Alternatively, payment and other processing may be conducted between the user and the store.

[0010] [Electronic payment service] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of an electronic payment system that implements electronic payment services. The electronic payment service is implemented with a payment server 100 at its center. An electronic payment system that implements electronic payment services includes, for example, one or more user terminal devices 10, one or more first store terminal devices 50, one or more second store terminal devices 70, and a payment server 100. These devices communicate with each other, for example, via a network NW. The network NW includes, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless base station, provider equipment, etc.

[0011] 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 settlement application 20 is executed by a processor such as a CPU, and it operates to provide an electronic payment service to the user in cooperation with the payment server 100. The settlement application 20 is installed in the user terminal device 10 from, for example, an application store, and controls a camera, a communication device, a touch panel, etc.

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

[0013] The second store terminal device 70 is used by the operator of the franchise store. The second store terminal device 70 is a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or the like. In the second store terminal device 70, an interface 72 for the franchise store operates. The interface 72 for the franchise store may be an application for the franchise store or a browser. The interface 72 for the franchise store accepts settings of coupons and the like by the operator of the franchise store and transmits them to the settlement server 100. The second store terminal device 70 which is a smartphone has functions of displaying a code image corresponding to the store code image or reading the code image displayed by the user terminal device 10 by executing an application for the franchise store.

[0014] The settlement server 100 realizes electronic settlement based on the settlement information received from the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50. The settlement server 100 is an example of a settlement management device. The first store terminal device 50 may include a POS device and a franchise store server. In that case, the settlement information is transmitted from the POS device to the settlement server 100 via the franchise store server. In the following description, without particularly distinguishing this, it is assumed that the settlement information is transmitted from the first store terminal device 50.

[0015] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are sequence diagrams illustrating a rough flow of electronic settlement. There may be two patterns, pattern 1 and pattern 2, in the electronic settlement.

[0016] In the case of Pattern 1 shown in Figure 2 (hereinafter referred to as User Scan), the user terminal device 10, with the payment application 20 running, decodes the store code image 60 using its optical reading function (S1). The store code image 60 contains information about the store URL (Uniform Resource Locator). This store URL is an electronic payment service domain to which information that can identify the store has been added, and is associated with the merchant ID and store ID, etc., at the payment server 100 (described later). The payment application 20 sends the first payment information, including the store URL and account ID, to the payment server 100 (S2). The payment server 100 searches for store information (described later) from the merchant ID and store ID corresponding to the store URL, obtains the merchant name and store name information (S3), and sends it to the payment application 20 (S4). The user enters the payment amount into the user terminal device 10 on the screen where the merchant name and store name are displayed (S5). The user terminal device 10 then generates second payment information, including at least the payment amount, and sends it to the payment server 100 (S6). The payment server 100 performs electronic payment based on the received second payment information (S7). The payment server 100 then sends a payment completion notification (information for displaying the payment completion screen) to the payment application 20 (S8), and the payment application 20 displays the payment completion screen (S9). If the store code image 60 is displayed on a display placed in the store, the store code image 60 may include payment amount information as well as the store URL. In this case, the procedure for the user to enter the payment amount is omitted, and the payment amount information is included in the first payment information and sent to the payment server 100. Merchant name and store name information may be included and displayed on the payment completion screen.

[0017] In the case of Pattern 2 shown in Figure 3 (hereinafter referred to as Store Scan), when the payment app 20 is launched, when a payment operation is performed in the payment app 20, when it is time for an automatic update (for example, every minute), and at other times, the payment app 20 sends a request to the payment server 100 to issue a one-time code (S11). The payment server 100 generates a one-time code (S12) and sends it to the payment app 20 (S13). The payment app 20 displays a code image such as a QR code or barcode that was generated based on the one-time code (S14). The user holds the display surface of the user terminal device 10 over the first store terminal device 50 (presents it), and the first store terminal device 50 decodes the code image using its optical reading function and obtains the one-time code, etc. (S15). Then, the first store terminal device 50 generates payment information including the one-time code, payment amount, merchant ID, store ID, etc., and sends it to the payment server 100 (S16). The payment amount information is obtained in advance by barcode scanning or manual input. Based on the received information, the payment server 100 identifies the user corresponding to the one-time code and performs the electronic payment (S17). The payment server 100 then sends a payment completion notification to the payment app 20 (S18), and the payment app 20 displays a payment completion screen (S19).

[0018] 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.

[0019] [Payment Server] Figure 4 is a diagram of the configuration of the payment server 100. The payment server 100 includes, for example, a communication unit 110, a payment content provision unit 120, a payment processing unit 130, an information management unit 140, a receiving unit 150, a remittance processing unit 160, a charge processing unit 170, and a storage unit 180. Components other than the communication unit 110 and the storage unit 180 are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and SOC (System On Chip), or by the cooperation 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 the drive device.

[0020] The storage unit 180 can be an HDD, flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage unit 180 may also be a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device that the payment server 100 can access via the network. The storage unit 180 stores information such as user information 181, payment content information 182, merchant / store information 183, user wallet information 184, merchant wallet information 185, and corporate wallet information 186. Some of this information may also be stored in the storage unit of the user terminal device 10.

