JP3383482B2 - Point card system - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a loyalty card system provided as a service to customers by a shopping mall or the like, and more particularly to a loyalty card system in which points issued once by a secretariat are easily cleared.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a service for customers, a shopping voucher or a discount voucher is handed over according to the purchase amount. Whereas shopping vouchers and discount vouchers can only be used at the shop in which they shop, those that are valid as vouchers at any store are also handed over as service vouchers.

However, in order for the customer to use the shopping voucher or the discount voucher, it is necessary for the customer to collect the shopping voucher or the discount voucher's supplementary tickets and to put them on a mount or the like to organize them, which is complicated. In addition, in order for the member stores to process the collected service tickets, it is necessary to prepare special personnel, and in a wide range of member store systems, it is necessary for each member store to manage shopping vouchers and discount tickets. .

On the other hand, in recent years, a point card system is adopted in which points are added according to the purchase amount, the points are accumulated in one magnetic information card, and the evaluation amount is determined according to the total amount of points. Has been done. In this system, by installing a computer terminal or the like in each store, personnel for processing service tickets are unnecessary. Also, customers can accumulate points simply by presenting point cards, and there is no need to organize cash vouchers,
It is convenient for both each store and customer.

On the other hand, the use of prepaid cards which are already paid for, or cash voucher cards similar to gift certificates, has been growing steadily in recent years. It is not necessary to carry cash, it is convenient when cash is insufficient, and it is also used as a gift, and its value is recognized.
Then, by using this cash voucher card system and the system using the above point card in combination, the development of a system in which the cash voucher card is used as a gift certificate and the point card is used as a card accumulating auxiliary vouchers of the cash voucher card has been developed. Has been done.

As one of such systems, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-34079 proposes a system called "a transaction point settlement method using a magnetic card". This system is carried by the customer between a card terminal installed in each member store that joins the union in the shopping mall and a central processing unit installed in the secretariat which is the headquarters of the union. A network for information transmission is formed by using a magnetic card. By using the card terminal to record the number of points and the amount of money available to the current customer on the magnetic card, the central processing unit installed in the secretariat can be used to determine the number of times the customer or member store has been used, and Information such as purchase time can be obtained, and transaction related information can be aggregated for each customer and each member store. This makes it easy for both the member store side and the customer side to handle the gift certificate.

A conventional point settlement system will be described with reference to FIG. Each member store 27 purchases the points issued by the secretariat 30 (arrow 1). When the customer 40 purchases a product or the like at a member store, the points for the purchase amount are recorded on a point card and given to the customer (arrow 2).
When the number of points recorded on the point card reaches a predetermined number, a voucher card equivalent to the number of points is distributed in exchange for the predetermined number of points. When a customer purchases a product etc. that is cheaper than the amount of the cash voucher card using the above cash voucher card, the amount of the purchased product is deducted from the cash voucher card and the cash voucher card equivalent to the remaining amount is issued or cash is paid (arrow 3). Further, when purchasing a product that is equal to or more than the amount of the cash voucher card, the amount of the cash voucher card is subtracted from the amount of the product etc. to be purchased. Collected used voucher cards at each member store, the member stores send the collected voucher cards to the secretariat, receive the amount corresponding to the voucher card from the secretariat (arrow 4), and give points to newly distribute to customers. Purchase from the secretariat (arrow 5).

However, considering the above system, the secretariat can collect and analyze the relevant information for each customer and each member store, but for the member store, when the customer uses a cash voucher or the like. , It was necessary for the member store to charge the amount of the used cash voucher card, etc. by sending the used cash voucher card, etc. to the secretariat. Therefore, there is a problem that the member store is withdrawn because of the time and effort required to manage the points.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a point card system in which the points issued by the secretariat can be easily settled.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, a point card system according to the present invention includes a point storage section for storing the number of points calculated from a purchase price and an evaluation redemption price for storing the price. A point card including a storage unit, a point card reading device, a point card writing device, an input device for inputting sales amount, a data recording device for storing each data, points and amount A card terminal equipped with an arithmetic unit for converting into and from, and the points purchased from the secretariat are input from the input device, added and registered in the data recording device, and input to the input device. for the purchase price of the customer
The calculation device converts the number of points given at a predetermined rate.
Calculated and added to the number of points read by the reading device, the number of points on the point card is updated by the writing device, and the number of points stored on the point card is greater than or equal to a predetermined value by the arithmetic device. When it is determined that the number of points is subtracted from the number of points, the remaining number of points is output and the number of points is updated and registered in the writing device, and the predetermined amount of money is stored in the evaluation redemption amount storage unit of the point card. When the customer inputs the amount paid from the newly purchased amount using the point card to the input device, the calculation device subtracts the amount from the amount stored in the evaluation exchange amount storage unit, and The writing device writes the difference in the evaluation exchange amount storage unit, and the arithmetic unit is
If the store gives points to customers,
Points are converted at a predetermined rate, and the store is
When purchasing and accumulating points, pay the purchase amount to the secretariat
The number of points is converted by dividing it by the amount of one point, and the number of points is accumulated and added to the number of points of the data recording device of the card terminal .

