KR20040000553A - Gift card approving system and its method with point reserving ability to be used in credit card checking machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A payment system for a gift card having a point accumulation function and using a credit card reader, and a method for the same are provided to reuse a gift card by charging, to accumulate point, and to perform payment process with a credit card reader. CONSTITUTION: A user(2) and a membership store(3) connect to a gift card provider(5) through the network(4). The user(2) having a gift card(21) uses the gift card such as cash when the user(2) buys products at the membership store(3). The membership store(3) transmits the price and card information to an approval server(51) of the gift card provider(5) using a credit card reader(31). The approval server(51) checks the balance of the gift card, and process the request. Then the approval server(51) transmits approval state information to the credit card reader(31) using the network(4).

Description

Gift card approving system and its method with point reserving ability to be used in credit card checking machine}

The present invention relates to a gift voucher card payment system and method that can be used in a credit card terminal having a point earning function. More specifically, when a user purchases a gift card with a certain amount of limit and purchases a product at an affiliated merchant, the gift card of the present invention is used as a payment means, and after the user pays with cash or credit card, the gift card When presenting the card and using it as a point card, points are accumulated by a certain percentage of the purchase amount, and the gift certificate card used as the point card is to earn or pay points through a general credit card terminal installed in the affiliated merchant.

Generally, various types of gift certificates are issued by department stores, large discount stores, bookstores, etc. as a marketing method of consumption promotion. Vouchers have a convenient function that can be divided and used every time a purchaser purchases a product. In particular, a gift voucher has the same function as a currency in that a gift can be selected and purchased by itself.

Conventional vouchers were one-time vouchers that used paper certificates to refund the change or give back to the vouchers because the remaining amount could not be saved after the remaining balance was used. There was a problem that the use of gift certificates as a means is limited.

In addition, pre-payed cards (pp cards: pre-payed cards), which are usually issued in department stores, are thinner plastic cards than magnetic credit cards, and magnetic tape is attached to one side to record current balance information along with user information. Although it solved the disadvantage of being used only once, this prepaid card has a problem that it requires an excessive basic investment cost to introduce the prepaid card system because the payment is made through a dedicated terminal installed in each store of the dealership.

In addition, most users usually have a variety of cards, such as membership card, point card, credit card, identity card, depending on the card issuer. You always have to carry all these cards to get various benefits. Actually, you can get a special purpose card if you need it, and you have this card at the beginning but rarely use it. Because they do not possess a card at the moment when they really need it, there is a problem that they do not receive benefits.

These problems are the only means of payment used by merchants even if the user buys a gift certificate, which has no advantage over cash due to the limitation of one-time use. Merchants that handle gift certificates have additional installation costs to verify and process the gift certificates. Due to the burden of vouchers could not be introduced.

The gift card payment system and the method according to the present invention for solving the problems of using the conventional gift certificate as described above, can be used as a payment means in place of money and at the same time can be reused through a cash charge rather than a one-time use. When a user presents a gift card as a means of earning points every time a user purchases a product at a merchant, a gift card card payment system having a point accumulation function that can be used as a point card that accumulates points according to a predetermined ratio of the transaction amount and a method thereof It aims to provide.

In addition, since the gift card payment system and method of the present invention, which increase the utilization rate as a point card and a gift card, are processed through a general credit card terminal installed in a merchant, not only large companies but also business owners of general retail stores are introduced without burden of basic investment costs. In order to solve the inconvenience of the user having multiple cards, the gift card card payment system and method which can be extended to integrated cards such as membership card function, credit card function, transportation card function, identity card function, etc. It aims to provide.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a gift card payment system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the approval server in the gift card payment system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a web service in the gift card payment system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a flow chart of the gift card payment method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a flow chart of the homepage service processing step in the gift card payment method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a flow chart of the point banking service processing step in the gift card payment method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

1: System 2: Voucher Card User

3: gift certificate card merchant 4: network

5: gift card business 21: gift card

31: card terminal 51: authorization server

52: communication unit 53: homepage

54 processing unit 55 database unit

The gift card card payment system and method that can be used in the credit card terminal according to the present invention for achieving the above object and has a point earning function, as a payment system of the gift certificate card commonly used as a point earning means or payment means A gift voucher card of which the points are accumulated and the user-designated voucher is charged; A credit card terminal of the gift voucher card merchant to input card information and a payment amount of the gift voucher card presented by the gift voucher card user; A network through which transaction information is communicated through the credit card terminal; An approval server of the gift certificate card provider that approves a point accumulation or payment request using the gift certificate card according to the transaction information received through the network; Including the gift card is read through the credit card terminal characterized in that the approval of the point accumulation or payment through the gift card.

