Patent ID: 8902475

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a request reception unit configured to receive a scanning request requesting to scan an image from an information processing apparatus; a scanning execution unit configured to execute a scanning process to scan the image based on the scanning request and thereby to obtain image data; and a transmitting unit configured to determine whether to transmit the obtained image data to the information processing apparatus which sent the scanning request of the obtained image data by the scanning execution unit or to store the obtained image data in a predetermined storage unit based on a charging scheme of a communication service used for data communication between the image forming apparatus and the information processing apparatus, to transmit the obtained image data to the information processing apparatus if it is determined to transmit the image data, and to store the image data in the predetermined storage unit if it is determined to store the image data, wherein a selection between a flat-rate charging scheme and a pay-as-you-go charging scheme determines whether to transmit the image data or to store the image data.