JP2006277670A - Settlement means selection method, settlement means selection system, and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a settlement means selection method allowing easy selection of an optimum settlement means from a plurality of settlement means. <P>SOLUTION: This settlement means selection method is provided with a step for previously examining payment conditions of a plurality of settlement means, a step for examining a commission and point gain corresponding to a use result and a use amount of a settlement means user for each of the settlement means, a step for previously deciding priority of a plurality of settlement means for each user, a step for examining available payment means on a sales site for which the user is going to carry out payment, and a step for deciding a sequence table of available settlement means in descending order of a payment amount found by subtracting the commission from acquisition points by examining the acquisition points and the commission corresponding to the amount in use of the means from the means available for the user on a sales site. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a settlement means selection method and system for performing settlement by selecting a specific settlement means from a plurality of settlement means. More specifically, the present invention relates to a payment means selection system that supports selection of a payment means by discriminating and presenting payment means capable of paying a purchase price of a purchased product from a plurality of payment means.

  There are various payment methods (payment methods) when purchasing products, such as cash, credit cards, debit cards, electronic money, virtual money using points, and payment at convenience stores for invoices. Exists. In addition, as for the movement of money and value, there are cases where receivables and payables move each time, and cases where specific movement occurs during the period (for example, monthly) (a fee is likely to be generated at that timing).

  Fees, points, etc. are the conditions at that time (basically, fees differ depending on the bank, etc., or if the bank to be used changes according to the campaign, etc., it is preferential depending on the degree of individual use) and the points that can be obtained are also Generally, the conditions differ dynamically depending on the conditions, or the expiration date for using points expires. Considering the changes in the conditions of these payment methods, there are various types of payment methods, which kind of payment method is available and most advantageous when paying, and which payment method is used when paying. For individuals, it is a complicated problem because various conditions must be investigated and compared. Therefore, conventionally, a method for selecting a settlement means that meets a request from a plurality of payment methods (settlement means) has been proposed.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic payment method in which a specific payment method is selected from a plurality of payment methods and a payment method is used to select a specific payment method from a payment content to be settled and a plurality of payment methods. The payment method selection information is compared, and when the payment content satisfies a specific selection condition in the payment method selection information, the payment content is settled by a specific payment method corresponding to the specific selection condition. The method of Patent Document 1 shortens the time required for the settlement process and prevents an erroneous selection of the settlement method.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-151867 is a payment processing method for selecting a specific payment method from among a plurality of payment methods and performing payment for the purchase price of a purchased product from among payment methods that can be accepted at a store. Determining a possible payment method and setting it as payable information; and determining a payment method in which a customer can pay the purchase amount from among the payment methods in the payable information as payable information A step of setting, a step of setting a payment amount to be paid by a settlement method selected from the payable information, and a step of performing settlement of the payment amount set by the selected settlement method. In a payment processing system that selects a specific payment method from a plurality of payment methods and makes a payment, a payment method capable of paying the purchase price of the purchased product is presented to the customer from the plurality of payment methods. Is.

  For example, Patent Document 3 stores, in the memory of a multi-function IC card, as user-desired information, a settlement range that defines the priority order of each settlement unit and the amount that can be settled by each settlement unit. Based on the possible range, an optimal settlement means is selected (S22 to S30), and settlement processing is executed. Thereby, even if the owner of the multi-function IC card does not notify the operator of the settlement means, the settlement processing in accordance with the card owner's intention is performed based on the user desired information preset in the multi-function IC card. Since it can be executed, the processing efficiency of the settlement process can be improved.

Patent Document 4 links a plurality of accounts so that deposits and withdrawals can be made from an account advantageous to the customer. The account information management means manages information related to accounts opened by the same customer in a plurality of financial institution processing apparatuses. The priority setting means sets the priority for the account managed by the account information management means. When the processing target account selecting means receives a processing request for manipulating the monetary information of the customer's account, the processing target account selecting means selects the processing target accounts in descending order of priority among the accounts opened by the customer. The monetary information operation means sequentially performs operations in response to the processing requests on the account selected by the processing target account selection means. The priority setting means uses the interest rate of the account as information indicating the advantage of the setting target account to the customer.