According to a preferred feature of the present invention, the gift voucher card, when the first purchase amount is used up without the need to purchase a separate gift voucher card again the amount of money you want to fill the amount of the first purchase voucher card and cash or card If you present a gift card and use it as a loyalty card after paying by a method such as a credit card, a traffic card function, an identity card function, etc. It features.

The approval server may further include: a communication unit configured to transmit and receive point accumulation or payment request information requested from the gift card user through the network; A processing unit for processing the point accumulation or payment request information requested by the communication unit by a control program; A database unit for managing other detailed information including personal information, card information, balance information, and point information for the gift card user by the processing unit; It is characterized in that for processing the request for the gift certificate card that is made through the network.

In addition, the approval server, characterized in that it further comprises a homepage that is connected from the gift certificate card user or the gift certificate card merchant to interface with the personal information management and processing of the points accumulated or payment contents of the gift certificate card.

In addition, the credit card terminal is characterized by using a conventional credit card terminal by adding a dedicated gift voucher card button to the conventional general credit card terminal, the control program for processing the gift voucher card is further added.

In addition, as a payment method of the voucher card that is commonly used as a means for earning points and payment means, the merchant member recruitment step of recruiting gift certificate card merchants; A user member recruitment step in which the gift certificate card company recruits gift certificate card users as members and issues a gift certificate card; A gift voucher card input step of inputting the gift voucher card presented by the gift voucher card user to a credit card terminal and requesting approval of point accumulation or payment of the gift voucher card; A transaction approval request information receiving step of receiving, by the communication unit of the approval server, point accumulation or payment request information of the gift certificate card through a network; A transaction approval processing step of processing by the processing unit of the approval server to calculate point accumulation or balance information according to the transaction approval request information and reflecting it in the database unit; A transaction approval result output step of sending the authorization result value according to the transaction approval processing step to the credit card terminal and outputting the result; When the gift card user presents the gift card as a point accumulation means or payment means at the time of a transaction, the credit card terminal requests the approval and receives the approval result value.

In addition, the user member recruitment step, characterized in that it further comprises a gift voucher card amount charging step of filling the gift card with the amount requested by the gift voucher card.

In addition, in the transaction approval processing step, when the gift card user presents the gift card after paying with cash or credit card, a portion of a predetermined percentage of the transaction amount is accumulated as the accumulated points to the gift card user. Some are further characterized by a step of accumulating the gift voucher card point paid to the voucher.

In addition, the transaction approval processing step, the homepage service for processing the request for login, personal information management, merchant inquiry, point shopping and point management requested from the gift card user or the gift card card merchant through the homepage of the authorization server Characterized in that it further comprises a processing step.

In addition, the homepage service processing step, the point management processing step of processing the inquiry and recharge request of the earned point requested through the interface of the homepage; Integrating with other points earning company inquiries earned points of other companies and the points integrated processing step that can be accumulated by accumulating the points earned by the other companies and the accumulated points of the gift certificate card; A point cash application processing step of requesting an automatic transfer to a bank account registered by the gift card user if the accumulated points accumulated in the gift card are equal to or greater than a predetermined point; It characterized in that it further comprises a point banking service processing step made.

The gift card card payment system and the method which can be used in the credit card terminal according to the present invention configured as described above and have a point earning function, can receive a predetermined percentage according to the purchase amount as a point card as a cumulative point and also a gift card card It may also be used as a payment means in place of cash for the purchase amount. Since the gift card is processed through a normal credit card terminal, no new investment costs are incurred, so more merchants are joined as affiliated merchants. Therefore, the user has a wider range of product selection depending on the purchase of a gift certificate. In addition, since it has the expandability as an integrated card having a multi-function such as credit card function, transportation card function, identity card function, etc. in addition to the point accumulation function and cash charging function, it is more convenient to purchase using the gift certificate card of the user.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention including the above components will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a gift voucher card payment system according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the authorization server in the transaction system, a schematic configuration diagram of a web service in the transaction system, 4 is a flowchart of a method for payment of a gift certificate card according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a homepage service processing step in the transaction method, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a point banking service processing step in the transaction method. to be.

1 shows a gift voucher card payment system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a user 2 and an affiliated store 3, which are members of a gift voucher card, are connected to a gift voucher card operator 5 via a network 4. do. The gift card user 2 carrying the gift card 21 presents the gift card 21 as a means of payment for the transaction when the merchant 3 makes a transaction. Then, the merchant side transmits the card information together with the transaction amount to the authorization server 51 of the gift certificate card company 5 through the network using the general credit card terminal 31. The authorization server 51 checks the balance remaining in the user's gift card, processes the authorization request, and transmits the authorization to the credit card terminal 31 side again through the network 4.

