JP2006011745A - Vending machines that can purchase products with electronic money - Google Patents

Abstract

A service equivalent to cash back by electronic money is performed by a vending machine.
A vending machine capable of reading and rewriting data of an IC card in which electronic money information is recorded in cooperation with a prepaid electronic money settlement mechanism, and stores an IC card identifier and a refund point in association with each other. A refund reservation table, a refund reservation condition storage means, a refund execution condition storage means, and a control means, wherein the control means reads the card identifier and the electronic money balance from the purchaser's IC card when selling the product; If the transaction status matches the refund execution conditions, the amount of refund points corresponding to the card identifier in the refund reservation table is subtracted from the product price, and if not, the amount corresponding to the product price is Refund points are supported for card identifiers when the amount deducted from the electronic money balance and the transaction status matches the refund reservation conditions. And a process to be recorded in the refund reservation table with poppy.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a vending machine capable of purchasing a product with electronic money, and more particularly to a vending machine capable of cooperating with a prepaid electronic money settlement mechanism and performing processing equivalent to a cashback service with electronic money.

The vending machine linked to the prepaid electronic money settlement mechanism has an IC card interface that reads and writes information recorded on the IC card, and reduces the amount of money for the goods sold on the read IC card. The billing information (IC card identifier, sales merchandise and its price, information on the vending machine administrator, etc.) is notified to the settlement center computer managed by the electronic money issuing organization (settlement mechanism). The settlement center computer stores this billing information and completes the electronic money settlement related to this sales item. When the electronic money is accumulated on the IC card in exchange for cash at the depositing device, the settlement mechanism manages the cash inserted into the device, and when the electronic money settlement is completed, the payment amount is based on the billing information. Transfer the electronic money to the designated account of the vending machine administrator with actual money, and then proceed to subsequent settlement processing. The documents related to the present invention are shown below.
JP 2004-54628 A JP-A-10-188093 Bit Wallet Co., Ltd., “Edy”, [online], [Search June 8, 2004], Internet <URL: http://www.edy.jp>

  There are many vending machines on the street that handle similar items. Each manager of the vending machine wants to buy a product with his / her vending machine if it is a similar product. The applicant believes that providing a cash-back service with a vending machine can give the buyer the motivation to buy the product with a specific vending machine and make it a habit to use that vending machine. It was.

  The cashback service is a service provided for each purchaser, and a general vending machine does not have a function for identifying a purchaser who has purchased a product. In the case of a vending machine that sells merchandise with electronic money, the IC card identifier indicates whether the person who bought the merchandise with the vending machine is the first person or a repeater. The vending machine described in Patent Document 2 can accumulate electronic money for cash back on an IC card. However, this vending machine does not notify the payment center computer of information related to electronic money payment, and the electronic money targeted by this vending machine is a large number of unspecified members who are members of the payment mechanism. It is not general-purpose electronic money that can be used freely at stores and vending machines. Therefore, the purchaser has an extra IC card dedicated to the vending machine.

  Even if there is a vending machine that can use general-purpose electronic money and has a function as a depositing device, the amount of electronic money accumulated by cash back (refund) is substantially the same as cash and is used elsewhere be able to. The refunded electronic money will not be used again for payment at the same vending machine, and customers cannot be expected to be fixed. Each time the electronic money is accumulated by the deposit function, it is necessary to notify the settlement center computer of information to that effect, which increases communication costs. The vending machine itself with a deposit function is expensive to manufacture and install.

  Since payment with electronic money is performed according to a procedure defined by the payment mechanism side, the procedure and system configuration related to electronic money payment cannot be changed at all on the payment mechanism side. Or I don't want to change anything. Since the manager cannot provide profits by constantly providing services, the manager wants to ensure profits while maintaining the buyer's willingness to purchase. Sometimes we want to provide a service that can meet the demands of manufacturers, such as sales promotions for new products.

  In vending machines, it is necessary to solve the various problems described above in order to ensure that cashback services using electronic money are always satisfied by managers and users (sometimes manufacturers of sales products). Then, it is extremely difficult technically.

  The present invention has been created in view of the above problems, and sells products in a vending machine capable of reading and rewriting data of an IC card in which electronic money information is recorded in cooperation with a prepaid electronic money settlement mechanism. After completing the electronic money payment on the payment mechanism side, the buyer purchases a service equivalent to cash back by the processing of the vending machine alone, regardless of the system related to electronic money payment without accumulating electronic money on the IC card It is intended to be provided separately.