However, conventionally, it is possible to select the most suitable payment method for the user by comprehensively comparing the usage conditions, including the service results of the user, the service points when using the payment method, and the limited-time campaign of the payment method. There was no way.
JP 2000-163493 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-250988 JP 2002-99847 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-259588

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a settlement means selection method and system that can easily select an appropriate settlement means.
In addition, the present invention makes it easier to select an optimal payment method from a plurality of payment methods by automating the investigation of various conditions including conditions such as point information in addition to the payment limit and other conditions. An object of the present invention is to provide a settlement method selection method and system that can be used.

The settlement means selection method of the present invention is a settlement means selection method for performing settlement by selecting a specific settlement means from a plurality of settlement means,
Preliminarily examining payment conditions of the plurality of settlement means;
A step of investigating the fee and the earned points according to the usage record of the settlement means user and the usage amount for each settlement means;
Pre-determining the priority for each user of the plurality of payment means;
Investigating the payment methods available at the sales site where the user wants to make a payment;
The payment means that can be used at the sales site, and from among the payment means that can be used by the user, the earned points and fees according to the amount of money when using the payment means are investigated, and the fees are calculated from the earned points. Determining the order table of the available payment means in descending order of the deducted balance amount;
It is characterized by having.

  The settlement means selection method of the present invention is characterized in that the priority order for each user of the plurality of settlement means is given priority over the order table of the available settlement means.

  The settlement means selection method of the present invention includes a step in which the user selects a settlement means, and when there are a plurality of first-order settlement means in the order table of the available settlement means, the user inputs the entry means. The settlement means is preferably determined by

The payment means selection system of the present invention is a payment means selection system that performs payment by selecting a specific payment means from a plurality of payment means.
Payment condition investigation means for preliminarily examining payment conditions of the plurality of settlement means;
User performance surveying means for investigating the fee and earned points according to the usage results and amount of usage of the settlement means user for each payment means;
User priority order determining means for determining in advance a priority order for each user of the plurality of settlement means;
An availability survey means for investigating available payment means at a sales site where a user is to make a payment;
The payment means that can be used at the sales site, and from among the payment means that can be used by the user, the earned points and fees according to the amount of money when using the payment means are investigated, and the fees are calculated from the earned points. Order determining means for determining the order table of the available settlement means in descending order of the deductible balance amount;
It is characterized by providing.

  The settlement means selection system according to the present invention is characterized in that the priority order of each of the plurality of settlement means is prioritized over the order table of the available settlement means.

  The settlement means selection system of the present invention comprises means for allowing the user to select a settlement means, and when there are a plurality of first-order settlement means in the order table of the available settlement means, the user can input means The settlement means is preferably determined by

The computer program in the payment means selection system of the present invention includes a computer,
In a payment method selection system for performing payment by selecting a specific payment method from a plurality of payment methods,
Payment condition investigation means for preliminarily examining payment conditions of the plurality of settlement means;
User performance surveying means for investigating the fee and earned points according to the usage results and amount of usage of the settlement means user for each payment means;
User priority order determining means for determining in advance a priority order for each user of the plurality of settlement means;
An availability survey means for investigating available payment means at a sales site where a user is to make a payment;
The payment means that can be used at the sales site, and from among the payment means that can be used by the user, the earned points and fees according to the amount of money when using the payment means are investigated, and the fees are calculated from the earned points. Order determining means for determining the order table of the available settlement means in descending order of the deductible balance amount;
It is characterized by functioning.

  According to the settlement means selection method and system of the present invention, there is an effect that a payment method with the highest payment balance can be selected.

  Hereinafter, a settlement means selection system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a settlement means selection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a settlement means selection server according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a financial institution terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the user terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the sales site terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a payment means selection system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a payment means selection server 1, a financial institution terminal 2, a user terminal 3, and a sales site terminal 4 connected to a network 5. The financial institution terminal 2 is installed in a financial institution such as a credit company or a bank, and provides information such as payment conditions of the payment means, interest rate, and earned points when used, through the network 5. The financial institution terminals 2 are connected to the network 5 by the number of financial institutions that provide the payment condition information of the settlement means. Further, as many sales site terminals 4 as the number of sales sites are connected to the network 5. The user terminal 3 exists for the number of users who use the settlement means selection server 1, and FIG. 1 shows one of them as a representative.

  The payment means selection server 1 of the payment means selection system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a control unit 11, a main storage unit 12, an external storage unit 13, an input unit 14, a display unit 15, and a transmission / reception unit 16 as shown in FIG. Composed. The main storage unit 12, the external storage unit 13, the input unit 14, the display unit 15, and the transmission / reception unit 16 are all connected to the control unit 11 via the internal bus 10.