Further, the central processing unit installed in the above-mentioned secretariat, which manages the information such as the sales status of the products etc. by the card terminal and the remaining status of points for each store, and can process the information for each customer It is configured to be online connected to the terminal using a telephone line or the like, or the arithmetic unit formed in the card terminal sets the amount of money in the evaluation exchange amount storage unit formed in the point card to 1 It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which update recording is performed in units of yen.

Further, by purchasing points from the secretariat, giving the purchased points as service points in accordance with the customer's purchase price of goods, and presenting the service points as they are to one member store, The member stores evaluate the points directly for cash and collect service points.Each member store evaluates the collected points by itself for a certain ratio, calculates the sales amount in points, and administers the redeemed amount. It is also possible to divide the points by the amount of money purchased from the station to calculate the points that can be acquired and add the points to the number of points of the data recording device of the card terminal.

In the point card system having the above-described structure, first, each member store purchases points by paying 1 point a yen for b points from the secretariat, that is, a × b yen, and then for each member store, if necessary. Register the number of points purchased on the installed card terminal. When a customer purchases a product or the like at a member store, the point number c corresponding to the purchase amount is recorded by the card terminal device on the point card previously distributed to the customer. After that, when the customer purchases a product or the like at the member store, the point number d corresponding to the purchase amount is again added to c previously recorded, and c +
Update and record as the number of points of d. When the number of points accumulated in the point card reaches a predetermined e-point by continuing the addition, the amount m corresponding to the e-point is recorded in the evaluation redemption amount storage section formed in the point card, Subtract e from the number of points in the memory.

If the customer is a member store, the customer can purchase a product or the like by using the point card as a cash voucher card. If you purchase goods etc. at a member store, use the card terminal installed in each member store, from the amount recorded in the evaluation conversion amount storage section of the point card,
The m-f yen obtained by subtracting the used amount f is recorded in the evaluation exchange amount storage unit of the point card. At the same time, the member store calculates the number of points f / a that can be purchased from the secretariat from the above amount of money f using the point card and adds and registers it to the number of points of the terminal. In the above, one point card is used for accumulating points and two purposes of a cash voucher, but the cash voucher portion can be a separate card.

Further, it is possible to carry out a method of accumulating and owning points as they are in a point card without converting the points, presenting the point card as it is, and deducting the converted amount. When purchasing a product at a member store, each member store inserts a point card into the installed card terminal, deducts points corresponding to the purchase price, updates the remaining points and registers them. The member store converts the collected points into a used amount of money, calculates the number of points that can be purchased from the secretariat based on the converted amount of money, and adds and registers it to the number of points (handheld points) of the terminal. At this time, when the fraction is generated, the fraction is left as the number of points and the point recording unit is updated.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A point card system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a system of the present invention, which employs an online system. What constitutes the system of the present invention is the point card 10, the card terminal 20, and the central processing unit 31.

As shown in FIG. 1, the point card 10 is a single magnetic card having a point storage unit 11 and an evaluation redemption amount storage unit 12 each made of a strip-shaped portion in which a magnetic material is applied to a plastic card. However, it is not necessary to form both recording units on the same card, and the point storage unit 1
1 and the evaluation redemption amount storage unit 12 may be separate cards (a prepaid card or a voucher card similar to a gift certificate). The point storage unit 11 records the number of points, and can rewrite and erase. Evaluation exchange amount storage unit 12
Is similar to the mechanism of the point storage unit 11, and records the amount of money instead of the number of points. This point card 1
0 is not limited to a magnetic card, but may be an IC card, a plastic card, a PET card, or the like, and it is desirable that data such as a customer's name and address can be recorded.