That is, the present invention is a vending machine for achieving the above object, and is specified by the following items (1) to (9).
(1) A vending machine capable of reading and rewriting data of an IC card in which electronic money information is recorded in cooperation with a prepayment type electronic money settlement mechanism (2) a refund reservation table, a refund reservation condition storage means, (3) The refund reservation table stores the IC card identifier and the refund points in association with each other. (4) The refund reservation condition storage means includes the refund reservation condition. (5) The refund execution condition storage means stores the refund execution condition. (6) The control means performs the first to third processes when selling the product. (7) The first process is the purchase. The IC card identifier and the electronic money balance from the IC card of the user (8) The second process corresponds to the IC card identifier in the refund reservation table when the transaction status matches the refund execution conditions The amount corresponding to the refund point deducted from the product price is deducted from the electronic money balance, and if it does not match, the amount corresponding to the product price is deducted from the electronic money balance. If the card meets the refund reservation conditions, the IC card identifier must be associated with the refund point and recorded in the refund reservation table.

Further, the vending machine may be configured by appropriately combining any of the following items (11) to (16).
(11) The refund reservation condition includes a merchandise item, and in the third process, when the sale merchandise item matches the refund reservation condition merchandise item, the IC card identifier is associated with a refund point and recorded in the refund reservation table. (12) The refund reservation condition includes period information, and in the third process, when the sales time satisfies the refund reservation condition period, the IC card identifier is associated with the refund point and recorded in the refund reservation table. (13) The refund reservation condition includes amount information, and in the third process, when the sales amount is equal to or greater than the amount of the refund reservation condition, a refund point is associated with the IC card identifier and recorded in the refund reservation table (14 ) Refund execution conditions include product items, and the second process is based on the refund points in the refund reservation table if the sales product items match the refund execution condition product items. (15) The refund execution condition includes the period information, and the second process is based on the refund points in the refund reservation table if the sales period satisfies the refund execution condition period. Decreasing the amount from the electronic money balance (16) The refund execution condition includes the amount information, and if the sales amount is equal to or greater than the amount of the refund reservation condition, the second processing will calculate the amount corresponding to the refund point in the refund reservation table. Reduction from electronic money balance The present invention can be a vending machine specified by the following items (21) to (29).

(21) A vending machine capable of reading and rewriting data of an IC card in which electronic money information is recorded in cooperation with a prepaid electronic money settlement mechanism. (22) A refund reservation table, a refund reservation condition storage means, (23) The refund reservation table stores the period information and the refund points in association with the IC card identifier. (24) The refund reservation condition storage means includes the period information. (25) The refund execution condition storage means stores the refund execution condition including period information. (26) The control means performs the first to third processes when selling the product. (27) The first process reads the IC card identifier and the electronic money balance from the purchaser's IC card. (28) The second process is a refund when the sales product period satisfies the refund execution condition period. In the reservation table, the amount corresponding to the refund point corresponding to the IC card identifier and the period information is reduced from the electronic money balance. If not satisfied, the amount corresponding to the product price is reduced from the electronic money balance. 3. When the sales period satisfies the period of the refund reservation condition, 3 processing is to record the refund point and the period information in association with the IC card identifier in the refund reservation table.

The present invention extends to vending machines specified by the following items (31) to (40) and vending machines specified by (51) to (60).
(31) A vending machine capable of reading and rewriting data of an IC card that records electronic money information in cooperation with a prepaid electronic money settlement mechanism. (32) Sales record book, refund reservation table, and refund reservation Condition storage means, refund execution condition storage means, and control means are provided. (33) The sales record book stores the sales record in association with the IC card identifier. (34) The refund reservation table is an IC card. Refund points are stored in association with identifiers (35) Refund reservation condition storage means stores refund reservation conditions (36) Refund execution condition storage means records sales more than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period (37) The control means performs the first to third processing when selling the product. (38) The first processing starts from the purchaser's IC card with the IC card identifier and the electronic Reading the money balance (39) The second process is a refund reservation table when the sales record corresponding to the IC card identifier in the sales record book has a sales record of a predetermined number of times or more within the period specified by the refund execution condition. In step 3, the amount corresponding to the refund point corresponding to the IC card identifier is reduced from the electronic money balance. If not, the amount corresponding to the product price is reduced from the electronic money balance. (40) If the refund reservation conditions are met, the IC card identifier is associated with a refund point and recorded in the refund reservation table.

