JP2002083247A - Transaction mediation system and method, data processing device, recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To reduce the trouble of the amount of clerical work of payment for a commercial transaction and the waste of a depositing fee, and to make the transaction safer and more reliable. SOLUTION: The amount that can be offset by intermediation of the settlement of three or more transactions by the intermediary 4 collectively is offset, so that the buyers 2 and 3 reduce the opportunity to make payment, and the clerical work of payment. To be able to reduce the amount of hassle and the wasted deposit fees. Further, when the purchaser 3 has paid the price of the product to the intermediary 4 (), the intermediary 4 notifies the sellers 1 and 2 of a payment (), thereby prompting the shipping of the product, The buyers 2 and 3 notify the intermediary 4 of the receipt of the product () to prompt the payment () to the sellers 1 and 2 so that the price cannot be collected even if the product is sent. Or the inconvenience of not receiving a product even if the price is paid.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transaction mediation system and method, a data processing device and a recording medium used in the system and method, and more particularly, to a transaction intermediary system between three or more parties including a merchandise seller and a purchaser. The present invention is suitable for use in a system for mediating commercial transactions carried out in.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Commercial transactions for buying and selling goods and services (hereinafter, simply referred to as goods) are performed everywhere. Generally, these transactions are often performed in a chain. For example, when a certain electronic device is manufactured and sold, a transaction between a component maker and a device maker, a transaction between a device maker and a wholesale store, a transaction between a wholesale store and a retail store, a retail Transactions between stores and consumers are performed in a chain, forming a so-called supply chain.

[0003] In a chained business transaction such as this supply chain, the parties to the transaction can be both sellers and purchasers (for example, an equipment maker is both a purchaser of parts and a seller of equipment). In addition, not only in a special business transaction such as a supply chain but also in a general transaction, each party becomes a seller and a purchaser. That is, looking at a particular company or individual, these companies and individuals purchase various products from many sellers and sell various products to many purchasers.

[0004] In many such commercial transactions, payment of the purchase price of goods is often made by cash payment at the end of distribution, but is often made by a method using a bank transfer or a credit card. Further, payment of the purchase price may be performed collectively for a plurality of transactions performed within a certain period between a specific seller and the purchaser, but is often performed individually for each transaction. Also, transactions between different parties are usually paid separately.

[0005]

Generally, there are many opportunities for business transactions between different parties, and there are also many opportunities to pay for the purchase of goods. At present, payment is often made by a method using a bank transfer, a credit card, or the like. In the case of companies, in particular, many transactions are made with various companies, and if these transactions are paid individually, the amount of clerical work becomes extremely large and cumbersome, and the deposit fee is increased each time payment is made. There was a problem that it was generated and wasted.

[0006] As a method for solving such a problem, a method in which transactions between different parties (transactions of three or more parties) are not separately paid but these transactions are collectively settled. Can be considered. By doing so, the portion that can be offset by the transaction between a plurality of parties can be offset and settled, so that the payment procedure can be omitted for the offset amount. This allows
It is possible to reduce the labor of the office work and the waste of the deposit fee.

However, a general two-party transaction (1)
In one-to-one transactions, the flow of goods and the flow of purchase price are one-to-one.
However, when a transaction is settled among three or more parties at once, the flow of goods and the flow of purchase price do not always correspond one-to-one. Therefore, it is an important issue how to guarantee the trust of a plurality of parties regarding the shipment of goods and payment of the purchase price.

[0008] In particular, when a transaction between three or more parties is conducted through mail order or online shopping using the Internet, the parties to the transaction do not have any chance to actually meet each other, and confirm the partner. Since it is difficult to do so, troubles associated with it are likely to occur. That is, in the case of post-payment, there arises a problem that even if the seller sends the applied product to the purchaser, the purchase price is not paid by the purchaser. Further, in the case where the payment is made in advance, there arises a problem that even if the purchaser pays for the purchase of the product, the seller does not send the applied product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and can reduce the time and effort of the clerical work of paying for a transaction and the waste of a depositing fee. It is an object of the present invention to provide a system that can secure the credit guarantee between the parties concerned, reduce the occurrence of troubles, and perform transactions more safely and reliably.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A transaction brokerage system of the present invention mediates a transaction in which there are three or more merchants and buyers, and at least one of the one or more buyers. A transaction intermediary system that supports a process of adjusting the balance of the product paid by one person to the intermediary and giving the price to one or more sellers,
When at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid for the product to the intermediary, the intermediary-side device notifies the one or more seller-side devices of a payment, thereby causing the intermediary to perform a payment notification. Payment notification means for prompting the above sellers to ship the above-mentioned goods, and goods shipped from the above-mentioned one or more sellers to the above-mentioned one or more buyers in response to the payment notification being made by the above-mentioned payment notification means. Receiving confirmation means for prompting the intermediary to pay the price to the one or more sellers by notifying the intermediary device from the one or more purchaser devices that the product has been received. It is characterized by having.

[0011] In another aspect of the present invention, a remittance notice indicating that at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid the intermediary for the goods is sent from the purchaser device to the intermediary. A remittance notifying unit that prompts the intermediary-side device to perform the payment notification by performing the remittance notification.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, an intermediary mediates a plurality of transactions in which there are three or more merchants and purchasers, and at least one of the one or more purchasers mediates the intermediary. A transaction intermediary system that supports a process of adjusting the difference of the price of the product paid to the seller and giving it to one or more sellers, the transaction intermediation system including an intermediary server, The intermediary server,
When at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid for the product to the intermediary, the one or more seller devices are notified of the payment via a network, thereby obtaining the one or more seller devices. Payment notification means for prompting the seller to ship the above-mentioned goods, and goods sent from the above-mentioned one or more sellers to the above-mentioned one or more buyers in response to the receipt of the payment notice by the above-mentioned payment notification means, And a receipt confirmation receiving means for receiving a receipt confirmation notification indicating that the one or more purchasers have received the product from one or more purchaser apparatuses via the network.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, a remittance notice indicating that at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid the intermediary for the goods is sent from the purchaser-side apparatus to the remittance notice. It is characterized by comprising remittance notice receiving means for receiving via a network.

[0014] In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided transaction information registration means for registering transaction information relating to transactions performed by three or more sellers and purchasers in the intermediary apparatus, wherein the transaction information is a transaction condition. And the transaction conditions can be arbitrarily set.

[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, information relating to various events performed in the course of a transaction between the one or more sellers and the one or more purchasers using the transaction mediation system is stored as a database. Database management means for managing, and transaction information inquiry processing means for inquiring the progress of the transaction using information stored in the database in response to a request from the seller-side device or the buyer-side device And characterized in that:

[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, the information on the various events includes information on the payment of the price made by at least one of the one or more purchasers to the intermediary, and the one or more information. And information on the delivery of the product from the seller to the one or more purchasers.

In another aspect of the present invention, a link is provided from the inquiry screen displayed by the transaction information inquiry processing means to the delivery status management confirmation system, and the link is followed by a transition to the inquiry screen of the delivery status management confirmation system. By doing so, it is characterized in that the one or more sellers can refer to the one or more purchasers about the delivery status of the shipped products.

[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, the price of the commodity paid by at least one of the one or more purchasers to the intermediary is settled and the pool is pooled in the intermediary apparatus. A balance management means for adding and managing a settlement amount to the amount information of the one or more sellers, and paying for the product purchase using the pool price managed by the balance management means. It is characterized in that the payment request notification is sent from the intermediary apparatus to the intermediary apparatus.

