Settlement device, settlement method, and program

Abstract

The present invention provides technology that makes it possible to more effectively utilize a point as a settlement means in place of currency.　A settlement device for managing settlement using a point as a settlement means in place of currency includes: an issuance processing unit that issues the point for free to a user; and a settlement processing unit that, as settlement processing when a first user purchases a commodity from a second user, executes a normal transaction of settlement for moving the point equivalent to the price of the commodity from a point account of the first user to a point account of the second user, or a proxy transaction of settlement for allowing the first user to purchase a point sold by a third user, and moving the point equivalent to the price of the commodity to the point account of the second user.

Description

Payment device, payment method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a payment device, a payment method, and a program. This invention claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-006890, filed on January 19, 2024, and the contents of that application are incorporated by reference into this application in designated states where incorporation by reference of documents is permitted.

[0002] Conventionally, as a payment method to replace currency (circulating currency), there are known electronic money that can be obtained by paying currency in advance or later, points that are awarded according to the amount when a product is purchased using currency, etc. Note that the advance and later payment of currency includes not only cash transfers but also payments via financial institutions such as the use of credit cards and bank account transfers.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a "depreciating electronic currency system that depreciates the monetary value of electronic currency according to the holding period of the electronic currency, comprising: means for storing information regarding the time and rate of depreciation; means for reading the amount of electronic currency and the expiration date of the electronic currency from a predetermined recording device that stores the electronic currency; means for depreciating the amount of electronic currency based on the information regarding the time and rate of depreciation if the time when the recording medium is read is outside the expiration date of the read electronic currency, and updating the expiration date to match the time of depreciation; and means for reflecting the depreciated amount of electronic currency and the updated expiration date in the recording device."

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-316521

[0005] According to the technology described in Patent Document 1, the value of electronic currency (electronic money) held by consumers can be depreciated according to the period of holding it, which encourages consumers to use electronic money and is expected to stimulate the economy through the circulation of electronic currency.

[0006] Therefore, if points held by consumers could be depreciated according to the length of time they have been held, or could be traded at an exchange rate in line with market principles, it is expected that the use of points would be promoted, the economy would be more revitalized, and activities that are meaningful to both consumers who purchase products and companies that sell products would be further promoted.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technique for more effectively utilizing points as a means of payment in place of currency.

[0008] The present application includes a number of means for solving at least part of the above problems, examples of which are as follows.

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention provides a payment device that manages payments using points as a payment means instead of currency, and includes an issuance processing unit that issues the points to users free of charge, and a payment processing unit that, as a payment process when a first user purchases a product from a second user, performs a normal payment transaction in which the points equivalent to the price of the product are transferred from the first user's point account to the second user's point account, or a payment agency transaction in which the first user purchases points being sold by a third user and the points equivalent to the price of the product are transferred to the second user's point account.

[0010] In the payment agency transaction, the payment processing unit can execute one of the following patterns: a first pattern in which the points purchased by the first user from the third user are transferred from the third user's point account to the second user's point account via the point account of the issuance processing unit; a second pattern in which the points purchased by the first user from the third user's point account are transferred to the second user's point account via the first user's point account; or a third pattern in which the points purchased by the first user from the third user's point account are transferred directly from the third user's point account to the second user's point account.

[0011] The settlement device may include a point management unit that manages at least one of the expiration date, depreciation, and extinction of the points held by the user.

[0012] The point management unit can periodically shorten the expiration date of the points held by the user, periodically reduce the number of points held by the user, and delete points whose expiration date has passed.

[0013] The issuance processing unit can issue prepaid points to the user that can be used as a payment method equivalent to the points at a specified discount rate, for a fee, and the point management unit can manage the expiration date of the prepaid points held by the user.

[0014] The prepaid points may include crypto assets.

[0015] In the settlement agency transaction, the settlement processing unit can allow the first user to purchase points being sold by the third user in accordance with limit orders or market orders specified by the third user and the first user, respectively.

[0016] The settlement device may include a market transaction processing unit that executes buying and selling of the points between users without involving buying and selling of products.

[0017] The market transaction processing unit can execute buying and selling of the points between the users in accordance with limit orders or market orders designated by each of the users who buy and sell the points.

[0018] In response to the second user handing over the points equivalent to the price of the product, the payment processing unit can deposit currency discounted by a predetermined payment / exchange fee rate into the currency account of the second user.

[0019] The settlement device may include a profit and loss management unit that calculates profit and loss for the user's use of the points, and a UI control unit that presents the profit and loss to the user.

[0020] A payment method according to another aspect of the present invention is a payment method by a payment device that manages payments using points as a payment means instead of currency, and includes an issuance processing step of issuing the points to users free of charge, and a payment processing step of executing, as a payment process when a first user purchases a product from a second user, a normal payment transaction in which the points equivalent to the price of the product are transferred from the point account of the first user to the point account of the second user, or a payment agency transaction in which the first user purchases points being sold by a third user and the points equivalent to the price of the product are transferred to the point account of the second user.

[0021] A program according to yet another aspect of the present invention causes a computer that manages payments using points as a payment means instead of currency to function as an issuance processing unit that issues the points to users free of charge, and as a payment processing unit that, when a first user purchases a product from a second user, performs a normal payment transaction in which the points equivalent to the price of the product are transferred from the first user's point account to the second user's point account, or as a payment agency transaction in which the first user purchases points being sold by a third user and the points equivalent to the price of the product are transferred to the second user's point account.

[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for more effectively utilizing points as a means of payment in place of currency.

[0023] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a payment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the flow of points, currency, and products in normal payment transactions and agent payment transactions during payment processing. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a user table. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a point account table. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a currency account table. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a currency deposit / withdrawal table. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a point issuance table. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a prepaid point issuance table. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a point expiration date change table. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a point depreciation table. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a point extinction table. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a point sell / product purchase transaction table. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a company point sell / currency purchase transaction table. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a agent payment transaction table. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a agent payment transaction_point sell table. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a point issuance_point account table. FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing for changing the expiration date, depreciating, and extinguishing points, etc. Fig. 18 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a settlement agent transaction. Fig. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a settlement screen displayed as a UI screen. Fig. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a settlement screen displayed as a UI screen. Fig. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a settlement completion screen displayed as a UI screen. Fig. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a profit and loss notification screen displayed as a UI screen.

[0025] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all drawings used to describe the embodiment, identical components are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, components (including element steps, etc.) are not necessarily essential unless otherwise specified or considered to be clearly essential in principle. Furthermore, when the terms "consisting of A," "composed of A," "having A," or "including A" are used, other elements are not excluded unless otherwise specified to include only that element. Similarly, in the following embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of components, etc., reference is made to those that are substantially similar or similar to the shape, etc., unless otherwise specified or considered to be clearly essential in principle.

[0026] <Payment system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention> Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a payment system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The payment system 10 assumes that users are consumers who purchase products and companies that sell products, and uses points or prepaid points issued by issuers (both of which will be described in detail later) as a means of payment for product sales between users.

[0027] Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between points and prepaid points, they will be referred to as points, etc. Furthermore, a user who is a consumer will be referred to as a consumer user, and a user who is a company will be referred to as a company user. When there is no need to distinguish between consumer users and company users, they will be referred to as users.

[0028] Each user is provided with a points account for managing points and the like held by the user, and a currency account for managing currency prepared by the user for purchasing points and the like and currency exchanged for points, etc. In this embodiment, the currency unit is "yen," but other currency units such as "dollars" and "euros" may also be used.

[0029] An issuer of points, etc. is, for example, an administrator of the payment device 20 (described later). However, a person other than the administrator of the payment device 20 may be the issuer. Hereinafter, an action led by an issuer essentially means an action by the payment device 20. Furthermore, an action against an issuer essentially means an action against the payment device 20.