The card terminal 20 is mainly composed of a computer, and as shown in FIG.
It is composed of a reading device 22, a writing device 23, a computing device 24, a data recording device 25, and an input device 26. The card insertion slot 21 is provided with a reading device 22 and a writing device 23 provided in the card terminal 20 for the point card 10.
The card feeding device and the card ejecting device are provided. The reading device 22 is a device for reading magnetic information such as the number of points and personal data recorded on the point card 10, and the writing device 23 is input by the input device 26 and processed by the arithmetic device 24. It is a magnetic recording device for writing information in the point storage unit 11 and the evaluation exchange amount storage unit 12 of the point card 10. The arithmetic unit 24 is a part of a CPU of a computer that processes information input to the input device, and specifically converts points for the amount of money or amounts of money for the number of points. The data recording device 25 is composed of a recording medium such as a hard disk or a floppy disk of a computer, and the number of points purchased from the secretariat is registered as a handheld point. When points are given to the point card 10 which the customer 40 submits, the number of points given is subtracted from the number of points on hand recorded in the data recording device 25. The input device 26 is a device such as a keyboard of a computer for inputting information such as sales amount.

The card terminal 20 is installed in each of the member stores 27 that are members of a shopping mall association and manages the information of each member store 27. First, the card terminal 20 is provided with a point card 1 in the card insertion slot 21.
0 is inserted, and the information recorded on the point card 10 is output to a display or the like using the reading device 22. The sales amount of a product or the like is input using the input device 26, the input information is converted into the corresponding number of points by the arithmetic device 24, and the converted number of points is recorded in the point card. If there are points recorded in advance on the point card 10, the total is calculated. The calculated number of points is recorded in the point card 10 by the writing device 23. In addition, the number of points corresponding to the sales amount of the product etc. is subtracted from the number of points on hand of the terminal registered in the data recording device 25. As a result, the member store 27 can automatically confirm the number of remaining hand-held points at present.

The central processing unit 31 is a host computer installed in the secretariat 30 which is the headquarters of the association in the shopping district, and manages the remaining amount of the handheld points of each member store 27 and customer information.

The central processing unit 31 and the card terminal 20 may be online or offline as long as the information required by the secretariat from each member store 27 can be collected. For example, in the case of online, when purchasing a product or the like at the member store 27, the number of points corresponding to the purchase amount is calculated by using the point card 1 using the card terminal 20.
At the same time as recording to 0, the recorded information is sent to the central processing unit 31 via a telephone line or the like and managed. In the case of off-line, the information for one month is recorded in the data recording device 25 of the card terminal 20 installed in each member store, the recorded information is stored in a floppy disk or the like, and the stored information is stored in the office. By collecting the above-mentioned floppy disk by the staff of the station 30 every month, the information can be managed and processed in the same manner as online.

Next, an embodiment of the point card system according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIG. First,
The secretariat 30 sells points to each member store 27 for 3 yen per point (arrow 1). Each time,
Each member store 27 calculates the number of points purchased by the card terminal 2
Add and register to 0. If one member store 27 purchases 1,000 points when one point is 3 yen, 3,0
You will pay 00 yen to the secretariat and add 1,000 points to the card terminal 20 of your store.

When the customer 40 purchases a product etc. for the first time at a member store, the member store displays a blank point card,
The number of points corresponding to the purchase amount and personal information such as the customer's first and last name are recorded and given to the customer. From the next time, when the same customer purchases products etc. at any of the member stores, submit the point card 10 passed last time and add the point number corresponding to the purchase amount to the point number up to the last time, Ask the point card 10 to record the total number of points. In this way, the number of points recorded on the point card 10 is collected (arrow 2).

For example, in the case where it is specified that 1 point is given for every 100 yen of purchase, 10,000 yen / 100 yen = 100 if a 10,000 yen product is purchased.
The points are added to the point card 10 submitted by the customer. If 420 points are already recorded on the point card 10 of the customer 40, 420 + 100 = 52
Record 0 points. Of course, the number of points that can be given to the customer 40 is limited to the range of the number of hand-held points recorded in the card terminal 20.