Further, in the data processing apparatus of the present invention, the intermediary mediates a transaction in which there are three or more merchants and purchasers in total, and at least one of the one or more purchasers mediates the mediation. A data processing device used in a transaction intermediary system that supports processing for paying the price of the product paid to a seller and giving it to one or more sellers. If at least one of the sellers has paid for the goods to the intermediary, the goods are sent to the one or more sellers by notifying the payment to one or more seller devices. A prompting payment notifying means, and a product sent from the one or more sellers to the one or more buyers in response to the receipt of the payment by the payment notifying means. Is received Characterized by comprising a acknowledgment receiving means for receiving from the reception confirmation notification one or more purchaser device indicating that the.

In another aspect of the present invention, a remittance notice indicating that at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid the intermediary for the goods is received from the purchaser side device. It is characterized by comprising remittance notice receiving means.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided transaction information registration means for receiving and registering transaction information including transaction conditions arbitrarily set with respect to transactions performed by three or more sellers and purchasers. It is characterized by the following.

In another aspect of the present invention, information on various events performed in the course of a transaction between the one or more sellers and the one or more purchasers using the transaction mediation system is stored as a database. Database management means for managing, and transaction information inquiry processing means for inquiring the progress of the transaction using information stored in the database in response to a request from the seller-side device or the buyer-side device And characterized in that:

[0023] In another aspect of the present invention, the information on the various events includes information on payment of the price made by at least one of the one or more purchasers to the intermediary, and information on the one or more purchasers. And information on the delivery of the product from the seller to the one or more purchasers.

[0024] In another aspect of the present invention, the price of the product paid by at least one of the one or more purchasers to the intermediary is settled, and the pool of the one or more sellers is respectively set. A balance management means for adding and managing a settlement amount to the amount information is provided, and it is possible to purchase a product using a pool price managed by the balance management means.

In another aspect of the present invention, an intermediary mediates a transaction in which there are three or more merchants and purchasers in total, and at least one of the one or more purchasers communicates with the intermediary. A data processing device used in a transaction mediation system that supports processing of paying the price of the product paid for the difference and providing it to one or more sellers, wherein the one or more sellers are Assuming that the product is shipped to the one or more purchasers, the intermediary apparatus is provided when at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid for the product to the mediator. A payment notification receiving means for receiving a payment notification sent from the company.

In another aspect of the present invention, an intermediary mediates a transaction in which there are three or more merchants and purchasers, and at least one of the one or more purchasers communicates with the intermediary. A data processing device used in a transaction mediation system that supports processing for paying the price of the product paid for the difference and providing it to one or more sellers, wherein the mediator is one or more of the above A prerequisite for encouraging the seller to ship the goods is that the intermediary send a remittance notice indicating that at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid the intermediary for the goods. And a remittance notifying unit for sending to the side device.

In another aspect of the present invention, an intermediary mediates a transaction in which there are three or more merchants and purchasers, and at least one of the one or more purchasers transmits the transaction to the intermediary. A data processing device used in a transaction mediation system that supports a process of paying the price of the product paid for the difference and providing it to one or more sellers. For the merchandise dispatched to the one or more purchasers, by notifying the intermediary device that the merchandise has been received, at least one of the one or more purchasers remittances to the intermediary in advance. And a receipt confirmation means for prompting the intermediary to pay the price to the seller.

Further, in the transaction mediation method according to the present invention, the mediator mediates a transaction in which there are three or more merchants and buyers, and the mediation is performed by at least one of the one or more purchasers. A transaction intermediation method for supporting a process of paying the price of the product paid to a seller and giving it to one or more sellers, wherein at least one of the one or more buyers When the price of the product is paid to the intermediary, the intermediary-side device notifies the one or more seller-side devices of payment, thereby prompting the one or more sellers to ship the product. A payment notification step and, for the goods sent from the one or more sellers to the one or more purchasers in response to the receipt of the payment notification, one or more purchaser-side devices that have received the goods. From the above mediator device By notifying to and having a reception confirmation step of prompting the payment of the price for the one or more merchants.

In another aspect of the present invention, before the deposit notification step, a remittance notice indicating that at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid the intermediary for the product is provided. A remittance notification step for prompting the payment notification by performing the transfer from the purchaser device to the intermediary device is provided.

A computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention provides a program for causing a computer to function as each means according to any one of claims 1 to 18, or a program according to claim 19 or 20. A program for causing a computer to execute the processing procedure of the transaction mediation method is recorded.

[0031]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a transaction performed using the transaction mediation system of the present embodiment. Here, a case where two transactions performed in a chain between three parties are settled together will be described.

In FIG. 1, a first seller 1 sells a product (eg, a part) to a first purchaser 2. The first purchaser 2 processes the product purchased from the first seller 1 to produce another product (for example, a product), and sells the processed product to the second purchaser 3. In this sense, the first buyer 2
Is also a seller. At this time, the first seller 1
The sales price of the product to the buyer 2 of "100", the second
It is assumed that the sales price of the product from the seller 2 to the second buyer 3 is “110”.

In this case, in a normal transaction, the first purchaser 2 gives the first seller 1 a purchase price of “10” for the product.
0 is paid, and the purchase price “110” of the product is paid from the second purchaser 3 to the second seller 2. On the other hand, in the three-way transaction according to the present embodiment,
The payment is made only by the second consumer 3 who is the final consumer. The price “110” paid by the second purchaser 3 is the price “100” for the first seller 1 and the difference price “10” for the second seller 2 (the sales price of the product 110−
Purchase price 100).

As described above, by settingtle the transaction among the three parties collectively, it is not necessary to pay at least the first purchaser 2. Also, the second buyer 3
Must be paid, but in the present embodiment, as described below, the intermediary mediates the second purchaser 3 itself to the first seller 1 and the second seller 2. There is no need to sort out and pay, and you only have to pay the intermediary in a lump.

As a result, it is possible to reduce the opportunity for the purchaser of the commodity to make payment as a whole, and to reduce the labor of the office work for payment and the waste of the deposit fee accompanying the commercial transaction. Further, in the above-described example, the first purchaser 2 can purchase a commodity without paying the purchase price at all and sell it with added value. Therefore, even if the first purchaser 2 is a small company or a small company with a small capital, there is also an advantage that a large transaction in which the purchase price of the product is high can be realized.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a three-way transaction performed using the transaction mediation system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, in the transaction mediation system of the present embodiment, a first party, who is a party who buys and sells goods,
In addition to the seller 1, the first buyer (second seller) 2, and the second buyer 3, there is an intermediary 4 that is a fair third party that mediates these three-way transactions. I do.

Hereinafter, the flow of the transaction will be described. In the transaction intermediary system of the present embodiment, for example, a purchase application for a desired product is issued from the first purchaser 2 to the first seller 1 and from the second purchaser 3 to the second seller 2. Yes, it is used when agreement is reached between these three parties to settle payments at once. Therefore, in the case of this example, it is assumed that an agreement has been obtained among the three parties that the second purchaser 3 as the final consumer pays the purchase price for the product.

