JP7034698B2 - Payment systems, payment methods, and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a payment system in commercial transactions.

Conventionally, various methods have been known as a method of settlement of commercial transactions between a business operator and a consumer. As an example, there is a method in which a storage agent organizes payments with consumers on behalf of the business operator and pays the stored price to the business operator. According to this method, there is an advantage that the burden of paperwork is reduced for the business operator.

As another example, debit card payment is known in which the transaction amount is deducted from the consumer's bank account in real time at the time of transaction. While debit card payment has the advantage that the risk of non-collection is small for the business operator, the business operator cannot receive the transaction amount in real time.

As yet another example, a system called a cash management system (CMS) is known in which a company centrally manages the funds of the entire group such as a subsidiary and manages the funds efficiently (for example, a patent). See Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-271887

In CMS, receivables and debts are offset between accounts held by each company in the group, and only the difference is settled (so-called netting), so that funds can be transferred efficiently without incurring a fee for transferring funds. Can be done. Therefore, if the system of netting between a plurality of accounts belonging to the group is used as an intermediary for the settlement of transactions outside the group, there is a possibility that the efficiency of settlement can be improved. However, in this case, the following problems occur.

First, it is necessary to secure funds in each account so that settlement will not be delayed in any of the multiple accounts belonging to the group (that is, the balance of the account will not be zero).

Secondly, due to external factors, it will be necessary to transfer funds or change the allocation of funds. Here, the external factor is a factor that cannot be controlled by the group, such as the weather and the world situation. For example, due to the heavy snow forecast issued in Sapporo, it is expected that consumption demand will increase in advance, and it may be necessary to secure more funds than usual.

Third, it is necessary to suppress the fee for transferring funds as much as possible between multiple accounts belonging to the group.

In other words, not only during normal transactions, but also when the situation changes due to external factors, stable settlement can be made without running out of funds in each intermediary account, and the account A system that can minimize the fees for transferring funds between them is desired.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and stable settlement can be performed without running out of funds in any of a plurality of accounts used for mediation of settlement, and between accounts. One of the purposes is to provide a payment system that can suppress the fee for transferring funds.

In order to solve the above problems, the payment system according to one aspect of the present invention is a payment system that mediates payment between a payer who pays a price and a recipient who receives the price, and is used by a plurality of banks different from each other. , A plurality of dedicated accounts used to mediate payments between third parties are set up, the payer's account is set up in the first bank of the plurality of banks, and the first of the plurality of banks. When the payee's account is set up in a second bank different from the first bank and the payment information of the payment from the payer to the payee is received, the payer's account is based on the payment information. An instruction is given to withdraw the payment from the account to the dedicated account provided in the first bank, and an instruction is given to deposit the payment from the dedicated account provided in the second bank to the recipient's account. By acquiring the payment module and the allocation status of the funds in the plurality of dedicated accounts and instructing the transfer of the funds between the plurality of dedicated accounts based on the allocation status, the funds in the plurality of dedicated accounts can be obtained. It is equipped with a fund adjustment module for adjustment.

In the payment system, a default value and a lower limit threshold value of the balance are set for each of the plurality of dedicated accounts, and the fund adjustment module has a balance up to the lower limit threshold value in any of the plurality of dedicated accounts. When the balance drops, an instruction may be given to transfer the funds from the dedicated account whose balance exceeds the default value to the dedicated account whose balance has dropped to the lower threshold.

In the settlement system, the fund adjustment module acquires a lower limit threshold ratio representing the ratio of the current balance to the lower limit threshold in each of the plurality of dedicated accounts, and the balance is the lower limit in order from the dedicated account having the highest lower limit threshold ratio. You may instruct to move the funds to a dedicated account that has dropped to the threshold.

In the payment system, the fund adjustment module may set the default value and the lower limit threshold value for each of the plurality of dedicated accounts based on the settlement amount in the dedicated account for a predetermined period.

In the payment system, the fund adjustment module has a database for storing information associated with a specific factor and the payment amount in each of the plurality of dedicated accounts, and for each of the plurality of dedicated accounts, the said. The default value and the lower limit threshold value may be set based on the database.

The payment system further includes a notification means for giving a predetermined notification under the control of the fund adjustment module, and the fund adjustment module is used when the total balance of funds in the plurality of dedicated accounts falls below a predetermined value. , The notification means may be notified of a warning that the funds are insufficient.

