More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for management of a first-use later-registration membership card, which method comprises: a step of issuing a membership card having a unique card number (card ID number) at every card, storing each unique card number in a server for managing customers, and distributing the membership cards to a store; a step wherein, among customers who use the store, a) to a customer who does not have a membership card, the membership card is provided, and a reserve point according to sale/service offer is accumulated on the membership card through a terminal installed at each store and connected to the server, b) to a customer who already has a membership card, a reserve point is accumulated according to sale/service offer on the membership card through the terminal; and, a step wherein the customer having the membership card connects the server through a terminal and logs in the unique card number and membership information to register a membership, and a management system comprising a membership card issuing machine, a terminal for a store, a terminal for a user and a server for managing customers that connects the above components and enables the above management method to be conducted.

(b) Description of the Related Art Up to now, for management of customers using a membership card,

customers have generally filled in and submitted one's information on the spot before an issue of the membership card. Therefore, customers have been reluctant to apply for admission because the procedure is troublesome and a lot of time is consumed, and thus such marketing method is inefficient in terms of practical customer inducement.

In case a coupon system is conducted, or signature is affixed at every use and prize is presented when a specific number of use is reached, although use is convenient, customer information cannot be obtained hence total customer management through customer data base is impossible.

In addition, although a large size company connects its own company's stores and related companies and utilizes its own company's reserving card for inducement and management of customers, a small scale retail store cannot systematically manage customers using such network due to difficulty in construction of a system and high cost.

Accordingly, there are needs for development of easier issuance method of membership card and a customer management system using the same.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the problems of the prior arts, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for issuance and management of a membership card that can be first used and later registered.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for management of a membership card, wherein the issuance and management of a first-use later-registration membership card are totally conducted by commission agent.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a membership

card issuance and management system, wherein the membership card can be first used and later registered.

In order to achieve these objects, the present invention provides a method for management of a first-use later-registration membership card, which method comprises: a step of issuing a membership card having a unique card number (card ID number) at every card, storing each unique card number in a server for managing customers, and distributing the membership cards to a store; a step wherein, among customers who use the store, a) to a customer who does not have a membership card, the membership card is provided, and a reserve point according to sale/service offer is accumulated on the membership card through a terminal installed at each store and connected to the server, b) to a customer who already has a membership card, a reserve point is accumulated according to sale/service offer on the membership card through the terminal ; and, a step wherein the customer having the membership card connects the server through a terminal and logs in the unique card number and membership information to register a membership BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 shows a flow chart of the management method of first-use later-registration membership card according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of first use later registration membership card management system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be explained with

reference to Fig. 1. One who wishes to manage members using a membership card manufactures a membership card for managing customers of one's store having unique number at every card. Thereby, each membership card has discrimination factor of each unique number. The membership card is distributed to a store to be managed, and distributed to customers who use the store. The unique number is previously stored in a server or computer for customer management. Thus, future change in customer information can be managed using unique card number as a discriminator.

Then, when a customer uses the store, it is identified whether or not the customer has the membership card. A customer who does not have the card is classified into a new customer, and the membership card is distributed to the customer. And, a customer to whom the card has been already distributed is allowed to use the existing card. In case a customer to whom the card has been already distributed does not carry the card or lost it, a new card is distributed to the customer and then reserve point can be managed in combination by connecting a server for customer management.

Once a membership card is issued to a customer, an employee sells goods or offers service and then asks to the customer whether or not one uses the membership card. In case the customer does not wish to use the membership card, the employee issues a sale receipt without accumulation of a reserve point. And, in case the customer intends to use the membership card, the employee transmits the unique number of the card and sale or service results for the customer through a terminal for store, which uses card referring machine, POS system, or a separate card identifying machine, and which is connected to a customer management server through

a network such as a computer or internet, and refers to a server and then accumulates a reserve point on the membership card.

Thus, accumulation of a reserve point is conducted through a unique card number, which is used as discrimination factor of database. As shown in Fig. 1, in case a membership card is used as a discrimination factor, a customer, after receiving a card, can connect to a server using a user terminal (personal computer connected by internet, a computer connected by LAN, kiosk connected to a common network, etc. ) connected to-a server managed by a store through network, and log in sex distinction, age, ID, occupation, etc. to register membership.

After registration of membership, member ID or real name or nickname of, etc. recorded when registration. as well as unique card number can be used as discrimination factor required for accumulating reserve point, through which reserve point can be managed.

And, in case a membership is registered in the name of a person to whom reserve point is to be transferred, the reserve point can be transferred, and a separate step for offering reserve point transfer service can be further comprised in the server.

Therefore, a customer can receive a membership card from a store that the customer first used without making document, receive reserve point from the first use, and easily join membership. And, a store can systematically manage customer through electronic database. And, if a customer connects to a customer management server through an internet and logs in one's ID, information, etc. to register membership, the store can obtain customer information, use such data to extract various customer management information such as customer dispositions according to ages,

sex and occupation, and utilize it for marketing.