[0030] The payment system 10 includes a payment device 20, a terminal device 30 used by a consumer user, and a terminal device 40 used by a corporate user, all of which are connected via a network N. The network N is a two-way communication network such as the Internet or a mobile phone communication network.

[0031] The settlement device 20 issues points and the like to users to be used in commercial transactions such as purchasing products, manages the points and the like held by each user, and controls settlement processing using the points and the like.

[0032] The payment device 20 has functional blocks of a processing unit 21, a DB (database) unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The payment device 20 is made up of a general computer such as a server computer equipped with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), a storage such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, an output device such as a display, and a communication module such as a NIC (Network Interface Card) (none of which are shown).

[0033] The processing unit 21 is realized by a computer processor. The processing unit 21 has the following functional blocks: an issuance processing unit 211, a points management unit 212, a settlement processing unit 213, a market transaction processing unit 214, a deposit / withdrawal processing unit 215, a profit / loss management unit 216, a remittance processing unit 217, and a UI (User Interface) control unit 218. These functional blocks are realized by the computer processor executing a predetermined program loaded into memory. However, some or all of these functional blocks may be realized as hardware using an integrated circuit or the like. Furthermore, these functional blocks may be realized by multiple server computers distributed across a network N.

[0034] <Regarding the Issuance Processing Unit 211> The issuance processing unit 211 executes a point issuance process for issuing points to a user and a prepaid point issuance process for issuing prepaid points to a user. Note that prepaid points include crypto assets (virtual currencies). Since crypto assets are handled in the same way as prepaid points in this embodiment, "prepaid points" in this specification can be read as "crypto assets."

[0035] <Point Issuance Processing> The point issuance processing periodically (for example, on the 1st of each month) issues a predetermined number of points with an expiration date to users free of charge. Note that a blockchain may be used to issue points. Hereinafter, n units of points will be referred to as n[P].

[0036] <Regarding the Prepaid Point Issuance Process> The prepaid point issuance process issues prepaid points to the user for a fee (prepayment of currency). Hereinafter, m units of prepaid points will be referred to as m[PP].

[0037] The prepaid point issuance process issues prepaid points to users, i.e., when selling prepaid points to users, a predetermined discount rate r (0≦r<1) can be set. The discount rate r may be changed for each user or depending on the issuance time. A user can purchase prepaid points at 100 (1-r) yen per 100 [PP]. For example, if the discount rate r = 0.1, a user can purchase 10,000 [PP] for 9,000 yen (= 10,000 (1-0.1)) [yen]. Therefore, if a user purchases prepaid points with a set discount rate r and uses them to pay for a product, the user can purchase the product more cheaply than if they used currency.

[0038] Points are managed electronically and do not, in principle, have a physical form like currency such as banknotes or coins. Users can use points to purchase products at a fixed rate of 1 [P] = 1 [PP] = 1 [yen].

[0039] <Currency backing for issuing points, etc.> The issuer holds n(1-p) [yen] (0≦p<1) as currency backing for issuing n[P]. In addition, when issuing m[PP], the issuer receives m(1-r) [yen] (0≦r<1) from the user.

[0040] The issuer collects a payment fee from the corporate user when a consumer user purchases a product using points or other funds. The issuer also collects an exchange fee when exchanging points or other funds for currency at the request of the corporate user. The payment fee and exchange fee are collectively referred to as the payment / exchange fee. If the payment / exchange fee rate is q (0≦q<1), then if p≦q, the issuer can issue n[P] and cover the exchange of points for currency using only the currency n(1−p) [yen] it holds. If r≦q, the issuer can issue m[PP] and cover the exchange of prepaid points for currency using only the currency m(1−r) [yen] it receives. This prevents financial collapse due to currency shortages in the payment system 10. Of course, if the issuer can obtain currency through various means, such as by obtaining loans from financial institutions, the financial stability of payments using points or other funds in the payment system 10 can be enhanced.

[0041] <Point Management Unit 212> The point management unit 212 manages the expiration dates of points and the like held by the user, and depreciates and eliminates points as the expiration dates decrease.

[0042] <Regarding the expiration date and depreciation of points, etc.> Points are set with an expiration date (within six months in principle, for example, from the date of issue to the last day of the fifth month), and the user is notified of the expiration date at the time of issuance. Points are gradually depreciated (reduced) periodically (for example, on the 1st of each month) at a predetermined depreciation rate, and are completely extinguished when the expiration date has passed.

[0043] For example, n[P] issued in month t with a validity period of six months will depreciate at a rate of d on the first day of the first month (t+1). ６ (0≦d ６ <1, n(1-d ６ ) [P]. Similarly, on the first day of the second month (t+2), the depreciation rate d ５ (0≦d ５ <1, n(1-d ６ ) (1-d ５ ) [P], and on the first day of the third month (t+3), the depreciation rate is d ４ (0≦d ４<1, n(1-d ６ ) (1-d ５ ) (1-d ４ ) [P], and on the 1st day of the fourth month (t+4), the depreciation rate is d ３ (0≦d ３ <1, n(1-d ６ ) (1-d ５ ) (1-d ４ ) (1-d ３ ) [P], and on the 1st day of the fifth month (t+5), the depreciation rate is d ２ (0≦d ２ <1, n(1-d ６ ) (1-d ５ ) (1-d ４ ) (1-d ３ ) (1-d ２ ) [P]. Then, on the 1st day of the (t+6) month, six months after the expiration date, the depreciation rate is calculated as d １ (0≦d １ <1, n(1-d ６ ) ... (1-d １ ) [P] and then completely disappears.

[0044] In addition, the expiration date of points, the depreciation period, and the depreciation rate d ６ ~d １ The depreciation rate d may be changed for each user. ６ ~d １ Furthermore, even if the expiration date has not passed, if the balance of points falls below a predetermined threshold Bm due to depreciation, the points may be deleted.

[0045] Prepaid points are issued with an expiration date (generally within one month, such as the last day of the month in which they were issued), and the user is notified of this expiration date at the time of issuance. The expiration date of prepaid points is not limited to the example described above, and may be changed for each user. There are two methods for depreciating prepaid points. In the first method, prepaid points that have passed their expiration date are lost, and instead are depreciated at a predetermined depreciation rate d ｐ (0≦d ｐ<1), the points are issued with an expiration date (for example, within 5 months). In other words, when the expiration date has passed, m[PP] will be reduced to m(1-d ｐ ) [P]. The points converted from prepaid points are periodically depreciated and will disappear when the expiration date has passed, just like points issued free of charge. In the second method, like points, the value is gradually depreciated (reduced) at a predetermined depreciation rate periodically (for example, on the 1st of each month) and will disappear completely when the expiration date has passed. The following explanation assumes that the first depreciation method is adopted.

[0046] The expiration date, depreciation cycle, and depreciation rate set for points, etc. are maintained even if the holder is changed.

[0047] <About the payment processing unit 213> The payment processing unit 213 executes payment processing to transfer points and the like between users when buying and selling products. There are two types of payment processing: a regular payment transaction and a payment agency transaction. When purchasing a product, if the points and the like held by the user are equal to or greater than the product price, the payment processing unit 213 executes a regular payment transaction. If the points and the like held by the user are less than the product price, the payment processing unit 213 executes a payment agency transaction. However, even if the user has points and the like equal to or greater than the product price, the user may be allowed to select to have the payment processing unit 213 execute a payment agency transaction.

[0048] Figure 2 shows the flow of points, currency, and products in regular payment transactions and agency payment transactions. Thick solid arrows represent regular payment transactions, thick dashed arrows represent agency payment transactions, thin solid arrows represent point issuance that precedes regular payment transactions, and thin dashed arrows represent the exchange of points into currency that follows regular payment transactions or agency payment transactions.