According to the present invention, since the fund adjustment module acquires the allocation status of funds in a plurality of dedicated accounts and transfers the funds between the plurality of dedicated accounts based on the allocation status, a plurality of funds used for mediation of settlement. Stable settlement can be performed without running out of funds in any of the dedicated accounts, and the fee for transferring funds can be suppressed compared to the case where funds are transferred between dedicated accounts each time payment is made. Is also possible.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the payment system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the function as the exchange network of the payment system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the mechanism of fund transfer in the payment system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the mechanism for optimizing the fund allocation in the payment system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the pattern of fund transfer in the payment system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the pattern of fund transfer in the payment system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the pattern of fund transfer in the payment system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the pattern of fund transfer in the payment system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the pattern of fund transfer in the payment system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a graph for demonstrating the fluctuation of the balance in one exclusive account. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the principle of fund allocation optimization among a plurality of dedicated accounts.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. It should be noted that the following embodiments are examples for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments thereof. Further, the present invention can be modified in various ways as long as it does not deviate from the gist thereof. Further, those skilled in the art can adopt an embodiment in which each element described below is replaced with an equal one, and such an embodiment is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the positional relationship such as up, down, left, and right shown as necessary shall be based on the indicated display unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the various dimensional ratios in the drawings are not limited to the ratios shown.

Further, in the present specification, the term "bank" is intended for any financial institution in which a deposit account is established, and is merely expressed as "bank" as a representative example.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a payment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the payment system 1 according to the present embodiment makes a payment between a consumer (payer) who pays the price in a transaction and a member store (recipient) who receives the price in the transaction. Alternatively, it is a system for performing remittance processing between consumers, and includes a payment platform 2 operated by a payment intermediary.

Here, the consumer is a person who makes a purchase at a store or receives a service and pays the price. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the consumer has already registered the use for using the payment by the payment system 1. The consumer makes a payment (payment) using a terminal device (consumer terminal 31) in which a dedicated application program (payment application) is installed. The terminal device is not particularly limited as long as it is a portable device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a mobile phone and capable of executing a payment application. Further, the consumer registers his / her own bank account (for example, the consumer ordinary account a11 of the bank B1) in the settlement platform 2 in advance as an account for settlement. The type of consumer settlement account is not particularly limited, and may be an ordinary account, a fixed-term account (see consumer fixed-term account a12), or a loan repayment account (consumer loan). It may be (see account a13). Hereinafter, the account registered by the consumer for payment is referred to as a consumer account.

A member store is a business operator that operates a store that provides product sales and services and receives consideration for the product sales and services from consumers, and registers (contracts) the use of payment by the payment system 1. It is a business operator. The member store makes a payment by using the terminal device in which the dedicated application program (registration application) is installed as the member store terminal 32. As the terminal device, a tablet terminal, a personal computer (PC), or the like is used. Alternatively, by connecting the terminal device to a predetermined web site and logging in, the terminal device can be used as a member store terminal 32. Further, the member store registers its own bank account (for example, the member store account a14 of the bank B3) in the payment platform 2 in advance as an account for payment. Hereinafter, the account registered by the member store for payment is referred to as a member store account. In FIG. 1, the bank B3 is provided with two member store accounts a14 and a15.

Banks with consumer accounts and member store accounts are provided with dedicated accounts held by the operators of the payment platform 2. Dedicated accounts are used exclusively to mediate payments between consumers and merchants. In FIG. 1, the dedicated account M1 is provided in the bank B1 in which the consumer ordinary account a11 is provided, and the dedicated account M3 is provided in the bank B3 in which the member store account a14 is provided.

The payment platform 2 is provided with a payment module 10 and a fund allocation optimization module 20. The payment module 10 is used to settle the transaction via a dedicated account based on the payment information transmitted from the consumer terminal 31 when the transaction is performed between the consumer and the member store. Execute the process. The fund allocation optimization module 20 is a fund adjustment module that adjusts funds by acquiring the allocation status of funds in a plurality of dedicated accounts and transferring the funds between the plurality of dedicated accounts based on the allocation status. ..

The payment process between the consumer and the member store will be described with reference to FIG. When the transaction (shopping, etc.) is settled, the member store issues the identification information on the member store terminal 32, and the consumer inputs the identification information to the consumer terminal 31. Here, the identification information is information for specifying payment to a member store, and includes information such as a payment destination (account of the member store) and an amount of money. The form of the identification information may be graphic information such as a QR code (registered trademark) or a barcode, or text information such as a number or an alphabet. When the identification information is presented by a QR code (registered trademark) or the like, the consumer reads the QR code (registered trademark) or the like on the consumer terminal 31. When the identification information is presented as text information, the consumer inputs the text information into the consumer terminal 31. The consumer terminal 31 is payment information in which information (consumer ID, registered account information, etc.) registered in advance in the consumer terminal 31 is added to information included in the identification information (payment destination, amount, etc.). Is generated and sent to the payment platform 2. As a result, the payment of the purchase is made via the payment platform 2.

