JP3063195B2 - Transaction point management system using memory card - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a POS system used in a union or the like organized by a plurality of member stores, and more particularly to a POS system having a storage function such as a magnetic card or an IC card (hereinafter referred to as a card). The present invention relates to a transaction point management system using a storage card that stores issue points and provides services to customers based on the stored issue points, and manages these issue points and service points by a host computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, service organizations such as a green stamp organization have been known in association with retail stores. In such a service, a retail store purchases a green stamp or a service ticket from a cooperative or the like in advance, and the retail store issues a service ticket or a green stamp to the customer in proportion to the amount purchased by the customer. On the other hand, when the number of service tickets and green stamps reaches a certain number, the customer receives a service by giving out a prize to the customer at a cooperative or a retail store or discounting the number of prizes.

[0003] When a retail store provides a service, a service ticket handed over to the retail store by a customer to receive the service, for example, is brought to an association or the like, and the association purchases the ticket. Services are provided according to such a distribution system.

However, in such a service, the stamp and the service ticket are easily lost, and the settlement work is troublesome for a green stamp or the like. On the retailer side as well, the task of cutting stamps and passing them to customers is added to the crowded cash register operations, which is complicated.

[0005] To deal with such disadvantages,
No. 663 discloses a solution called “a system for displaying accumulated points on a receipt”. The contents are such that the issue point is managed using the magnetic card, and the host computer manages the issue point and the service point for each customer so that the customer can be restored if the customer loses the magnetic card.

[0006]

However, in this system, the contributions for each member store differing in accounting are output from the host computer as a transaction statement for each individual, and this is the amount to be paid for each member store. Needs to be recalculated.

Further, in order to solve this drawback, Japanese Patent Publication No.
No. 3,340,795, a total of transaction points for each member store and a total of service points for each store are calculated at regular intervals, and the total is calculated. It has also been proposed to calculate the cost burden based on this.

[0008] However, since this system is based on the idea of adjusting the past points in and out, in order to ensure fairness of all the member stores, the burden amount corresponding to the actual results must be calculated and recorded for each fixed period. Then, it is necessary to display and output what is recorded in all the member stores and send it. For this reason, the sending becomes large.

[0009] Further, even if the total number of issuing points of a particular member store increases, until the payment is made, the contribution is not known, and the service can be received depending on the manner of use of the service during that time. It is possible that this may not occur. In particular, if a large store is a member of a member store and a retail store is also a member, the large store will issue a large number of points, Also have problems.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the above two systems and to provide a system that can provide fairness to member stores without having to use a settlement system and that does not complicate sending.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a POS terminal and a host computer.

The POS terminal is installed in each of a plurality of member stores, and has a function of writing an issue point in proportion to the transaction amount on a storage card submitted by the customer. It has a function of reducing the number of received points, and a function of transmitting and receiving information that allows the issue points written on the storage card and the service points to be identified.

[0013] A host computer is connected to the POS terminal via a line.
A storage function for storing in advance the maximum number of issuable points corresponding to the amount purchased by the member store, and information transmitted from the POS terminal is arranged for each member store, and the issue point is subtracted from the limit point. Then, it has at least a function of calculating and recording the remaining limit points and independently calculating and recording the cumulative total of the service points for each fixed period.

Further, as a second invention, there is provided means for inputting points that can be issued by designating a member store, and the host computer sets the limit points inputted by the input means as:
A function is provided to accumulate the limit points of the corresponding member stores stored in the storage function.

Further, the host computer further comprises means for outputting a limit score at regular intervals and, when the issued points exceed the limit score and in a lending state, displaying and outputting information indicating the lending state. On the other hand, in claim 3 of the present invention, the transaction point management system comprises: a storage unit for storing the maximum number of points that can be issued by each member store in accordance with an issue point that each of the plurality of member stores purchases in advance; Subtract the issued points from the limit points to calculate the remaining points, record and record the service points provided by the member store to the customer, and further store the issued points that the member store newly purchased in the storage unit. A processing unit for adding to the score.

[0016]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the limit points are stored and managed by the center. Therefore, if the total number of issued points exceeds this limit, an alarm can be generated from the union.

