JPH09128656A - Point service system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To report profit returns by customers corresponding to points and to improve the quality of customer services by providing a file update means and a file retrieval means, and providing a terminal device with a print control means which issues a receipt on which report information transferred from a management device is printed. SOLUTION: A host 2 has a function for accessing an external bank network system 9. The host 2 is provided with a customer file F1, a file update part 201, and a file retrieval part 202. And, the file retrieval part 202 transfers report contents RE corresponding to an inputted customer code CC to a cash register 3 in response to the input of transaction data DJ including the customer code CC from the cash register 3. The cash register 3 has a function for reading the customer code CC out of a discrimination card 4 issued for an individual customer and a function for issuing a receipt RP, thereby issuing the receipt on which the report information RE is printed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a point service system that supports customer service business. BACKGROUND ART In various retail businesses such as shopping streets, small and medium-sized supermarkets, and individual shops, as a customer service for acquiring fixed customers, issuance of stamp tickets, etc., in which a privilege is obtained by collecting a fixed number of sheets, is carried out. In recent years, POS
With the spread of the system and the customer management method of issuing identification cards to specific customers (members), transaction contents are converted into points and recorded for each customer, and profit returns such as issuance of gift certificates and discounts according to accumulated points Point services are becoming widespread.

[0002] On the other hand, in the credit card industry, a service for donating accumulated points is implemented.
Instead of receiving the gift, the customer can have a sense of fulfillment that contributes to the global environment and social welfare. There is also a service form that allows customers to select a donation destination from multiple groups.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art A point-of-sale system compatible with a point service has a customer management file that associates customer codes with customer-specific cumulative points, and is configured to calculate points for each transaction and update the cumulative points. ing. Usually, the customer management file is provided in the management device. Also,
The customer code is notified from the cash register, which is a terminal device, to the management device at each transaction.

Conventionally, information indicating the cumulative status of points is printed together with the transaction details on the receipt issued by the cash register for each transaction. For example, JP-A-6-13
The system disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 1562 issues a receipt in which a difference between a target point set by a store and a cumulative point is printed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-259658 discloses a system for accessing a computer of a bank so as to transfer a point-equivalent amount to a customer's bank account.

[0006]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Conventionally, there has been a problem that it is not possible to report a donation equivalent to points for each customer. Although it is possible to present the total donation at the store, it is not preferable in terms of privacy to present the customer name and the donation. When the number of customers is large, it is practically impossible. Reporting by direct mail increases service costs. Also, not limited to donations,
The same problem occurs when the amount of money equivalent to points is transferred to an account other than the customer's name (an account in the name of another person designated by the customer).

It is an object of the present invention to improve the quality of customer service by realizing reporting of profit return equivalent to points for each customer.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal device for reading a customer identification code in a commodity transaction, and a management device for performing data communication with the terminal device and an external financial online system. In the point service system, the management device is configured to request the financial online system to transfer an amount corresponding to the points of the commodity transaction to an account of a recipient designated by the customer. A customer file for managing report information indicating the transfer status of the amount of money in association with the identification code; a file updating unit for registering the report information in the customer file after requesting the procedure; and the terminal. The report information is transferred to the terminal device in response to the input of transaction data including the identification code from the device. To provided a file search unit, provided print control means for issuing a receipt of printing the report information transmitted from the management device to the terminal device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the management device has a function of requesting the financial online system to transfer a special designated amount indicated by the transaction data to the account or another account. The terminal device has a function of generating the transaction data indicating the specially designated amount designated by the customer.

In the system of the third aspect of the present invention, the report information is information indicating the donation status of the amount.

[0011]

1 is a block diagram of a point service system 1 of the present invention. The point service system 1 is a network system in which a host (management device) 2 installed in a secretariat of a service management business entity (for example, a shopping district association) and a cash register 3 installed in each store are connected by a communication line. Yes, used for sales management and point service. The point service converts transaction contents into points and makes donations equivalent to points. However, the actual remittance of donations (transfer processing) is performed not in each transaction but in batch processing, for example, every 6 months.

The host 2 is a computer system equipped with an external storage device such as a hard disk unit,
It has a function of accessing an external bank network system 9. The host 2 is provided with a customer file F1, a file update unit 201, and a file search unit 202. The file updating unit 201 registers various data including the report content RE indicating the utilization status of points in the customer file F1 in association with the customer code CC. The file search unit 202 transfers the report content RE corresponding to the input customer code CC to the cash register 3 in response to the input of the transaction data D3 including the customer code CC from the cash register 3.