(51) A vending machine capable of reading and rewriting data of an IC card in which electronic money information is recorded in cooperation with a prepaid electronic money settlement mechanism. (52) Sales record book, refund reservation table, and refund reservation A condition storage means, a refund execution condition storage means, and a control means; (53) a sales record book; and a sales record in association with an IC card identifier; and (54) a refund reservation table is an IC card identifier (55) Refund reservation condition storage means stores, as a refund reservation condition, that there are sales records more than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period. (56) Refund execution condition storage means Is stored as a refund execution condition (57) The control means performs the first to third processes at the time of selling the product (58) The first process is the IC card identifier from the purchaser's IC card. And the electronic money balance (59) The second process is the amount obtained by subtracting the amount corresponding to the refund point corresponding to the IC card identifier from the product price in the refund reservation table when the transaction status matches the refund execution conditions. The amount corresponding to the product price is deducted from the electronic money balance if it does not match. (60) The third process is a refund reservation in the sales history corresponding to the IC card identifier in the sales record book. If there are more than a certain number of sales records within the period specified in the conditions, the IC card identifier is associated with a refund point and recorded in the refund reservation table.

  Note that any one of the above vending machines may include means for changing the refund reservation condition and the refund execution condition by user input.

  According to the vending machine of the present invention, after selling the product and completing the electronic money settlement on the settlement mechanism side, it corresponds to cash back by the processing of the vending machine alone regardless of the system related to the electronic money settlement. Can be provided for each purchaser.

=== Outline of the Invention ===
The vending machine of the present invention, when selling a product, pays the price of the product with electronic money recorded on an IC card, a predetermined condition (refund reservation condition: a specific date and time for selling a specific product) If a product is sold, the predetermined refund points are stored in association with the IC card. In addition, if a predetermined condition (refund execution condition: selling a specific product, selling a product at a specific date, etc.) is satisfied, it corresponds to the refund point associated with this IC card from the product price Reduce the amount and sell at a discount. The vending machine in the embodiment of the present invention stores a refund reservation table in which an IC card identifier (card identifier) is associated with a refund point, a refund reservation condition, and a refund execution condition. FIG. 1 shows an outline of a refund reservation table stored in the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows an outline of the refund reservation condition (a) and the refund execution condition (b). In this embodiment, 1 point of refund points corresponds to 1 yen. Of course, the money amount itself may be described as a refund point.

  For example, it is assumed that a refund point for 10 yen is associated with a certain card identifier (A) by a refund reservation table, and it is described that a specific product with a product price of 100 yen is sold as a refund execution condition. One day, when a purchaser tries to purchase a specific product with the IC card of the identifier A with the vending machine of the present embodiment, the refund point equivalent 10 yen corresponding to the identifier A is deducted from the product price of 100 yen and sold. The price is 90 yen, and the billing information including the sales price (billing amount) 90 yen and the card identifier A is notified to the settlement center computer. Then, the electronic money balance of the IC card with the identifier A is reduced by 90 yen. Also, the refund point corresponding to the card identifier A in the refund reservation table is 0 yen.

  As a refund reservation condition, it is described that 10 yen worth of points is added to the refund points when a product is sold every Tuesday. If the purchaser purchases a 100 yen product with an IC card with identifier B on Tuesday, the vending machine notifies the settlement center computer of billing information including the card identifier B and the billing amount of 100 yen. The electronic money balance of this IC card is reduced by 100 yen. Furthermore, 10 yen points are recorded as refund points corresponding to the card identifier B in the refund reservation table.