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

[0022] The payment content provider unit 120, for example, has the functionality of a web server and provides information (content) for displaying various screens of the electronic payment service to the user terminal device 10. The payment content provider unit 120 reads the necessary content from the payment content information 182 as appropriate and provides it to the user terminal device 10. The user terminal device 10 accepts various inputs from the user with the content being played by the payment application 20 and transmits the aforementioned payment information to the payment server 100. The above content may also be generated by the payment application 20. In this case, the payment content provider unit 120 provides the payment application 20 with the information necessary for generating the content.

[0023] The payment processing unit 130 performs payment processing based on payment information transmitted by the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50. The payment processing unit 130 performs payment processing while referring to the user information 181.

[0024] Figure 5 shows an example of the contents of User Information 181. User Information 181 is an example of user registration information. User Information 181 includes, for example, a user URL, account ID, telephone number, password, as well as information such as email address, user ID, name, address, date of birth, registration date, and user wallet ID. The user URL is used for transfer processing between users. When registering for a new electronic payment service, registration of a telephone number and password is mandatory. The account ID is issued to the user by the payment server 100, and the user ID is an ID that the user can set at will (or not set). Similarly, the email address, name, address, and date of birth are also information that the user can set at will (or not set). The registration date is the date the user registered with the electronic payment service (the date the account was created). The user wallet ID is identification information used to identify the user's wallet in the electronic payment service. User Information 181 and User Wallet Information 184 are linked by the user wallet ID.

[0025] Figure 6 shows an example of the contents of the merchant / store information 183. The merchant / store information 183 includes, for example, a first table 176A where the merchant ID and store ID are associated with the store URL, a second table 176B where the merchant name and merchant wallet ID are associated with the merchant ID, and a third table 176C where the store name is associated with the store ID. The merchant wallet ID is identification information for identifying the merchant's wallet in the electronic payment service. In addition to this information, the merchant / store information 183 may also include information such as the merchant or store category, store location, and payment pattern. The merchant name may be, for example, information registered by the merchant, or information registered by the administrator of the electronic payment service. The merchant name and store name may be managed in an integrated manner. The merchant name may be, for example, a combination of the merchant name and store name. It is preferable that the merchant name be the official name or detailed name. In the merchant / store information 183, a merchant icon and other detailed information about the merchant may be associated with the merchant ID or store ID.

[0026] Figure 7 shows an example of the contents of user wallet information 184. User wallet information 184 is information about a user's wallet in an electronic payment service. User wallet information 184 associates the user wallet ID with information such as electronic money balance, credit payment settings, credit payment limit, credit payment amount, available credit payment amount, payment method settings, bank account, credit card number, charge history information, and payment history information.

[0027] The user wallet ID is identification information used to identify the user's wallet in the electronic payment service. The electronic money balance is information indicating the balance of electronic money set by the user by sending money to their account in advance. Sending methods include sending money from an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) of a designated provider (bank) and sending money from a registered bank account. The credit payment setting is information indicating whether or not the settings for enabling electronic payments by credit card have been completed, and is set to either "Completed" or "Not Completed". The credit payment limit is the monthly limit on credit payments that can be used, the credit payment amount is the amount of credit payments already made in the current month, and the available credit payment amount is the amount of credit payments that can be made in the current month, calculated by subtracting the credit payment amount from the credit payment limit. In the diagram, only one credit payment limit is shown, but in reality there are also daily limits, etc., and the lower of these may be set as the credit payment limit. Further details on credit payments will be described later. The payment method setting is setting information that indicates whether the user will make an electronic payment using the charged balance or a credit payment at that time. The bank account and credit card number information refers to the bank account or credit card number (account number, card number) to which funds can be deposited into the electronic payment service. The charge history information is a record of when the user has previously sent money to the electronic payment service to increase the charge balance. The payment history information shows the details of each payment made by the user (payment ID, payment date and time, merchant ID of the merchant where the purchase was made, store ID of the store, payment amount, payment method, etc.).

[0028] Figure 8 shows an example of the contents of Merchant Wallet Information 185. Merchant Wallet Information 185 is information about a merchant's wallet in an electronic payment service. Merchant Wallet Information 185 associates information such as Merchant Wallet ID, Merchant ID, Electronic Money Balance, and Deposit / Withdrawal History Information. The Merchant Wallet ID is identification information used to identify the merchant's wallet in the electronic payment service. The Merchant ID is identification information used to identify the merchant, similar to the Merchant ID in Figure 6. The Electronic Money Balance is information showing the balance of the merchant's electronic money. The Deposit / Withdrawal History Information shows the history of deposits and withdrawals of electronic money to and from the merchant's wallet.

[0029] Corporate wallet information 186 concerns information about a company's wallet in an electronic payment service. Details about corporate wallets will be described later.

[0030] The Information Management Unit 140 acquires information provided by other server devices and terminal devices. Based on the information acquired from the user terminal device 10 and the second store terminal device 70, the Information Management Unit 140 manages user information 181, merchant / store information 183, user wallet information 184, merchant wallet information 185, and corporate wallet information 186. The Information Management Unit 140 performs operations such as adding, editing, and deleting new records for user information 181, merchant / store information 183, user wallet information 184, merchant wallet information 185, and corporate wallet information 186.