In such a state, first, the second purchaser 3
Remits the purchase price of the product to the intermediary 4 in accordance with the remittance method selected by itself, and notifies the intermediary 4 of the remittance (). Here, remittance of the product purchase price to the intermediary 4 is performed by, for example, postal transfer or bank transfer. Alternatively, the purchase price may be paid using a credit card, or payment may be made from a convenience store or the like using a predetermined transfer sheet. In what form the remittance of the product purchase price is performed is not particularly limited in the transaction mediation system of the present embodiment.

In the case where the money is remitted to the intermediary 4 by the method exemplified here, the post office, the bank, the credit card company, or the like sends the intermediary 4 to the intermediary 4 without any particular action. Therefore, it is not essential that the second purchaser 3 itself notifies the intermediary 4 of the remittance. However, since these remittance notices require a certain number of days, the second buyer is required to execute the transaction promptly or to grasp the transaction status more systematically. It is preferable that the third party notifies the intermediary 4 of the remittance in the form of electronic data via the Internet or the like.

Next, upon receiving the remittance notice, the intermediary 4 informs the first seller 1 and the second seller 2 that the second purchaser 3 has received the purchase price. Notice(). The first seller 1 and the second seller 2 confirm that this payment notice has been received, and then use the post office or home delivery service to purchase the first buyer 2 and the second seller 2 respectively. The application product is sent to the purchaser 3 of (). The first purchaser 2 and the second purchaser 3 confirm the delivered goods, and when the applied goods are properly sent, notify the intermediary 4 of the receipt confirmation of the goods ().

The intermediary 4 has been paid in advance by the second purchaser 3 on condition that both the first purchaser 2 and the second purchaser 3 have received a receipt confirmation notice. A series of transactions is completed by distributing the product purchase price to the first seller 1 and the second seller 2 and transmitting the remittance (). Note that the form of remittance of the merchandise purchase price from the intermediary 4 to the first seller 1 and the second seller 2 is not particularly limited in the transaction intermediation system of the present embodiment.

As described above, according to the transaction using the transaction mediation system of the present embodiment, a plurality of transactions among the three parties are settled at a time. The first purchaser 2 does not need to pay for the purchase price of the product. As a result, the opportunity for the purchaser of the product to make the payment can be reduced as a whole, and the labor of the payment work associated with the commercial transaction and the waste of the deposit fee can be reduced.

Further, from the viewpoint of the first seller 1 and the second seller 2, upon receiving the payment notice () from the intermediary 4, the second purchaser 3 purchases the goods from the intermediary 4. After confirming that the price has been paid, the merchandise can be shipped, and then the price can be reliably received from the intermediary 4. Therefore, even if the first seller 1 and the second seller 2 send the applied product to the first buyer 2 and the second buyer 3, the purchase price is reduced to the first buyer 2 and the second buyer 2. Can be eliminated.

From the point of view of the second purchaser 3 who has paid the price, the paid purchase price is mediated until the goods actually arrive at the first purchaser 2 and the second purchaser 3. Is pooled at the seller 4 and payment of the price to the first seller 1 and the second seller 2 is performed after confirming the arrival of the goods.
You can get a refund from. Therefore,
Even if the second purchaser 3 pays for the purchase of the product, it is possible to reduce a situation in which the applied product is not sent from the first seller 1 and the second seller 2, and such a situation can be temporarily reduced. Can be reliably refunded to the second purchaser 3 even in the event of occurrence.

As a result, it is possible to eliminate the risk of the seller and the buyer involved in the three-way transaction, especially the risk in the case where the transaction is conducted through mail-order sales and electronic commerce, and to conduct the transaction more safely and reliably. Can be. Therefore, even when the partner of the transaction is an individual or a company with little name recognition, the transaction can be performed with confidence.

Next, the configuration of the transaction mediation system according to the first embodiment for realizing the transaction described with reference to FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the transaction mediation system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the transaction mediation system according to the present embodiment includes a mediator server 1
0, a terminal 15 on the seller side, and a terminal 16 on the purchaser side are connected to a network 14 such as the Internet.

The seller terminal 15 and the purchaser terminal 16 referred to here are not physical terminals but logical terminals. That is, even if the terminal is physically the same, if the person using the terminal is a seller, the terminal is the seller terminal 15. If the terminal is a purchaser, the terminal is the purchaser terminal 16. For example, the first purchaser 2 and the second seller 2 are the same person, and the terminal used by this person is the seller terminal 15 and the purchaser terminal 16.

The mediator server 10 of the present embodiment is
It comprises a server 11, a DB server 12, and a management terminal 13. The WWW server 11 is connected to a network 14 such as the Internet, and can transmit and receive data to and from a seller terminal 15 and a purchaser terminal 16. At that time, the WWW server 11
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), which is a protocol for securely exchanging data with a browser, and S, which is one of the methods for protecting e-mail security
/ MIME (Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Exte
nsions) to encrypt data and e-mail.

The WWW server 11 also performs a user authentication process for specifying that the first and second sellers 1 and 2 and the first and second buyers 2 and 3 are themselves. Further, the WWW server 11 displays various screens necessary for conducting a series of transactions with the first and second sellers 1,
2. Processing is also provided to the seller terminal 15 and the buyer terminal 16 in response to requests from the first and second buyers 2 and 3. When a system of online payment is adopted as a system, the WWW server 11 also performs processing related to the online payment.

The DB server 12 manages various data exchanged between the seller terminal 15 and the purchaser terminal 16 as a database. The databases of the DB server 12 include a user management database 17 and a transaction management database 18.

The user management database 17 stores first and second sellers 1 and 2 and first and second buyers 2 and 3
Are for managing user information registered to identify themselves. Transaction management database 18
Is for managing transaction information registered for specifying individual transactions between the first and second sellers 1 and 2 and the first and second buyers 2 and 3. is there.

As shown in FIG. 3, the DB server 12 has an ID assigning unit 21, a DB managing unit 22, and a transaction information inquiry processing unit 23 as its functional components. ID assignment unit 2
1 is a process of assigning a unique user ID to each transaction party, a process of assigning a unique transaction ID to each transaction, and a process of assigning a unique group ID to a plurality of transactions performed between three parties. Perform the assignment process.

The DB management unit 22 performs processing for storing and managing various data exchanged between the seller terminal 15 and the purchaser terminal 16 in each of the databases 17 and 18.

The transaction information inquiry processing section 23 uses the information on various events performed in the course of a series of transactions stored and managed in the transaction management database 18 to perform first and second sales. In response to requests from the buyers 1 and 2 and the first and second buyers 2 and 3, the seller terminal 15 or the buyer terminal 16 inquires about the transaction status at that time. The inquiry about the transaction status here includes a detailed inquiry about the delivery status of the product as described later.

The management terminal 13 is a terminal for managing the entire mediator server 10 according to the present embodiment, and is used by the mediator 4. This management system terminal 13 is shown in FIG.
A data input unit 24 is provided for inputting data necessary for performing a payment notification () to the first and second sellers 1 and 2 shown therein.

Next, the operation of the transaction mediation system according to this embodiment configured as shown in FIG. 3 will be described below. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the transaction mediation system. As described above, the transaction intermediary system of the present embodiment is configured such that the first buyer 2
The purchaser 3 of the third party makes an application for purchase of a product to the second seller 2, and is used after agreement is reached between the three parties to collectively settle the settlement.