Similarly, when earning points, the points are automatically accumulated when the user pays with the gift card. However, when paying with a payment method other than a gift card, that is, cash or other credit cards, a gift certificate with this point earning function. You will earn points by presenting your card.

2 shows a schematic configuration of the approval server 51 of FIG. 1 composed of the communication unit 52, the processing unit 54, and the database unit 55. Conventional large department stores issue a gift card (pre-payed card) separately from the membership card of the plastic type and used the gift card as a payment means of the transaction amount through the terminal dedicated to the gift card. In such a conventional environment, a gift card can be used only when a separate dedicated gift card card terminal is installed in each store. Therefore, the gift card is introduced only in an environment where the sales can be guaranteed more than the installation investment cost, such as a department store or some large retailers. It became.

However, since the gift card 21 according to an embodiment of the present invention supports payment processing of the gift card through a general credit card terminal instead of a dedicated terminal, a credit card already held in a retail neighborhood in a general neighborhood such as a restaurant and a convenience store Since the voucher card is processed through the terminal 31, it provides a convenient voucher card using environment for both sellers and consumers.

In particular, the terminal for processing the gift voucher card 21 in one embodiment of the present invention, a gift voucher card dedicated button is further added to the existing general credit card terminal, the approval of the transaction price for the input of the voucher card dedicated button This can be done by adding more processing programs. Therefore, an employer who wants to participate as a new merchant of a gift card can upgrade the existing credit card terminal without incurring a large cost, and can join a sales network that is tied up with an affiliated merchant of a gift card that has been built up to other retail stores. There is this.

The transaction approval request information of the use of the gift certificate card input through the credit card terminal 31 supported by the gift certificate card 21 is received by the communication unit 52 of the approval server 51 through the network 4. The database unit of the approval server 51 is composed of a database that manages personal information, card information, gift certificate balance information, point information, and the like for the gift certificate card user and affiliated stores. As such, the data received by the communication unit 52 checks the balance information stored in the database unit 55 under the control of the processing unit 54 to determine whether to approve it, and when the approval is successfully processed, the transaction amount is settled in the balance. Save the remaining balance again. In addition, a portion of the predetermined ratio of the transaction value is accumulated in the database unit 55 as a point of accumulation of the gift card user (2), and the remaining part is delivered to the gift card card company 5 in exchange for the gift card processing and point processing.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration in which the gift certificate card user 2 and the gift certificate card affiliate store 3 connect to the approval server 51 as a client PC through the home page 53. 1 and 2 is an environment in which the gift voucher card user 2 directly uses the gift voucher card through the credit card terminal 31 installed in the gift voucher card merchant 3, FIG. 3 is a member of the gift voucher card company 5 as a member. The user and the affiliated store owners access the homepage 53 of the approval server through their PC to manage their own member information, manage the balance information of the gift card, or manage the earned points. Therefore, the gift card user 3 may query the transaction history by his or her gift card card 21 through the homepage 53, and relate to the gift card card 21 such as cash charging of the gift card card and cash conversion of point scores. All inquiries, applications, and management can be handled.

Figure 4 shows the processing flow in the gift voucher card payment system (1) as a method of earning and paying points of the gift card with a point earning function according to an embodiment of the present invention. The gift certificate card company 5 recruits merchants as members in the affiliated member recruitment step (S10). Members who are affiliated with a merchant can install a terminal supporting a gift card in their store by simply upgrading an existing credit card terminal. As such, the gift card 21 in the present invention can be adapted to the environment of a general credit card, and many business owners who cannot handle the gift card due to the burden of installing a new dedicated terminal can easily introduce the gift card payment system of the present invention. can do.

Then, the gift certificate card company 5 recruits the gift certificate card members to the general consumer in the user member recruitment step (S20). Members subscribed through the homepage 53 of the approval server 51 can receive the gift certificate card 21 with the membership. In addition, the user member recruitment step (S10) includes a gift certificate card amount charging step (S21) to provide a gift certificate card in accordance with the purchase amount of the gift card card that the user first purchases.

In the gift voucher card value charging step (S21), the user can be provided with a more convenient environment for using a gift voucher card because it can be continuously charged instead of being used once and discarded like a conventional voucher. As such, gift card card operators (5) or merchants (3) issuing this gift card that can be used permanently by charging can be guaranteed a continuous increase in sales.