[0049] <Regarding regular payment transactions> In regular payment transactions, when consumer user A purchases a product from corporate user X, points etc. held by consumer user A are paid to corporate user X. The points etc. held by consumer user A are points issued free of charge by the issuer, prepaid points purchased by consumer user A from the issuer, or points etc. purchased by consumer user A from another user via the marketplace prior to the purchase of the product (arrow a0).

[0050] In the case of a normal settlement transaction, points equivalent to the price of the product are transferred from consumer user A's point account to corporate user X's point account via the issuer. In response, corporate user X delivers the product to consumer user A (arrow a1). At this time, the issuer can collect a settlement fee from corporate user X.

[0051] In principle, points with the shortest validity period are used for payment, but the user can specify points with a period other than the shortest validity period to use for payment.

[0052] Corporate user X can receive currency from the issuer in exchange for the points etc. that he / she has received (in other words, he / she can exchange the points etc. for currency) (arrow a2). At this time, the issuer can collect an exchange fee from corporate user X.

[0053] For example, if a consumer user purchases a product worth n yen from a corporate user using n[P] (or n[PP]) issued during month t, the corporate user will receive n[P]. The corporate user can use the n[P] to purchase products or make payments between corporate users, or can hand it over to the issuer and receive the corresponding currency. For example, if a corporate user hands over all points, etc. received from consumer users to the issuer during month t, the original n[P] has not been depreciated, and so at the end of the following month (t+1), the corporate user can receive n(1-q) yen from the issuer, minus the settlement and exchange fee rate q.

[0054] For example, if a corporate user delivers all points etc. from consumer users to the issuer within the next month (t+1), the initial n[P] will already be n(1-d ６) [P], so at the end of the following month (t+2), the corporate user will receive the currency n(1-d ６ ) (1-q) [yen] can be received from the issuer.

[0055] The timing from when a corporate user hands over points or the like to the issuer until when the corporate user can receive the currency is not limited to the end of the following month, and may be at another time.

[0056] The points etc. can also be used for settlement between corporate users X and Y. In this case, the issuer can collect a settlement fee from at least one of the corporate user who pays the points etc. and corporate user Y who receives the points etc.

[0057] <Regarding payment agency transactions> In a payment agency transaction, when a user (for example, consumer user C) purchases a product from corporate user Y, the shortfall in points, etc. held by consumer user C against the product price is met by consumer user C purchasing points, etc. being sold by another user (for example, consumer user B) using currency, and the points, etc. are paid to corporate user Y. Note that the points, etc. held by consumer user B are points issued free of charge by the issuer, prepaid points purchased by consumer user B from the issuer, or points, etc. purchased by consumer user B from another user (arrow a10).

[0058] Note that the user who purchases the product is not limited to a consumer user but may be a corporate user. Also, the user who sells points, etc. is not limited to a consumer user but may be a corporate user. The number of users who sell points, etc. in a transaction with a payment agency is not limited to one but may be more than one.

[0059] The flow of currency in a payment agency transaction is, for example, that currency to purchase missing points, etc. is moved from consumer user C's currency account to the issuer's currency account (arrow a11), and then moved from the issuer's currency account to consumer user B's currency account (arrow a12).

[0060] The flow of points, etc. is assumed to follow three patterns: In pattern 1, points, etc. are transferred from consumer user B's point account to the issuer's point account (arrow a13), and points, etc. are transferred from the issuer's point account to corporate user Y's point account (arrow a14).

[0061] In pattern 2, points etc. are transferred from consumer user B's point account to consumer user C's point account, and points etc. are transferred from consumer user C's point account to corporate user Y's point account (not shown).

[0062] In pattern 3, points etc. are transferred directly from consumer user B's point account to corporate user Y's point account (not shown).

[0063] After confirming that the points, etc., used as payment for the product have been transferred to corporate user Y's point account, corporate user Y delivers the product to consumer user C (arrow a15). Note that the order in which points, etc. and currency are transferred is not limited to the example described above. Corporate user Y can receive currency from the issuer in exchange for the points, etc., that it has received (arrow a16). At this time, the issuer can collect an exchange fee from corporate user Y.

[0064] Therefore, from the perspective of consumer user B who is selling points, etc., a settlement agency transaction can essentially be considered a function for exchanging points, etc. for currency (a function for selling points, etc. and buying currency). Consumer user B who is selling points, etc., can set a different desired exchange rate (the rate at which points, etc. are exchanged for currency) for each expiration date of the points, etc. that he / she holds, similar to limit orders in securities trading. Furthermore, consumer user B who is selling points, etc., can sell points, etc. at the market price of points, etc., similar to market orders in securities trading. Furthermore, consumer user B who is selling points, etc., can set the number of points, etc. to be sold (number available for sale) for each expiration date of the points, etc. that he / she holds.

[0065] In principle, points, etc. are exchanged for currency (i.e., sold) in order of expiry date, but consumer users who sell points, etc. can specify points, etc. with any expiry date and sell them preferentially.

[0066] For example, if the settings for the sale of points by a consumer user are such that the exchange rate per 100 [P] for points with a one-month expiration date is 80 [yen] and the number of points sold is 100 [P], the exchange rate per 100 [P] for points with a two-month expiration date is 86 [yen] and the number of points sold is 400 [P], and the exchange rate per 100 [P] for points with a three-month expiration date is 89 [yen] and the number of points sold is 300 [P], and a total of 600 [P] is sold in order of the points with the shortest expiration date, the average unit price per 100 [P] of points will be 85.5 [yen] as shown in the following formula.

[0067] Average unit price = (80 x 100 / 100 + 86 x 400 / 100 + 89 x 100 / 100) / (600 / 100) = 85.5 yen

[0068] On the other hand, from the perspective of consumer user C who buys goods, a payment agency transaction can be considered as a function of exchanging currency for points, etc. in conjunction with the purchase of goods (a function of paying currency to buy points, etc.). In this case, consumer user C who buys points, etc. can set in advance the number of points, etc. to purchase and the desired exchange rate between currency and points, etc., similar to limit orders in securities trading. Furthermore, consumer user C who buys points, etc. can purchase points, etc. at the current trading price in the market, similar to market orders in securities trading.

[0069] In addition, in the case of a limit order, the settlement processing unit 213 will determine from which one or more consumer users points, etc. will be purchased, in principle, by matching the desired exchange rate and sales quantity for each expiration date set by each consumer user selling points, etc., with the desired exchange rate and purchase quantity of consumer user C buying points, etc., so that consumer user C buying points, etc. can purchase points, etc. at the lowest price.

[0070] For example, assume that consumer user C is short of 10,000 [P] in points when purchasing a product and has set a desired exchange rate of 85 [yen] when purchasing the missing 10,000 [P] from another user. Also, assume that in the exchange market for points and currency, consumer user B is selling 3,000 [P] of points with a one-month expiration date at a desired exchange rate of 85 [yen], consumer user D is selling 2,000 [P] of points with a one-month expiration date at a desired exchange rate of 85 [yen] and 2,000 [P] of points with a two-month expiration date at a desired exchange rate of 87 [yen], and consumer user E is selling 5,000 [P] of points with a three-month expiration date at a desired exchange rate of 85 [yen].

[0071] In this case, in accordance with the principles, consumer user C purchases points etc. at the lowest price possible by purchasing 3,000 [P] from consumer user B at an exchange rate of 85 [yen] with a one-month expiration date, 2,000 [P] from consumer user D at an exchange rate of 85 [yen] with a one-month expiration date, and 5,000 [P] from consumer user E at an exchange rate of 85 [yen] with a three-month expiration date, for a total of 10,000 [P], thereby completing the exchange of currency and points etc.

[0072] In addition, if points etc. are not being sold at an exchange rate lower than the consumer user C's desired exchange rate, the consumer user C may be notified of this and encouraged to increase the desired exchange rate or change to a market order.

