JP2003076908A - Device and method for calculating return point - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the number of members in a members-only commercial transaction system for mediating a commercial transaction between a member store and each member. SOLUTION: A management device 14 acquires the record of a member 12 in the members-only commercial transaction system 10 and stores the acquired data in a record database 22. A control part 30 acquires member arrangement in which the member 12 concerned is arranged on the basis of the record and acquires the return points of the member 12 in accordance with the order in the member arrangement. The return points are determined so that return funds are distributed at a prescribed ratio in accordance with the member arrangement.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for calculating return points for returning a part of profit generated in a member-based commercial transaction system which mediates commercial transactions between a member store and a member, and an apparatus therefor. The present invention relates to a method of calculating return points.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, there is a card-based commercial transaction as this type of membership-based commercial transaction. By presenting the card, a member of the membership commerce system can purchase a product or service at the member store. Operator of membership-based commerce system (card company in this case)
Receives a profit-based commission from a member store. Moreover, a part of the profit in the system is returned to the member according to the purchase amount.

[0003]

In such a system, in many cases, the more members, member stores, and system operators, the higher the merits. First, for a member store and a system operator, the more members there are, the more opportunities for transactions increase, and thus the possibility of increasing profits increases. For this reason, the more members there are, the more likely it is that the number of member stores will increase, but since the increase in the number of member stores will be more convenient for members, there is a greater possibility that this will lead to a further increase in the number of members. . That is, the acquisition of members is an important issue in such a system.

Returning profits can be one of the attractions for members, but in the conventional system in which the return is made in proportion to the purchase amount, the effect of increasing the number of members cannot be expected.

Therefore, the present invention aims to increase the number of members by a new method of returning profits, and to construct a membership commerce system that is more beneficial to the three members, the member store, and the system operator.

[0006]

A return point calculation device according to the present invention is a return system for returning a part of profit generated in a membership-based commercial transaction system which mediates a commercial transaction between a member store and a member to the member. A device for calculating points, a performance storage unit that stores the performance of members in a membership commerce system, a member array acquisition unit that acquires a member array in which members are arrayed based on the performance, and a member array And a redemption point acquisition unit that acquires redemption points for members according to the ranking in. The return point calculation device according to the present invention is expected to motivate members to obtain as high a rank as possible in the member arrangement determined by comparison with the achievements of other members. In this member arrangement, it is desirable to assign one member to each rank. This is because the motivation may be weakened if there are a large number of members in the same rank with the same return points.

Further, in the present invention, the member sequence acquisition unit is
It is desirable to acquire a member array in which the larger number of members introduced as candidates for membership in the membership commerce system, the higher the number of return points. It is expected that the number of introducers will increase by adding the number of introducers to the actual points.

Further, in the present invention, the member sequence acquisition unit is
It is desirable to obtain a member array in which members with earlier membership registration have more return points. By doing so, it is expected that the number of members will increase rapidly.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a membership-based commercial transaction system 10 that mediates commercial transactions between a member store and a member through a card.

First, the basic processing in the member-only commercial transaction system 10 and the configuration related thereto will be described. The card company as the operator of the membership commerce system 10 registers the applicant as a member 12 in response to an application for membership by the applicant. Card company management device 14
Assigns a unique member number according to the order of registration to the applicant who has admitted, and registers the attribute information of the member 12 including the member number in the member database 16. In addition, the registered member 12 is notified of the member number from the card company, and the card 1 is provided with a storage medium (for example, IC memory, magnetic tape, etc.) for attribute information such as the member number.
7 (membership card) is given.