[0031] [Electronic payment] When payment information is obtained from the user terminal device 10 or the first store terminal device 50, the payment processing unit 130 obtains the user wallet ID by referring to the user information 181 and obtains the "payment method setting" associated with the obtained user wallet ID from the user wallet information 184. For users whose "payment method setting" is set to "electronic money balance", the payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment as follows: For example, the payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment by decreasing the electronic money balance managed in association with the user ID and increasing the electronic money balance in the merchant wallet information 185. As a result, the merchant's sales proceeds are temporarily deposited into the merchant's wallet. Then, in response to instructions from the merchant, the amount equivalent to the electronic money in the merchant's wallet will be transferred to the merchant's bank account.

[0032] The payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment as follows for users whose "settings information" is set to "credit payment". Credit payment is a payment method that is carried out in cooperation with a credit card company, which is a separate entity from the electronic payment service operator. The electronic payment service operator acts as the creditor and allows electronic payments that do not depend on the electronic money balance, within the limits of the credit payment limit. In order to use the credit payment service, it may be required to obtain a credit card provided by the electronic payment service operator. The amount used by credit payment is settled in a lump sum for the month on the payment date of the following month, for example, by withdrawal from a bank account. In this case, the payment processing unit 130 performs a provisional settlement by adding the settlement amount to the amount used by credit payment and subtracting the same amount from the available credit payment limit. When the closing date arrives, it processes the payment for the current month to be withdrawn on the payment date of the following month as described above, or requests the credit card company operator to perform the said process. If the settlement amount exceeds the available credit payment limit at the time of provisional settlement, an error notification is sent back to the payment app 20.

[0033] In conventional electronic payment systems, companies only had merchant wallets, meaning they could not use the wallets for purposes other than making payments to merchants or transferring funds to merchant bank accounts. This sometimes made it inconvenient for companies operating merchants to use electronic payment services. In contrast, the electronic payment system of this embodiment provides a single corporate wallet that corresponds to the company's business account and can be used for various purposes such as transfers and payments, in addition to the merchant wallet. The following describes the corporate wallet information 186, which is information related to the corporate wallet.

[0034] [ID structure of corporate wallet information] Figure 9 shows an example of the ID structure of corporate wallet information 186. Corporate wallet information 186 is information about a company's wallet in an electronic payment service. As shown in Figure 9, corporate wallet information 186 includes a company ID, a corporate wallet ID, one or more merchant IDs, a C2B offline remittance ID, a C2B online remittance ID, a B2B remittance ID, one or more B2C remittance IDs, one or more B2E remittance IDs, a B2B payment ID, one or more C2B offline recipient IDs, and a C2B online recipient ID.

[0035] In the corporate wallet information 186, the corporate ID is linked to the corporate wallet ID and one or more merchant IDs. Furthermore, the corporate wallet ID is linked to the C2B offline remittance ID, the C2B online remittance ID, the B2B remittance ID, one or more B2C remittance IDs, one or more B2E remittance IDs, and the B2B payment ID. Additionally, one or more C2B offline recipient IDs are linked to the C2B offline remittance ID. Finally, a C2B online remittance ID is linked to the C2B online recipient ID.

[0036] A company ID (company identification information) is identification information used to identify a company, and may be, for example, a corporate number issued by the government. A company wallet ID (wallet identification information) is information used to identify a company's wallet in an electronic payment service. A merchant ID (merchant identification information) is identification information used to identify a merchant of an electronic payment service operated by a company. C2B offline remittance ID, C2B online remittance ID, B2B remittance ID, B2C remittance ID, B2E remittance ID, and B2B payment ID are type identification information used to identify the type of electronic money remittance or payment. In addition, a company wallet can also be held by a sole proprietor without legal personality, and any identification information linked to the sole proprietor can be used instead of company identification information.

[0037] The C2B Offline Transfer ID is information used to identify C2B (Consumer to Business) offline transfers, where electronic money is sent offline from a user's wallet to a company's wallet using an electronic payment service. Each C2B Offline Transfer ID is linked to one or more C2B Offline Recipient IDs. The C2B Offline Recipient ID is information used to identify the recipient of a C2B offline transfer.

[0038] For example, C2B offline remittance is a process in which electronic money is sent from a user's wallet to a company's wallet based on a C2B offline remittance destination ID obtained by the user terminal device 10 reading and decoding code information related to the C2B offline remittance, and the remittance amount entered into the user terminal device 10. C2B offline remittance may be, for example, a remittance of electronic money for donations to a fundraising organization or a remittance of electronic money for offerings to shrines and temples.Specific examples of C2B offline remittance will be explained below.

[0039] Figures 10 and 11 illustrate an example of C2B offline remittance when making a donation to a fundraising organization. The code information CD for C2B offline remittance is placed in a designated location at the participating store (for example, next to the cash register) in the form of a signboard A. The user terminal device 10 reads and decodes the code information CD to obtain the C2B offline remittance destination ID, and the donation is made via electronic money to the recipient corresponding to the obtained C2B offline remittance destination ID.

[0040] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, for example, the payment application 20 transitions through screens in the following order: top screen IM1, transfer screen IM2, confirmation screen IM3, and transfer completion screen IM4. First, the user operates button BT11 (scan) on the top screen IM1 of the payment application 20 to call the code information CD reading function and reads the code information CD. The payment application 20 also sends the C2B offline remittance destination ID obtained by decoding the code information CD to the payment server 100. The code information CD includes a remittance type parameter indicating the type of electronic money remittance (donation, offering, etc.), and the payment application 20 also sends the remittance type parameter obtained by decoding the code information CD to the payment server 100.