In the payment platform 2, the payment module 10 instructs the bank B1 to transfer the price from the consumer ordinary account a11 to the dedicated account M1 via the application programming interface (API) 11. As a result, the price is immediately deducted from the consumer ordinary account a11 and deposited in the dedicated account M1. Further, the settlement module 10 instructs the bank B3 to transfer the price from the dedicated account M3 to the member store account a14 via the API 12. In this way, the transfer of the price from the consumer account a11 to the dedicated account M1 and the transfer of the price from the dedicated account M3 to the member store account a14 are executed at the same time, so that the transfer of the price from the consumer account a11 to the member store account a14 is executed at the same time. It will be in the same state as if it was deposited immediately. That is, the transaction between the consumer and the member store can be settled in real time via the payment platform 2. Further, the payment module 10 transfers the price from the consumer account a11 to the dedicated account M1, transfers (moves) the price from the dedicated account M1 to the dedicated account M3 at any subsequent timing, and then arbitrarily. Transactions without immediate settlement (transfer of funds in order) that transfer the price from the dedicated account M3 to the member store account a14 at the timing can also be performed.

The fund allocation optimization module 20 acquires the fund status (balance) in each dedicated account M1 and M3 in real time, and gives a transfer instruction to the dedicated accounts M1 and M3 via APIs 13 and 14 as necessary. Optimize fund allocation in dedicated accounts M1 and M3 and transfer of funds between dedicated accounts.

In FIG. 1, for simplification of the explanation, two banks B1 and B3 in which a consumer account and a member store account are provided are listed, and dedicated accounts M1 and M3 are assigned to these banks B1 and B3, respectively. The situation is illustrated, but the number of dedicated accounts and banks is not limited to this. Further, in FIG. 1, the dedicated account M1 is shown for depositing from the consumer account, and the dedicated account M3 is shown for withdrawing to the member store account, but usually each dedicated account is from the consumer account. Used for both deposits and withdrawals to merchant accounts.

Next, the function of the payment system 1 as an exchange network will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the function of the payment system 1 as an exchange network. As shown in FIG. 2, in the payment system 1, a plurality of (same as above) dedicated accounts M1 to M4 are provided in each of a plurality of (four in the case of FIG. 2) banks, and each bank has a consumer account and a dedicated account. (For example, the consumer ordinary account a11 and the dedicated account M1), and the member store account and the dedicated account (for example, the member store account a14 and the dedicated account M3) are transferred to each other. As a result, immediate payment between the consumer account and the member store account is realized.

Since the dedicated accounts M1 to M4 are all accounts owned by the operator of the payment platform 2, there is no need to frequently perform settlement processing (also called clearing) between the dedicated accounts M1 to M4, and the member store account. It suffices if the funds are pooled in each of the dedicated accounts M1 to M4 to the extent that the funds do not run short when depositing the money. Dedicated accounts M1 to M4 can be of any type, such as savings accounts and checking accounts, but if they are interest-free accounts such as checking accounts, they have the advantage of being fully protected even in the event of a bank failure. ..

Next, the fund allocation of the dedicated account in the payment system 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the mechanism of fund transfer in the payment system 1. In the payment system 1, the fund allocation optimization module 20 monitors and optimizes the status of fund allocation in each dedicated account (as will be described later, the situation is such that settlement is not delayed after considering external factors). By performing calculation processing for the above and issuing instructions to transfer funds to a dedicated account as needed, real-time payment at the time of transaction between the consumer and the member store is always possible.

As shown in FIG. 3, the calculation of the allocation of funds between the dedicated accounts M1 to M4 provided in each of the plurality of banks (four in the case of FIG. 3) is executed, for example, when the following situations are reached. To.
(1) When the amount of funds accumulated in any of the dedicated accounts M1 to M4 exceeds the upper limit amount set for each, or when it drops to the lower limit amount.

(2) When a preset period has passed since the last time the funds were transferred, or when the preset date and time (time) has been reached. The set period and the set date and time (time) may be variable depending on factors such as the season and the date and time. For example, in the time zone (golden time) when transactions are frequently performed, the set period may be set in detail so that the optimization of fund allocation is frequently performed.

In addition, it may be set and executed to calculate the fund allocation based on human judgment or factors other than the above.

When the timing of the fund allocation calculation is reached, the fund allocation optimization module 20 acquires the parameters exemplified in the following (1) to (6) (see the solid line arrow in FIG. 3), and is optimal for the entire dedicated accounts M1 to M4. Perform the calculation so that the funds are allocated properly. The parameters for fund allocation calculation are not limited to the following examples, and can be configured so that the parameters can be changed (increased or decreased) by appropriately linking and acquiring them with an external database (not shown).

(1) Increasing and decreasing balance of each dedicated account M1 to M4. For example, in the dedicated account M4 of the member bank B4, the amount of decrease in the balance is large as compared with other dedicated accounts, so it is determined that a large amount of funds should be put in.