That is, by directly negotiating between these three parties or exchanging using e-mail or the like in advance, a group is established for collectively performing settlement. Then, the participants in the established group are confirmed with each other, who pays the product purchase price to the intermediary 4, and who pays the usage fee of this system (the fee for the intermediary 4) and how. An agreement is obtained between the three parties. After such an agreement is obtained, the process enters the processing flow of the transaction mediation system according to the present embodiment as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, first, in step S1, the first
In addition, all of the second sellers 1 and 2 and the first and second purchasers 2 and 3 use the WWW browser to register personal information (user information) in the mediator server 10. When the same person becomes both the seller and the purchaser (the second seller 2
And the first purchaser 2), it is not necessary to input the user information from the seller's standpoint and the purchaser's standpoint, respectively.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a user registration screen provided to the seller terminal 15 and the purchaser terminal 16 by the WWW browser. As shown in FIG. 5, when registering a user, the user's name, zip code, address, e-mail address, telephone number, facsimile number, type of individual or corporation, and in the case of a corporation, the name of the representative, etc. Is registered as user information.

The user information input in accordance with the input screen shown in FIG.
Sent to 0. Then, it is provided from the WWW server 11 to the DB server 12 and stored and managed in the user management database 17. At this time, the first and second sellers 1, 2 and 1
And a unique user ID is assigned to each of the second buyers 2 and 3 (one user ID is assigned because the second seller 2 and the first buyer 2 are the same person). Then, the fact that the registration has been accepted is transmitted by e-mail from the mediator server 10 to the information input terminal (seller terminal 15 or purchaser terminal 16) together with the user ID.

The user registration in this step S1 is performed by the first and second sellers 1 and 2 or the first and second buyers 2 and 3 who intend to use the transaction mediation system according to the present embodiment. This may be performed for a new user, and need not be performed for a registered existing user.

Next, in step S2, any one of the first and second sellers 1 and 2 and the first and second purchasers 2 and 3 uses a WWW browser to execute a representative. Information on the current transaction is registered in the mediator server 10. At this time, the representative registers information on all transactions in the established group. The information necessary for that purpose is collected in advance by the representative from the participants in the group, for example.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a transaction information registration screen provided to the seller terminal 15 and the purchaser terminal 16 by the WWW browser. As shown in FIG. 6, when registering transaction information, information on all transactions in the opened group (transaction information between the first seller 1 and the first purchaser 2, the second Transaction information between the seller 2 and the second purchaser 3).

At this time, the user ID and the name of the seller and the purchaser are registered. In addition, as the transaction contents, a transaction item, price, consumption tax, delivery method, and transaction conditions are registered. Furthermore, the payer and the payment method are registered as the payment content of the product purchase price, and the specification of the system usage fee is designated or split by a specific user alone or by a plurality of users. The amount of each burden in the case is also registered. In the example of FIG. 2, the payer is one of the second purchasers 3, but if there are a plurality of payers, all of them are registered.

The transaction conditions registered as the contents of the current transaction can be arbitrarily set upon agreement between the parties to the transaction. For example, conditions such as the number of days after the payment to the intermediary 4 that the commodity should be sent out are set for each individual transaction in the group. Also, depending on the product to be transacted, the condition of the product confirmation period by the purchaser after receipt of the product is set as a condition (for example, one to two days for food, one for personal computers that requires operation confirmation, such as Set a confirmation period of about a week).

The transaction information input in accordance with the input screen shown in FIG.
Sent to Then, it is given from the WWW server 11 to the DB server 12 and stored in the transaction management database 18,
Be managed. At this time, a unique transaction ID is assigned to each transaction by the ID assignment unit 21 in the DB server 12, and a unique group ID is assigned to the entire transaction.

As described above, in the transaction mediation system of the present embodiment, the user of the present system registers the transaction information instead of the mediator 4, so that the service operation cost of the mediator 4 can be reduced. . As a result, the system usage fee can be kept low, and there is an advantage that the transaction intermediary system of the present embodiment can be used even for a transaction with a low price as a whole.

Further, in the present embodiment, by registering the transaction conditions, it is possible to clarify the boundary of what causes trouble when conducting a three-way transaction. When a trouble occurs (when one of the parties violates the transaction conditions), the violated user is given authority to cancel or forcibly proceed with the transaction.

That is, the intermediary server 10 determines whether or not the seller and the purchaser are appropriately conducting a transaction based on the transaction conditions managed in the transaction management database 18, that is, the remittance shown in FIG. We monitor whether procedures such as notification (), shipping (), and acknowledgment () are performed to satisfy the transaction conditions. Then, when it is detected that the seller or the buyer has violated the transaction conditions, an e-mail notifying the occurrence of the trouble is sent to the violated user.

Thus, for example, if the seller of the product violates the transaction conditions, the purchaser may cancel the transaction halfway and have the intermediary 4 refund the money already paid. it can. In addition, if the buyer of the product violates the transaction conditions, the seller confirms that the product has been delivered to the buyer (the mechanism of this confirmation will be described later), and the buyer mediates The user 4 can receive the money already paid.

Therefore, it is possible to suppress a trouble such that a product is not sent even though the price is paid, or a trouble that the price is not paid even though the product is sent out. Mutual credit can be secured. Further, in this embodiment, since the transaction conditions can be flexibly changed for each transaction, the form of credit provision can be appropriately changed according to the content of the transaction. Further, since the transaction conditions are set according to the agreement of the user, there is an advantage that the service operation cost of the intermediary 4 can be reduced.

When the transaction ID and the group ID are assigned by registering the transaction information in step S2 in FIG. 4, the IDs are electronically transmitted from the mediator server 10 to both the seller terminal 15 and the purchaser terminal 16. Sent by email. Here, an e-mail sent to the purchaser terminal 16 of the purchaser (the second purchaser 3 registered as the payer on the screen in FIG. 6) who has paid the purchase price by the agreement between the three parties. In the table, the account number of the payee corresponding to the payment method specified at the time of the transaction information registration is indicated, and a request for remittance of the purchase price is made.

The second purchaser 3 receiving the remittance request e-mail from the intermediary server 10 pays the payment method (postal transfer, bank transfer, deposit from convenience store, credit card, Payment of merchandise purchases with partner credits, etc.). Then, in step S3, a remittance notification is sent from the purchaser terminal 16 to the intermediary server 10 using the WWW browser (FIG. 2).

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a deposit information registration screen provided to the purchaser terminal 16 by the WWW browser. As shown in FIG. 7, when a remittance notification is sent to the intermediary server 10, the user ID and name of the second purchaser 3 who made the payment are input using this payment information registration screen. At the same time, enter the details of the transaction. As for the information of the second purchaser 3, if the user ID is input, the corresponding name is read out from the user management database 17 and is automatically displayed.

Further, regarding the contents of the transaction, if the transaction ID is input, the user ID and name of the second seller 2 relating to the transaction are read out from the user management database 17 and displayed automatically. The corresponding transaction item, deposit amount, and payment method are read from the transaction management database 18 and automatically displayed. Further, for this transaction content, the payment date and the transfer bank are also entered.

Here, only the information directly related to the second purchaser 3 who has paid the purchase price is input, but by inputting the group ID,
All information related to the three-way transaction in the group (transaction between first seller 1 and first buyer 2, between second seller 2 and second buyer 3) May be input. Also in this case, if the group ID is input, the corresponding information is read from the user management database 17 and the transaction management database 18 and automatically displayed except for the payment date and the transfer bank.