[0041] The payment server 100 recognizes the type of electronic money transfer (donation, offering, etc.) based on the transfer type parameter received from the payment application 20, generates transfer content corresponding to the transfer type, and provides it to the payment application 20. The payment application 20 displays the transfer screen IM2 by playing the transfer content received from the payment server 100. The transfer screen IM2 is composed of, for example, content CT20 to CT24. Content CT20 is a template content for the transfer screen IM2, arranging content CT21 to CT24 in the manner shown in the diagram. Content CT20 may include a user interface common to transfers as "donations" as part of the template. In the example of content CT20 in Figure 10, content CT20 includes a user interface IF25 that accepts input operations for the transfer amount and a user interface IF26 that accepts operations for selecting a source of funds available for the transfer.

[0042] Content CT21 is image content related to the recipient. Content CT21 may be, for example, the brand logo of the recipient or the logo of a merchant providing the C2B offline remittance service. Content CT22 is information content representing the name of the merchant providing the C2B offline remittance service. Content CT23 is information content representing the service name of the C2B offline remittance service. Content CT24 is information content representing precautions regarding the use of C2B offline remittance. Contents CT21 to CT24 may be stored in the storage unit 180, for example, linked to the C2B offline remittance recipient ID.

[0043] The funding source options presented by user interface IF26 may include not only the charge balance but also the points balance. Points are awarded to users based on their use of the electronic payment service and are usable as points with monetary value. Points are managed on a per-user basis. The points balance may be managed, for example, as part of user information 181 and associated with each user's user ID.

[0044] On the remittance screen IM2, the user enters the remittance amount and selects the source of funds, and then operates the confirmation button BT27, which transitions the remittance screen IM2 to the confirmation screen IM3. The confirmation screen IM3 is a screen that allows the user to confirm the details of the remittance before the remittance is executed. Similar to the remittance screen IM2, the confirmation screen IM3 is composed of content CT31 to CT34 placed on a template content CT30. Content CT30 includes an area AR35 that displays the planned remittance amount, an area AR36 that displays the breakdown of the source of funds to be used, and a remittance execution button BT37 for entering the remittance execution instruction.

[0045] On the confirmation screen IM3, when the user operates the remittance execution button BT37, the settlement server 100 performs the remittance process. Once the remittance process is successfully completed, the confirmation screen IM3 transitions to the remittance completion screen IM4. The remittance completion screen IM4 is a screen that notifies the user that the remittance specified on the remittance screen IM2 has been successfully completed. The remittance completion screen IM4 is constructed by placing contents CT41 to CT43 on a template content CT40, similar to the remittance screen IM2 and the confirmation screen IM3. Content CT40 includes an area AR44 that displays the timing of the remittance completion, an area AR45 that displays the amount remitted, an area AR46 that displays that the remittance has been completed, an area AR47 that displays the breakdown of the payment of the remittance amount, and an area AR48 that displays the transaction number, which is the identification number of the electronic payment that settled the payment of the remittance amount, and the money transfer service provider of the electronic payment.

[0046] On the remittance completion screen IM4, the information displayed in areas AR44 to AR48 can be used as proof (receipt information) that the user has made a remittance (in this case, a donation) using the C2B offline remittance service to a third party. By providing users with such receipt information, the effort required to apply for tax deductions for donations is reduced, and it is expected that users will be more motivated to make donations.

[0047] Returning to Figure 9, the C2B online transfer ID is information used to identify a C2B online transfer, which is the online transfer of electronic money from the user's wallet to the company's wallet of an electronic payment service. The C2B online transfer ID is linked to one C2B online recipient ID. The C2B online recipient ID is information used to identify the recipient of a C2B online transfer.

[0048] For example, C2B online money transfer is a process in which electronic money is transferred from a user's wallet to a company's wallet based on a C2B online transfer destination ID linked to an electronic money transfer site accessed online by the user terminal device 10, and the transfer amount entered into the user terminal device 10. A C2B online money transfer may be, for example, a transfer of electronic money for donations to a volunteer organization. A specific example of a C2B online money transfer will be described below.

[0049] Figure 12 shows an example of a C2B online transfer when making a donation to a volunteer organization. As shown in Figure 12, when the user terminal device 10 accesses the donation site, the donation screen IM5 is displayed on the display unit of the user terminal device 10. The donation site shown in Figure 12 is an example of an electronic money transfer site that accepts C2B online transfers.

[0050] The donation screen IM5 displays the donation details, total donation amount, target amount, achievement rate, remaining days, and number of donors. The donation button BT50 is also displayed on the donation screen IM5. When the user selects the donation button BT50, a donation amount input screen (not shown) is displayed on the display unit of the user terminal device 10. When the user enters the donation amount on the donation amount input screen and gives the donation instruction, electronic money equivalent to the donation amount is transferred from the user's wallet to the company's wallet.

[0051] Furthermore, each donation site (electronic money transfer site) is associated with a C2B online transfer destination ID. The transfer processing unit 160 of the payment server 100 sends electronic money equivalent to the donation amount to the recipient corresponding to the C2B online transfer destination ID associated with the donation site accessed by the user.

[0052] Returning to Figure 9, the B2B remittance ID is information used to identify B2B (Business to Business) remittances, where electronic money is sent from one company's wallet to another company's wallet. When sending electronic money from one company's wallet to another, the B2B remittance ID identifies both the sending wallet and the receiving wallet. For example, the B2B remittance ID can be used to provide electronic money funding to a startup company.