(2) Usage trends such as contracts with member stores and consumers, installation / active, commercial scale and business format of member stores, deposit balances and fund trends of consumer accounts and member store accounts. Here, install / active means that the number of installations of the member store application program (member store application) or the consumer application program (consumer application) is large, and that the member store application or the consumer application is frequently used. Means. For example, in a bank with a large number of member store apps installed in the member store application and the consumer application, basically, there is a tendency that money does not accumulate in the dedicated account. On the other hand, there is a tendency for money to accumulate in dedicated accounts of banks that have a large number of consumer apps installed. However, if the percentage of active bank accounts with a large number of consumer apps installed is low (that is, if they are not used that much), it can be inferred that it is not always easy for money to accumulate in the accounts.

(3) Variable factors (seasonal events, time trends, etc.) according to the season, day of the week, date and time, etc. For example, factors such as large fluctuations in megabank funds are taken into consideration during Christmas time.

(4) Climate change such as weather and temperature. For example, if a forecast of heavy snowfall is issued in Sapporo, it is predicted that the demand for consumption in advance will increase in the area (Sapporo). A decision is made to secure it.

(5) Presence or absence of other social and economic events and their characteristics. For example, as inbound demand is expected to increase due to the Olympics, it will be decided to preferentially secure funds in dedicated accounts at banks with overseas branches.

(6) Fees required for transferring funds. The route of transfer of funds is determined so that the total fee is the lowest. For example, 1 million yen is added to the dedicated account M1 of the member bank B1, 1 million yen is added to the dedicated account M2 of the member bank B2, 1 million yen is raised from the dedicated account M3 of the member bank B3, and the dedicated account of the member bank B4. When the fee is free between the member bank B1 and the member bank B3 in the case of raising 1 million yen from M4, instead of transferring the funds from the member bank B1 to the member bank B4, the member bank The fund transfer routes from B1 to member bank B3 and from member bank B2 to member bank B4 are preferentially selected.

The fund allocation optimization module 20 determines the fund allocation and the fund transfer route based on the above-mentioned parameters and judgment criteria, and issues instructions such as interbank transfer as necessary (see the broken line arrow in FIG. 3). As a result, funds are transferred by an appropriate route (see the thick arrow in FIG. 3), and the allocation of funds in the dedicated accounts M1 to M4 is optimized.

Next, the optimization of fund allocation in the payment system 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a mechanism for optimizing fund allocation in the payment system 1. As described above, even if the fund allocation in the dedicated accounts M1 to M4 is optimized, the total amount of the sum of the balances in the dedicated accounts M1 to M4 may tend to be insufficient or the surplus may increase. In preparation for such a case, the payment system 1 may be provided with a warning notification unit 21 and a deposit / withdrawal management unit 22 that operate under the control of the fund allocation optimization module 20 as further adjustment functions.

The warning notification unit 21 is a means for notifying the operator 3 of a warning, and is realized by, for example, a module that automatically sends an e-mail or automatically notifies by telephone. The fund allocation optimization module 20 instructs the warning notification unit 21 to notify the operator 3 of a warning when the total amount of the sum of the balances in the dedicated accounts M1 to M4 tends to be insufficient. At this time, the fund allocation optimization module 20 may have the warning notification unit 21 notify the excess / deficiency amount of the funds.

The deposit / withdrawal management unit 22 is a function of grasping the fund status of the entire dedicated account and instructing deposit / withdrawal. For example, an additional deposit of funds is made to the dedicated accounts M1 to M4 by the instruction or operation of the operator 3. Or, collect the surplus. The deposit / withdrawal management unit 22 may directly deposit funds or collect surplus funds for each of the dedicated accounts M1 to M4. Alternatively, an adjustment amount deposit / withdrawal account MX may be set up, and additional deposits of funds or collection of surplus may be performed through this account. In the latter case, an appropriate amount of funds is placed in the adjustment amount deposit / withdrawal account MX, and the deposit / withdrawal management unit 22 issues an instruction to the adjustment amount deposit / withdrawal account MX to make the adjustment amount deposit / withdrawal account. Funds are put in and out between MX and each dedicated account M1 to M4. The means of depositing the adjusted amount into the deposit / withdrawal account MX is not particularly limited, and a general transfer procedure may be used.

Next, the possible transfer of funds in the payment system 1 will be described. 5 to 9 are schematic diagrams showing patterns (1) to (8) of fund transfer in the payment system 1. Fund transfers include transfers between banks that are members of the payment system 1 (member banks B1 to B5), as well as transfers from member banks to banks that are not members of the payment system 1 (non-member banks N1). obtain.