By presenting the card 17, the member 12 can purchase goods or services at the member store. The processing terminal 18 (and a mechanism for reading the information stored in the storage medium of the card 17) of the member store that has received the offer to purchase the product or service acquires the attribute information of the member 12 from the card 17 presented by the member 12. Then, this is transmitted to the management device 14 connected via the telecommunication line (for example, a public line network) 20 to inquire whether or not the commercial transaction is possible. When receiving a notification from the management device 14 that a commercial transaction is possible, the member store and the member 1
A commercial transaction is carried out between the two and the processing terminal 18 of the member store transmits the purchase information including the purchase amount and the like to the management device 14. The purchase information is added as a purchase record to the record database 22 of the management device 14.

The management device 14 is connected to a Web server 24, and the member 12 operates a client terminal 28 connected to the Web server 24 via an electric communication line (for example, the Internet) 26 to thereby perform a predetermined operation. (For example, enrollment, introduction of new enrollment members, inquiry of own achievements, purchase of products / services, etc.) can be performed. The web server 24 receives the access from the client terminal 28 and provides the stored information. The client terminal 28 is a general W
It is a personal computer in which an eb client (program) is installed, and displays information acquired from the Web server 24 on a display or the like. In the client terminal 28, a CGI (Common Gateway Interface) utilization program that uses a Web page as an interface is installed, and thereby the processing related to the above-described predetermined procedure is realized.

Attribute information of a person introduced as a candidate for joining the system 10 is transmitted to the management device 14 via the telecommunication line 26 by an input operation of the member 12 at the client terminal 28, for example, the member database 16 Stored in. The management device 14 stores the introduction from the member 12 in the achievement database 22 as the introduction result of the member 12. Further, when the membership of the member 12 is confirmed, it is stored in the result database 22 as the introduction result of the contracted introducer.

Next, a more detailed configuration and operation of the management device 14 will be described. In this embodiment, the management device 14 corresponds to the return point calculation device according to the present invention. The management device 14 is a control unit (for example, CPU) 3 that controls the management device 14 and the entire system 10.
0, member database (eg hard disk) 1
6, achievement database (eg hard disk) 2
2, a return point database (for example, a hard disk) 32 that stores the calculated return points, an input unit (for example, a keyboard) 34 that can input predetermined information, and an output unit (for example, a display, a printer, etc.) 36. It should be noted that the management device 14 uses the telecommunication lines 20, 2
6, the processing terminal 18 or the client terminal 28
A communication device (not shown) is provided for exchanging information with the communication device.

The control unit 30 performs various processes (acquisition of each information, database of acquired information) for calculating return points according to a program held in a program holding unit (eg hard disk, memory, etc.) not shown. , Storing members, calculating member arrangements and redemption points, etc.). This program is, for example, a computer-readable recording medium (for example, CD-ROM, DVD, MO
Etc.) from a removable device (for example, C
It is read by a D-ROM reading mechanism or the like) and installed in the program holding unit.

The achievement database 22 stores the achievements of each member 12. The record of the member 12 includes, for example, the member number and the purchase amount (purchase record) at the member store, the number of people introduced as candidates for joining the system (the introduction record of the number of introducers), and the actual number of the introducers. It includes the number of members who have become members (the introduction record of the number of contracted introducers) and bonus points other than the purchase record.

The control unit 30 acquires the member's record from the record database 22 and determines the member arrangement based on this. The determined rank in the member array is stored in the member database 16 as a member attribute, for example. Here, an example of the member arrangement based on the achievements will be described with reference to FIG.

In the example of FIG. 2, in determining the member arrangement,
First, the members are classified into a plurality of classes based on the performance value in one or a plurality of categories (for example, the number of contracted introducers). In the example of Fig. 2, if the number of closed introducers is 7 or more, it is in the 5th class, if it is 5 or 6 it is in the 4th class, and if it is 3 or 4 in the 3rd class. , If the same number is 1 or 2 people, it is set to the 2nd class (not shown), and if it is 0 people (the number of closed referrals is not set), it is set to the 1st class (not shown), respectively. To be done.

Within this class, the member array is determined based on a category (same purchase record) different from the category (introduction record in the above example) which is the source of the class. More specifically, for example, a plurality of members classified into the same class are arranged such that the higher the purchase record is, the higher the rank is, and the smaller the purchase record is, the lower the rank is.