[0073] In the case of a market order, the settlement processing unit 213 performs matching and determines the order in order of the lowest (cheapest) desired exchange rate for the sale of points, etc., so that the consumer user C who is buying points, etc. can purchase the desired number of points, etc.

[0074] <Regarding Settlement Fees in Settlement Agency Transactions> In a settlement agency transaction, similar to a spread in foreign exchange trading, the issuer can collect a settlement agency fee by adding a spread to the desired exchange rate of points, etc. set by the consumer user selling the points, etc., in the case of a limit order, and presenting this to consumer user C, who is purchasing the points, etc., and selling the points, etc. For example, if consumer user B's desired exchange rate for points, etc. is 85 yen per 100 points, and the issuer's spread is 10 yen per 100 points, the issuer can present and sell the points, etc., to consumer user C as the desired exchange rate of 95 yen per 100 points. If points, etc. are bought and sold at a desired exchange rate of 95 yen per 100 points, the issuer's profit will be 10 yen per 100 points as a settlement fee. In the case of a market order, the spread can be added to the current market price.

[0075] <Promoting the use of payment agency transactions> The issuer will return points etc. to both users who sell points etc. using payment agency transactions and users who purchase products with currency at a return rate according to the amount used. This will encourage users to use payment agency transactions.

[0076] The rebate rate can be set, for example, as follows: When a consumer user sells points or the like in a transaction involving payment agency, if the number of sales is less than j [P] (or less than j [PP]; the same applies below), the rebate rate is a [%], and if the number of sales is j [P] or more, the rebate rate is b [%]. When a corporate user sells points or the like in a transaction involving payment agency, if the number of sales is less than k [P], the rebate rate is c [%], and if the number of sales is k [P] or more, the rebate rate is d [%]. When a consumer user buys a product with currency in a transaction involving payment agency, if the payment amount is less than m [yen], the rebate rate is e [%], and if the payment amount is m [P] or more, the rebate rate is f [%]. When a corporate user buys a product with currency in a transaction involving payment agency, if the payment amount is less than n [yen], the rebate rate is g [%], and if the payment amount is n [P] or more, the rebate rate is h [%].

[0077] The amount of use of settlement agency transactions can be further increased by setting the return rates a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h to a<b, c<d, e<f, and g<h. Also, since corporate users are likely to accumulate a large amount of points and the like through the sale of products, setting the rates to a<c and b<d can promote the sale of points and the like to corporate users.

[0078] Furthermore, in the case of the normal payment transaction described above, when a corporate user converts points or the like from a consumer user who has purchased a product into cash, it takes more than a month for the user to receive the currency. However, if the corporate user sells points or the like held by the corporate user through a payment agency transaction, the period until the currency can be received can be shortened, which can improve the company's cash flow and promote the use of payment agency services.

[0079] <The Essence of Payment Agency Transactions> In the above example of a payment agency transaction, consumer user B pays points, etc. to the issuer, which acts as an intermediary, and thereby assumes the payment for consumer user C's purchase of a product, thereby gaining a claim against consumer user C. The issuer is entrusted with the authority to receive payment for the subject claim by consumer user B, and collects currency from consumer user C and pays it to consumer user B. As explained above, therefore, payment agency transactions can be considered as a function of exchanging points, etc. for currency, but the essence of payment agency transactions is ultimately the act of acting as a payment agent at the time of product purchase. Furthermore, if consumer user B, who sells points, etc., provides points, etc. and acts as an agent for payment to corporate user Y, who sells products, as a type of service, then the issuer acts as an intermediary between the seller and buyer of points, etc., ensuring the safety of the transaction.

[0080] <Regarding the Market Transaction Processing Unit 214> The market transaction processing unit 214 executes market transaction processing and exchange reservation processing.

[0081] <Regarding Market Transaction Processing> Market transaction processing involves buying and selling points and the like between users without the purchase of any products. In market transaction processing, users can buy and sell points and the like by limit orders or market orders, similar to the settlement agency transactions described above.

[0082] <Regarding the Exchange Reservation Process> The exchange reservation process is a process for reserving the sale of remaining points, etc., at a timing, for example, immediately before the point depreciation date. In the exchange reservation process, the user can set the timing of the sale for each expiration date of points, etc., the desired exchange rate for limit orders or market orders, and the number of points to be sold.

[0083] The exchange reservation process prevents users who sell points from forgetting that the depreciation or expiration date of points is approaching and causing the points to depreciate or expire. Also, for users who purchase points and want to use them immediately to pay for products, etc., the sales volume of points increases just before the depreciation or expiration date, and the exchange rate between points and currency is expected to be favorable for buyers of points, allowing them to purchase points at a low price. For businesses, the lower prices of points are expected to increase sales.

[0084] <Regarding the Deposit / Withdrawal Processing Unit 215> The deposit / withdrawal processing unit 215 executes deposit / withdrawal processing for depositing or withdrawing currency from a user's currency account.

[0085] <Profit and Loss Management Unit 216> The profit and loss management unit 216 calculates profit and loss for each user using points or the like to purchase products or buying and selling points or the like in the payment system 10 during a predetermined period.

[0086] <Profit and Loss Calculation Formula> The profit and loss management unit 216 calculates profit and loss using, for example, the following formula: Profit and loss = product purchase amount using points, etc. [yen] + currency purchase amount exchanged for points, etc. [yen] + currency conversion amount of owned points, etc. [yen] - currency payment amount for prepaid points [yen] - currency sales amount [yen]

[0087] The first term on the right side of the profit / loss calculation formula, "product purchase amount using points, etc. [yen]," is the sum of the cumulative total of points, etc. sales and product purchases in regular payment transactions and the cumulative total of points, etc. sales and product purchases in agency payment transactions. Specifically, it is the sum of the cumulative total of the product amounts in each transaction record that includes the point account ID (FK) of the consumer who sold points and purchased products for the user in the point sales / product purchase transaction table 2210 (FIG. 12), which represents information related to regular payment transactions, and the cumulative total of the product amounts in each transaction record that includes the point account ID (FK) of the consumer who sold currency and purchased products for the user in the agency payment transaction table 2212 (FIG. 14), which represents information related to agency payment transactions.

[0088] The second term on the right side of the profit / loss calculation formula, "Amount of currency purchased in exchange for points, etc. [yen]," is the cumulative total of points sold and currency purchased in the settlement agency transaction. Specifically, it is the cumulative total of the "Number of prepaid points sold with a 6-month expiration date" x their currency converted price + "Number of points sold for each of the 6th to 1st month expiration dates" x their currency converted price for each of the 6th to 1st month expiration dates for each of the point selling records that includes the user's point account ID (FK) in the settlement agency transaction_point selling table 2213 (FIG. 15). In other words, it is the total of the currency obtained by selling prepaid points and points in the settlement agency transaction.

[0089] The third term on the right side of the profit / loss calculation formula, "currency converted value of owned points, etc. [yen]," is the total amount of currently owned points and prepaid points (1 [P] = 1 [PP] = 1 [yen]). Specifically, it is the "prepaid points with an expiration date of 6 months" + "number of points with an expiration date of 6 to 1 month" in the user's point account table 222 (FIG. 4).

[0090] The fourth term on the right side of the profit / loss calculation formula, "Currency payment amount for prepaid points [yen]," is the cumulative total of yen sales and prepaid point purchases. Specifically, it is the sum of the currency amounts of each issuance record that includes the point account ID (FK) of the user to which the points are issued in the prepaid point issuance table 226 (FIG. 8).