[0053] A B2C remittance ID is information used to identify B2C (Business to Consumer) remittances, specifically when sending electronic money from a company's wallet to a user's wallet using an electronic payment service. When sending electronic money from a company's wallet to a user's wallet, the B2C remittance ID is used to identify the sending wallet. For example, stock dividends can be sent electronically using a B2C remittance ID. Similarly, if the company is an insurance company, insurance payments can be sent electronically.

[0054] A B2E remittance ID is information used to identify B2E (Business to Employee) remittances, where a company sends electronic money to its employees. When sending electronic money from a company wallet to an employee's wallet, the B2E remittance ID is used to identify the sending wallet. For example, the B2E remittance ID can be used to send electronic money equivalent to an employee's salary or benefits (such as housing allowance or commuting expenses).

[0055] A B2B payment ID is information used to identify B2B payments, which are electronic money payments made between companies. When making electronic money payments between companies, the B2B payment ID is used to identify the wallet of the payer. For example, a B2B payment ID can be used to purchase goods from merchants operated by other companies, enabling companies to procure inventory.

[0056] Furthermore, the Information Management Unit 140 manages the company ID by linking it with one or more franchise IDs used to identify franchise stores operated by the company. This allows for the centralized management of multiple franchise stores, even if a single company operates multiple franchise stores such as convenience stores and supermarkets.

[0057] As described above, the payment server 100 of this embodiment is a device for managing electronic payment services using electronic money and includes an information management unit 140. The information management unit 140 links corporate identification information (corporate ID) for identifying a company with wallet identification information (corporate wallet ID) for identifying a company's wallet in the electronic payment service, links the wallet identification information with one or more type identification pieces of information (C2B offline remittance ID, C2B online remittance ID, B2B remittance ID, B2C remittance ID, B2E remittance ID, B2B payment ID) for identifying the type of electronic money remittance or payment, and links the type identification information with one or more recipient identification pieces of information (C2B offline recipient ID, C2B online recipient ID) for identifying the recipient of the electronic money. As a result, the payment server 100 of this embodiment can improve convenience for companies operating merchants.

[0058] [Business Account Information Screen] Figure 13 shows an example of the business account information screen IM6. When a company representative operates the second store terminal device 70 to activate the merchant interface 72, the business account information screen IM6 is displayed on the display unit of the second store terminal device 70. The business account information screen IM6 is a screen for viewing and editing information related to the company's business account. The company's business account is linked one-to-one with the aforementioned company wallet, and information such as C2B offline transfers and C2B online transfers to the company wallet can also be viewed from the business account information screen IM6.

[0059] The Business Account Information screen IM6 contains multiple menus (such as company name, representative name, service information (offline remittance), offline remittance location, and service information (online remittance)). When one of these menus is selected, information related to the selected menu is displayed on the Business Account Information screen IM6. In the example shown in Figure 13, information related to C2B online remittance is displayed on the Business Account Information screen IM6. Specifically, information such as the name, email address, phone number, department name, and department address of the person in charge of C2B online remittance is displayed on the Business Account Information screen IM6. The company representative can edit this information displayed on the Business Account Information screen IM6 by selecting the edit button BT.

[0060] Furthermore, company representatives can instruct the company to send or make payments from the company wallet by operating the second store terminal device 70. This creates a money flow centered around the company wallet. In this embodiment, there are two use cases for the money flow: the flow in which electronic money is deposited into the company wallet and the flow in which electronic money is withdrawn from the company wallet. The use cases for these money flows will be described below.

[0061] [Money Flow Use Case 1] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating Money Flow Use Case 1. Money Flow Use Case 1 is a use case where electronic money is deposited into a corporate wallet.

[0062] Electronic payment is made when a user purchases goods at a participating store (S101). As a result, electronic money equivalent to the payment amount is paid from the user's wallet to the participating store's wallet. Next, in accordance with instructions from the participating store, the amount equivalent to the electronic money in the participating store's wallet is transferred to the participating store's bank account (S102). Note that S101 and S102 are processes that have been carried out conventionally.

[0063] Meanwhile, in response to instructions from the merchant, electronic money is transferred from the merchant wallet to the corporate wallet (S103). Specifically, the merchant's representative operates the second store terminal device 70 to send a transfer instruction to the settlement server 100 instructing the transfer of electronic money from the merchant wallet to the corporate wallet. The receiving unit 150 of the settlement server 100 receives the transfer instruction from the second store terminal device 70. Based on the transfer instruction received by the receiving unit 150, the transfer processing unit 160 executes the transfer of electronic money from the merchant wallet to the corporate wallet.

[0064] Conventional electronic payment systems only allowed the transfer of electronic money deposited into a merchant's wallet to a bank account. In contrast, the electronic payment system of this embodiment enables the transfer of electronic money from a merchant's wallet to a corporate wallet, allowing merchants to use their sales proceeds for various purposes and improving convenience for the companies operating the merchants.

[0065] Furthermore, in response to instructions from the user, electronic money is sent from the user's wallet to the company's wallet via C2B offline transfer (S104). For example, the user sends a transfer instruction to the settlement server 100 regarding a C2B offline transfer in which the user sends electronic money to the company offline by operating the user terminal device 10. The receiving unit 150 of the settlement server 100 receives the transfer instruction from the user terminal device 10. Based on the transfer instruction regarding the C2B offline transfer received by the receiving unit 150, the transfer processing unit 160 executes the transfer of electronic money from the user's wallet to the company's wallet.