=== Configuration and operation of vending machine ===
FIG. 3 shows a functional block configuration of the vending machine according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 shows the flow of processing related to electronic money settlement and cashback service by the vending machine 1. The vending machine control unit 11 controls each block configuration unit and performs overall control of the vending machine 1. The flash memory 12 stores a refund reservation table, a refund reservation condition, and a refund execution condition. Refund reservation conditions and refund execution conditions can be freely set by the administrator. The condition setting user interface 19 is disposed, for example, inside the casing of the vending machine 1 so that the purchaser cannot perform operations related to the condition setting. Or it is good also as a structure which receives the operation from the external computer which permitted access using the communication function of the vending machine 1. FIG. As an example, the vending machine 1 is provided with a WWW server function, and the vending machine 1 returns a Web page for accepting the setting input of each condition by the WWW server function to the computer that has accessed through authentication. . When an external computer sends the setting conditions input on the Web page as form data, it receives it and writes it in the flash memory 12.

  When the purchaser presses the selection button 18 for the desired product, the vending machine control unit 11 receives the selection information via the operation control unit 20, temporarily stores the product price, and then stores the product price or electronic money. The display control unit 17 displays guidance such as a purchase method on the display 16 (s1 to s3). When the purchaser holds the contactless IC card on which electronic money is recorded on the antenna 14 according to the guidance, the IC card interface 13 transfers the recorded information to the vending machine control unit 11 (s4). The vending machine control unit 11 acquires the card identifier in the transferred information and inquires of the card identifier in the refund reservation table (s5). If there is a refund point corresponding to the inquired card identifier, it is determined whether or not the current sales condition matches the refund execution condition (s6 → s7). For example, if a predetermined date and time is described as a refund execution condition, and the sales opportunity corresponds to the date and time, the amount obtained by discounting the refund point equivalent amount from the price of the selected product is set as the charge amount (s7 → s8) The payment information including the charge amount and card identifier, the identifier of the product to be sold, and the identifier of the administrator of the vending machine 1 is settled on a predetermined information communication network 30 such as the Internet via the communication interface 15. The center computer 40 is notified (s9 → s10, s11). When the payment center computer 40 returns that the billing information has been received, the IC card interface 13 reduces the electronic money balance by the billing amount (s12, s13). Further, the refund reservation table is updated by deducting the refund points associated with the card identifier read by the IC card interface 13 by the amount used for the current discount (s14).

  If the amount equivalent to the refund point exceeds the product price, the product is free and the billing information notification process is not performed. For example, if a refund point equivalent to 150 yen is associated with a certain card identifier in the refund reservation table, a product with a product price of 100 yen is free, and 50 refund points corresponding to this card identifier in the refund reservation table are set. Update to yen. If the electronic money balance of the IC card is less than the charge amount at the time when the charge amount is determined, that fact is displayed on the display and the processing so far is stopped, or the insufficient currency is inserted into the money slot. Appropriate error processing may be executed (s9 → s20), for example, when a shortage of cash is inserted and the processing proceeds to a later stage.

  In addition, it is determined whether or not the current sales situation matches the refund reservation conditions. If the opportunity satisfies the condition, the refund reservation table is updated by associating the refund point based on the condition with the card identifier read by the IC card interface (s15 → s16).

=== About service provision conditions ===
Refund reservation conditions and refund execution conditions can be set as appropriate, such as selling a product at a specific date, selling a specific product, or selling a product of a predetermined amount or more. If the condition is that the product has been sold for more than the predetermined sales price, for example, refund points will be given if the refund price is applied to the sales price and the sales price becomes little or free. Can be limited. If a vending machine can play a lottery game such as roulette for each product sales opportunity, winning a lottery can be used as a refund reservation condition or a refund execution condition. In addition, an amount that can be returned with one point may be described in the refund execution condition.

  It is also possible to make a condition that the product is sold for a limited period (6/8 to 6/25, 7:00 to 9:00 every day, or a combination of those dates and times). It may be a condition that the product is sold on a specific day (every holiday, 15th of every month, every Tuesday, etc.). By appropriately setting the refund reservation condition and the refund execution condition, it is possible to make the purchaser have a habit of purchasing products with the same vending machine while maintaining the profit of the administrator side.

  As a refund execution condition, an upper limit may be set to the amount discounted for one sales opportunity. By doing so, the refund amount is applied to the entire price of the product, and the product can be prevented from being sold for free. Even if there are many refunds, the refunds are used for discounts little by little, so that the purchaser can be more motivated to use the same vending machine again.