The remittance notification information input according to the input screen shown in FIG. 7 is sent to the mediator server 10 via the network 14. Then, it is provided from the WWW server 11 to the DB server 12 and stored and managed in the transaction management database 18. At this time, the remittance notification information is stored in association with the input transaction ID or group ID.

The intermediary server 10 that has received the remittance notification from the purchaser terminal 16 then checks in step S4 whether or not the merchandise purchase price has been paid according to the notification.
When the payment is made by online payment using a credit card or the like, the intermediary server 10 inputs data relating to the payment from the network 14 via the WWW server 11 to determine whether or not the payment has been made. Can be automatically confirmed. It should be noted that data regarding online payment may be input via the management terminal 13 from a banking system or the like connected using a dedicated line (not shown).

When the presence or absence of payment is electronically confirmed, data relating to the payment (payment information indicating the presence or absence of payment, payment date, etc.) is automatically generated. On the other hand, if the payment is made by a method other than online payment, such as postal transfer, bank transfer, or payment from a convenience store, the intermediary 4 manually checks the payment and manages the payment information. It is manually input from the data input unit 24 of the system terminal 13.

The deposit information generated in this way is D
It is provided to the B server 12 and stored and managed in the transaction management database 18. At this time, the deposit information is stored in association with the corresponding transaction ID or group ID. Then, to the effect that payment has been confirmed, the mediator server 10
Is transmitted by e-mail to the purchaser terminals 16 of all purchasers.

If the payment is confirmed in the mediator server 10, then, in step S5, the mediator server 10 notifies the seller terminals 15 of all the sellers of the payment in the form of e-mail (FIG. 2). Here the seller terminal 15
Of the product sent from the first and second purchasers 2 and 3 is included in the e-mail sent to the customer.
In this shipping instruction, it is instructed to ship the product by the delivery method specified at the time of registering the transaction information in step S2.

The first and second sellers 1 and 2 that have received the payment notification e-mail from the mediator server 10 to the seller terminal 15 ship the applied goods. Then, a delivery instruction is issued to a predetermined delivery company in accordance with the product delivery instruction included in the e-mail, and the product is shipped (FIG. 2).
of). At this time, the first and second sellers 1 and 2 use the WWW browser to set up the seller terminal 1 in step S6.
5 registers delivery information in the mediator server 10.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a delivery information registration screen provided to the seller terminal 15 by the WWW browser. As shown in FIG. 8, when the delivery information is registered in the intermediary server 10, the user ID of the first seller 1 or the second seller 2 is used by using the delivery information registration screen. And the name, and the details of this transaction. As for the information of the first and second sellers 1 and 2, when the user ID is input, the corresponding name is read from the user management database 17 and is automatically displayed.

Further, regarding the transaction contents, if a transaction ID is input, the user ID and name of the first purchaser 2 or the second purchaser 3 relating to the transaction are read out from the user management database 17. Automatically displayed, and the corresponding transaction item from the transaction management database 18,
The delivery method is read and displayed automatically. further,
For this transaction content, the shipping date, the delivery slip number received from the delivery company, and the dealer of the delivery company are also entered.

The delivery information input in accordance with the input screen shown in FIG.
Sent to Then, it is given from the WWW server 11 to the DB server 12 and stored in the transaction management database 18,
Be managed. At this time, the delivery information is the input transaction I
It is stored in association with D or the group ID. Then, to the effect that the registration of the delivery information has been accepted,
Is notified by e-mail to the seller terminals 15 and the purchaser terminals 16 of all users in the group.

Thereafter, when the first and second buyers 2 and 3 receive the goods sent from the first and second sellers 1 and 2, the first and second buyers 2 and 3 perform the steps In S7, after confirming the content of the delivered product, the WWW
From the buyer terminal 16 using the browser, the agent server 1
0 is registered for receipt confirmation (FIG. 2).

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a receipt confirmation registration screen provided to the purchaser terminal 16 by the WWW browser. As shown in FIG. 9, when registering the receipt confirmation information in the intermediary server 10, the user of the first purchaser 2 or the second purchaser 3 is used by using this receipt confirmation registration screen. Enter the ID and name, and enter the details of the transaction. As for the information of the first and second purchasers 2 and 3, when the user ID is input, the corresponding names are read out from the user management database 17 and are automatically displayed.

Further, regarding the transaction contents, if a transaction ID is input, the user ID and name of the first seller 1 or the second seller 2 relating to the transaction are read out from the user management database 17. Automatically displayed, and the corresponding transaction item from the transaction management database 18,
The delivery method and delivery slip number are read and displayed automatically. Further, for this transaction content, the date of receipt of the product is also entered.

The receipt confirmation information input according to the input screen shown in FIG. 9 is sent to the mediator server 10 via the network 14. Then, it is provided from the WWW server 11 to the DB server 12 and stored and managed in the transaction management database 18. At this time, the receipt confirmation information is stored in association with the input transaction ID or group ID.

The intermediary 4 having received the receipt confirmation notification from the purchaser terminal 16 to the intermediary server 10 performs the above-described step S
In step 3, the purchase price of the goods transmitted from the second purchaser 3 is transferred to the first
And pay to the second sellers 1 and 2 (of FIG. 2). At the time of this payment, the intermediary 4 determines in step S8
Payment data is manually input from the data input unit 24 of the management terminal 13.

The payment information input from the management terminal 13 is given to the DB server 12 and stored and managed in the transaction management database 18. At this time, the payment information is stored in association with the corresponding transaction ID or group ID. Then, the fact that the payment is completed is sent from the broker server 10 to the seller terminals 1 of all the users in the group.
5 and the purchaser terminal 16 by e-mail.

One transaction is completed by the processing of steps S1 to S8 as described above. At any point in the course of this series of transactions, the first and second transactions are completed.
The sellers 1 and 2 and the first and second buyers 2 and 3 access the WWW server 11 from the seller terminal 15 and the purchaser terminal 16 using a WWW browser to obtain transaction information at that time. Can be queried.

That is, when the seller terminal 15 or the purchaser terminal 16 makes a request for the transaction information inquiry to the intermediary server 10, the transaction information inquiry processing section 23 in the DB server 12 The relevant transaction information is taken out and supplied to the WWW server 11. In response, the WWW server 11 provides a predetermined transaction information inquiry screen to the seller terminal 15 or the purchaser terminal 16 of the request source.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a transaction information inquiry screen provided to the seller terminal 15 and the purchaser terminal 16 by the WWW browser. The transaction information inquiry screen shown in FIG. 10 includes items of inquiry transaction, seller, purchaser, and transaction content. When a transaction ID is entered in the inquiry transaction item, the corresponding information is read out from the user management database 17 and displayed for the seller and purchaser items. As for the items of the transaction contents, corresponding information is read out from the transaction management database 18 and displayed.

Further, in the above-mentioned inquiry transaction item, the transaction ID
Is displayed, other contents (payment status, delivery status, payment status) in the items of the inquiry transaction are also displayed. The display of these information is performed by reading the information stored at the time of the inquiry from the transaction management database 18.

[0096] For example, as to the payment status, the presence or absence of the product purchase price from the second purchaser 3 to the intermediary 4, the payment date, and the like are displayed. Also, regarding the delivery status, the designated transaction (transaction between the first seller 1 and the first purchaser 2 or transaction between the second seller 2 and the second purchaser 3)
Related to the shipment of goods, the presence or absence of goods, delivery date,
The arrival date etc. are displayed. As for the payment status, the presence / absence of payment of the merchandise purchase price from the broker 4 to the first and second sellers 1 and 2 and the payment date are displayed.