[0066] The remittance instruction for C2B offline remittance includes the C2B offline remittance destination ID obtained by the user terminal device 10 reading and decoding the code information CD, and the remittance amount entered by the user in the user terminal device 10. The remittance processing unit 160 then sends electronic money equivalent to the remittance amount to the remittance destination corresponding to the C2B offline remittance destination ID. In this way, the settlement server 100 of this embodiment can execute C2B offline remittance.

[0067] Furthermore, in response to instructions from the user, electronic money is sent from the user's wallet to the company's wallet via C2B online transfer (S105). For example, the user sends a transfer instruction to the settlement server 100 regarding a C2B online transfer in which the user sends electronic money to the company online by operating the user terminal device 10. The receiving unit 150 of the settlement server 100 receives the transfer instruction from the user terminal device 10. Based on the transfer instruction regarding the C2B online transfer received by the receiving unit 150, the transfer processing unit 160 executes the transfer of electronic money from the user's wallet to the company's wallet.

[0068] The remittance instruction for C2B online remittance includes the C2B online remittance destination ID linked to the electronic money remittance site accessed online by the user terminal device 10, and the remittance amount entered on the electronic money remittance site. The remittance processing unit 160 then sends electronic money equivalent to the remittance amount to the remittance destination corresponding to the C2B online remittance destination ID. This enables the settlement server 100 in this embodiment to execute C2B online remittance.

[0069] Furthermore, electronic money is charged from the company's bank account to the company wallet in response to instructions from the company's representative (S106). Specifically, the company's representative sends a charge instruction by operating the second store terminal device 70. The charge instruction is an instruction to charge electronic money to the company's wallet in response to a deposit from the company's bank account. The receiving unit 150 of the payment server 100 receives the charge instruction from the second store terminal device 70. The remittance processing unit 160 executes the charge of electronic money to the company's wallet based on the charge instruction received by the receiving unit 150. In this way, the payment server 100 of this embodiment can execute the charge of electronic money in response to a deposit from the company's bank account.

[0070] Furthermore, electronic money is charged to the company wallet from a bank ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) in response to instructions from a company representative (S107). For example, a company representative sends a charge instruction by operating a bank ATM. The charge instruction is an instruction to charge electronic money to the company wallet in response to a deposit from the bank ATM. The receiving unit 150 of the settlement server 100 receives the charge instruction from the bank ATM. The remittance processing unit 160 executes the electronic money charge to the company wallet based on the charge instruction received by the receiving unit 150. In this way, the settlement server 100 of this embodiment can execute the electronic money charge in response to a deposit from a bank ATM.

[0071] As described above, the payment server 100 of this embodiment is a device for managing electronic payment services using electronic money, and comprises an information management unit 140, a receiving unit 150, and a remittance processing unit 160. The information management unit 140 manages merchant wallet information 185 relating to the wallets of merchants in the electronic payment service, and corporate wallet information 186 relating to the wallets of companies that operate the merchants in the electronic payment service. The receiving unit 150 receives remittance instructions that instruct the transfer of electronic money from the merchant's wallet to the corporate wallet. Based on the remittance instructions, the remittance processing unit 160 executes the transfer of electronic money from the merchant's wallet to the corporate wallet. As a result, the payment server 100 of this embodiment can improve convenience for companies that operate the merchants.

[0072] [Money Flow Use Case 2] Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating use case 2 of money flow. Use case 2 of money flow is a use case where electronic money is withdrawn from a corporate wallet.

[0073] In response to instructions from a company representative, electronic money is transferred from the company wallet to the user wallet via B2C transfer (S111). For example, a company representative operates the second store terminal device 70 to send a transfer instruction to the settlement server 100 regarding a B2C transfer in which the company sends electronic money to a user. The receiving unit 150 of the settlement server 100 receives the transfer instruction regarding the B2C transfer from the second store terminal device 70. Based on the transfer instruction regarding the B2C transfer received by the receiving unit 150, the transfer processing unit 160 executes the transfer of electronic money from the company wallet to the user wallet.

[0074] The remittance instruction for B2C remittances includes the recipient's user wallet ID and the remittance amount. The remittance processing unit 160 then sends electronic money equivalent to the remittance amount to the recipient corresponding to the user wallet ID. For example, when sending stock dividends to a user, the remittance amount may be the amount equivalent to the stock dividends. Also, if a company is an insurance company and sends insurance money to a user, the remittance amount may be the amount equivalent to the insurance money. In this way, the settlement server 100 of this embodiment can execute B2C remittances.

[0075] Furthermore, in response to instructions from a company representative, electronic money is transferred from the company wallet to the employee wallet via B2E transfer (S112). The employee wallet is a user wallet owned by an employee of the company. For example, a company representative sends a transfer instruction to the settlement server 100 regarding a B2E transfer in which the company sends electronic money to an employee by operating the second store terminal device 70. The receiving unit 150 of the settlement server 100 receives the transfer instruction regarding the B2E transfer from the second store terminal device 70. Based on the transfer instruction regarding the B2E transfer received by the receiving unit 150, the transfer processing unit 160 executes the transfer of electronic money from the company wallet to the employee wallet.