  Information (sales record book) in which sales records (sales products, sales date, etc.) are associated with card identifiers may be recorded as needed. And based on this sales record, you may change refund reservation conditions and refund execution conditions for every IC card utilized. When a product that is a certain IC card is purchased, it may be refunded or discounted according to the sales record corresponding to the card identifier. For example, it is conceivable that a product is purchased with the same card within three days from the previous sales opportunity. It is also possible to record a predetermined point in the refund reservation table for a specific IC card three times of sale, or to subtract the amount of the predetermined point from the product price. Restrictions such as recording refund points only for the first product sales opportunity or discounting the refund point equivalent even if you purchase multiple items per day with one IC card as a refund reservation condition or refund execution condition May be described.

  Refund points added according to specific refund reservation conditions may be used for discounts only when corresponding specific refund execution conditions are satisfied. For example, when a product is sold on Tuesday, recording 10 yen points as a refund point is a refund reservation condition, and selling a product on Friday of the same week is a refund execution condition, and these conditions are associated with each other. Keep it. When a product is sold on Tuesday of a certain week, a point corresponding to 10 yen based on the refund reservation conditions and a sales record such as which product was purchased on Tuesday are associated with the card identifier used at that time. Store in the refund reservation table. When a product is purchased with the same IC card at the next sales opportunity, if that day is Friday of the same week, the refund point equivalent amount when the product was sold on Tuesday is deducted from the product price.

  In response to a campaign for a new product, for example, selling a specific product (such as a specific product itself or a specific manufacturer's product) is a refund reservation condition, and the specific product is sold in the refund reservation table. The fact that the payment has been made is associated with the refund point at the time of sale and the card identifier. Then, as a refund execution condition, it is defined that a specific product is sold, and the refund point equivalent amount associated with the product can be used for the purchase price of the product.

It is the schematic of the refund reservation table memorize | stored in the vending machine in the Example of this invention. It is the schematic of refund reservation conditions (a) and refund execution conditions (b) memorize | stored in the said vending machine. It is a functional block diagram of the said vending machine. It is a flowchart of the process regarding the cash back service which the said vending machine implements.

Explanation of symbols

1 Vending Machine 11 Vending Machine Control Unit 12 Flash Memory 13 IC Card Interface 15 Communication Interface 30 Information Communication Network 40 Payment Center Computer

Claims (12)