As described above, in this embodiment, the progress of the transaction can be queried in real time. That is, as long as the intermediary server 10 is operating, the user of the system can refer to the progress of the transaction at any time of the day, 24 hours a day. This inquiry is sent to the mediator server 10
Is automatically performed by the processing of (1), so that the service cost at the time of answering can be extremely reduced.

In the example of FIG. 10, the progress of each transaction is individually queried by inputting the transaction ID. However, by inputting the group ID, a plurality of transactions in the group can be checked. You may make it possible to refer in a lump. In this way, it is possible to easily grasp the overall progress of the three-way transaction comprising a plurality of transactions.

Also, instead of making an inquiry using the transaction ID or the group ID as a key, a plurality of transactions (all transactions including a transaction belonging to a different group for the user) are grouped using a user ID as a key. Inquiry may be made. In this way, a large number of transactions relating to a specific user can be easily managed. Therefore, a seller who does not have a system for transaction management himself but handles a large number of products can easily manage his / her own transaction using the transaction mediation system of the present embodiment. .

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, a delivery status detail inquiry button 31 is provided on the transaction information inquiry screen by GUI. The delivery status details inquiry button 31 is used to display a URL (Uniform Resource Locat) for displaying an inquiry screen of a delivery status management confirmation system (online tracking service) operated by the delivery company.
or). First and second sellers 1,
When the second or first and second buyers 2 and 3 operate the delivery status detailed inquiry button 31, the linked URL is displayed.
You can check the delivery status in more detail.

That is, at present, a delivery status management confirmation system that can refer to detailed delivery status from delivery order to completion of delivery using a delivery slip number as a key is widely used. Therefore, the above-described transaction mediation system newly proposed in the present embodiment and the existing delivery status management confirmation system are linked to each other via the above-described delivery status detail inquiry button 31.

As a result, it is possible to arbitrarily shift from the transaction information inquiry screen of FIG. 10 which displays information that can be grasped by the transaction mediation system of this embodiment alone to the detailed delivery status inquiry screen of the delivery status management confirmation system. By doing
It is possible to check the delivery status of products in more detail. Therefore, it is possible to confirm the detailed situation regarding the shipment and delivery of the product, and it is possible to expand the range of transaction management.

For example, if the merchandise is not sent out even after the merchandise shipping time limit set in the transaction conditions in FIG. 6 has been reached, a trouble notification mail is sent from the intermediary server 10 to the purchaser terminal 16. come. Therefore, the first and second purchasers 2 and 3 check the delivery status of the product by referring to the delivery status inquiry screen of the delivery status management confirmation system. Then, when it is confirmed that the merchandise has not been sent yet, by notifying the intermediary server 10 that the transaction is to be canceled, the already paid money can be refunded.

The information on the delivery status inquiry screen of the delivery status management confirmation system referred to here is not the information input by the seller itself, but the information input by a third party delivery company that is not directly related to the transaction. Therefore, the information is highly reliable. Therefore, by making it possible to confirm the delivery status using this information, it is possible to effectively prevent fraudulent product shipping fraud which pretends that the seller did not actually send the product but sent it.

Also, the first purchaser 2 or the second purchaser 2 does not exceed the confirmation period after receiving the goods set under the transaction conditions in FIG.
If there is no acknowledgment from the buyer 3 to the broker 4, the first and second sellers 1, 2
The delivery status of the product is checked in response to the trouble occurrence notification email sent from 0. Then, when it has been confirmed that the goods have already arrived, by notifying that to the intermediary server 10, it is possible to receive the price of the goods from the intermediary 4.

The information on the delivery status inquiry screen of the delivery status management confirmation system referred to here is not the information input by the purchaser himself, but the information input by a third-party delivery company that is not directly related to the transaction. Therefore, the information is highly reliable. Therefore, by making it possible to confirm the delivery status using this information, it is possible to effectively prevent fraud of the arrival of the goods, which pretends that the purchaser has actually received the goods but has not received them.

As described in detail above, according to the transaction intermediary system of the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the opportunity for the purchaser of the product as a whole by paying the transaction among the three parties collectively. It is possible to reduce the amount of time and labor required for the clerical work of payment for the commercial transaction and the waste of the deposit fee. Further, complicated transaction progress can be centrally managed, and all parties can easily confirm the status of the entire related transaction.

Further, since the seller does not need to ship the product until it is confirmed that the purchase price has been paid by the purchaser, it is not possible to collect the price even if the product is sent to the purchaser. It can be completely eliminated. Further, by referring to the transaction information inquiry screen, the progress of the transaction can be grasped at any time, and this can be used to facilitate the transaction.

[0109] Further, for the purchaser, there is no danger that the paid price will be carried away by the seller, and the user will be completely relieved of the feeling of anxiety associated with the prepaid price. In addition, in the case of cash-on-delivery at the time of delivery of a product, of course, in the case of prepayment, the contents of the product can only be confirmed after the purchase price has been paid. Can reserve payment to the seller. Further, by referring to the transaction information inquiry screen, the progress of the transaction can be grasped at any time, and this can be used to facilitate the transaction.

As a result, it is possible to eliminate the risk of the seller and the purchaser when the three-way transaction, particularly, the transaction is performed by mail order or electronic commerce, and the transaction can be performed more safely and reliably. Further, even if the seller or the purchaser does not have the creditworthiness, it is possible to conduct a transaction using the creditworthiness of the intermediary 4. Therefore, even when the partner of the transaction is an individual or a company with little name recognition, the transaction can be performed with confidence. At that time, as shown in the payment method of FIG. 6, both the advance payment and the postpaid payment can be selected with confidence. Further, online payment such as a credit card or a debit card can be used as a payment method, and diversification of payment / credit methods and reduction of payment time can be achieved.

In the above embodiment, the process from the purchase application to the agreement between the three parties is performed irrespective of the transaction mediation system of this embodiment, and after the agreement is established, the transaction mediation system of this embodiment is used. Has been described,
From the purchase application to the agreement mechanism, it may be incorporated in the transaction mediation system of the present embodiment.

For example, a seller or a purchaser associated with an individual transaction registers information on the transaction together with a purchase application. Then, in the intermediary server 10, an arbitrary transaction is selected from various transactions registered together with the purchase application, and a group is established between the seller and the purchaser related to the transaction, and this is notified to the relevant person. An agreement may be obtained by e-mail notification. Note that the transaction information registration in this case may be performed according to a screen as shown in FIG. In this way, it is possible to set up a group arbitrarily between transactions having no direct relevance or users having no direct relevance, and collectively settle those transactions.

In the above embodiment, the seller terminal 15
And a notification from the buyer terminal 16 to the intermediary server 10 via the network 14, and a notification from the intermediary server 10 to the seller terminal 15 and the buyer terminal 16
4, but need not necessarily be performed via the network 14. For example, the notification data may be stored in an information recording medium such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk, and the notification may be performed by exchanging the information recording medium. Alternatively, the notification may be made using a facsimile, a telephone, or the like. However,
In these cases, in order to be able to refer to the transaction information, the mediator 4 needs to perform data entry of the notification content from the management terminal 13.