[0076] The remittance instruction for B2E remittances includes the recipient employee's user wallet ID and the remittance amount. The remittance processing unit 160 then sends electronic money equivalent to the remittance amount to the recipient corresponding to the employee's user wallet ID. For example, the remittance amount may be an amount equivalent to the salary or benefits (such as housing allowance or commuting expenses) to be sent to the employee. This enables the payment server 100 of this embodiment to execute B2E remittances.

[0077] Furthermore, electronic money is transferred from one company's wallet to another company's wallet via B2B transfer in response to instructions from a company's representative (S113). For example, a company's representative operates the second store terminal device 70 to send a transfer instruction to the settlement server 100 regarding a B2B transfer in which the company sends electronic money to another company. The receiving unit 150 of the settlement server 100 receives the transfer instruction regarding the B2B transfer from the second store terminal device 70. Based on the transfer instruction regarding the B2B transfer received by the receiving unit 150, the transfer processing unit 160 executes the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to the other company's wallet.

[0078] The remittance instruction for B2B remittances includes the recipient company's wallet ID and the remittance amount. The remittance processing unit 160 then sends electronic money equivalent to the remittance amount to the recipient corresponding to the recipient company's wallet ID. For example, the remittance amount may be an amount equivalent to the electronic money funding provided to a startup company. In this way, the payment server 100 of this embodiment can execute B2B remittances.

[0079] Furthermore, in response to instructions from a company representative, electronic money payments are made from the company wallet to other merchant wallets via B2B payments (S114). For example, when a company purchases goods from a merchant operated by another company, the receiving unit 150 of the payment server 100 receives payment information related to B2B payments, including the payment amount for the goods. The payment processing unit 130 performs electronic payment based on the payment information related to B2B payments received by the receiving unit 150, paying the payment amount from the company wallet to the merchant wallet operated by the other company.

[0080] The payment information for B2B payments includes the merchant wallet ID of the payee and the payment amount. The payment processing unit 130 then pays electronic money equivalent to the payment amount from the corporate wallet to the payee corresponding to the merchant wallet ID. For example, the payment amount may be the price of goods that the company intends to purchase for inventory procurement. In this way, the payment server 100 of this embodiment can execute B2B payments.

[0081] Furthermore, in response to instructions from a company representative, a transfer is made from the company wallet to the company's bank account (S115). For example, a company representative can operate the second store terminal device 70 to transfer an amount equivalent to the electronic money in the company wallet to the company's bank account. This allows the company representative to withdraw the electronic money from the company wallet to the company's bank account.

[0082] As described above, the payment server 100 of this embodiment is a device for managing electronic payment services using electronic money, and comprises an information management unit 140, a receiving unit 150, and a remittance processing unit 160. The information management unit 140 manages merchant wallet information 185 relating to the wallets of merchants in the electronic payment service, and corporate wallet information 186 relating to the wallets of companies that operate the merchants in the electronic payment service. The receiving unit 150 receives remittance instructions that instruct the transfer of electronic money from a company's wallet to another wallet. The remittance processing unit 160 executes the transfer of electronic money from a company's wallet to another wallet based on the remittance instructions. As a result, the payment server 100 of this embodiment can improve convenience for companies that operate merchants.

[0083] 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]

[0084] 10. User terminal device 20 Payment Apps 50. First store terminal device 70. Second store terminal device 100 Payment Servers 110 Communications Department 120 Payment Content Provision Department 130 Payment Processing Unit 140 Information Management Department 150 Receiving Department 160 Remittance Processing Unit 170 Charge Processing Unit 180 Storage section 181 User information 184 User Wallet Information 185 Merchant Wallet Information 186 Corporate Wallet Information

Claims

1. A payment management device for managing electronic payment services using electronic money, An information management unit manages merchant wallet information relating to the wallets of merchants in the aforementioned electronic payment service, and corporate wallet information relating to the wallets of companies operating the aforementioned merchants in the aforementioned electronic payment service. A receiving unit that receives a first transfer instruction instructing the transfer of electronic money from the merchant's wallet to the company's wallet, and a second transfer instruction instructing the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to another wallet, A remittance processing unit that, based on the first remittance instruction and the company wallet information, executes the transfer of electronic money from the merchant's wallet to the company's wallet, and based on the second remittance instruction and the company wallet information, executes the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to the other wallets, Equipped with, The information management unit links wallet identification information for identifying the company's wallet with multiple type identification information for identifying the type of electronic money transfer in the company wallet information, and manages by linking one of the multiple type identification information with multiple recipient identification information for identifying the recipient of the electronic money transfer. Payment management device.

2. The aforementioned information management department further manages information regarding wallets of companies other than the aforementioned company, The second remittance instruction is an instruction relating to a B2B (Business to Business) remittance in which the company sends electronic money to the other company. The remittance processing unit executes the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to the other company's wallet based on the second remittance instruction relating to the B2B remittance. The settlement management device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned information management unit further manages information regarding the wallets of users of the electronic payment service, The second remittance instruction is an instruction concerning a B2C (Business to Consumer) remittance in which the company sends electronic money to the user. The remittance processing unit executes the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to the user's wallet based on the second remittance instruction relating to the B2C remittance. The settlement management device according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned information management department further manages information regarding the wallets of the company's employees, The second remittance instruction is an instruction for a B2E (Business to Employee) remittance in which the company sends electronic money to the employee. The remittance processing unit executes the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to the employee's wallet based on the second remittance instruction relating to the B2E remittance. The settlement management device according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned information management department further manages information regarding the wallets of merchants operated by companies other than the aforementioned company. The receiving unit receives payment information, including the payment amount for the goods, when the company purchases goods from a merchant operated by the other company. The system further includes a payment processing unit that performs electronic payment based on the aforementioned payment information, thereby paying the payment amount from the company's wallet to the wallet of a merchant operated by the other company. The settlement management device according to claim 1.

