Patent ID: 11138565

Abstract:
The objective of the present invention is to provide a billing server and the like capable of receiving email using the same address irrespective of whether or not an object is to be billed, and which can differentiate between and handle both situations. A billing server (4) according to the present invention comprises: a transmitting party acquiring unit (452) which detects that a mail server (6) has received an email, and acquires the transmitting party thereof; an information requesting unit (454) which requests the transmitting party to input price settlement information into a settlement server (5); a display changing unit (456) which, when a result receiving unit (455) has received a result to the effect that information has been provided, changes the display prior to the email being opened to a prescribed format; an operation detecting unit (458) which detects, by way of the mail server (6), an operation executed with respect to the email; and a settlement requesting unit (457) which, when the result receiving unit (455) has received the result to the effect that information has been provided, and the operation detecting unit (458) has detected that a prescribed operation has been executed, requests the settlement server for a settlement.