JPH10307967A - Credit card system and card using method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To instantaneously issue a credit card having a point function at a store front with no replacement of an issued card by registering the information that validates the function of the credit card in a storage area via the input of the card identification information and turning the card into a valid credit card. SOLUTION: When a customer having a point card of the identification information on a card 20 wants the addition of a credit card function to the card 20, a person in charge of a member store inquires of a credit sales company about the identification information on the card 20 via a communication adapter 35. The system of the credit sales company retrieves the creditableness of the relevant customer via a file, etc., stored in a storage 43. When it's decided that the customer has high creditableness and the issue of a credit card can be allowed to him, the notified identification information on the card 20 is stored in the file of the storage device 43 the valid information. Thus, the card 20 is available as a valid credit card.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a customer issued for customer service such as customer management or point service when selling a product or service (hereinafter, a product or service is collectively referred to as a product or the like). The present invention relates to a system for adding a credit card function to a card.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Today, various sales promotion methods have been implemented such as issuing a customer card to a customer and giving points or collecting purchase data and sending an efficient direct mail when selling a product or the like. ing. In many cases, these customer cards are not credit cards. If the customer wants to purchase a product or the like by credit, use the credit card already held by the customer or introduce a new credit card system. It is very inconvenient to replace the customer card.

[0003]

According to the present invention, a credit card can be issued immediately at a store or the like in which a customer card system has already been introduced by a very small system change without replacing the issued or introduced card. It is an object of the present invention to realize a credit card with a point function that has never been achieved before.

According to the present invention, when a customer who owns a credit card such as a point card applies for a credit card, the credit card is issued to an existing point card without issuing a credit card separately from a conventional card. By providing a function as a card, it is possible to provide a system that can provide convenience to a customer and can acquire a credit card member without incurring a cost for a credit card issuer.

[0005]

Means for solving the problems according to the present invention include, as described in the claims, a card on which identification information different from at least identification information as a credit card is described; A storage area for storing information; means for inputting (including reading; the same applies hereinafter) the identification information of the card; and means for registering information for enabling the function as a credit card. Means for registering information for validating the function as a credit card by inputting the information for validating the function as a credit card in the storage area, thereby making the card valid as a credit card The information that enables the system and the function as a credit card is the identification information of the card. Jit card system, and a card in which identification information different from at least identification information as a credit card is described, a storage area for storing information, and means for inputting identification information of the card, input of identification information of the card Means for registering information for enabling a function as a credit card by registering information for enabling a function as a credit card in a storage area, thereby making the card effective as a credit card If a customer has or intends to own a card with identification information different from the identification information as a credit card,
The credit card issuer inputs the identification information of the card from the means for inputting the identification information of the card, and registers the information for enabling the function as a credit card in the storage area of the card, so that the card can be used as a credit card. And a card usage method in which the information validating the function as a credit card is card identification information.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In point-of-sale stores where point systems and the like have been introduced, point cards and the like have recently been widely used for point management. In order to receive the point service, a point card is issued to the customer, and the customer who has been issued the point card presents the point card at a store and receives points when purchasing goods at a store. These point cards store card identification information for identifying customers, but this card identification information is different from the credit card membership number determined and managed by the credit company.

[0007] When a customer who owns a point card desires to add a function as a credit card to the point card, the customer writes necessary information in a credit card application form to a credit company, and the point card and the credit card are written. Submit the card application form to the store. The store, which has received a request from the customer to add a function as a credit card, attaches the identification information of the point card to the credit card application form written by the customer and inquires of the credit company about the credit information of the customer.

When the credit company searches the credit information of the customer and permits the credit sale, the credit company determines the identification information as the credit card and stores the identification information as the credit card in the storage means together with the customer number of the card. Then, by notifying the store that the card has been registered as a credit card, the card can be used as a credit card.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
20 is a card, 30 is a processing device of the member store system,
31 is a keyboard, 32 is a reader, 33 is a display device,
34 is a storage device, 35 is a communication adapter, 36 is a communication line, 40 is a processing device of a credit company system, 41 is a keyboard, 42 is a display device, 43 is a storage device, and FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes a card identification information entry column. The card 2 is a card issued at the store of the member store.
1 includes identification information different for each card, for example, “000”.
1 "0002" ... "Nnnnn" etc. and described in the case where it is prepared at the store of the member store, but the identification number is determined at the time of issuance It may be issued. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the processing based on this embodiment.

In order to issue a point card to a customer at a member store in which a point system is introduced, attribute information such as the customer's address and name is input from the keyboard 31 of the member store's system. For example, a card on which the identification information "0001" of the card is described is selected from the issuance cards on which the identification number is described in advance, and the identification information "000" of the card is displayed on the keyboard 31.
After inputting "1" and storing it in the storage device 34 in correspondence with the attribute information of the customer, a card with the identification information "0001" of the card is issued to the customer as a point card. The point service can be received simply by presenting a point card for product purchase. The attribute information of the customer may be registered after a certain period of time after the point card is issued to the customer.

In this manner, the card identification information "000"
When the customer holding the point card of "1" wishes to add a credit card function to the card, the customer writes necessary information in a credit card application form and submits it to the member store staff in conjunction with the card. . The person in charge of the member store notifies the credit company of the information described in the application form for the credit card and the identification information "0001" of the card, and inquires about credit information on whether or not a credit card can be issued.
The inquiry can be made online or the like via the communication adapter 35, or by a communication device such as a facsimile or a telephone.