[0091] The fifth term on the right side of the profit and loss calculation formula, "Currency sales amount [yen]," is the cumulative amount of currency sales and points, etc. purchases in settlement agency transactions. Specifically, it is the sum of the currency sales amounts of currency sellers and product buyers in each transaction record that includes the point account ID (FK) of the user's currency seller and product buyer in the settlement agency transaction table 2212 (Figure 14).

[0092] However, the profit and loss calculation formula is not limited to the above example, and other formulas may be used to calculate profit and loss.

[0093] <Regarding the Remittance Processing Unit 217> The remittance processing unit 217 executes remittance processing for sending points or the like between users without buying or selling products.

[0094] <Regarding Remittance Processing> For example, when consumer user A sends points or the like to consumer user B, consumer user A designates consumer user B as the remittance destination. Various methods for designating the destination can be employed, such as creating a uniform resource locator (URL) link where points or the like can be received and notifying only consumer user B of the destination. Next, consumer user A designates the quantity n of points or the like to be remitted. In response, remittance processing unit 217 presents to consumer user A the lower of the following prices: the price [yen] of n[P] when selling currency and purchasing points at the current market exchange rate, or n(1-r) [yen], which is the price of n[PP] when selling prepaid points and applying the discount rate r. A predetermined fee is then added to this price. When consumer user A pays the proposed price of currency to the issuer, the issuer issues n[P] or n[PP] to consumer user B.

[0095] Unlike the remittance process described above, points may be transferred between a predetermined number of pre-registered consumer users (e.g., family members, friends, etc.) from a remitter's point account to a recipient's point account. In this case, the issuer may or may not collect a predetermined fee.

[0096] <UI Control Unit 218> The UI control unit 218 generates a UI screen, displays it on the terminal device 30, 40, and accepts information input by the user using the UI screen.

[0097] <About the DB Unit 22> The DB unit 22 is realized by a computer processor, memory, and storage. The DB unit 22 generates and stores a user table, a point account table, a currency account table, a currency deposit / withdrawal table, a point issuance table, a prepaid point issuance table, a point expiration date change table, a point depreciation table, a point expiration table, a point selling / product buying transaction table, a company point selling / currency buying transaction table, a settlement agency transaction table, a settlement agency transaction_point selling table, and a point issuance_point account table. Note that the DB unit 22 may store information and data other than the above-mentioned tables. Details of each table will be described later.

[0098] The communication unit 23 is realized by a communication module of a computer. The communication unit 23 connects to the terminal devices 30 and 40 via the network N and communicates various data and information.

[0099] The terminal devices 30, 40 used by users are computers such as personal computers, smartphones, tablet devices, and wearable devices. As an example, a user uses the terminal devices 30, 40 to use the payment system 10. When making a payment using the terminal devices 30, 40, in the case of a transaction on a website or app provided by an e-commerce site or the like, the payment can be made by inputting a payment instruction. In the case of a payment at a physical store, various payment methods can be used, such as QR code (trademark) payment, barcode payment, and contactless payment using an integrated IC chip. As another example, a user can use the payment system 10 using an IC card created in advance.

[0100] <Data Structure of Various Tables> Fig. 3 shows an example of the data structure of the user table 221. The user table 221 is used to manage information related to users, and a user record is generated in association with each user based on information input by the user at the time of user registration.

[0101] The user table 221 has a user ID, which is an identifier for uniquely identifying a user, as a PK (primary key), and columns for recording the user name, password, consumer or company flag, issuer flag indicating whether the user is an issuer of points, etc., date of birth (date of establishment), address, telephone number, email address, My Number or corporate number, and registration date and time. By recording the My Number or corporate number, the payment system 10 can also be used for transactions related to taxes and social security.

[0102] 4 shows an example of the data structure of the point account table 222. The point account table 222 is used to manage information related to points and the like held by users, and a point account record is generated in association with each user's user table. The point account table 222 is also recorded and updated in accordance with the desired exchange rate when buying and selling points and the like input by the user, such as the issuance processing of points and the like by the issuance processing unit 211, the expiration date management of points and the like by the point management unit 212, depreciation, settlement processing by the settlement processing unit 213, and extinction processing.

[0103] Note that each table from Figure 4 onwards corresponds to an example in which the expiration date of points is within six months, the expiration date of prepaid points is one month and they expire after one month has passed, and instead points with an expiration date of five months are issued.

[0104] The point account table 222 has columns for recording the number of prepaid points with an expiration date of six months and the number of points with expiration dates of six to zero months, with the point account ID, which is an identifier for uniquely identifying a point account, as the PK and the user ID as the FK (Foreign key). Note that the number of prepaid points with an expiration date of six months refers to prepaid points with an expiration date of one month or less that will expire after the expiration date and will instead be issued with points with an expiration date of five months or less. This is also true for the other tables described below.

[0105] For example, if a user purchases m[PP] prepaid points from an issuer during month t, m[PP] will be recorded in the column for the number of prepaid points with a 6-month expiration date in the user's point account record. Then, on the 1st of month (t+1), m[PP] will be deleted from the column for the number of prepaid points with a 6-month expiration date, and at the same time, the depreciation rate d will be recorded in the column for the number of points with a 5-month expiration date. ｐ Depreciated m(1-d ｐ ) [P] is recorded.

[0106] For example, if a user is issued free n[P] during month t, n[P] is recorded in the column of the number of points with a validity period of six months in the point account record of the user. Then, on the first day of month (t+1), n[P] is deleted from the column of the number of points with a validity period of six months, and the depreciation rate d is recorded in the column of the number of points with a validity period of five months. ６ Depreciated n(1-d ６ ) [P] is recorded. Similarly, points are periodically depreciated until the 1st of month (t+5), and on the 1st of month (t+6), n(1-d ６ ) ... (1-d ２ ) [P] is deleted, and at the same time, the column of the number of points with an expiration date of 0 months is updated with the number of expired points (n(1-d ６ ) ... (1-d １ ) [P] is recorded. The column for the number of points with an expiration date of 0 months is provided for convenience in order to allow for the expiry of points, and the number of points recorded in this column cannot be used for payment, etc.

[0107] Furthermore, the point account table 222 has columns for recording a flag indicating whether to make a limit order or a market order when purchasing points, etc., a flag indicating whether to automatically change to purchasing prepaid points when a market order has been selected when purchasing points, etc. and the market price is higher than the price of prepaid points, a desired exchange rate when making a limit order when purchasing points, etc., a sales setting flag indicating whether to sell points held, a flag indicating whether to make a limit order or a market order when selling points, etc., the number of points sold and the limit exchange rate for each expiration period from 6 to 0 months, and a reservation for selling points, etc. (for example, selling three days before the expiration date). Note that this information regarding the purchase and sale of points, etc. is recorded based on settings made by the user and can be changed by the user as appropriate.

[0108] 5 shows an example of the data structure of the currency account table 223. The currency account table 223 is used to manage information related to currencies held by users, and a currency account record is generated in association with each user's user record.

[0109] The currency account table 223 has columns for recording the currency balance in the currency account, with PK being a currency account ID, which is an identifier for uniquely identifying the currency account, and FK being a user ID.

[0110] 6 shows an example of the data structure of the currency deposit / withdrawal table 224. The currency deposit / withdrawal table 224 is used to manage information relating to the deposit / withdrawal of currency between a user's currency account and the user's bank account, etc., and for each transaction (currency deposit / withdrawal) by the deposit / withdrawal processing unit 215, a currency deposit / withdrawal record is generated in association with the user's currency account record.

[0111] It should be noted that the method of depositing currency into a user's currency account is not limited to a bank account, and may also be by using, for example, a credit card or a dedicated terminal such as an ATM (automated teller machine).

[0112] The currency deposit / withdrawal table 224 has columns for recording the date and time of the currency deposit / withdrawal, the bank account name, the bank account number, and the amount of currency deposited / withdrawn, with PK being the currency deposit / withdrawal ID, which is an identifier for uniquely identifying currency deposits / withdrawals to the user's currency account, and FK being the currency account ID.