When the actual values are the same, the member arrangement is determined based on another category (for example, the member registration order) so that the members do not overlap in the same rank. For example, when there are a plurality of members who have the same purchase record in the same class, the member arrangement is determined such that the member registration order is higher and the member registration order is lower. In this way, the control unit 30 determines the member arrangement so that the rankings do not overlap. By allocating the member numbers in the member registration order, the control unit 30 can determine the registration order from the size of the member numbers.

Then, the control unit 30 calculates return points for each member 12 in accordance with the rank of the member array, and stores this in the return point database 32. From the profit of the system 10 obtained from the transaction fee received from the member store or the membership fee collected from the member, the member 12
The resources for the return to be returned to are secured. Control unit 30
Is to be distributed so that this return resource is distributed at a ratio according to the rank in the member array of the members 12 (that is, the higher it is in the member array; the higher it is, for example, in the progressively higher ratio). Calculate points. The calculation of the return points is performed, for example, at a predetermined deadline (for example, once a month, twice a year, etc.).

In the management device 14, the temporary membership arrangement and / or the redemption points are temporarily provided at a predetermined period before the deadline (for example, two weeks before the deadline is once a month). The calculation may be performed and the member 12 may be notified of the calculation. In this case, for example, when a predetermined amount of results is added to each member 12 in the reduction array along with the ranking (and the reduction points) at that point in time (for example, in the system 10 before the deadline). The virtual order (when purchasing 10,000 yen) may be notified. In addition, for example, a notification indicating how many members have the same level of achievement (actual value [for example, purchase result] is within a predetermined range with respect to the actual value of the member) (for example, a member according to the actual value) You may make it transmit the notification which shows distribution. It should be noted that this notification is transmitted, for example, as a direct mail (postal mail) or an electronic mail addressed to each member 12.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the classification according to the introduction record (the number of introducers) is performed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, instead of this, classification may be performed according to the purchase record. Good. In that case, ranking is performed according to the introduction record within the same class, and if the introduction record is the same, the one with the earlier registration order of the introducer is arranged in the higher rank. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the system using a card as an intermediary has been described, but the present invention can be implemented in a system that does not use a card.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a membership commerce system including a return point calculation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a member array determined in the redemption point calculation device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 membership system, 12 members, 14 management device, 16 member database, 17 cards, 18
Processing terminal, 20, 26 telecommunications line, 22 result database, 30 control unit, 32 return point database.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A device for calculating return points for returning a part of profit generated in a member-based commercial transaction system that mediates a commercial transaction between a member store and a member, to the member-based commercial transaction system. A performance storage unit that stores the performance of members, a member array acquisition unit that acquires a member array in which members are arrayed based on the performance, and a return that acquires return points for members according to the rank in the member array. A reward point calculation device comprising: a point acquisition unit. 2. The member array acquisition unit acquires a member array in which the larger the number of members introduced as membership candidates to the membership commerce system, the higher the return points. Redemption point calculator. 3. The redemption point calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the member array acquisition unit acquires a member array in which a member having a faster member registration has a higher redemption point. 4. A method for calculating return points for returning a part of profits generated in a member-based commercial transaction system that mediates a commercial transaction between a member store and a member, to the member-based commercial transaction system. A step of storing the member's achievements, a step of obtaining a member array arranging the members based on the achievements, and a step of obtaining return points for the members according to a rank in the member arrangement. Point calculation method. 5. A program for calculating return points for returning a part of profit generated in a member-based commercial transaction system that mediates commercial transactions between a member store and a member to the member, which is a member-based commercial transaction. Storing a member's achievements in the system, obtaining a member arrangement in which the members are arranged based on the achievements, and obtaining return points for the members according to the ranking in the member arrangement, , A program to be executed by a computer.