When the user 2 purchases the gift voucher card 21, he / she can apply for an integrated card added with a credit card function, a transportation card function, an identity card function, etc. according to his / her choice, as well as a point accumulation function and a cash charging function as a gift certificate. have. Therefore, the present gift card can be used as an independent means as point accumulation means, payment means as a gift certificate, payment means as a credit card, transportation card means, and identity verification means, and can also be used as a complex means.

Generally, the credit card is a social problem by inducing excessive expenditure due to the amount of credit limit and the post-payment method, thereby mass producing a large number of creditors, whereas the cash charging function of the gift voucher card is prepaid. The advantage is that it can be used. In addition, it is possible to give a gift as a gift certificate to another person by cashing the cash, and when the amount of the gift certificate is used up, it is also possible to recharge it and reuse it, which is an economical payment method that replaces real money. In addition, it is economical in terms of saving resources because the card can be used continuously as a means of earning points and other functions when the voucher balance is exhausted, and users do not have to carry multiple cards as integrated cards. .

Subsequently, in the gift voucher card input step S30, the gift voucher card user 2 presents a gift voucher card every time a transaction is performed in the gift voucher card affiliate store 3 to request approval of the transaction. The transaction approval request for the gift certificate card read through the gift certificate card terminal 31 is received by the communication unit 52 of the approval server in the approval request information receiving step S40. If the transaction approval request is made with a gift voucher card, the request for approval of point accumulation is automatically requested at the same time as the payment, and only if the payment is made by means of payment other than the gift card, that is, cash or credit card. There is a case.

Then, the control program of the processing unit 54 of the approval server performs processing according to the transaction approval request information in the transaction approval processing step S50 and reflects the result in the database unit 55. If the user requests approval of the payment, if the balance of the gift card is greater than the transaction amount, the approval is successful, and upon approval, the balance of the gift certificate is deducted by the transaction amount and stored again, and the payment is made using this gift card. When the point is automatically accumulated and paid by other means of payment such as cash, credit card, etc., by presenting this gift card with a point accumulation function, a certain amount is accumulated as a accumulated point at the point of accumulating gift certificate card points (S51). do.

Next, in the transaction approval result output step (S60), the final result value for the point change process or the gift certificate settlement process is transmitted to the terminal to inform the user.

After the above process, the gift card user 2 deducts the balance of the gift card as a payment method for the purchase of the product, and also accumulates a portion of his / her own points as a predetermined percentage of the transaction amount and points the rest. Return to the gift card provider in return for the credit. Preferably, when 10% of the user's transaction amount is said to be returned, 7% is credited to the gift card user 2, and the remaining 3% is returned to the gift card operator (5). And if you have more than a certain point, you can use that point as cash. Preferably, if the accumulated points exceed 50,000 points, 1 won per point to receive a cash conversion application from the user.

5 is a flowchart of a homepage service processing step (S52) through the homepage 53 by the processing unit 54 of the approval server 51 in the method of payment of a gift certificate card having a point accumulation function according to an embodiment of the present invention. do. That is, it is a processing flow in the environment processed through the homepage 53 shown in FIG. After gift voucher card user 2 or gift voucher card merchant 3 accesses the authorization server 51 as a client PC, the user executes a command for the gift voucher card 21 through the web page in the homepage service processing step S52. Let's do it. The user's service request includes a login request, a personal information management request, an affiliated store inquiry request, a point shopping request, and a point management request. According to each such request, the service processing step S53 processes various service requests input through the homepage 53.

6 is a processing unit 54 of the approval server of the homepage service processing step (S52) shown in FIG. 5 in the method of payment of a gift certificate card having a point accumulation function according to an embodiment of the present invention. And a point banking service processing step (S54) for the related process. In this point banking service processing step (S54), the user can treat the earned points as if it were money.

First, in the point management processing step (S55), the user requests the inquiry of his or her earned point through the homepage 53, and requests a cash charging request for his gift certificate card (21). In addition, in the integrated point processing step (S56), it is possible to accumulate the other earned points in their own earned points by querying the earned points of other point earning companies associated with their gift card. Therefore, the user can use the point more efficiently, and the point is more widely used. In addition, in the point banking service processing step (S57), if the user's earned points are more than a predetermined point, the earned points are exchanged for the amount of money to request automatic transfer to the bank account registered by the user.

As described above, an embodiment of a gift card payment system and a method thereof according to the present invention is constructed. The technical scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications can be made without departing from the technical scope of the present invention.