Pattern (1)
As shown in FIG. 5, when a consumer having a consumer account C1 in the member bank B1 makes a transaction (shopping, etc.) with a member store having a member store account P1 in the member bank B3, and immediately makes a payment. think of. In this case, in the member bank B1, the price is immediately deducted from the consumer account C1 and deposited in the dedicated account M1, and in the member bank B3, the price is immediately withdrawn from the dedicated account M3 and sent to the member store account P1. It will be deposited. As a result, an immediate payment has been made between the consumer and the member store. On the other hand, since the advance transaction is performed in the dedicated account M3, there is a risk that the balance becomes negative (hereinafter referred to as the red residual risk). Therefore, in this case, it may be necessary to perform the fund allocation optimization process by the fund allocation optimization module 20 described above.

Pattern (2)
As shown in FIG. 6, a consumer having a consumer account C1 in the member bank B1 and a consumer having a consumer account C2 in the member bank B2 are a member store having a member store account P1 in the member bank B3. Consider a case where two member banks B1 and B2 make a deposit to the member banks B3 at the same time when transactions are made between the two member banks B1 and B2. In this case, in the member bank B1, the price is immediately deducted from the consumer account C1 and pooled in the dedicated account M1. Further, in the member bank B2, the price is immediately deducted from the consumer account C2 and pooled in the dedicated account M2. Then, on a predetermined closing date (for example, the end of the month), the pooled money (retained funds) is withdrawn from the dedicated accounts M1 and M2, and is collectively transferred to the dedicated account M3. After that (for example, the next day), the price is withdrawn from the dedicated account M3 and deposited in the member store account P1. In this case, since the funds are transferred in order from the left side to the right side of the figure, there is no red residual risk in the dedicated account M3. In this case, in principle, the above-mentioned fund allocation optimization module 20 does not require the fund allocation optimization process, but the efficiency of fund transfer can be improved by collectively transferring funds (for example, from the dedicated accounts M1 and M2). It is possible to save the transfer fee to the dedicated account M3). In pattern (2) as well, depending on the balance status of the dedicated account (the balance status of the reserve capacity described later) caused by the transfer of funds other than this pattern, advance payment is made and the fund allocation is optimized. May be good.

Pattern (3)
As shown in FIG. 7, consider a case where a consumer having a consumer account C2 in a member bank B2 makes a transaction with a member store having a member store account P3 in the same member bank B2 and makes an immediate settlement. In this case, the price is immediately deducted from the consumer account C2 and deposited in the dedicated account M2, and the price is immediately withdrawn from the dedicated account M2 and deposited in the member store account P3. That is, although the settlement is immediate between the consumer and the member store, there is no risk of red residue in the dedicated account M2. Therefore, the optimization process by the fund allocation optimization module 20 is not essential. However, within the member bank B2, a transfer fee may be incurred between the consumer account C2 and the dedicated account M2, and between the dedicated account M2 and the member store account P3.

Pattern (4)
As shown in FIG. 8, consider another pattern in which a consumer having a consumer account C2 in a member bank B2 makes a transaction with a member store having a member store account P3 in the same member bank B2. That is, the price immediately deducted from the consumer account C2 is temporarily pooled in the dedicated account M2. Then, on a predetermined closing date (for example, once a day, once a week, once a month, etc.), the pooled money (retained funds) is withdrawn from the dedicated account M2 and collectively sent to the member store account P3. Be moved. In this case, the member store side can receive the transaction price for a certain period in a lump sum, so that the processing can be simplified.

Pattern (5)
As shown in FIG. 9, a consumer having a consumer account C1 in the member bank B1 and a consumer having a consumer account C2 in the member bank B2 are a member store having a member store account P2 in the non-member bank N1. Consider the case of making a transaction between. In this case, in the member bank B1, the price is immediately deducted from the consumer account C1 and pooled in the dedicated account M1. Further, in the member bank B2, the price is immediately deducted from the consumer account C2 and pooled in the dedicated account M2. Then, on a predetermined closing date (for example, the end of the month), the pooled funds (retained funds) in the dedicated accounts M1 and M2 are aggregated, and then (for example, at the beginning of the month), the retained funds are aggregated between the dedicated accounts M1 and M2. For example, in FIG. 9, the accumulated funds are transferred from the dedicated account M1 to the dedicated account M2. After that (for example, on the second day of the beginning of the month), the accumulated funds are directly transferred from one dedicated account M2 to the member store account P2 of the non-member bank N1. In this case, the red residual risk does not occur in any of the dedicated accounts M1 and M2. In addition, since the accumulated funds are aggregated, the member store side can receive the transaction price for a certain period of time in a lump sum, and the processing can be simplified.