[0113] 7 shows an example of the data structure of the point issuance table 225. The point issuance table 225 is used to manage information related to points issued by issuers to users, and each time the issuance processing unit 211 issues points to a user, a point issuance record is generated in association with the point account record of the user.

[0114] The point issuance table 225 has columns for recording the point issuance date and time, the point account ID (FK) to which the points are issued, and the number of points issued for each expiration period of 6 to 1 month, with the point issuance ID (PK) being an identifier that uniquely identifies the issuance of points to a user by the issuer.

[0115] 8 shows an example of the data structure of the prepaid point issuance table 226. The prepaid point issuance table 226 is used to manage information related to prepaid points issued to users by issuers, and each time the issuance processing unit 211 issues prepaid points to a user, a prepaid point issuance record is generated in association with the point account record of the user.

[0116] The prepaid point issuance table 226 has columns for recording the date and time of issuance of the prepaid points, the number of prepaid points issued with a one-month expiration date, and the amount of currency paid by the user in exchange for the issuance of the prepaid points, with PK being the prepaid point issuance ID, which is an identifier for uniquely identifying the issuance of prepaid points by the issuer to the user, and FK being the point account ID of the issuance destination.

[0117] 9 shows an example of the data structure of the point expiration date change table 227. The point expiration date change table 227 is used to manage information related to changes to the expiration date of points, and each time the point management unit 212 changes the expiration date of points, a point expiration date change record is generated in association with the point account record of the user.

[0118] The point expiration date change table 227 has columns for recording the date and time when the expiration date was changed and the number of months for which the expiration date was changed (usually one month), with the point expiration date change ID, which is an identifier for uniquely identifying the process that changed the expiration date of points, the point account ID to which the change was made, and the point issue ID to which the change was made serving as PK. The point account ID to which the change was made and the point issue ID to which the change was made also serve as FK.

[0119] 10 shows an example of the data structure of the point depreciation table 228. The point depreciation table 228 is used to manage information related to point depreciation, and each time the point management unit 212 depreciates points, a point depreciation record is generated in association with the point account record of the user.

[0120] The point depreciation table 228 has columns for recording the date and time when points were depreciated and the point depreciation rate, with a point depreciation ID, which is an identifier for uniquely identifying the process that depreciated points, a point account ID of the depreciation destination, and a point issue ID of the depreciation destination as PK. The point account ID of the depreciation destination and the point issue ID of the depreciation destination also serve as FK.

[0121] 11 shows an example of the data structure of the point extinction table 229. The point extinction table 229 is used to manage information related to the extinction of points, etc., and each time the point management unit 212 extinguishes points, a point extinction record is generated in association with the point account record of the user.

[0122] The point extinction table 229 has columns for recording the date and time when points were extinguished, with a point extinction ID, which is an identifier for uniquely identifying the process that extinguished points, a point account ID where the points are to be extinguished, and a point issue ID where the points are to be extinguished as PK. The point account ID where the points are to be extinguished and the point issue ID where the points are to be extinguished also serve as FK.

[0123] 12 shows an example of the data structure of the point selling / product buying transaction table 2210. The point selling / product buying transaction table 2210 is used to manage information related to regular payment transactions (point selling / product buying transactions), and each time the payment processing unit 213 executes payment processing for a product purchase by a user through a regular payment transaction, a point selling / product buying transaction record is generated in association with the point account record of the point selling / product buying consumer user.

[0124] The point selling / product buying transaction table 2210 has a point selling / product buying transaction ID (PK), which is an identifier for uniquely identifying a point selling / product buying transaction, and columns for recording the date and time of the transaction, the point account ID (FK) of the consumer user selling points / purchasing the product, the point account ID (FK) of the corporate user selling the product, the number of prepaid points with a validity period of 6 months that the consumer user paid (sold) to purchase the product, the number of points sold for each validity period of 6 to 1 month, the product name, and the product price.

[0125] 13 shows an example of the data structure of the company point sell / currency buy transaction table 2211. The company point sell / currency buy transaction table 2211 is used to manage information regarding point sell / currency buy transactions (cash exchange transactions in which held points are sold and currency is purchased) by company users. Each time the market transaction processing unit 214 performs a cash exchange transaction with a company, a company point sell / currency buy transaction record is generated in the company point sell / currency buy transaction table 2211 in association with the point account record of the company user.

[0126] The corporate point selling / currency buying transaction table 2211 has columns for recording the point selling / currency buying transaction ID (PK), which is an identifier for uniquely identifying a point selling / currency buying transaction, the date and time of the transaction, the point account ID (FK) of the corporate user selling the points, etc., the user ID (FK) of the issuer buying the points, etc., the number of prepaid points with a 6-month expiration date sold (i.e., converted into cash) by the corporate user, the number of points sold with expiration dates of 6 to 1 month, and the currency buying amount.

[0127] 14 shows an example of the data structure of the payment agency transaction table 2212. The payment agency transaction table 2212 is used to manage information related to payment agency transactions, and each time the payment processing unit 213 executes payment processing for a product purchase by a user through a payment agency transaction, a payment agency transaction record is generated in association with the point account record of the consumer user who sold currency and bought the product.

[0128] The payment agency transaction table 2212 has columns for recording the date and time of the transaction, the point account ID (FK) of the consumer selling currency and buying goods, the number of prepaid points sold by the consumer selling currency and buying goods with a 6-month expiration date, the number of points sold by the consumer selling currency and buying goods with a 6-month expiration date, the total number of points sold by the consumer selling points and buying currency, the currency account ID (FK) of the consumer selling currency and buying goods, the amount of currency sold by the consumer selling currency and buying goods, the point account ID (FK) of the product selling company, the product name, and the product price, with the payment agency transaction ID being PK, which is an identifier for uniquely identifying a payment agency transaction.

[0129] 15 shows an example of the data structure of the payment agency transaction_point selling table 2213. The payment agency transaction_point selling table 2213 is used to manage information related to point selling by point selling / currency buying consumers in payment agency transactions, and for each payment agency transaction, a payment agency transaction_point selling record is generated for one or more point selling / currency buying consumers in association with the payment agency transaction record of the payment agency transaction.

[0130] The payment agency transaction_point selling table 2213 has columns for recording the date and time of the transaction, the payment agency transaction ID (FK), the point account ID (FK) of the consumer selling points and buying currency, the currency account ID (FK), the number of prepaid points sold with an expiration date of 6 months, the number of points sold with an expiration date of 6 to 1 month, the currency converted price (per unit) of the prepaid points sold, and the currency converted price (per unit) of the points sold with an expiration date of 6 to 1 month, using the payment agency transaction_point selling ID as PK, which is an identifier for uniquely identifying the payment agency transaction_point selling.

[0131] 16 shows an example of the data structure of the point issuance_point account table 2214. When points, etc. are issued to the same user multiple times in the same month, the point issuance_point account table 2214 enables tracing of multiple past point issuance IDs and prepaid point issuance IDs included in points, etc. with each expiration date, and each time the issuance processing unit 211 issues points, etc. to a user, a point issuance_point account record is generated in association with the point account record of the user.

[0132] The point issuance_point account table 2214 has columns for recording the date and time when points etc. were issued, the point issuance ID (FK), the prepaid point issuance ID (FK), the point account ID (FK) to which the points were issued, the latest prepaid point issuance ID (FK) with an expiration date of 6 months, and the latest point issuance ID (FK) for each expiration date of 6 to 1 month, with the point issuance_point account ID (PK) being an identifier for uniquely identifying the point issuance_point account record.

[0133] <Processing for Changing the Expiry Date of Points, Depreciation, and Extinction> FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing for changing the expiration date of points, depreciation, and extinction by the point management unit 212.