Voucher card payment system and method that can be used in the credit card terminal according to the present invention and has a point earning function, when the user purchases goods at the merchant as a point accumulation means or payment means using the gift card of the present invention Provide usable effects. In addition, the gift card can be extended to a credit card function, transportation card function, identity card function, etc., the user can use a variety of integrated functions as a single card.

Therefore, the user can be provided with a more convenient transaction environment through the gift card card payment system of the present invention, the merchant can introduce the gift card card payment system by using the existing credit card terminal without additional investment. This makes it possible to use the existing sales network consisting of existing merchants and consumers as a sales network of new merchants, thereby increasing the sales of merchants.

Claims (10)

As a payment system for a gift certificate card that is commonly used as a means for earning or paying points, A gift voucher card of which the points are accumulated and the user-designated voucher is charged; A credit card terminal of the gift voucher card merchant to input card information and a payment amount of the gift voucher card presented by the gift voucher card user; A network through which transaction information is communicated through the credit card terminal; An approval server of the gift certificate card provider that approves a point accumulation or payment request using the gift certificate card according to the transaction information received through the network; The gift voucher card payment system, comprising the approval of the point accumulation or payment through the gift voucher card is read through the credit card terminal. The method of claim 1, The gift voucher card has a function of accumulating points and accumulating points for a certain percentage of the settlement amount and the cash recharging function for reuse when the amount of charge is fully used, credit card function, traffic card function, identity card function, etc. Gift voucher card payment system comprising a. The method of claim 1, The approval server may include a communication unit for transmitting and receiving point accumulation or payment request information requested through the network from the gift card user; A processing unit for processing the point accumulation or payment request information requested by the communication unit by a control program; A database unit for managing other detailed information including personal information, card information, balance information, and point information for the gift card user by the processing unit; A gift voucher card payment system, comprising: processing a request for the gift voucher card made through the network. The method according to claim 1 or 3, The authorization server further comprises a homepage connected to the gift certificate card user or the gift certificate card merchant to interface with the personal information management and processing of the points accumulated or payment contents of the gift certificate card. The method of claim 1, The credit card terminal is a conventional gift voucher card, characterized in that the use of the existing credit card terminal by adding a dedicated gift voucher card button to the conventional credit card terminal, the control program for processing the gift voucher card is further added. system. As a payment method of the gift certificate card that is commonly used as a means for earning points and payment, A merchant member recruitment step in which a gift certificate card company recruits gift certificate card affiliate stores; A user member recruitment step in which the gift certificate card company recruits gift certificate card users as members and issues a gift certificate card; A gift voucher card input step of inputting the gift voucher card presented by the gift voucher card user to a credit card terminal and requesting approval of point accumulation or payment of the gift voucher card; A transaction approval request information receiving step of receiving, by the communication unit of the approval server, point accumulation or payment request information of the gift certificate card through a network; A transaction approval processing step of processing by the processing unit of the approval server to calculate point accumulation or balance information according to the transaction approval request information and reflecting it in the database unit; A transaction approval result output step of sending the authorization result value according to the transaction approval processing step to the credit card terminal and outputting the result; When the gift card users present the gift card as a point accumulation means or payment means when the transaction is made by including a request for the approval through a credit card terminal and receives the result of the approval. The method of claim 6, Wherein the user member recruitment step, the gift certificate card payment method further comprises the step of charging the gift certificate card amount of money charged to the gift certificate card user requests. The method of claim 6, In the transaction approval processing step, when the gift card user presents the gift card after paying with cash or credit card, a portion of a predetermined percentage of the transaction amount is accumulated as the accumulated points to the gift card user and the remaining part is Gift voucher card payment method further comprises the step of accumulating the gift voucher card point paid to the voucher. The method according to claim 6 or 8, In the transaction approval processing step, a homepage service processing step of processing a request for login, personal information management, affiliated store inquiry, point shopping and point management requested from the gift certificate card user or the gift certificate card affiliate store through the homepage of the approval server. Gift card payment method, characterized in that it further comprises a. The method of claim 9, The homepage service processing step may include: a point management processing step of processing an inquiry and recharging request of the earned point requested through an interface of the homepage; Integrating with other points earning company inquiries earned points of other companies and the points integrated processing step that can be accumulated by accumulating the points earned by the other companies and the accumulated points of the gift certificate card; A point cash application processing step of requesting an automatic transfer to a bank account registered by the gift card user if the accumulated points accumulated in the gift card are equal to or greater than a predetermined point; Gift voucher card payment method characterized in that it further comprises a step banking service processing step made.