Further, according to the present invention, since the limit points are cumulatively updated when the issue points are purchased for each member store, a pre-purchase method can be adopted.
Each store will be fair. Furthermore, since the collateral saves the collateral, even if there is an excess of issuance points for large stores,
Retail bailouts will be possible from this union savings.

[0018] In addition, since there is no need for regular settlement and the balance is managed, only when the number of issued points exceeds the limit and the balance becomes negative, is it notified only to the minus member point. Is enough.

Furthermore, since the member stores can update the limit points at any time, management is easy even between member stores having different accounting periods.

[0020]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a card in which customer code information, balance points, and the like are stored. In addition, as this card,
A magnetic card may be used, or a so-called IC card incorporating a memory or a microcomputer may be used.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a POS terminal, which can be considered as a so-called cash register, which is arranged in different member stores and performs business transactions. The POS terminal 1 is provided with a reader / writer 14 for reading information stored in the card 10 and updating the stored information. In addition, an external storage device 1b is provided for storing information on transactions for one day, particularly, in the case of the present invention, the number of issued points issued to customers and the number of service points served to customers for each transaction. The external storage device is a floppy disk or the like.

When a customer purchases a product, the customer presents the card 10 together with cash. The clerk processes the registration processing of the merchandise by a method of a known cash register, and inserts the card 10 into the reader / writer 14.

The control section 11 issues points in proportion to the purchase price, such as a rate of 100 yen and 5 points, and stores the points in the card 10 in accordance with the total purchase price as the processing result. At this time,
If the issued points are already stored in the card 10, the points corresponding to the amount purchased this time are added to the stored points, and the storage is updated. Also, at this time, if the customer requests the service of the total number of service points, the control unit 11 displays the total number of issued points read from the card 10 on a display (not shown), confirms it with the customer, and then switches to the service. The corresponding points (called service points) are input from a keyboard provided in the POS terminal 1, and the control unit 11 performs a subtraction process from the points stored in the card.

On the other hand, the control unit 11 stores the number of issued points in proportion to the purchase price of the current transaction and the number of serviced services in the external storage device 1b. This is repeated for the rest of the day. As a result, the transaction details for one day, that is, the issued points and the service points are stored in the external storage device.

At the end of the day, a clerk activates the control unit 11 from the keyboard of the POS terminal 1 and issues a transfer instruction to the host computer 30. The transfer control unit 12 of the POS terminal 1 reads out each issue point and each service point stored in the external storage device 1b, and stores the code of the member store where the POS terminal 1 is installed in these data. The host computer 30 additionally has transaction statement information.
Transfer to

The host computer 30 has a storage device 3
2, a printer 30 and a keyboard 31 are connected.
Further, the host computer 30 sorts the information transmitted from the POS terminal 1 of each member store for each member store, and subtracts the issue point from the limit number C stored in the storage device 32 to obtain the remaining limit number. And at least a function of independently calculating and recording the cumulative total for each fixed period using the storage area D for the service point.

The host computer 30 processes the above-mentioned transaction statement information. Before that, the system performs the following. That is, each member store purchases the number of issued points in advance in the same way as a conventional stamp ticket or service ticket is purchased from the union where the center is provided. The purchased points are input from the keyboard 31 by a staff member of the association.

A member store code and purchase points are input from the keyboard 31 as information on points issued from the union to the member store. The host computer 30 searches the area of the storage device 32 using the member store code as a search key, reads out the limit point from the area A storing the limit number of issuance points of the member point, and determines the point number purchased this time. Add the area A again
To be stored.

Therefore, the member store can always increase the limit by purchasing an issue point when the money is available. On the other hand, as described above, when the transaction statement information is received from the POS terminal 1, the host computer 30
Performs various types of summation and subtraction processing.

That is, for each issue point, the storage device 32
Each issue score is sequentially subtracted from the limit score stored in the area A, and is stored in the area A. As a result, the limit score is reduced.

On the other hand, as for the service points, the service points in each transaction are added to the total points of the service points stored in the area B, and the storage device 32 is again stored.
Are stored in the area B.