On the other hand, each cash register 3 is an electronic register, and in addition to the basic function of registering money, the function of reading the customer code CC from the identification card 4 issued to each customer, and the receipt. It has the function of issuing RP. The identification card 4 is a customer code C
It is a magnetic card or an IC card in which C is recorded.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data structure of a main part of the customer file F1. The customer file F1 is the identification card 4
Is a set of data related to the customer who issued the (registered customer), along with personal information (not shown) such as customer name and address,
This is a file that stores information related to the point service and information related to special donation in association with the customer code CC assigned to each customer.

Information relating to the point service includes
Donation destination QA indicating the recipient of the donation (fund, association or other organization) selected by the customer from a plurality of options, cumulative points TP updated for each transaction, report content R indicating the donation status
There is E. The recipient of the donation is selected when applying for the card. When the report content RE is substantially blank, it means that the actual donation (transfer process) has not been performed.

In addition to the donation for the point service, the special donation is for a customer to provide cash (mainly change) or a gift certificate at the time of transaction, and is recruited as a donation when a disaster occurs, for example. The customer can also make a special donation to the same recipient as the point service recipient. The information regarding the special donation includes a special donation SC indicating the amount of donation and a special donation destination QB indicating the recipient of the special donation (local government in the disaster area, etc.).

The donation destination QA and the special donation destination QB are
This is an identification code of the recipient, and the recipient's name, the account number in the recipient's name, the address, etc. are managed by a table file (not shown).

FIG. 3 is an external view of the cash register 3. The cash register 3 includes a controller unit 10 having a built-in microcomputer, a drawer unit 20 for storing money, a keyboard 30 in which various keys are arranged, a CRT display 40 for an operator, a display 50 for a customer, and a receipt. The thermal printer 60, a bar code reader 70, a card reader 80 for reading information from the identification card 4, and the like.

The thermal printer 60 can print an arbitrary image such as a character and a logo mark on a receipt paper (roll paper) having a predetermined width by combining dots. The barcode reader 70 optically reads a barcode attached to a product or the like, and outputs bit data corresponding to the code.

When the customer brings a desired product for purchase, the operator (casher) of the cash register 3 inputs a product code and carries out a series of operations for depositing the identification card 4 from the customer and inserting it into the card insertion slot.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the cash register 3. In FIG. 4, the cash register 3 is
It has a cash registration processing unit 11, a point calculation unit 12, a print control unit 15, and a display control unit 17. Each of these units is realized by hardware centered on a microprocessor unit and software represented by a program.

The cash registration processing section 11 is a data processing means having a basic function of the cash register 3, discriminates the output of the input device (keyboard 30, bar code reader 70, card reader 80), and contents according to the transaction. Register for cash. For example, a bar code reader 7 for trading
0 or the product code is entered from the keyboard 30,
A journal, which is record data of transactions, is created by referring to a product management file (price table) not shown.
The registration status of product information (items, prices, quantities, etc.) is sequentially displayed by the display control unit 17. Cash registration processing unit 11
Transaction data DJ indicating the content of the transaction by the host 2
Transferred to Further, the cash registration processing unit 11 has a point information inquiry unit 112 and a special donation processing unit 113 as functional elements unique to the present invention.

The point information inquiring unit 112 reads the customer code C read by the card reader 80 at each transaction.
The host 2 is notified of C, and the registered report content RE is inquired. Then, the report content RE notified from the file search unit 202 of the host 2 is sent to the print control unit 15.

The special donation processing unit 113 receives the special donation SC and the special donation destination QB when the customer requests the special donation.
Is notified to the host 2. In response to this, the file updating unit 201 of the host 2 adds the customer code C to the customer file F1.
Register the special donation SC and the special donation destination QB in association with C. At this time, if the special donation SC is already registered, the data content of the special donation SC is updated to the total of the registered amount and the newly designated amount.

The point calculation unit 12 calculates the point VP for each transaction based on the transaction content notified from the cash registration processing unit 11 after the end of the cash registration, and transfers it to the print control unit 15. The point VP is a numerical value indicating the degree of contribution of the customer, and is calculated by integrating the amount of money, the type of product, the transaction period, and the like.