In the above embodiment, the case where the seller and the buyer combine two one-to-one transactions and settle the transactions between the three parties collectively is described as an example. The transaction intermediary system of the present embodiment can be applied to the case where the transactions are settled together. Further, the transaction mediation system of the present embodiment can be applied to a transaction by one-to-many joint purchase between a seller and a purchaser.

When the present invention is applied to joint purchase, a large number of delivery situations generated in one transaction can be managed in a unified manner. In addition, by distributing the paperwork necessary for purchasing by multiple buyers, it is not necessary to put a large burden on the representative buyer who had previously undertaken the purchasing procedure by one hand. Also, the settlement associated with the joint purchase can be simplified.

Next, a transaction mediation system according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a transaction mediation system according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 12, components denoted by the same reference numerals as those shown in FIG. 3 have the same functions, and thus redundant description will be omitted here.

In the first embodiment, the seller of the product finally receives the sales price from the intermediary 4 (FIG. 2). On the other hand, in the second embodiment,
This sales price is pooled in the mediator server 10 so that the pooled price can be used at the time of subsequent product purchase.

As shown in FIG. 12, in the transaction mediation system according to the second embodiment, the DB server 12 of the mediator server 10 has the user management database 17 and the transaction management database 18 described in the first embodiment. In addition, the balance management database 19 is also managed. The balance management database 19 is for managing the balances of the amounts pooled by the first and second sellers 1 and 2 and the first and second purchasers 2 and 3 in the intermediary server 10, respectively. is there.

In the second embodiment, the mediator server 1
0 is the first and second sellers 1, 2 at the end of the transaction.
Without performing the remittance (of FIG. 2), the DB management unit 22 in the DB server 12 stores the remittance amount corresponding to the remittance amount in the balance management database 19 in association with the user ID. At this time, if a balance corresponding to the user ID already exists, a new price is added to the balance.

On the other hand, when the purchaser pays the purchase price of the product at the first stage of the transaction, the payment request notification is not sent to the intermediary 4 and the payment request notification is not actually made (FIG. 2). This is performed for the mediator server 10. The intermediary server 10 that has received the payment request notification stores the DB in the DB server 12
The management unit 22 subtracts the price corresponding to the payment amount from the balance stored in the balance management database 19 in association with the user ID corresponding to the payer.

As described above, the second system having the price pool function is provided.
According to the embodiment, the opportunity for the purchaser of the product to make the payment can be further reduced, and the labor of the payment work associated with the commercial transaction and the waste of the deposit fee can be further reduced.

Each functional unit of the mediator server 10 according to the first and second embodiments described above is constituted by a computer CPU or MPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and is stored in the RAM or ROM. It can be realized by the operation of the programmed program. Therefore, the present invention can be realized by recording a program that causes a computer to perform the above function on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, and reading the program into the computer. As a recording medium for recording the program, a floppy disk,
A hard disk, a DVD, a magnetic tape, a magneto-optical disk, a nonvolatile memory card, or the like can be used.

Further, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized by the computer executing the supplied program, but also the OS (operating system) or other application software running on the computer. When the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized in cooperation with the computer, or when all or a part of the processing of the supplied program is performed by a function expansion board or a function expansion unit of a computer, the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized. Such a program is also included in the embodiment of the present invention.

Further, the transaction mediation system of the above embodiment is used in a network environment, so that all or a part of the program for realizing the function of the mediator server 10 is executed by another computer. It may be.

In addition, each of the above-described embodiments is merely an example of the embodiment for carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is interpreted in a limited manner. It must not be. That is, the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit or main features thereof.

[0126]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, by collectively settingtle transactions of three or more parties, it is possible to reduce the opportunity for the purchaser of goods as a whole to make payment. It is possible to reduce the amount of labor and the waste of the depositing fee of the payment for the commercial transaction.
In addition, you can centrally manage complex transaction progress,
It is possible to easily grasp the entire status of the transaction progress, and to simplify the settlement work relating to a complex transaction involving a large number of parties.

Also, if the seller sends the applied product to the purchaser in the case of postpaid payment, the purchase price cannot be collected, or if the buyer pays the purchase price in the case of the advance payment, the applied product is not sent. The inconvenience of not being received can be completely eliminated. As a result, in a complicated three-way transaction or more in which the flow of goods and the flow of purchase price do not always correspond one-to-one, it is possible to secure a credit guarantee for the shipment of goods and payment of the purchase price between a plurality of parties. The occurrence of troubles can be reduced, and transactions can be performed more safely and reliably.

According to another feature of the present invention, transaction conditions arbitrarily set for transactions between three or more parties are registered in the intermediary device. This makes it possible to clarify the boundary between the occurrence of a trouble and the fact that the parties involved in the transaction do not violate the transaction conditions. Therefore, it is possible to prevent troubles such as goods not being sent even though payment is being made, and troubles such as payment being not paid even though goods are being sent out, and secure mutual credit accompanying transactions. can do. Also, since the transaction conditions can be flexibly changed for each transaction, the form of credit provision can be appropriately changed according to the content of the transaction.

According to another feature of the present invention, means for storing and managing information relating to various events performed in the course of a transaction as a database and referring to the status of the transaction in response to a request from a seller or a purchaser. Is provided, the progress of a complicated transaction can be easily checked at any time. According to another feature of the present invention, a link is provided from the inquiry screen to the delivery status management confirmation system, and the delivery status of the product can be checked by following the link. Can be easily confirmed at any time. As a result, it is possible to easily monitor the occurrence of troubles associated with transactions, to encourage more secure and reliable transactions, and to promptly take appropriate measures in the event of troubles. become able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a transaction performed using a transaction mediation system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a transaction performed using the transaction mediation system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a transaction mediation system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the transaction mediation system.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a user registration screen provided to a seller terminal and a purchaser terminal by a WWW browser.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a transaction information registration screen provided to a seller terminal and a purchaser terminal by a WWW browser.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a payment information registration screen provided to a purchaser terminal by a WWW browser.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a delivery information registration screen provided to a seller terminal by a WWW browser.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a receipt confirmation registration screen provided to a purchaser terminal by a WWW browser.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a transaction information inquiry screen provided to a seller terminal and a purchaser terminal by a WWW browser.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a transaction information registration screen provided to a seller terminal and a purchaser terminal by a WWW browser.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a transaction mediation system according to a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st seller 2 1st purchaser (2nd seller) 3 2nd purchaser 4 Broker 10 Broker server 11 WWW server 12 DB server 13 Management terminal 14 Network 15 Seller terminal 16 Purchase Terminal 17 user management database 18 transaction management database 19 balance management database 21 ID assignment unit 22 DB management unit 23 transaction information inquiry processing unit 24 data input unit 31 delivery status detail inquiry button

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (Reference) G06F 17/60 502 G06F 17/60 502

Claims (22)