In the system of the credit sales company, upon receiving an inquiry about the credit information of the customer from the member store, the credit level of the customer is searched for a file or the like stored in the storage device 43 and the credit level is high and the credit card is issued. When it is determined that the card is permitted, the identification information “0001” of the notified card and “1” in the valid signature field of the file shown in FIG. Validate the card as a credit card. In this case, the card identification information may be described in a file in advance. By notifying the member store that the card can be used as a credit card, the card can be used as a credit card thereafter. The information valid as a credit card may be simple numerical values and symbols such as 0 and 1, and information such as a customer's name, address, and date of birth. Further, a password or the like arbitrarily determined by the customer can be used as the information.

[0013]

[Second Embodiment] Card identification information "0001" is a customer number originally used by a member store for customer management and point management, and is generally a member number used by a credit company for credit card management. Are different from each other. In the system of the credit company, the identification number “0001” of the notified card is compared with the membership number “123” of the credit company.
4 "is determined and stored in the file shown in FIG. 5 in the storage device 43 of the system together with the card identification information" 0001 "so as to be valid as a credit card. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the identification information of the card is stored in advance in the storage device 43, and the credit card membership number is stored as information for validating the function as a credit card, and the card is validated as a credit card. May be. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, both the identification information and the membership number of these cards may be stored in advance, and information valid as a credit card may be separately registered in the storage device. Information validating these cards may be stored in the storage device 34 of the member store system.

[0014] With respect to a card in which other identification information held by the member store is described, since information for validating the card is not stored in the system of the credit company, it cannot be used as a credit card at all. However, as for the point card already held by the customer and the card for which no credit card has been applied, since the information for validating the card is not stored in the system of the credit company as described above, it is used as a credit card. It is not possible. However, by implementing the present invention,
It is possible to provide a credit card system in which a non-credit card such as a point card can be immediately and safely validated as a credit card at the member store.

As described above, the issued card identification information cannot be used as a credit card because it is information used by the member store that has been determined irrespective of the intention of the credit company. These cards can be used as credit cards only because the credit company recognizes the card as a credit card and can use it only after registering the information in the system of the credit company as described above. It is possible to convert a non-credit card to be a credit card, and to prevent a fraudulent issuance of a credit card or unauthorized use due to theft or loss with a high probability. Of course, the present invention can be used in a relationship between a card department of a company having a card department and other departments.

【The invention's effect】

The effect of the present invention is that, as described in detail in the invention, the credit card can be used as a credit card by slightly modifying the system of the credit company or the card issuing system of the member store. Therefore, it is possible to use a customer card without a credit function as a credit card using existing facilities and cards without installing a new terminal for each card issuing window or replacing existing cards A high sales promotion effect by credit sales can be easily introduced at a very low cost. Moreover, similar to a conventional credit card, since the use of the card is permitted within a certain limit, there are many advantages such as illegal use being prevented with a very high probability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a card used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a processing flow of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a file used in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a file used in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a file used in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a file used in the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 card 30 card issuer system processing device 31 〃 input device 32 リ ー ダ ー reader 33 display device 34 〃 storage device 35 communication adapter 36 communication line 40 card supplier's system processing device 41 〃 input device 42 表示 display device 43 〃 Storage device

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A card in which identification information of at least a card different from identification information as a credit card is described, a storage area for storing information, means for inputting identification information of the card, and a function as a credit card Means for registering information for enabling the function as a credit card by inputting the identification information of the card, the means for registering information for enabling the function as a credit card in the storage area. A credit card system that makes the card valid as a credit card by registering. 2. The credit card system according to claim 1, wherein the information validating the function as a credit card is card identification information. 3. The credit card system according to claim 1, wherein the identification information of the card is stored in a storage area in advance. 4. The credit card system according to claim 1, wherein the information validating the function as a credit card is card identification information and credit card identification information. 5. The credit card system according to claim 1, wherein the identification information of the card and the identification information of the credit card are stored in a storage area in advance. 6. A card in which identification information of a card different from at least identification information as a credit card is described, a storage area for storing information, means for inputting identification information of the card, and a function as a credit card Means for registering information for enabling the function as a credit card by inputting the identification information of the card, the means for registering information for enabling the function as a credit card in the storage area. By registering, in a credit card system that makes the card valid as a credit card, a card owned or about to be owned by a customer in which identification information of a card different from identification information as a credit card is described, When trying to function as a credit card, a credit card The issuer inputs the identification information of the card from the means for inputting the identification information of the card, and registers the information for enabling the function as a credit card in the storage area of the card, so that the card can be used as a credit card. A method of using a card characterized by making it function. 7. A card in which at least identification information of a card different from identification information as a credit card is described, a storage area for storing information, means for inputting identification information of the card, and a function as a credit card In a credit card system provided with means for registering information for validating the information, means for registering information for validating the function as a credit card by inputting the identification information of the card activates the function as a credit card. A medium that stores software that makes the card effective as a credit card by registering information in a storage area. 8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the information for validating the function as a credit card is card identification information. 9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the identification information of the card is stored in a storage area in advance. 10. The method of using a card according to claim 6, wherein the information validating the function as a credit card is card identification information and credit card identification information. 11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the identification information of the card and the identification information of the credit card are stored in a storage area in advance. [0001]