  The control unit 11 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, and in accordance with a program stored in the external storage unit 13, it investigates the payment conditions of the payment method, the usage fee of the payment method user, Survey of earned points, determination of priority order for each user of the plurality of payment methods, investigation of available payment methods at a sales site where the user is to make payment, payment methods available at the sales site. Among the payment methods available to the user, the above points can be used in the descending order of the amount of income and expenses according to the amount of money when using the payment method, Determine the order table of the correct payment method.

  The main storage unit 12 includes a RAM (Random-Access Memory) and the like, and is used as a work area for the control unit 11.

The external storage unit 13 includes a flash memory, a hard disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a DVD-RAM (Digital
A non-volatile memory such as a Versatile Disc Random-Access Memory (DVD) or a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disc Rewritable) is stored in advance, and a program for causing the control unit 11 to perform the above processing is stored in advance. According to the instruction, this program and other data received from the financial institution terminal 2 or the sales site terminal 4 are supplied to the control unit 11 and the data supplied from the control unit 11 is stored.

  The input unit 14 includes a pointing device such as a keyboard and a mouse, and an interface device that connects the keyboard and the pointing device to the internal bus 10. Via the input unit 14, new settlement means and settings of the financial institution terminal 2 that investigates the payment conditions are input and supplied to the control unit 11.

  The display unit 15 is composed of a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays a setting screen of the financial institution terminal 2 that investigates the input settlement means and its payment conditions.

  The transmission / reception unit 16 includes a serial interface or a LAN (Local Area Network) interface connected to a modem or a network termination device. Receiving information such as payment conditions from the financial institution terminal 2 via the transmission / reception unit 16, receiving information such as available settlement means from the sales site terminal 4, sending recommended settlement means etc. to the user terminal 3, And payment means selection information from the user terminal 3 is received.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the financial institution terminal 2 shown in FIG. 1 includes a control unit 21, a main storage unit 22, an external storage unit 23, an input unit 24, a display unit 25, and a transmission / reception unit 26. The main storage unit 22, the external storage unit 23, the input unit 24, the display unit 25, and the transmission / reception unit 26 are all connected to the control unit 21 via the internal bus 20.

  The control unit 21 is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and executes processing to be described later according to a program stored in the external storage unit 23.

  The main storage unit 22 includes a RAM (Random-Access Memory) and the like, and is used as a work area for the control unit 21.

The external storage unit 23 includes a flash memory, a hard disk device, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a DVD-RAM (Digital
A non-volatile memory such as a Versatile Disc Random-Access Memory (DVD), a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disc Rewritable), or a large-capacity optical disk device, and a program for causing the control unit 21 to perform processing to be described later is stored in advance. According to the instruction of the control unit 21, this program and other data stored in the financial institution terminal 2 are supplied to the control unit 21, and the data supplied from the control unit 21 is stored.

  The input unit 24 inputs payment terms to be changed, and inputs information such as a period during which the campaign is executed. The display unit 25 displays data such as changed payment terms in accordance with instructions from the control unit 21.

  The transmission / reception unit 26 connects the financial institution terminal 2 to the network 5. The transmission / reception unit 26 receives the payment condition investigation command from the settlement means selection server 1 and transmits the payment conditions to the settlement means selection server 1.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the user terminal 3 shown in FIG. 1 includes a control unit 31, a main storage unit 32, an external storage unit 33, an input unit 34, a display unit 35, a transmission / reception unit 36, and a printing unit 37. The main storage unit 32, the external storage unit 33, the input unit 34, the display unit 35, the transmission / reception unit 36, and the printing unit 37 are all connected to the control unit 31 via the internal bus 30.

  The control unit 31 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, and executes processing to be described later according to a program stored in the external storage unit 33.

  The main storage unit 32 includes a RAM (Random-Access Memory) or the like, and is used as a work area for the control unit 31.

The external storage unit 33 includes a flash memory, a hard disk device, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a DVD-RAM (Digital
A non-volatile memory such as a Versatile Disc Random-Access Memory (DVD), a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disc Rewritable), or a large-capacity optical disk device, and stores the program for causing the control unit 31 to perform processing to be described later. Further, in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 31, this program and other data stored in the user terminal 3 are supplied to the control unit 31, and the data supplied from the control unit 31 is stored. Further, the product information received from the sales site terminal 4 and the recommended settlement means information received from the settlement means selection server 1 are stored.