The print control unit 15 creates predetermined text print data based on the transaction content data DJ sent from the cash registration processing unit 11, the report content RE obtained by the above-mentioned inquiry, and the point VP. . And receipt R
The thermal printer 60 is instructed to issue P. The point service information is printed on the receipt RP after the transaction details. The point service information includes a point VP of this transaction and a report of donations actually made up to this transaction.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of printing a receipt.
On the receipt RPa of FIG. 5 (A), following the transaction statement Y, a message Z1 is printed to inform that the amount equivalent to the point VP of this transaction will be donated at a later date, that is, the point VP has been deposited by the store. Has been done. FIG.
In the receipt RPb of (B), a message Z2 is printed together with the message Z1 informing that the designated amount (5000 yen in the example) has been deposited as a special donation. In the receipt RPc of FIG. 5C, the message Z1
A message Z3 will be sent to inform you that the donation has been completed.
Is printed. The customer can use the message Z3
You can see that your transaction contributed to the activities of the recipient.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the transfer processing executed by the host 2, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the totalization file F10. The host 2 receives the cumulative points TP and the special donation SC from the customer file F1 on the date of every six months, for example.
Etc., and the total file F10 in FIG. 7 showing donations by recipient (value of donation destination QA, special donation destination QB)
Is created (# 11). At this time, in the case of making a donation in units of 100 points, the target of donation (donation point PC) is calculated by paying attention to the cumulative points TP having a value of 100 or more. For example, the value of the cumulative point TP is “236
If “7”, the value of the donation point PC is “2300”. One point is equivalent to one yen.

When the totaling is completed, the external bank network system 9 is requested to make a donation to each recipient (# 1).
2). In response to this, the bank network system 9 transfers the donation (transfer of funds) from the deposit account a0 of the service management enterprise to the deposit accounts a1 and a2 of the payees.

When the transfer completion notice is received from the bank network system 9, the report contents R of the customer file F1 for the donor of this time is referred to with reference to the total file F10.
Update E (# 13). In other words, donation points PP,
Write necessary items such as the special donation SC in the customer file F1.

Then, for the donors this time, the cumulative points TP are reduced by the donation points PP, and
Initialize the special donation SC (# 14, # 15). When making a donation in 1-point units, the cumulative points TP are also initialized at this point.

In the above embodiment, a cash card issued by a bank can be used as the identification card 4. In that case, the cash register 3 directly accesses the bank network 9 for the transaction, and requests the sales price settlement processing between the deposit accounts of both the customer and the store.
Further, various credit cards can be used as the identification card 4. In that case, the host 2 updates the data of the cumulative points TP and the special donation SC after confirming the payment of the price.

Further, it is easy to add the function of creating various forms to the host 2. The forms include a cumulative donation table and a list of donors. The donor list can be sent to the recipient online or offline. When the recipient gives an award to a high-value donor or issues a receipt to the applicant, the fact may be written in the report content RE and the customer may be notified via the receipt RP. In addition, there are modifications such as a mode in which the host 2 calculates the point VP and notifies the cash register 3, and a mode in which the accumulated points TP are printed on the receipt RP.

The present invention can also be applied to a service form in which an amount of money equivalent to points is transferred to an arbitrary deposit account (not limited to the customer's name) designated by the customer instead of donation.

[0035]

According to the first to third aspects of the present invention,
It is possible to improve the quality of customer service by realizing the return of profits equivalent to points for each customer.

According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the point service, it is possible to realize a service in which an arbitrary amount of money is transferred to an account designated by the customer at the time of transaction, and the customer service can be enhanced. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a point service system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data structure of a main part of a customer file.

FIG. 3 is an external view of a cash register.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a cash register.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of printing a receipt.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a transfer process executed by a host.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an aggregate file.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 point service system 2 host (management device) 3 cash register (terminal device) 9 bank network system (external financial online system) 15 print control unit (print control unit) 201 file update unit 202 file search unit a1, a2 deposit account (Account) CC Customer code (Identification code) F1 Customer file DJ Transaction data PC Donation points (Points) QA Donation recipient (Recipient) RE Report contents (Report information) RP Receipt SC Special donation (Special designated amount)

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Katsuto Matsukawa 2-2-7 Jomi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Prefecture Inside the Fujitsu Kansai System Engineer Co., Ltd. (72) Nana Fujiwara, Osaka-shi, Osaka 2-2-7 Jomi, Chuo-ku, Fujitsu Kansai System Engineering Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A terminal device for reading a customer identification code in a product transaction, and a management device for performing data communication with the terminal device and an external financial online system. A point service system configured such that the management device requests a procedure for transferring an amount of money corresponding to points to a payee's account designated by the customer, wherein the management device indicates a status of the transfer of the amount of money. A customer file for managing report information in association with the identification code, a file updating unit for registering the report information in the customer file after requesting the procedure, and a transaction including the identification code from the terminal device. File search means for transferring the report information to the terminal device in response to data input, Terminal devices, point service system characterized by having a print control means for issuing a receipt of printing the report information transmitted from the management device. 2. The management device has a function of requesting the financial online system to perform a procedure for transferring a special designated amount of money indicated by the transaction data to the account or another account, and the terminal device, 2. A function for generating the transaction data indicating the specially designated amount designated by the customer.
The point service system described. 3. The point service system according to claim 1, wherein the report information is information indicating a status of donation of the amount.