JPH10302126A - Electronic account settlement system capable of validating prepaid card at selling time of reading card information by terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the safekeeping and distribution management of a card and also to keep security high by validating the password number and the amount of a prepaid card available in an internet at the time when the card owner makes a purchase at a store, etc. SOLUTION: At an electronic account settlement center (a) where a prepaid card is available, a prepaid card having its password number is sold to a purchaser (c) at a convenience store (b). A password number of 10 to 16 digits and an amount are validated when the purchaser (c) paid his charge and then the card information is read at a POS terminal of the store (b). This validity is notified to the center (a) via a main office calculation center (bb) of the store (b). When the purchaser (c) purchases a commodity from a virtual store (d) via an internet, he uses his password number for the payment. At the center (a), the validity is checked for the password number and the amount via the store (d) and a charge amount is settled for the store (d). Then the approval of this settlement is notified to the purchaser (c), and the store (d) confirms the settlement of charge and forwards the commodity to the purchaser (c).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mechanism for issuing and distributing an electronic currency as a settlement means used for shopping and commercial transactions on the Internet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, as means for settlement of shopping and commercial transactions on the Internet, it has been premised that a cash-on-delivery method in which goods are collected when goods are delivered to a buyer, a credit card and a debit from a bank account. There was a method using electronic currency.

[0003]

This method has the following disadvantages. (B) In some cases, cash-on-delivery commissions are relatively expensive for sellers of small-priced products and are difficult to use. (C) The issuance of a credit card required that the purchaser have social credit with a certain age and guaranteed income, and was not available to minors. (D) Security management for preventing the credit card number from leaking on the communication line was complicated and expensive. (E) The procedure for e-currency withdrawal from bank account was complicated due to the premise of opening a bank account. The present invention has been made to eliminate these disadvantages.

[0004]

An electronic currency used for settlement of shopping and commercial transactions on the Internet is converted into a prepaid card which can be purchased at a store such as a convenience store. Information necessary for electronic currency, such as a 10- to 16-digit personal identification number, is printed on this prepayment card as a bar code or the like, and the information is read for the first time at the point of sale when read by a POS terminal or the like. And make the amount valid as an electronic currency. Buyers are limited to the amount of their prepayment card,
Use the password to settle purchases and transactions on the Internet. By setting the amount of one prepaid card to about 500 to 3000 yen, damage can be minimized even when an accident such as theft is encountered.
Until it is read by an OS terminal or the like, it does not have a value of 1 yen as a prepaid card, so that storage and distribution management in stores is simple and security is high. When a purchaser uses the PIN of a prepaid card for settlement of shopping and commercial transactions on the Internet, the validity of the PIN is checked, and the available balance is checked and the user is notified. In addition, by using a unique personal identification number assigned to each prepaid card, the sum of the amounts of the two or more prepaid cards can be used for settlement of shopping and commercial transactions.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An electronic settlement center a using a PIN of a prepaid card is provided, and a store b such as a convenience store sells a prepaid card with a PIN to a buyer c. Only when the buyer c pays the price and reads the information of the prepaid card at the POS terminal or the like of the store b such as a convenience store, the password and the amount of the prepaid card become valid, and the head office calculation center of the store b such as the convenience store is used. The electronic payment center a is notified of the validity of the personal identification number and the amount via bb, and the prepaid card is purchased and settled. When purchasing a product from the virtual store d on the Internet, the purchaser c uses the password of the prepaid card to pay for the product. The electronic settlement center a checks the validity of the password and the settlement amount requested by the buyer c via the virtual store d, and if it is valid, setstle the price at the virtual store d and approves the settlement to the buyer. Notify c. The virtual store d confirms the payment and sends the goods to the buyer c.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. (B) An electronic settlement center a for settlement of shopping and commercial transactions on the Internet is provided, and a prepaid card used for settlement is issued, and the validity of the password and the amount of the prepaid card is managed. (C) The issued prepaid card is delivered to stores b such as convenience stores nationwide via the merchandise center of the store headquarters. At this point, the PIN and the amount of the prepaid card are not valid, and even if an accident such as theft is encountered, no financial damage is caused as the prepaid card. (D) The purchaser c purchases a prepaid card from a store b such as a convenience store in order to settle a shopping or commercial transaction at the virtual store d on the Internet. (E) The purchaser c purchases a prepaid card at a store b such as a convenience store, and pays the price so that the clerk can read the information on the prepaid card with a POS terminal or the like. (F) The information on the prepaid card read by the POS terminal or the like is instantly sent to the electronic settlement center a via the store headquarters calculation center bb, and the password and the amount of the prepaid card become valid. (G) The buyer c requests the virtual store d to settle with the previously purchased prepaid card in order to buy a product or conduct a business transaction at the virtual store d on the Internet. (H) The virtual store d requests the electronic settlement center a to confirm the validity of the password and the amount of the prepaid card requested by the purchaser c and to settle the price. (G) The electronic settlement center a checks the validity of the password and the amount of the prepaid card for which the settlement request is made, and if it is valid, performs settlement of the price to the virtual store d. (K) The virtual store d confirms the settlement of the price, and then the buyer c
Ship the goods to.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the pre-paid card used for settlement of shopping and commercial transactions on the Internet is validated when the card is purchased at a store such as a convenience store so that the card can be stored before it is sold. In addition to facilitating distribution management and reducing handling costs, security can be maintained at a high level. Also,
Sales of prepaid cards to convenience stores such as convenience stores nationwide 2
Anyone can make purchases at any time by operating the store for four hours, and can easily and safely use it for shopping and commercial transactions on the Internet.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional diagram showing an operation state of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

a. Electronic payment center b. Stores such as convenience stores bb. Headquarters calculation center of stores such as convenience stores c. Buyer d. Internet virtual store or merchandise seller and service provider

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for purchasing a prepayment card by validating the amount of the prepayment card at the point of sale when information including a 10- to 16-digit personal identification number or the like on the prepayment card is read by a POS terminal or the like. A system that allows a person to electronically settle purchases and commercial transactions on the Internet using the personal identification number.