The payment system 1 shown in FIG. 1 can be used not only for settlement of transactions but also for remittance between individuals. When the payment system 1 is used for remittance between individuals, a dedicated application program (remittance application) is installed in advance on the consumer terminals of both the payer and the recipient of the funds. Then, the payer of the funds sends an instruction (remittance instruction) to withdraw the funds from his / her account and remittance to the payment module 10 of the payment platform 2 from the consumer terminal, and the recipient of the funds (consumer). The remittance instruction is transmitted from the payment module 10 of the payment platform 2 to the terminal).

Pattern (6)
As shown in FIG. 5, consider a case where a consumer having a consumer account C3 in the member bank B4 transfers money to a consumer having a consumer account C5 in the member bank B5. In this case, in the member bank B4, the funds are immediately withdrawn from the consumer account C3 and deposited in the dedicated account M4, and in the member bank B5, the funds are immediately withdrawn from the dedicated account M5 and sent to the consumer account C5. It will be deposited. As a result, an immediate remittance was made between the two consumers. On the other hand, since the advance transaction is performed in the dedicated account M5, there is a risk of residual red. Therefore, in this case, it may be necessary to perform the fund allocation optimization process by the fund allocation optimization module 20 described above.

Pattern (7)
As shown in FIG. 6, consider a case where a consumer having a consumer account C3 in the member bank B4 transfers money to a consumer having a consumer account C4 in the same member bank B4. In this case, the funds are immediately withdrawn from the consumer account C3 and deposited in the dedicated account M4, and the funds are immediately withdrawn from the dedicated account M4 and deposited in the consumer account C4. That is, although the remittance is immediate between the two consumers, there is no risk of red residue in the dedicated account M4. Therefore, the optimization process by the fund allocation optimization module 20 is not essential. However, within the member bank B4, a transfer fee may be incurred between the consumer account C3 and the dedicated account M4, and between the dedicated account M4 and the consumer account C4.

Pattern (8)
As shown in FIG. 7, consider a case where a consumer having a consumer account C3 in the member bank B4 transfers money to a consumer having a consumer account C5 in the member bank B5. Here, if the recipient of the funds has not completed the installation of the remittance application on the consumer terminal, account registration, etc., the payment module that received the remittance instruction from the sender is the recipient consumer by the member bank. Hold the remittance instruction to the terminal. In such a case, even if the funds are immediately withdrawn from the consumer account C3 and deposited in the dedicated account M4 at the member bank B4, the immediate deposit from the dedicated account M5 to the consumer account C5 at the member bank B5. Is not done. However, if the account registration etc. is completed within the specified time (for example, 48 hours) after the remittance instruction is sent from the consumer terminal on the payer side, the payment module will be the consumer on the recipient side by the member bank. A remittance instruction is given to the terminal, and the transfer from the dedicated account M5 to the consumer account C5 is performed at the member bank B5. On the other hand, if the account registration, etc. on the recipient's consumer terminal is not completed even after a predetermined time has passed since the remittance instruction was sent from the payer's consumer terminal, the member bank B4 has a dedicated account M4. The funds are returned to the consumer account C3. In this way, if the remittance instruction is received at the consumer terminal on the recipient side within a predetermined time, the advance transaction is performed in the dedicated account M5, so that there is a risk of red residue. Therefore, in this case, it may be necessary to perform the fund allocation optimization process by the fund allocation optimization module 20 described above. On the other hand, if the remittance instruction cannot be received at the consumer terminal on the recipient side within the predetermined time, the advance transaction is not performed and the risk of red residue does not occur.

Of the patterns (1) to (8) described above, in the patterns (1), (6), and (8), there is a risk of red residue because the advance transaction occurs in the dedicated account. On the other hand, in the patterns (2), (3), (4), (5), and (7), the funds are transferred in order, so there is no risk of red residue in the dedicated account. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between the patterns (1), (6) and (8) and the patterns (2), (3), (4), (5) and (7), and to consider the optimization logic of fund allocation.

Next, the optimization of fund allocation among a plurality of dedicated accounts will be described. FIG. 10 is a graph for explaining the fluctuation of the balance in one dedicated account. In this graph, the horizontal axis shows time.

As shown in FIG. 10, the balance of the dedicated account is the balance of the reserve capacity for the advance transaction that occurs in the patterns (1), (6), and (8) (see graph (a), upward is positive) and other than the advance transaction. Transactions, that is, the balances of transactions that occur in patterns (2), (3), (4), (5), and (7) (see graph (b), downward is positive). In other words, the actual balance (actual balance) of the dedicated account can be considered as the sum of the replacement capacity balance and the balance of other transactions (in FIG. 10, the interval between the graph (a) and the graph (b)). can.