  The input unit 34 inputs the priority order of the settlement means, information on products purchased from the sales site, information on the settlement means to be selected, and the like. The display unit 35 displays the product purchase screen received from the sales site terminal 4 and the recommended settlement unit and settlement unit selection screen received from the settlement unit selection server 1 in accordance with instructions from the control unit 31.

  The transmission / reception unit 36 connects the user terminal 3 to the network 5. In accordance with an instruction from the control unit 31, the transmission / reception unit 36 receives information on a product to be purchased from the sales site terminal 4 and transmits product purchase determination information to the settlement means selection server 1 and the sales site terminal 4. Further, the recommended settlement means is received from the settlement means selection server 1 and the settlement means selection information is transmitted to the sales site terminal 4 and the settlement means selection server 1.

  The printing unit 37 includes a printer and a printer interface. The printing unit 37 is used for printing purchased product information and payment information.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the sales site terminal 4 shown in FIG. 1 includes a control unit 41, a main storage unit 42, an external storage unit 43, an input unit 44, a display unit 45, a transmission / reception unit 46, and a printing unit 47. The main storage unit 42, the external storage unit 43, the input unit 44, the display unit 45, the transmission / reception unit 46, and the printing unit 47 are all connected to the control unit 41 via the internal bus 40.

  The control unit 41 is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and executes processing to be described later according to a program stored in the external storage unit 43.

  The main storage unit 42 is composed of a RAM (Random-Access Memory) or the like, and is used as a work area for the control unit 41.

The external storage unit 43 includes a flash memory, a hard disk device, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a DVD-RAM (Digital
A non-volatile memory such as a Versatile Disc Random-Access Memory (DVD), a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disc Rewritable), or a large-capacity optical disk device, and the program for causing the control unit 41 to perform processing to be described later is stored in advance. Further, in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 41, this program and other data stored in the sales site terminal 4 are supplied to the control unit 41, and the data supplied from the control unit 41 is stored. Further, the product purchase information and the payment means information received from the user terminal 3 are stored.

  The input unit 44 inputs the setting of the available settlement means for each product, and inputs a command to display information when the user purchases the product on the display unit 45.

  The display unit 45 displays a setting screen for available payment means for each product, a screen for displaying information when the user purchases the product, and the like in accordance with instructions from the control unit 41.

  The transmission / reception unit 46 connects the sales site terminal 4 to the network 5. In response to a command from the control unit 41, the transmission / reception unit 46 transmits information on the products to be sold to the user terminal 3, transmits information on available payment means to the payment means selection server 1, and the user terminal 3 Receive purchase and payment information.

  The printing unit 47 includes a printer and a printer interface. The printing unit 47 is used for printing the product purchase information and settlement information of the user.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of payment conditions of the payment means of the payment means selection system according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the payment condition of the payment means stores the payment means name, the fee for each amount category, and the earned point unit amount for the usage amount. In FIG. 6, fee 1 represents a fee for a usage amount up to amount 1, fee 2 represents a fee up to amount 2, and fee 3 represents a fee for a usage amount exceeding amount 2. The point unit represents a usage amount to which 1 point is given.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a variation factor of the payment means of the payment means selection system according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, elements that change the payment conditions of the settlement means and the fluctuation factors are stored.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a payment means usable by the user in the payment means selection system according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, the available payment means stores a payment means name, an account number, an identification number (ID), and a password. Generally, they are arranged from the top in order of priority.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the selection order of payment means set by the user in the payment means selection system according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, for each type of purchased product (content), a settlement means giving priority according to the usage amount is set. For example, when the content type is CD, the electronic money A is given priority up to the amount 1, the bank A (withdrawal) is given priority from the amount 1 to the amount 2, and the credit A is given priority from the amount 2 to the amount 3. Represents.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the current variation condition of the payment means of the payment means selection system according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10, for example, member rank, deposit amount, and points, which are fluctuating conditions, are stored in correspondence with each of the settlement methods of the user.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of payment means that can be used at a sales site in the payment means selection system according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11, for example, a discount rate, a fee, and earned points are stored for each settlement means. This corresponds to the possibility that the discount rate, commission, and earned points may differ depending on the settlement method. For example, bank A and bank B have different fees, bank A and B and credit A have different discount rates (for example, the bank has a higher discount rate), and credit A earns more than other payment methods. There are few points. For example, commissions and earned points are given at a certain percentage of the usage amount.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an order table showing the order of settlement means recommended by the settlement means selection server 1 of the settlement means selection system according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the payment means are arranged in the order of recommendation, and the earned points, fees, and the difference (point-fee) are shown for each payment means. The order of recommendation is generally the descending order of the value obtained by subtracting the commission from the earned points. In addition, special conditions, for example, when there is an expiration date of points that can be used, are indicated.