[Claims] Claims 1. An intermediary mediates a transaction in which there are three or more merchants and buyers of goods, and the intermediary paid by at least one of the one or more buyers to the intermediary. A transaction intermediary system for supporting a process of adjusting the price of a product and giving it to one or more sellers, wherein at least one of the one or more buyers sends the intermediary to the seller. A payment notifying means for prompting the one or more sellers to ship the product by sending a payment notification from the intermediary device to the one or more seller devices when the price of the product is paid; and the payment notification. For the goods sent from the one or more sellers to the one or more buyers in response to the receipt of the payment notice by the means, the mediation from the one or more buyer side devices that the goods have been received. Notify device Brokerage system characterized by comprising a reception confirmation means for urging the payment of the price for the one or more merchants to the intermediary by Rukoto. 2. A remittance notice indicating that at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid the intermediary for the product is sent from the purchaser side apparatus to the intermediary side apparatus. 2. The transaction intermediation system according to claim 1, further comprising a remittance notifying unit for prompting the deposit notification by the intermediary apparatus. 3. An intermediary mediates a plurality of transactions in which there are three or more merchants and buyers of a product, and is paid to the intermediary by at least one of the one or more buyers. A transaction intermediary system that supports processing for adjusting the difference of the price of the product and giving it to one or more sellers, the transaction intermediation system including an intermediary server, and the intermediary server includes: When at least one of the one or more buyers has paid for the product to the intermediary, the one or more seller devices are notified of a payment via a network, whereby the one or more seller devices are notified of the payment. Payment notification means for prompting the seller to ship the above-mentioned goods, and goods sent from the above-mentioned one or more sellers to the above-mentioned one or more purchasers in response to the receipt of the payment notice by the above-mentioned payment notification means, This A transaction mediation system comprising: a receipt confirmation receiving means for receiving a receipt confirmation notification indicating that the one or more purchasers have received the product from the one or more purchaser devices via the network. . 4. A remittance notice indicating that at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid the intermediary for the product is received from the purchaser side device via the network. 4. The transaction mediation system according to claim 3, further comprising a remittance notification receiving unit. 5. A transaction information registering means for registering transaction information relating to a transaction performed between three or more sellers and a purchaser in the intermediary device, wherein the transaction information includes transaction conditions, The transaction mediation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the transaction mediation system can be set arbitrarily. 6. A database management means for storing and managing, as a database, information on various events performed in the course of a transaction between the one or more sellers and the one or more purchasers using the transaction mediation system. And transaction information inquiry processing means for inquiring the progress of the transaction using information stored in the database in response to a request from the seller-side device or the buyer-side device. 6. Any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that:
The transaction mediation system described in the section. 7. The information relating to the various events includes information relating to payment of the price made by at least one of the one or more purchasers to the intermediary, and information relating to payment of the one or more sellers to the one or more sellers. 7. The transaction intermediation system according to claim 6, wherein the transaction intermediation system includes information on the shipment of the product to the purchaser. 8. A link is provided from the inquiry screen displayed by the transaction information inquiry processing means to the delivery status management confirmation system, and the link is followed by transiting to the inquiry screen of the delivery status management confirmation system. 8. The transaction intermediary system according to claim 6, wherein the seller is able to refer to the one or more buyers for the delivery status of the dispatched merchandise. 9. The one or more sales pooled in the agent-side device by paying the difference of the price of the product paid by at least one of the one or more buyers to the agent. A balance management means for adding and managing the settlement amount to the purchaser's price information, and performing the intermediation from the purchaser's device in order to pay for the purchase of the goods using the pool price managed by the balance management means. The transaction mediation system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a notification of a payment request is sent to a party-side device. 10. A broker that brokers a transaction in which there are three or more merchants and buyers of a product, and is paid to the broker by at least one of the one or more buyers. A data processing device used in a transaction mediation system that supports a process of adjusting the price of a product to a difference and giving it to one or more sellers. A payment notifying means for prompting the one or more sellers to ship the product by notifying a payment to one or more seller devices when the intermediary is paid for the product; and For a product sent from the one or more sellers to the one or more buyers in response to the receipt of the payment notification by the notification means, a receipt confirmation indicating that the one or more buyers received the product. Notifications The data processing apparatus characterized by comprising a acknowledgment receiving means for receiving from the above purchaser device. 11. A remittance notice receiving means for receiving, from the purchaser side device, a remittance notice indicating that at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid the intermediary for the product. The data processing device according to claim 10, wherein 12. A transaction information registering means for receiving and registering transaction information including transaction conditions arbitrarily set with respect to transactions performed by three or more sellers and buyers. Item 12. The data processing device according to item 10 or 11. 13. A database management means for storing and managing, as a database, information relating to various events performed in the course of a transaction between the one or more sellers and the one or more purchasers using the transaction mediation system. And transaction information inquiry processing means for inquiring the progress of the transaction using information stored in the database in response to a request from the seller-side device or the buyer-side device. The data processing device according to claim 10, wherein 14. The information related to the various events,
Information relating to the payment of the price made by at least one of the one or more purchasers to the intermediary, and the dispatch of the goods made by the one or more sellers to the one or more purchasers; The data processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the data processing apparatus includes information about the data processing. 15. The method according to claim 15, wherein the price of the product paid by at least one of the one or more purchasers to the intermediary is settled, and the price information pooled for each of the one or more sellers is calculated. 15. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a balance management unit that adds and manages a settlement amount, and enables purchase of a product using a pool price managed by the balance management unit. 2. The data processing device according to claim 1. 16. An intermediary for brokering a transaction in which there are three or more merchants and buyers of a product, and at least one of the one or more buyers paid to the intermediary. A data processing device used in a transaction mediation system that supports processing for paying a difference between goods and giving it to one or more sellers, wherein the one or more sellers are the one or more buyers. As a prerequisite for shipping the product, a payment notification sent from the mediator device when the price of the product is paid to the mediator by at least one of the one or more purchasers. A data processing device comprising a payment notification receiving means for receiving. 17. An agent that mediates a transaction in which there are three or more merchants and buyers in total, and that the agent is paid to the agent by at least one of the one or more buyers. A data processing device used in a transaction mediation system that supports a process of paying a difference between goods and giving it to one or more sellers, wherein the mediator is provided to the one or more sellers. As a prerequisite for prompting the shipment of the product, a remittance notice indicating that at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid the intermediary for the product is sent to the intermediary device. A data processing device comprising remittance notifying means. 18. An agent that mediates a transaction in which there are three or more merchants and buyers of a product in total, and is paid to the agent by at least one of the one or more buyers. A data processing device used in a transaction mediation system that supports a process of paying a difference between goods and giving it to one or more sellers, wherein said one or more sellers and said one or more buyers By notifying the intermediary device that the product has been received for the merchandise sent to the merchant, at least one of the at least one of the purchasers must have remitted the merchant to the merchant in advance. A data processing device comprising a receipt confirmation unit for prompting the intermediary to pay the price. 19. An intermediary brokering a transaction in which there are three or more merchants and buyers of a product, and the broker paid by at least one of the one or more buyers to the intermediary. A transaction intermediary method for supporting a process of paying a difference between goods and giving it to one or more sellers, wherein at least one of the one or more buyers sends the broker to the intermediary. A deposit notification step of prompting the one or more sellers to ship the product by sending a payment notification from the intermediary device to the one or more seller devices when the price of the product has been paid; and For items shipped from the one or more sellers to the one or more buyers in response to the
A receipt confirmation step of prompting the one or more sellers to pay the price by notifying one or more purchaser devices to the intermediary device that the product has been received. Mediation method. 20. Before the deposit notification step, a remittance notice indicating that at least one of the one or more purchasers has paid the intermediary for the product is sent from the purchaser side device. 20. The transaction intermediation method according to claim 19, further comprising a remittance notification step of prompting the payment notification by performing the remittance notification to the intermediary apparatus. 21. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to function as each means according to claim 1 is recorded. 22. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to execute the processing procedure of the transaction mediation method according to claim 19 or 20.