A vending machine capable of reading and rewriting data of an IC card that records electronic money information in cooperation with a prepaid electronic money settlement mechanism,
A refund reservation table, a refund reservation condition storage means, a refund execution condition storage means, and a control means;
The refund reservation table stores an IC card identifier and a refund point in association with each other,
The refund reservation condition storage means stores the refund reservation condition,
The refund execution condition storage means stores the refund execution condition,
The control means performs the first to third processes when selling the product,
The first process reads the IC card identifier and the electronic money balance from the purchaser's IC card,
In the second process, if the transaction status matches the refund execution conditions, the amount of money corresponding to the IC card identifier in the refund reservation table minus the amount corresponding to the IC card identifier is subtracted from the electronic money balance and does not match. The amount corresponding to the product price is deducted from the electronic money balance,
The third process is a vending machine that records a refund reservation table by associating a refund point with an IC card identifier when the transaction status matches a refund reservation condition. Refund reservation conditions include product items,
The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein in the third process, when the sale merchandise item matches the merchandise item under the refund reservation condition, the refund point is associated with the IC card identifier and recorded in the refund reservation table. Refund reservation conditions include period information,
In the third process, when the sales time satisfies the period of the refund reservation condition, the IC card identifier is associated with the refund point and recorded in the refund reservation table.
The vending machine according to claim 1 or 2. Refund reservation conditions include amount information,
The vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the third process, when the sales amount is equal to or greater than the amount of the refund reservation condition, the refund point is associated with the IC card identifier and recorded in the refund reservation table. Refund execution conditions include product items,
5. The automatic sales according to claim 1, wherein the second process reduces the amount corresponding to the refund point in the refund reservation table from the electronic money balance when the sold product item matches the refund execution condition product item. Machine. Refund execution conditions include period information,
The vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in the second process, when the sales period satisfies the period of the refund execution condition, the amount corresponding to the refund point in the refund reservation table is reduced from the electronic money balance. Refund execution conditions include money amount information,
The vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein in the second process, when the sales amount is equal to or more than the amount of the refund reservation condition, the amount corresponding to the refund point in the refund reservation table is reduced from the electronic money balance. A vending machine capable of reading and rewriting data of an IC card that records electronic money information in cooperation with a prepaid electronic money settlement mechanism,
A refund reservation table, a refund reservation condition storage means, a refund execution condition storage means, and a control means;
The refund reservation table stores the merchandise item and the refund point in association with the IC card identifier,
The refund reservation condition storage means stores the refund reservation condition including the product item,
The refund execution condition storage means stores the refund execution condition including the product item,
The control means performs the first to third processes when selling the product,
The first process reads the IC card identifier and the electronic money balance from the purchaser's IC card,
In the second process, if the sale item and the item for refund execution match, the amount corresponding to the refund point corresponding to the IC card identifier and the item in the refund reservation table is reduced from the electronic money balance and matched Otherwise, the amount corresponding to the product price will be reduced from the electronic money balance,
The third process is a vending machine that records a refund reservation table by associating a refund point with the merchandise item in association with an IC card identifier when the sale merchandise item matches the refund reservation condition. A vending machine capable of reading and rewriting data of an IC card that records electronic money information in cooperation with a prepaid electronic money settlement mechanism,
A refund reservation table, a refund reservation condition storage means, a refund execution condition storage means, and a control means;
The refund reservation table stores the IC card identifier in association with period information and refund points,
The refund reservation condition storage means stores a refund reservation condition including period information,
The refund execution condition storage means stores the refund execution condition including the period information,
The control means performs the first to third processes when selling the product,
The first process reads the IC card identifier and the electronic money balance from the purchaser's IC card,
In the second process, when the sales product period satisfies the period of the refund execution condition, the amount corresponding to the refund point corresponding to the IC card identifier and the period information is reduced from the electronic money balance in the refund reservation table and is not satisfied. The amount corresponding to the product price is deducted from the electronic money balance,
The third processing is a vending machine that records a refund reservation table in association with a refund point and the period information in association with an IC card identifier when the sales period satisfies the refund reservation condition period. A vending machine capable of reading and rewriting data of an IC card that records electronic money information in cooperation with a prepaid electronic money settlement mechanism,
A sales record book, a refund reservation table, a refund reservation condition storage means, a refund execution condition storage means, and a control means;
The sales record book stores the sales record in association with the IC card identifier,
The refund reservation table stores IC card identifiers in association with refund points,
The refund reservation condition storage means stores the refund reservation condition,
The refund execution condition storage means stores, as a refund execution condition, that there are sales records of a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period,
The control means performs the first to third processes when selling the product,
The first process reads the IC card identifier and the electronic money balance from the purchaser's IC card,
The second process corresponds to the IC card identifier in the refund reservation table when the sales record corresponding to the IC card identifier in the sales record book includes a predetermined number of sales records within the period specified by the refund execution condition. If the amount corresponding to the refund point is reduced from the electronic money balance, if not, the amount corresponding to the product price is reduced from the electronic money balance,
The third process is a vending machine that records a refund reservation table by associating a refund point with an IC card identifier when the sales status matches the refund reservation conditions. A vending machine capable of reading and rewriting data of an IC card that records electronic money information in cooperation with a prepaid electronic money settlement mechanism,
A sales record book, a refund reservation table, a refund reservation condition storage means, a refund execution condition storage means, and a control means;
Store sales records in association with sales records and IC card identifiers,
The refund reservation table stores IC card identifiers in association with refund points,
The refund reservation condition storage means stores, as a refund reservation condition, that there are sales records of a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period,
The refund execution condition storage means stores the refund execution condition as a refund execution condition,
The control means performs the first to third processes when selling the product,
The first process reads the IC card identifier and the electronic money balance from the purchaser's IC card,
In the second process, if the transaction status matches the refund execution condition, the amount obtained by subtracting the amount corresponding to the refund point corresponding to the IC card identifier from the product price in the refund reservation table is reduced from the electronic money balance and does not match. The amount corresponding to the product price is deducted from the electronic money balance,
The third process is to associate a refund point with an IC card identifier when the sales history corresponding to the IC card identifier in the sales record book includes a predetermined number of sales records within the period specified in the refund reservation condition. A vending machine that records in the refund reservation table. The vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising means for changing a refund reservation condition and a refund execution condition by a user input.

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