  Next, the operation of the payment means selection system 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. As described above, the operation of the settlement means selection system 100 is performed by the control units 11, 21, 31, and 41, the main storage units 12, 22, 32, and 42, the external storage units 13, 23, 33, and 43, and the input unit. 14, 24, 34, 44, display units 15, 25, 35, 45, transmission / reception units 16, 26, 36, 46, and printing units 37, 47.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation in which the payment means selection server 1 collects payment conditions of each payment means from each financial institution terminal 2 in the payment means selection system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation for registering information on payment means that can be used by the user in the payment means selection system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation for determining an order table of recommended payment means in the payment means selection system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the settlement means selection server 1 collects payment conditions for each settlement means in order from a plurality of financial institution terminals 2. The settlement means selection server 1 is preliminarily inputted with the settlement means, the financial institution providing the settlement means, and the network address of the financial institution terminal 2 from the input section 14 and stored in the external storage section 13. The control unit 11 reads the settlement means stored in the external storage unit 13 and the network address of the financial institution terminal 2 that provides the payment conditions, and pays the financial institution terminal 2 from the transmission / reception unit 16 via the network 5. The condition is inquired (step A1).

  When the control unit 21 of the financial institution terminal 2 receives the inquiry through the transmission / reception unit 26, the payment condition stored in the external storage unit 23 is read (step A 2), and the corresponding payment condition is cleared from the transmission / reception unit 26. It transmits to the selection server 1 (step A3). As described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the payment conditions include, for example, information on the amount of money, the fee, the point unit, and the fluctuation factors of the payment conditions. The control unit 11 of the settlement means selection server 1 receives the payment conditions and stores them as payment conditions as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and their fluctuation factors (step A4).

  The payment condition inquiry is repeated for each payment means in the above operation (steps A5 to A8), and the payment conditions are stored in the external storage unit 13 for all registered payment means. The payment conditions of the payment means can be changed, and the payment means selection server 1 periodically inquires and updates the payment conditions.

  The user of the payment means selection system 100 registers the user's payment means in the payment means selection server 1 as shown in FIG. When the payment means registration is input from the input unit 34, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 connects to the payment method selection server 1 via the transmission / reception unit 36 (step B1). The settlement means selection server 1 transmits a list of registered settlement means to the user terminal 3 (step B2). The control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 receives and displays the settlement means list on the display unit 35 (step B3). When the user inputs the information on the settlement means held as shown in FIG. 8 and the selection order of the settlement means as shown in FIG. 9 (step B4), the control unit 31 inputs the entered user settlement means information. Is transmitted from the transmission / reception unit 36 to the settlement means selection server 1 (step B5). The control unit 11 of the settlement means selection server 1 stores the received user settlement means information in the external storage unit 13 in the format as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 (step B6).

  Although not shown in FIG. 14, a user ID and a password for authenticating the user with the settlement means selection server 1 are registered.

  Next, the operation of the payment means selection system 100 when the user selects a payment means when purchasing a product at the sales site will be described with reference to FIG. When the designation information of the sales site of the product to be purchased by the user is input from the input unit 34 of the user terminal 3, the control unit 31 connects to the specified sales site terminal 4 through the network 5 from the transmission / reception unit 36 ( Step C1). The sales site terminal 4 transmits information on various products sold to the user terminal 3 (step C2). The control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 displays the received product information on the display unit 35 as a browsing screen (step C3).

  When the user views the displayed product browsing screen, specifies a product to be purchased, and inputs a product purchase instruction from the input unit 34, the control unit 31 transmits the product purchase information to the settlement means selection server 1. (Step C4). Here, in order for the user to use the settlement means selection server 1, the user's ID and password are input to authenticate the user.