When calculating the issue point, if the result is negative, that is, the state of overdraft, the host computer 30 prints out the information of the affiliate point by the printer 33. Thus, the rental display can be performed. It should be noted that if the printing paper in the form of a mail envelope is used at the time of this output, and it is possible to print it directly and send it out, the shipping procedure will be easier.

The total number of service points, that is, the points stored in the storage area B of the storage device 32 is periodically printed by the printer 33 for each member point. Regarding this service point, the amount corresponding to the service point for each member store is refunded from the cash paid by each member store to purchase the issue point first to the union. When the rebate processing is completed, the storage area B is cleared to zero.

In this case, the host computer 30 is connected to a host computer provided in a bank or the like by using a function such as so-called farm banking. , By instructing the automatic transfer of the amount proportional to the service points of each merchant from the union account to each merchant account, the service points are automatically exchanged without bothering you with much trouble. Can be processed.

In the above embodiment, printing of each point to the printer 33 is started when the number of issued points exceeds the limit point. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the entire storage area of each member store in the storage device 32 may be searched and supplied to the printer 33.

Further, in order to inquire about the current limit of the member store in accordance with a request from the member store, it may be outputted to the printer 33 under an instruction from the keyboard 31. Further, the POS terminal 1 is provided with an inquiry instruction function, and when the manager of the member store operates the POS terminal 1 and inputs an inquiry instruction, the inquiry instruction is transferred from the POS terminal 1 to the host computer, The host computer 30 reads the information of the member store from the storage area based on the instruction,
Return to OS terminal 1. It is convenient to display the returned information on a display or a receipt provided in the POS terminal.

Further, information to be output is instructed from the keyboard 31 or the POS terminal 1, and, for example, an instruction is made to display and output only the total number of service shops, and only the instructed information is printed out to the printer. You may do it. Thereby, for example, it becomes a standard of how much the member store should purchase the issue point in the union.

[0038]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the center (host computer) stores and manages the limit points.
Therefore, if the total number of issued points exceeds this limit, an alarm can be generated by the union.

Further, according to the present invention, since the limit points are cumulatively updated when the issue points are purchased for each member store, a pre-purchase method can be adopted.
It is configured for each store. In addition, since the collateral saves money on the union side, even if the issue point of the Ogata store is excessive,
Retail bailouts will be possible from this union savings.

Further, since there is no need for regular settlement, and the balance is managed, only when the number of issued points exceeds the limit and the balance becomes negative, is it notified only to the minus member point. Is enough.

Furthermore, since the member stores can update the limit points at any time, management is easy even between member stores having different accounting periods.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 is a POS terminal 30 is a host computer 10 is a card 31 is a keyboard 32 is a storage device 33 is a printer

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-1-99197 (JP, A) JP-A-2-27499 (JP, A) JP-A-2-61785 (JP, A) (58) Fields studied (Int .Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G07G 1/00-5/00 G06F 17/60

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] Claims: 1. It is installed in each of a plurality of member stores,
It has the function of writing the issue point proportional to the transaction amount on the storage card submitted by the customer, the function of subtracting the number of service points accepted by the customer from the already written issue point, A POS terminal having a function of transmitting and receiving information that enables an issue point and a service point to be identified; and a host computer connected to the POS terminal via a line. A storage function for storing the possible limit points in advance, the information transmitted from the POS terminal is arranged for each member store, the issue points are subtracted from the limit points, and the remaining limit points are calculated and recorded; A transaction point management system using a storage card, having at least a function of independently calculating and recording a total of service points for each fixed period. 2. The host computer outputs a limit score.
If the number of issued points exceeds the limit,
Means for displaying and outputting information indicating
A transaction point management system using the storage card according to claim 1.
Management system. 3. Issue issued by each of a plurality of member stores in advance
Limits that can be issued for each merchant, set according to points
Storage unit for storing the number of points, and subtracting the number of points issued by the member store from the above-mentioned limit points
And calculate and record the remaining points,
A processing unit that counts the number of services provided to customers
For example, the processing unit further, the issue number of merchants was purchased new
Is configured to be added to the limit score stored in the storage unit.
Transaction point management system characterized by the following. 4. The processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the franchise stores a purchase
From the amount paid for the service points
Execute the process of refunding the appropriate amount to the member store.
The transaction point management system according to claim 3, characterized in that:
M