For the replacement capacity balance, a default value and a lower limit threshold are set for each dedicated account. In FIG. 10, the default value is set to twice the lower limit threshold. Fund adjustment based on the fund allocation optimization logic is performed based on this default value and the lower limit threshold. For example, as shown in the graph (a), when the withdrawal by advance payment is larger than the payment from the user (payer, remittance, etc.), the advance payment capacity balance decreases. Then, when the replacement capacity balance reaches the lower limit, funds are replenished from a dedicated account provided in another bank, and the funds are deposited in the dedicated account until the replacement capacity balance returns to the default value. In addition, if the withdrawal by advance is larger than the deposit from the user, the advance reserve balance will increase. Then, when the advance reserve balance exceeds the default value, withdrawals are made from the dedicated account with the default value as the lower limit in order to supplement the funds of the dedicated account provided in another bank.

By carrying out such fund transfer (supplementation deposit, compensation withdrawal) in a timely manner, it is possible to suppress the risk (balance risk) in which the balance of reserve capacity fluctuates significantly. The timing of the transfer of funds is appropriate, such as the timing when the balance of reserve capacity falls below the lower limit threshold, and immediately before the suspension period when the transfer of funds (see APIs 13 and 14 of the transfer shown in Fig. 1) is scheduled. You may set it. Alternatively, the operator of the payment platform 2 may determine this timing.

On the other hand, as shown in the graph (b), with respect to other balances, the accumulated funds pooled with the deposits from the users gradually increase. Then, the balance is temporarily reduced by transferring (transferring) the accumulated funds to another dedicated account at a predetermined timing such as daily processing or monthly processing. After that, the cycle in which the accumulated funds increase again is repeated. As for other balances, it is not necessary to transfer funds to avoid the risk because the funds will be transferred in order and basically no red residual risk will occur.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining the principle of fund allocation optimization among a plurality of dedicated accounts. As shown in FIG. 11, it is assumed that each of the member banks B1 to B5 has a dedicated account. For these dedicated accounts, the lower threshold of the reserve balance is set for each dedicated account. The lower limit threshold value may be appropriately set according to the number of consumer accounts and member store accounts in the bank where the dedicated account is provided, the scale of the member store (sales and transaction volume), and the like. In addition, the default value of the replacement reserve balance is set to a predetermined multiple of the lower limit threshold value. The default value of the advance reserve balance can be appropriately set according to the financial capacity and the like. Hereinafter, the balance of reserve capacity with respect to the lower limit threshold is referred to as the lower limit threshold ratio. In FIG. 11, the default value of the replacement reserve balance is set to 2.0 times the lower limit threshold value.

In a certain dedicated account, when the replacement capacity balance drops to the lower limit threshold value, funds are replenished to the dedicated account that has reached the lower limit threshold value in order from the dedicated account having the highest lower limit threshold value ratio at that time. Funds will be replenished until the reimbursement capacity balance in the dedicated account of the reimbursement destination reaches the default value. In addition, the dedicated account of the compensation source will be replaced when the replacement capacity balance drops to the default value due to the compensation of funds. For example, in the case of FIG. 11, since the dedicated account of the member bank B1 has dropped to the lower limit threshold value (lower limit threshold value ratio 1.0 times), first, the funds are collected from the dedicated account of the member bank B5 having the lower limit threshold value ratio of 3.2 times. If the balance of the reserve capacity in the dedicated account of the member bank B1 does not reach the default value due to the compensation of funds from the dedicated account of the member bank B5, the next member is 2.8 times the lower threshold ratio. Funds are replenished from the dedicated account of bank B3.

By optimizing the allocation of funds with such logic, it is possible to realize immediate payment between consumers and member stores and immediate remittance between consumers while preventing fund shortages in individual dedicated accounts. Will be.

The default value and the lower limit threshold value can be appropriately set and changed based on the settlement amount in a predetermined time zone, day of the week, date (end of the month, beginning of the month, 5th and 10th, etc.) and month. It is also possible, and at least one of the default value and the lower limit threshold value may be changed. In addition, at least one of the default value and the lower limit threshold value may be changed based on external factors such as weather and local events. For example, if there is an annual regional event, the lower threshold or default value for the current year may be set based on the data on the settlement amount of the previous year.

In addition, a database that stores information that associates specific factors with the payment amount in each dedicated account is prepared, and the default value and lower limit threshold of each dedicated account are automatically set in the fund allocation optimization module 20 based on the database. You may set it. In this way, by setting the default value and the lower limit threshold value based on the external factor, it is possible to optimize the fund allocation in consideration of the external factor.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a plurality of dedicated accounts are set up in each of the plurality of banks, and the transfer is performed between the consumer account or the member store account and the dedicated account in each bank. It can mediate payments or remittances between third parties. Further, according to the present embodiment, since various parameters including external factors are taken into consideration to optimize the allocation of funds and the transfer of funds among a plurality of dedicated accounts, it is possible to prevent a shortage of funds in each dedicated account and to stabilize the funds. It is possible to perform settlement or remittance processing, and it is also possible to suppress the fee for transferring funds.