  The product purchase information includes the address of the sales site terminal 4, the product to be purchased and its quantity, the user, and the address of the user terminal 3. When the payment means selection server 1 receives the purchase information, the payment means selection server 1 adds an inquiry about the payment means available at the sales site corresponding to the purchase information, and transmits it to the sales site terminal 4 (step C5). The sales site terminal 4 receives the purchase information and the settlement means inquiry (step C6), and transmits information on the settlement means that can be used according to the purchase information to the settlement means selection server 1 (step C7). The information on the available payment means includes, for example, a discount rate, a fee, and earned points for each payment means as described in the explanation of FIG.

  The settlement means selection server 1 extracts a logical product of the settlement means that can be used by the user and the settlement means that can be used at the sales site received from the sales site terminal 4 (step C8). Next, the financial institution terminal 2 of each payment means is inquired for the latest information on each payment means of the extracted user (step C9). The latest information on the payment means of the user includes the deposit amount of the account corresponding to the payment means, the points accumulated in the payment means, the expiration date of the points, the usable limit amount, and the like. For this inquiry, as shown in FIG. 8, the registered user account number, identification number (ID), and password are used. At the same time, reference is made to fluctuation factors of the settlement means, for example, campaign information. The financial institution terminal 2 that has received the payment means information inquiry (step C10) reads the information on the user payment means from the external storage unit 23 and transmits it to the payment means selection server 1 (step C11). In FIG. 15, only one financial institution terminal 2 is shown for the convenience of the paper width, but an inquiry about the latest information of the settlement means is made for each of the settlement means extracted in step C8.

  The control unit 11 of the payment means selection server 1 takes the difference between the earned points and the fees for each payment means from the payment means information collected from each financial institution terminal 2, and creates an order table as shown in FIG. (Step C12). Here, the difference between the earned points and the fee includes both the settlement means (financial institution) side and the sales site side, and takes into account the discount rate at the sales site. That is, it is a value obtained by subtracting the commission of the settlement means and the commission of the sales site from the sum of the points of the settlement means, the points of the sales site, and the product of the price and the discount rate. When there is no corresponding item, the value is set to 0. Then, the order of recommendation is arranged in descending order. In addition, when there is a special condition, for example, an expiration date of an available point, the condition is described (see FIG. 12).

  The settlement means selection server 1 may arrange the settlement means in the order list of the settlement means according to the priority order of the settlement means set by the user shown in FIG. 9 instead of the order in which the difference between the settlement means points and the fees is large. . The user can select the most appropriate payment means from the order table of the payment means arranged in accordance with the set priority order with reference to the point and fee information.

  The control unit 11 of the settlement means selection server 1 transmits the created settlement means order table to the user terminal 3 via the transmission / reception section 16 (step C13). The control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 displays the received settlement means order table on the display unit 35 (step C14). The user can select a payment means by looking at the displayed payment means order table. The user may select the first payment method in the recommended order with a large difference between points and fees, or may select another payment method in the order table in consideration of other conditions. When the user selects a payment method and inputs a transmission instruction from the input unit 34, the control unit 31 transmits information on the selected payment method to the payment method selection server 1 (step C15). At the same time, the product purchased from the printing unit 37 and the information on the selected payment method are printed as a copy.

  The settlement means selection server 1 stores information on the selected settlement means, and transmits the settlement means information to the sales site terminal 4 (step C16). When the sales site terminal 4 receives the payment means information (step C17), the sales site terminal 4 performs processing for shipping the product and transmits the payment information to the financial institution terminal 2 (step C18). At the same time, the products sold from the printing unit 47 and payment information are printed as sales records. The financial institution terminal 2 performs a payment process based on the received payment information (step C19). That is, a point is given by deducting the price from the corresponding user's account or adding it to the next withdrawal amount.

  As described above, a user having a plurality of settlement means can easily adopt an optimum settlement means by selecting a settlement means from the displayed order list of the settlement means. At that time, it is not necessary to remember the card numbers that can be used for each payment for a plurality of payment methods. Also, it is easy to select the most suitable card for each payment. Then, the payment method with the highest payment balance can be selected.

  In addition, the hardware configuration and the flowchart described above are merely examples, and can be arbitrarily changed and modified.

  The settlement means selection server 1, the financial institution terminal 2, the user terminal 3, and the sales site terminal 4 can be realized using a normal computer system, not a dedicated system. For example, a computer program for executing the above operation is stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium (flexible disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc.), and the computer program is installed in the computer. Thus, an apparatus that performs the above-described processing may be configured. Alternatively, the computer program may be stored in a storage device included in a server device on a communication network such as the Internet and downloaded by a normal computer system to configure the settlement means selection system 100 of the present invention.

