JPH0472265B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a credit check method for checking a customer's credit balance at the time of a credit card transaction at a mass retailer or the like.

(b) Prior art and problems When a customer pays with a credit card at a mass retailer, etc., the customer's credit balance is inquired of the credit center (or system center). Usually, by having a credit card read, the read customer registration number etc. is sent to the center for investigation. At mass retailers, etc., customers tend to concentrate at specific times, so the traditional method of conducting a credit check at the time of product transaction is
The drawback was that during busy times, customers were queuing for transactions.

(c) Purpose of the Invention The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide a credit check control method that improves credit check efficiency.

(d) Structure of the Invention In the present invention, a transaction device having a card reading device and a center having a file storing customer credit information are connected, and the customer information from the transaction device by the card reading device is transferred to the center. In a customer transaction system that checks credit information and sends check information from a center to the transaction device to report whether or not the transaction is possible, a second card reading device and customer information by the second card reading device are sent to the center. The transaction device is provided with a means for sending the check information and a storage unit for storing the check information related to the customer information, and the customer causes the second card reading device to read the card and sends the obtained customer information to the center. After the check information sent from the center regarding the customer information is stored in the storage unit, when the customer information of the customer is input from the transaction device, the customer information is based on the check information in the storage unit. This is a credit check control method characterized in that a credit check is performed based on the credit check. As described above, the present invention enables credit checks to be performed in advance using a separate card reading device in the sales floor in addition to the card reading device installed in the POS terminal, thereby reducing the time required for credit payment at the time of transaction. The aim is to shorten the time.

(e) Examples of the invention The present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings. The drawing is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.
A store 1 in the drawing is connected to a system center 3 by a line 2. System center 3 is
A file 4 is provided, and this file 4 stores customer credit data (credit balance, etc.) B.
The system center 3 is also connected to a credit center 6 via a line 5, and can inquire of the credit center 6 for detailed information regarding the customer. In the sales floor of store 1 in the drawing,
In addition to the card reader 10 connected to the PSP terminal (hereinafter referred to as terminal) 7, card readers 11 to 13
is provided. When a customer enters the sales floor, he or she first inserts his or her credit card (hereinafter referred to as the card)8.
is inserted into any of the card readers 11 to 13 and read. The control device 9 adds data D such as date and time to the read data (account number etc.) A.
is added and sent to the transmitting/receiving section 14. Transmission/reception section 14
sends the data A and D to the center 3 via line 2. The host computer 15 examines the data A and D based on the credit data B in the file 4, and performs a credit check (checking whether there is a credit balance, etc.) of the customer. After completing the check, the host computer 15 sends the check data C to the line 2. The check data C received by the transmitting/receiving section 14 is stored in the file 16. Customers who visit store 1 in this way are
Before selecting an article, the card readers 11 to 13 are made to read the credit card. As a result, a credit check of the customer is immediately performed, and the check data C is stored in the file 16.

The customer who has completed the credit check in advance brings the item he or she wishes to purchase to the terminal 7.
When the customer or the staff member causes the card reader 10 to read the customer's card 8, the read data A such as the account number is sent to the control unit 17. The control unit 17 collates the check data C in the file 16, and if it is OK, sends a permission signal G to the terminal 7 to permit the transaction. This allows credit transactions to be made to the customer. As described above, the credit check information (check data C) regarding customers who visit the store is stored in the file 16 in advance, so when the customer actually pays for purchased items, the customer returns to the center for a credit check. No need to spend time making inquiries. In addition, at the time of transaction, card 8
Instead of having the card reader 10 read the data, the data A such as the account number may be input using the input key K of the terminal 7.

(f) Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention has the advantage of significantly improving the efficiency of credit card sales at mass retailers and the like.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawing is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention, and the symbols used in the drawing are as follows. 1 is a store, 2 and 5 are lines, 3 is a system center, 4 and 16 are files, 6 is a credit center, 7 is a POS terminal, 8 is a credit card,
9 is a control device, 10, 11, 12, 13 are card readers, 14 is a transmitting/receiving unit, 15 is a host computer, 17 is a control unit, A, D are data, B is credit data, C is check data, G is permission signal, K
indicates an input key.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A transaction device having a card reading device and a center having a file storing customer credit information are connected, and the card reading device receives customer information from the transaction device using the credit information of the center. In a customer transaction system in which check information is sent from a center to the transaction device to inform whether or not the transaction is possible, the customer transaction system includes a second card reading device and a means for sending customer information from the second card reading device to the center. and a storage unit for storing the check information related to the customer information is provided in the transaction device, the customer causes the second card reading device to read the card, and sends the obtained customer information to the center;
After storing the check information sent from the center regarding the customer information in the storage unit, when the customer information of the customer is input from the transaction device, credit is granted based on the check information in the storage unit. A credit investigation control method characterized by carrying out a check.