Patent ID: 7827121

Claim:
A maintenance cost management device, comprising: a point storage portion that stores a device user's deposit points for a device that receives maintenance; a conversion means that converts an accumulative fee paid regularly by the device user to deposit points; an addition means that adds the deposit points converted by the conversion means to the device user's deposit points stored in the point storage portion; and a subtracting means that, after a maintenance has been performed, subtracts a number of deposit points corresponding to a cost for the maintenance from the deposit points in the point storage portion to settle the cost for the maintenance; wherein the point storage portion is further provided with a service point storage area that stores service points given in accordance with acts on the device user side, and the cost for the maintenance is settled taking into account the service points; wherein an operation record of the device user's device is received from the device via a communications network, and service points calculated on the basis of the received operation record are added to the device user's service points stored in the point storage portion; and wherein the operation record includes data related to the device's consumption volume of consumables.