The customer 40 repeats the purchase of merchandise and the like at the member store 27, and points are added at any time. When the predetermined number of points is reached, the amount of money for the total number of acquired points is recorded in the evaluation redemption amount storage unit 12 provided in the point card 10, and the predetermined number of points is subtracted from the number of acquired points. This will give you a point card 10 from the next time.
Can be used as a prepaid card or a voucher card similar to a gift certificate (arrow 3).

For example, when the predetermined number of points is 500, the total number of points is 52 as in the above example.
If there are 0 points, 500 points out of these points are converted, for example, at a rate of 2 yen per point, and 1,000 yen is recorded in the evaluation exchange amount storage unit 12.
With this, from the next purchase, it can be used as a 1,000 yen voucher card. When the point card 10 is used as a cash voucher card, it can be used in units of 1 yen by processing it by the arithmetic unit 24 of the card terminal machine 20. It should be noted that the number of fractions is less than 500, 20
The points will remain as they are in the point storage section of the point card 10.

In order for the customer 40 to use the point card 10 as a cash voucher at a member store 27a, the point card 10 is given to the clerk of the member store 27a at the time of payment.
The member store 27a inserts the point card 10 into the card insertion slot 21 of the card terminal 20 of its own store, reads the amount recorded in the evaluation exchange amount storage unit 12 using the reading device 22, and the customer 40 The used amount is subtracted from the card amount, and at the same time, the remaining amount is recorded in the evaluation redemption amount storage unit 12 of the point card 10 by using the writing device 23.

When the point card 10 is used as a cash voucher card, the amount of money used is input into the input device 26, and the amount of money is converted into points by the arithmetic unit 24 at the ratio when the points are purchased from the secretariat 30. Then, the converted number of points is added and registered to the number of handheld points of the terminal device 20 (arrow 6). For example, customer 40
However, if you purchase a 900-yen product using the point card 10 with the 1,000-yen written amount, the usage amount will be 9
Input 00 yen to the card terminal 20. Since the point card 10 has been used for 900 yen, the remaining amount can be rewritten to 100 yen. At that time, 900 yen input to the card terminal 20 is divided by 3 points per point when the member store 27 purchases points from the secretariat 30, and 900 yen / 3 yen = 300 points is equal to the terminal 20 concerned. Will be added to the number of points you have. This will increase the number of hand points the member store can distribute to customers.

The fractional points out of the points collected from the customer 40 at the time of the above points conversion are data different from the number of points held by the data recording device 2
It is recorded in 5, and when the total of the fractional points becomes one point, it is added to the hand-held points automatically or by request.

By the way, when a commodity of 1,000 yen is purchased in cash without using the point card 10, the evaluation exchange amount storage unit 1 of the point card 10 is used.
Point card 10 without changing the information recorded in 2.
10 points corresponding to 1,000 yen in the point storage unit 11 of
The points are added up to make 30 points, including the remaining 20 points.

As described above, when the point card is not used as a cash voucher and the merchandise is continuously purchased using cash, every time the point in the point storage unit 11 reaches 500 points, it is automatically or by a request. 1,000 yen will be added and registered in the evaluation exchange amount storage unit 12 of the point card 10.

The ratio of converting the points acquired by the customer 40 into the amount of money is 1 point and 2 yen, and the price that the member store 27 purchases from the secretariat is 1 point and 3 yen, which is 1 of the difference.
Yen will be the operating cost of the secretariat. In the past, the part indicated by arrow 6 in FIG. 3, that is, the amount of money used by the customer for the point card could not be converted into points purchased from the secretariat, so the points were constantly purchased from the secretariat and replenished to the terminal. The present invention makes it possible to extend the period for purchasing points from the secretariat. Therefore, when the secretariat takes a long break, such as Golden Week and New Year, each member store has traditionally been
While the points in the meantime had to be purchased in advance, the present invention significantly reduced the necessity.