1 Payment system 2 Payment platform 3 Operator 10 Payment module 11, 12, 13, 14 API
20 Fund allocation optimization module 21 Warning notification unit 22 Deposit / withdrawal management department 31 Consumer terminal 32 Merchant terminal B1 to B5 Merchant bank C1 to C5 Consumer account M1 to M5 Dedicated account N1 Non-member bank P1 to P3 Merchant account a11 Consumer ordinary account a12 Consumer fixed account a13 Consumer loan account a14, a15 Merchant account

Claims (7)

A payment system that mediates payment between a payer who pays a price and a recipient who receives the price.
Multiple banks that are different from each other have multiple dedicated accounts that are used to mediate payments between third parties.
The payer's account is set up in the first bank of the plurality of banks, and the payee's account is set up in the second bank of the plurality of banks different from the first bank.
When the payment information of the payment from the payer to the recipient is received, the instruction to withdraw the payment from the payer's account to the dedicated account provided in the first bank based on the payment information. And a payment module that gives an instruction to deposit the price from the dedicated account provided in the second bank to the recipient's account.
Fund adjustment to adjust the funds in the plurality of dedicated accounts by acquiring the allocation status of the funds in the plurality of dedicated accounts and instructing the transfer of the funds between the plurality of dedicated accounts based on the allocation status. Modules and
A notification means for giving a predetermined notification under the control of the fund adjustment module, and
Equipped with
The fund adjustment module causes the notification means to notify a warning that funds are insufficient when the total balance of funds in the plurality of dedicated accounts falls below a predetermined value.
Payment system. A default value for the balance and a lower threshold are set for each of the plurality of dedicated accounts.
When the balance drops to the lower limit threshold in any of the plurality of dedicated accounts, the fund adjustment module funds funds from the dedicated account whose balance exceeds the default value to the dedicated account whose balance drops to the lower limit threshold value. Give instructions to move
The payment system according to claim 1. The fund adjustment module acquires a lower limit threshold ratio representing the ratio of the current balance to the lower limit threshold in each of the plurality of dedicated accounts, and the dedicated account in which the balance is lowered to the lower limit threshold in order from the dedicated account having the highest lower limit threshold ratio. The payment system according to claim 2, which gives an instruction to transfer funds to an account. The payment system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the fund adjustment module sets the default value and the lower limit threshold value for each of the plurality of dedicated accounts based on the settlement amount in the dedicated account for a predetermined period. The fund adjustment module has a database for storing information corresponding to a specific factor and a settlement amount in each of the plurality of dedicated accounts, and for each of the plurality of dedicated accounts, the default value and the lower limit. The payment system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the threshold value is set based on the database. A payment method executed by a computer that mediates a payment between a payer who pays the price and a recipient who receives the price.
Multiple banks that are different from each other have multiple dedicated accounts that are used to mediate payments between third parties.
The payer's account is set up in the first bank of the plurality of banks, and the payee's account is set up in the second bank of the plurality of banks different from the first bank.
When the payment information of the payment from the payer to the recipient is received, the instruction to withdraw the payment from the payer's account to the dedicated account provided in the first bank based on the payment information. And a payment step in which the payment is instructed to be deposited in the recipient's account from the dedicated account provided in the second bank.
Fund adjustment to adjust funds in the plurality of dedicated accounts by acquiring the allocation status of funds in the plurality of dedicated accounts and instructing the transfer of funds between the plurality of dedicated accounts based on the allocation status. Steps and
A notification step that notifies a warning that funds are insufficient when the total balance of funds in the plurality of dedicated accounts falls below a predetermined value, and
including,
Payment Method. Multiple banks that are different from each other have multiple dedicated accounts that are used to mediate payments between third parties.
A payer's account is set up in the first bank of the plurality of banks, and a payee's account is set up in a second bank of the plurality of banks different from the first bank.
To the computer that mediates the settlement between the payer who pays the price and the recipient who receives the price .
When the payment information of the payment from the payer to the recipient is received, the instruction to withdraw the payment from the payer's account to the dedicated account provided in the first bank based on the payment information. And a payment step in which the payment is instructed to be deposited in the recipient's account from the dedicated account provided in the second bank.
Fund adjustment to adjust funds in the plurality of dedicated accounts by acquiring the allocation status of funds in the plurality of dedicated accounts and instructing the transfer of funds between the plurality of dedicated accounts based on the allocation status. Steps and
A notification step that notifies a warning that funds are insufficient when the total balance of funds in the plurality of dedicated accounts falls below a predetermined value, and
A program to execute.

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