[0134] This process is executed periodically (for example, on the first day of each month) for each user's point account record in the point account table 222.

[0135] First, the point management unit 212 initializes a parameter y to 1 (step S1). Next, the point management unit 212 references the column of the number of points with an expiration date of y months in the point account record, obtains the balance n[P], and erases the record in that column (step S2). Next, the point management unit 212 multiplies the balance n[P] obtained in step S2 by a depreciation rate d ｙ Next, the point management unit 212 calculates the value of the points deducted in step S3 by n(1-d ｙ ) [P] is stored in the column of the number of points for the expiration date (y-1) months of the point account record (step S2).

[0136] In this case, since the parameter y=1, the number of points n[P] with a one-month expiration date of the point account record is obtained, and n(1-d １ ) [P], and then stored in the column of the number of points with an expiration date of 0 months in the point account record.

[0137] Next, the point management unit 212 determines whether the expiration date parameter y is 6 (step S5), and if it determines that the expiration date parameter y is not 6 (NO in step S5), it increments the parameter y by 1 (step S6) and returns the processing to step 2.

[0138] From this point on, steps S2 to S6 are repeated until it is determined in step S5 that the parameter y is 6, and the number of points n in the point account record with an expiration date of 2 to 6 months is deducted and moved to the column with the number of points with an expiration date of 1 to 5 months.

[0139] If the parameter y is determined to be 6 (YES in step S5), the point management unit 212 erases (rewrites to 0) the number of points stored in the point number column of the point account record with an expiration date of 0 months (step S7).

[0140] Next, the point management unit 212 refers to the column of the number of prepaid points with a validity period of six months in the point account record, obtains the balance m[PP], and erases the record in that column (step S8). Next, the point management unit 212 calculates m[P] equal to the balance m[PP] obtained in step S8 at a depreciation rate d ｐ Next, the point management unit 212 calculates the value of the points deducted in step S9 by m(1-d ｐ ) [P] is added to the column of the number of points with a 5-month expiration date in the point account record (step S10).

[0141] This completes the process of changing the expiration date, depreciating, and deleting points, etc., by the point management unit 212.

[0142] <Regarding a Payment Agency Transaction> FIG. 18 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a payment agency transaction performed by the payment processing unit 213. As shown in FIG.

[0143] First, for example, when consumer user A uses terminal device 30 (hereinafter referred to as terminal device 30A) to access an EC site that uses payment system 10 (step S11), a product introduction screen (not shown) for introducing and purchasing products is displayed on terminal device 30A (step S21).

[0144] The EC site may be one set up independently by a corporate user selling products, a marketplace type that collects products offered by multiple corporate users, or a mall type where multiple corporate users manage their own sales areas.

[0145] Next, when consumer user A selects a product he or she wants to purchase on the product introduction screen displayed on terminal device 30A and instructs purchase (step S12), the EC site requests payment processing from payment processing unit 213 of payment device 20 (step S22). The request for payment processing includes the transmission of payment processing information necessary for payment processing, such as the user ID of consumer user A who purchases the product, the user ID of corporate user X who sells the product, the product name (which may be identification information such as a product ID), and the product price.

[0146] In the example shown in the figure, the payment processing information is transmitted all at once, but some of the information may be transmitted at different times. Furthermore, the payment processing information is not limited to being transmitted from the EC site, but may also be transmitted from, for example, another device linked to the EC site or consumer user A's terminal device 30A.

[0147] Here, it is assumed that consumer user A selects a product (book) for 10,000 yen sold by corporate user X, instructs to purchase it, and does not have points or the like.

[0148] Next, the payment processing unit 213, based on the user ID of consumer user A purchasing the product, refers to the point account record associated with the user record of consumer user A to check whether consumer user A has points, etc., equal to or greater than the product price, and calculates the number of points that are lacking relative to the product price (step S31).

[0149] Then, the UI control unit 218 displays on the terminal device 30A the number of points that is lacking (in this case, 10,000 [P]) and a settlement screen 1000 (e.g., Figure 19) on which consumer user A can select a limit order or a market order (step S32).

[0150] 19 and 20 show examples of the display of the settlement screen 1000, where Fig. 19 is an example of the display when consumer user A selects limit order as the initial setting when purchasing points, etc., and Fig. 20 is an example of the display when consumer user A selects market order as the initial setting when purchasing points, etc. Note that when checking the initial setting when purchasing points, etc., the point account table 222 corresponding to consumer user A is referenced.

[0151] The payment screen 1000 has a display field 1001 that displays the number of points that are lacking compared to the number of points required to purchase a product, radio buttons 1002 that allow the user to select limit order, market order, or prepaid point purchase, a display field 1003 that displays the purchase price of points, etc., and a "Charge & Pay" button 1004 that allows the user to instruct the purchase of points, etc.

[0152] As shown in FIG. 19, when limit order is selected using radio button 1002, the user can change the desired exchange rate (90 yen (including spread) in this figure) on settlement screen 1000.

[0153] Returning to Fig. 18, when consumer user A selects limit order or market order using radio button 1002 on payment screen 1000 and operates "Charge & Pay" button 1004 to instruct payment (step S13), payment processing unit 213 matches the purchase and sale of points, etc., and determines the user who will sell points, etc. to consumer user A (step S33).

[0154] For simplicity's sake, let us assume that a match is made so that consumer user A places a limit order to purchase 10,000 points with a one-month expiration date from consumer user B at an exchange rate of 90 yen (including the spread).

[0155] Next, the settlement processing unit 213 executes the buying and selling of points, etc. Specifically, 9,000 yen, the purchase price of points, etc., is transferred from consumer user A's currency account to the currency account of the issuer. Also, 10,000 P is transferred from consumer user B's point account to consumer user A's point account, updating the point account records of consumer users A and B. Furthermore, the sales price of points, etc., obtained by deducting the spread from the 9,000 yen paid by consumer user A as the purchase price of points, etc., is transferred from the issuer's currency account to consumer user B's currency account (step S34). However, the timing of transferring the sales price of points, etc. to consumer user B's currency account may be at a later date.

[0156] Next, the payment processing unit 213 transfers 10,000 [P], which is equivalent to the product price, from consumer user A's point account to corporate user X's point account (step S35). Next, the payment processing unit 213 records information related to steps S34 and S35 in the payment agency transaction table 2212 and the payment agency transaction_point selling table 2213 (step S36).

[0157] Specifically, a payment agency transaction record is generated, recording the issued payment agency transaction ID, date and time, consumer user A's point account ID, the number of points sold by consumer user A with a one-month expiration date (10,000 [P]), consumer user B's total number of points sold (10,000 [P]), consumer user A's currency account ID, consumer user A's currency sale amount (9,000 [yen]), corporate user X's point account ID, product name (book), and product amount (10,000 [yen]). Also, a payment agency transaction_point sale record is generated, recording the issued payment agency transaction_point sale ID, date and time, payment agency transaction ID, consumer user B's point account ID, consumer user B's currency account ID, consumer user B's currency account ID, the number of points sold by consumer user B with a one-month expiration date (10,000 [P]), and the point currency converted price with a one-month expiration date (0.9 [yen] per unit).

[0158] The order of execution of steps S33 to S35 is not limited to the above example and may be any order. For example, the issuer may execute step S35 by paying points in advance to corporate user X, and then execute steps S33 and S34.

[0159] After the buying and selling of points, etc. and the payment of points, etc. to corporate user X are completed in this manner, the UI control unit 218 then causes the terminal device 30A to display a payment completion screen 1100 (FIG. 21) (step S37).

[0160] 21 shows an example of a payment completion screen 1100. The payment completion screen 1100 displays the number of points, etc. purchased through the payment agent transaction, the number of points, etc. paid as the purchase price of the product, and the remaining balance of points, etc.