The invention disclosed in claim 4 corresponds to the direct purchase price when the points given to the customer are held as they are without being converted into the evaluation amount and the points are used at the member store. It is a system that deducts the number of points from a point card. In this system, points are purchased from the secretariat and stored in the terminal as hand-held points. The customer holds the purchased hand-held points as service points according to the purchase price of the product. The customer presents the service points to the member store as points, and the member store collects the service points by directly cash-evaluating the points at a fixed ratio.
Each member shop evaluates the collected points by itself at the above-mentioned fixed ratio, calculates the amount sold at the points, and purchases the points from the secretariat using the converted amount. In this case, the redeemable amount is divided by the point purchase amount to calculate points that can be acquired, and the points are added to the number of points in the data recording device of the card terminal. As a result, the customer can save the labor of evaluating and converting the acquired points into cash vouchers before using them, and at the same time, the member store side does not need to perform the cash evaluation, so that the labor can be further saved.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, the secretariat does not need to perform the clerical work for paying the cash voucher cards collected by the member stores. Not only can the work be significantly simplified, but the number of vertical communication between the secretariat and the member stores will be greatly reduced. In addition, it is not necessary to settle points between member stores, which corresponds to a horizontal series. The amount refunded from the secretariat to the member stores (1 point and 2 yen in the above embodiment) was easy to be mistaken for profit even though it was the deposit of the secretariat. However, according to the present invention, since such deposit is not generated, the profit can be clarified.

For a member store, when a customer uses a cash voucher card as a point card, the amount of money received can be converted to the number of points purchased from the secretariat and can be added and registered in the card terminal. The number of purchases can be reduced. In addition, the amount of money you get as a voucher card can be converted to hand points on the spot, making settlement very easy. Furthermore, if the point card can be used in units of 1 yen, the customer will not be wasted. Furthermore, the invention disclosed in claim 4 is a system for evaluating the amount of money at the member store side without using the acquired points for cash evaluation, and the customer can use the acquired points as they are. At the same time, it eliminates the need to evaluate cash and convert it into a voucher.
Since the member store side does not need to perform the cash exchange evaluation work, it is not necessary to settle each member store through the secretariat, and it is possible to save more labor.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a point card system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a card terminal used in the point card system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the point card system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a conventional point card system.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 point card 11 points storage 12 Evaluation conversion amount storage 20 card terminal 21 Card slot 22 Reader 23 Writing device 24 arithmetic unit 25 data recorder 26 Input device 27,27a Member stores 30 Secretariat 31 Central Processing Unit 40 customers

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G07F 5/00-9/10 B42D 11/00

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A point card having a point storage unit for storing the number of points calculated from the purchase amount, an evaluation redemption amount storage unit for storing the redemption amount, a point card reading device, and a point card The secretariat consists of a card terminal equipped with a writing device, an input device for inputting sales amount, etc., a data recording device for storing each data, and a calculation device for converting points and amount of money. The points purchased from are input from the input device, added and registered in the data recording device, and given to the purchase amount of the customer input in the input device.
The arithmetic unit converts the calculated number of points at a predetermined rate, adds the calculated number of points to the number of points read by the reading device, and updates the number of points of the point card by the writing device. When the device determines that the number of points stored in the point card is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the remaining number of points obtained by subtracting the predetermined value from the number of points is output to update the number of points to the writing device. In addition to registering, a predetermined amount of money is registered in the evaluation exchange amount storage unit of the point card, and when the customer inputs the amount to be paid from the newly purchased amount using the point card to the input device, the amount is calculated as described above. The device deducts from the amount stored in the evaluation exchange amount storage unit, the writing device writes the difference in the evaluation exchange amount storage unit, and the arithmetic unit causes the store to point to the customer. When assigning an event
Is converted into points at a predetermined ratio to the sales amount, and
If the store purchases and accumulates points from customers, the purchase proceeds
Divide the amount by the amount of 1 point paid to the secretariat
Converting the point card system a number of the points accumulated adds the point number of the data recording device of the card terminal, characterized in that 2. The central processing according to claim 1, which is installed in the secretariat and manages information such as the sales status of products and the remaining status of points by the card terminal for each store and can process it for each customer. A point card system in which the device is connected to the above card terminal online via a telephone line or the like. 3. The claim 1 or 2, wherein the arithmetic unit formed in the card terminal updates and records the amount in the evaluation redemption amount storage unit formed in the point card in units of 1 yen. A point card system characterized by. 4. The points are purchased from the secretariat, the purchased points are given as service points according to the purchase price of the customer's goods, and the customer presents the service points to one member store to evaluate cash at a fixed rate. The service points are then collected, and each member store evaluates the collected points by itself at the above-mentioned fixed ratio, calculates the points that can be purchased from the secretariat at the exchange amount, and calculates the points for the data recording device of the card terminal. Point card system characterized by adding