  When each of the above functions is realized by sharing an OS (operating system) and an application program, or by cooperation between the OS and the application program, only the application program part is stored in a recording medium or a storage device. Also good.

  It is also possible to superimpose the above computer program on a carrier wave and distribute it via a communication network.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the payment means selection system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the payment means selection server which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the financial institution terminal which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the user terminal which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the sales site terminal which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the payment conditions of the payment means of the payment means selection system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the fluctuation factor of the payment means of the payment means selection system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the payment means which a user can use in the payment means selection system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the priority of the payment means which the user of the payment means selection system which concerns on embodiment of this invention sets. It is a figure which shows an example of the fluctuation conditions of the payment means of the payment means selection system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the payment means which can be utilized in the sales site of the payment means selection system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the order table which shows the order of the payment means which the payment means selection server of the payment means selection system which concerns on embodiment of this invention recommends. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation in which a payment means selection server collects payment conditions of each payment means from each financial institution terminal in the payment means selection system according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement which registers the information of the payment means which a user can utilize in the payment means selection system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement which determines the order table of the recommended payment means in the payment means selection system which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Settlement method selection server
2 Financial institution terminals
3 user terminals
4 Sales site terminal 10, 20, 30, 40 Internal bus 11, 21, 31, 41 Control unit 12, 22, 32, 42 Main storage unit 13, 23, 33, 43 External storage unit 14, 24, 34, 44 Input Unit 15, 25, 35, 45 Display unit 16, 26, 36, 46 Transmission / reception unit
37, 47 Print section

Claims (7)

In a payment method selection method for performing payment by selecting a specific payment method from a plurality of payment methods,
Preliminarily examining payment conditions of the plurality of settlement means;
A step of investigating the fee and the earned points according to the usage record of the settlement means user and the usage amount for each settlement means;
Pre-determining the priority for each user of the plurality of payment means;
Investigating the payment methods available at the sales site where the user wants to make a payment;
The payment means that can be used at the sales site, and from among the payment means that can be used by the user, the earned points and fees according to the amount of money when using the payment means are investigated, and the fees are calculated from the earned points. Determining the order table of the available payment means in descending order of the deducted balance amount;
A method for selecting a payment method.   The method for selecting a settlement means according to claim 1, wherein the priority order of each of the plurality of settlement means is prioritized over the order table of the available settlement means.   2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a payment means by the user, and when there are a plurality of first-order payment means in the order table of the available payment means, the user determines the payment means by the input means. Or a method for selecting a settlement method described in 2 above. In a payment method selection system for performing payment by selecting a specific payment method from a plurality of payment methods,
Payment condition investigation means for preliminarily examining payment conditions of the plurality of settlement means;
User performance surveying means for investigating the fee and earned points according to the usage results and amount of usage of the settlement means user for each payment means;
User priority order determining means for determining in advance a priority order for each user of the plurality of settlement means;
An availability survey means for investigating available payment means at a sales site where a user is to make a payment;
The payment means that can be used at the sales site, and from among the payment means that can be used by the user, the earned points and fees according to the amount of money when using the payment means are investigated, and the fees are calculated from the earned points. Order determining means for determining the order table of the available settlement means in descending order of the deductible balance amount;
A payment means selection system comprising:   The payment means selection system according to claim 4, wherein the priority order of each of the plurality of payment means is prioritized over the order table of the available payment means.   5. The means for selecting a payment means by the user, and when there are a plurality of first payment means in the order table of the available payment means, the user determines the payment means by the input means. Or the settlement means selection system according to 5. Computer
In a payment method selection system for performing payment by selecting a specific payment method from a plurality of payment methods,
Payment condition investigation means for preliminarily examining payment conditions of the plurality of settlement means;
User performance surveying means for investigating the fee and earned points according to the usage results and amount of usage of the settlement means user for each payment means;
User priority order determining means for determining in advance a priority order for each user of the plurality of settlement means;
An availability survey means for investigating available payment means at a sales site where a user is to make a payment;
The payment means that can be used at the sales site, and from among the payment means that can be used by the user, the earned points and fees according to the amount of money when using the payment means are investigated, and the fees are calculated from the earned points. Order determining means for determining the order table of the available settlement means in descending order of the deductible balance amount;
Computer program to make it function.

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