6. A payment management device for managing electronic payment services using electronic money, An information management unit manages merchant wallet information relating to the wallets of merchants in the aforementioned electronic payment service, and corporate wallet information relating to the wallets of companies operating the aforementioned merchants in the aforementioned electronic payment service. A receiving unit that receives a first transfer instruction instructing the transfer of electronic money from the merchant's wallet to the company's wallet, and a second transfer instruction instructing the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to another wallet, A remittance processing unit that, based on the first remittance instruction and the company wallet information, executes the transfer of electronic money from the merchant's wallet to the company's wallet, and based on the second remittance instruction and the company wallet information, executes the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to the other wallets, Equipped with, The information management unit manages the corporate wallet information by linking corporate identification information for identifying the company and wallet identification information for identifying the company's wallet, linking the wallet identification information with multiple type identification information for identifying the type of electronic money transfer, and linking one of the multiple type identification information with multiple recipient identification information for identifying the recipient of the electronic money transfer. Payment management device.

7. A payment management device that manages electronic payment services using electronic money, The system manages merchant wallet information relating to the wallets of merchants in the aforementioned electronic payment service, and corporate wallet information relating to the wallets of the companies that operate the merchants in the aforementioned electronic payment service. The system receives a first transfer instruction that instructs the transfer of electronic money from the merchant's wallet to the company's wallet, and a second transfer instruction that instructs the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to another wallet. Based on the first remittance instruction and the company wallet information, the electronic money transfer from the merchant's wallet to the company's wallet is executed, and based on the second remittance instruction and the company wallet information, the electronic money transfer from the company's wallet to the other wallet is executed. In the aforementioned corporate wallet information, wallet identification information for identifying the corporate wallet is linked to multiple type identification information for identifying the type of electronic money transfer, and one of the multiple type identification information is linked to multiple recipient identification information for identifying the recipient of the electronic money transfer, and these are managed together. Payment management methods.

8. A payment management device that manages electronic payment services using electronic money, The system manages merchant wallet information relating to the wallets of merchants in the aforementioned electronic payment service, and corporate wallet information relating to the wallets of the companies that operate the merchants in the aforementioned electronic payment service. The system receives a first transfer instruction that instructs the transfer of electronic money from the merchant's wallet to the company's wallet, and a second transfer instruction that instructs the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to another wallet. Based on the first remittance instruction and the company wallet information, the electronic money transfer from the merchant's wallet to the company's wallet is executed, and based on the second remittance instruction and the company wallet information, the electronic money transfer from the company's wallet to the other wallet is executed. In the aforementioned corporate wallet information, corporate identification information for identifying the corporate is linked to wallet identification information for identifying the corporate wallet; the wallet identification information is linked to multiple type identification information for identifying the type of electronic money transfer; and one of the multiple type identification information is linked to multiple recipient identification information for identifying the recipient of the electronic money transfer, and these are managed together. Payment management methods.

9. A payment management device that manages electronic payment services using electronic money, The system manages merchant wallet information relating to the wallets of merchants in the aforementioned electronic payment service, and corporate wallet information relating to the wallets of the companies operating the merchants in the aforementioned electronic payment service. The system receives a first transfer instruction that instructs the transfer of electronic money from the merchant's wallet to the company's wallet, and a second transfer instruction that instructs the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to another wallet. Based on the first remittance instruction and the company wallet information, the system will execute a transfer of electronic money from the merchant's wallet to the company's wallet, and based on the second remittance instruction and the company wallet information, the system will execute a transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to the other wallets. In the aforementioned corporate wallet information, wallet identification information for identifying the corporate wallet is linked to multiple type identification information for identifying the type of electronic money transfer, and one of the multiple type identification information is linked to multiple recipient identification information for identifying the recipient of the electronic money transfer, and managed in this manner. program.

10. A payment management device that manages electronic payment services using electronic money, The system manages merchant wallet information relating to the wallets of merchants in the aforementioned electronic payment service, and corporate wallet information relating to the wallets of the companies operating the merchants in the aforementioned electronic payment service. The system receives a first transfer instruction that instructs the transfer of electronic money from the merchant's wallet to the company's wallet, and a second transfer instruction that instructs the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to another wallet. Based on the first remittance instruction and the company wallet information, the system executes the transfer of electronic money from the merchant's wallet to the company's wallet, and based on the second remittance instruction and the company wallet information, the system executes the transfer of electronic money from the company's wallet to the other wallets. In the aforementioned corporate wallet information, corporate identification information for identifying the company and wallet identification information for identifying the company's wallet are linked; the wallet identification information is linked with multiple type identification information for identifying the type of electronic money transfer; and one of the multiple type identification information is linked with multiple recipient identification information for identifying the recipient of the electronic money transfer, and managed in this manner. program.

Images