[0161] Returning to Fig. 18, next, when the payment processing unit 213 notifies the EC site of the completion of the settlement process through the proxy transaction (step S38), the EC site causes a purchase procedure completion screen (not shown) to be displayed on the terminal device 30A (step S23).

[0162] This concludes the description of the settlement agent transaction performed by the settlement processing unit 213. When using a settlement agent transaction, a user may be able to purchase points, etc. at a lower price than purchasing prepaid points, depending on the desired exchange rate set by the user when selecting a limit order or the market price when selecting a market order. However, there may be cases where no other users are selling points, etc. at the desired exchange rate set by the user for the limit order, or where the market price of points, etc. for a market order is higher than the selling price of prepaid points. In such cases, the user can simply select prepaid point purchase using radio button 1002 on the settlement screen 1000. The user can also set up a limit order or market order to automatically change to prepaid point purchase in such cases.

[0163] As a variant, the process of displaying the settlement screen 1000 on the terminal device 30A and having the consumer user A select a limit order or a market order (steps S32, S13) may be omitted, and the buying and selling of points, etc. may be matched according to the desired exchange rate for limit orders or market orders that the consumer user A has set in advance.

[0164] While FIG. 18 illustrates an example of payment for purchasing a product on an e-commerce site, it goes without saying that the payment device 20 can also be applied to other payment methods. As an example, in code payment, when a store terminal (terminal device 40) at a physical store scans a code displayed on a consumer user's terminal device 30, the store terminal can transmit payment request information to the payment device 20. In this case, the payment screen 1000 and the payment completion screen 1100 can be displayed on the store terminal or the user's terminal device 30. As another example, in code payment, when a consumer user's terminal device 30 scans a code displayed at a physical store, the user's terminal device 30 can transmit payment request information to the payment device 20. In this case, the payment screen 1000 and the payment completion screen 1100 can be displayed on the user's terminal device 30. As yet another example, when payment is made using an IC chip installed in the consumer user's terminal device 30 or the consumer user's IC card, the store terminal (terminal device 40) that scans the IC chip or IC card can transmit payment request information to the payment device 20. The payment screen 1000 and the payment completion screen 1100 may be displayed on the store terminal or the user's terminal device 30 .

[0165] <Display Example of Profit and Loss Notification Screen> FIG. 22 shows a display example of a profit and loss notification screen 1200 displayed on the terminal device 30 to notify the user of the profit and loss calculated by the profit and loss management unit 216 .

[0166] The profit and loss notification screen 1200 is displayed on the terminal device 30 in response to a predetermined operation by the user. The profit and loss notification screen 1200 displays the profit and loss (+8,000 yen in the illustrated example) of the user for purchasing products using points or buying and selling points during a predetermined period. For reference, the exchange rate when selling currency and purchasing points (100 yen = 102 points in the illustrated example) and the exchange rate when buying currency and selling points (100 yen = 110 points in the illustrated example) may also be displayed.

[0167] The profit and loss notification screen 1200 can clearly show the user the profits gained by using the payment system 10 in numerical form, thereby encouraging the user to use the payment system 10 .

[0168] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and various other modifications are possible. For example, the above-described embodiments and modifications have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of a modification with another modification, or to combine modifications.

[0169] Furthermore, some or all of the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, etc. may be implemented in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD, or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD. Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines in the product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected.

[0170] 10...Settlement system, 20...Settlement device, 21...Processing unit, 211...Issuance processing unit, 212...Point management unit, 213...Settlement processing unit, 214...Market transaction processing unit, 215...Deposit / withdrawal processing unit, 216...Profit and loss management unit, 217...Remittance processing unit, 218...UI control unit, 22...DB unit, 221...User table, 222...Point account table, 223...Currency account table, 224...Currency deposit / withdrawal table, 225...Point issuance table, 226...Prepaid point issuance table, 227...Point expiration date change table, 228...Point depreciation table, 229...Point disappearance table, 2210...Point selling / product buying transaction table, 2211...Company point selling / currency buying transaction table, 2212...Settlement agency transaction table, 2213...Settlement agency transaction_point selling table, 2214...Point issuance_point account table, 23...Communication unit, 30...Terminal device, 40...Terminal device, 1000...Settlement screen, 1100...Settlement completion screen, 1200...Profit and loss notification screen

Claims

1. A settlement device that manages settlement using points as a settlement means in place of currency, comprising: - an issuance processing unit that issues the points to the user for free; - a settlement processing unit that, as a settlement process when a first user purchases goods from a second user, executes a normal settlement transaction in which the points corresponding to the price of the goods are transferred from the point account of the first user to the point account of the second user, or a proxy settlement transaction in which a third user sells points to the first user and the points corresponding to the price of the goods are transferred to the point account of the second user.

2. The settlement device according to claim 1, wherein in the proxy settlement transaction, the settlement processing unit executes any one of the following patterns: - a first pattern in which the points purchased by the first user from the third user are transferred from the point account of the third user to the point account of the second user via the point account of the issuance processing unit; - a second pattern in which the points purchased by the first user from the third user are transferred from the point account of the third user to the point account of the second user via the point account of the first user; - a third pattern in which the points purchased by the first user from the third user are directly transferred from the point account of the third user to the point account of the second user.

3. The settlement device according to claim 1, further comprising a point management unit that manages at least one of the expiration date, depreciation, and extinction of the points held by the user.

4. The settlement device according to claim 3, wherein the point management unit periodically shortens the expiration date of the points held by the user, periodically decreases the number of points held by the user, and extinguishes the points whose expiration date has passed.

5. The settlement device according to claim 3, wherein the issuance processing unit issues prepaid points that are chargeable to the user and can be used as the settlement means equivalent to the points at a predetermined discount rate, and the point management unit manages the expiration date of the prepaid points held by the user.

6. The settlement device according to claim 5, wherein the prepaid points include cryptocurrency. A settlement device.

7. The settlement device according to claim 1, wherein in the settlement agency transaction, the settlement processing unit causes the first user to purchase the points being sold by the third user according to the limit order or market order specified by each of the third user and the first user. A settlement device.

8. The settlement device according to claim 1, further comprising a market transaction processing unit that executes trading of the points between users without involving the buying and selling of goods. A settlement device.

9. The settlement device according to claim 8, wherein the market transaction processing unit executes trading of the points between the users according to the limit order or market order specified by each of the users who are trading the points. A settlement device.

10. The settlement device according to claim 1, wherein in response to the points corresponding to the price of the goods being delivered from the second user, the settlement processing unit deposits currency obtained by discounting at a predetermined settlement / cashing commission rate into the currency account of the second user. A settlement device.

11. The settlement device according to claim 1, further comprising a profit and loss management unit that calculates the profit and loss for the user's use of the points, and a UI control unit that presents the profit and loss to the user. A settlement device.

12. A settlement method by a settlement device that manages settlement using points as a settlement means in place of currency, including an issuance processing step of issuing the points to the user for free, and as a settlement process when a first user purchases goods from a second user, a normal settlement transaction of transferring the points corresponding to the price of the goods from the point account of the first user to the point account of the second user, or a settlement agency transaction of causing the first user to purchase the points being sold by a third user and transferring the points corresponding to the price of the goods to the point account of the second user. A settlement method.

13. A program that causes a computer that manages settlement using points as a settlement means in place of currency to function as an issuance processing unit that issues the points to a user for free, and as a settlement processing unit that, as settlement processing when a first user purchases a product from a second user, executes a normal settlement transaction in which the points corresponding to the price of the product are transferred from the point account of the first user to the point account of the second user, or an agency settlement transaction in which the first user is made to purchase points sold by a third user and the points corresponding to the price of the product are transferred to the point account of the second user.

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