In addition to the above management method, a customer management commission agent can apply the method of first-use later- registration membership card management for many joined stores.

Specifically, a customer management commission agent can use a first-use later-registration membership card management method which comprises: a step of issuing and distributing a membership card having a unique card number at every card to each store joined in the customer management commission agent, and storing each unique card number and store information in a server for managing customers operated by the commission agent; a step wherein, among customers who use the store, a) to a customer who does not have a membership card, the membership card is provided, and a reserve point according to sale/service offer is accumulated on the membership card through a terminal installed at each store and connected to the server, b) to a customer who already has a membership card, a reserve point is accumulated according to sale/service offer on the membership card through the terminal ; and, a step wherein the customer having the membership card connects the server through the terminal and logs in the unique card number and membership information to register a membership The above method is similar to the method shown in Fig. 1, but is characterized in that the customer management commission agent issues membership card and manages customer management server, many joined stores are included, and discrimination factor is given to each joined store to constitute customer database which can be managed according to store.

Through this method, small-scale stores that could not conduct customer management due to cost and technical problems, etc. can manage

customers through network.

Theses two methods can further comprise the step of accumulating a reserve point according to store group dealing with the same product group or related product groups. Specifically, in case the method of the present invention is applied for many stores, stores having commonness are grouped and bonus reserve point can be given within the group. And, related products, for example, cake store and flower store related to birthday can be grouped and related point can be accumulated.

In addition, in case a customer management commission agent manages a server, the method of first-use later-register membership card management can further comprise a step wherein a customer management server operated by the commission agent offers customer information to each joined stores, or a store group dealing with the same product group or related product groups to a terminal of each store. Specifically, in case a commission agent manages many joined stores, customer management according to each joined store, and treatment and comparison of customer data according to groups may be required. In case the commission agent manages customer data, the commission agent can offer analysis information required by joined stores, and it can make a marketing strategy or offer required customer data to each store on real time.

In order to apply the above method, a first-use later-registration membership card management system is needed, which comprises a membership card issuing machine that issues a membership card having unique number at every card, is connected to a customer management server and transmits each unique card number to the server; a terminal for store that is distributed in each store, connected to the server, and transmits

unique card number and corresponding sale/service work to the customer management server so as to accumulate reserve points according to salelservice offer in store on a membership card of a customer using the store; a terminal for user that is connected to the customer management server and allows a customer having the membership card to connect the customer management server and log in unique card number and member information to register membership; a customer management server that is connected to the membership card issuing machine, the store terminal and the user terminal, and includes a program for storing unique card number transmitted from the membership card issuing machine, accumulating reserve points according to unique card number transmitted from the store terminal and sale/service offer, and receiving member information according to unique card number stored through the user terminal to register membership; and a network that connects the membership card issuing machine, the store terminal, the user terminal and the server.

As the store terminal, a credit card identifying machine, a POS system or a separate card identifying machine, etc. can be used, and as the user terminal, a personal computer or kiosk, etc. can be used. And, as the network, an internet can be generally applied.

Before customer register a membership, a unique card number can be used as discrimination factor for customer information such as reserve point according to sale/service offer, and after registration, unique card number, customer ID, real name, nickname, etc. can be used.

In addition, a customer management commission agent can use a customer management system, which comprises: a membership card issuing machine that issues a membership card having unique card number at every

card to many stores joined with the customer management commission agent according to each store, is connected to a customer management server and transmits unique card number and information of store to which the card is distributed to a customer management server operated by the commission agent; a plurality of store terminals that are distributed to each store which transmits unique card number and corresponding sale/service offer to the customer management server so as to accumulate points according to sale/service offer on the membership card of a customer who use the store, and are connected to the server; a plurality of user terminals that allows a customer having the membership card to connect to the customer management server and log in unique card number and member information to register membership, and are connected to the customer management server; a customer management server that includes a program for storing unique card number transmitted from the membership card issuing machine, accumulating points according to card number and sale/service offer transmitted from the store terminals, and receiving member information according to card number-stored through the user terminals to register membership, is connected to the membership card issuing machine, the store terminals and the user terminals, and is operated by the commission agent; and a network that connects the membership card issuing machine, the store terminals and the user terminals to the server.

The above system is as shown in Fig. 2. Specifically, a plurality of store terminals, card issuing machine and a plurality of user terminals are connected to a customer management server through network, through which reserve point according to customer or card can be managed. In this method, a program for accumulating the reserve point according to a store

group dealing with the same product group or related product groups is included in the server to constitute a system enabling customer management according to groups.

And, a module for operating customer information according to each joined store, or a store group dealing with the same product group or related product groups can be included in the customer management server operated by the commission agent, so that a program which provides customer information required in the joined store such as dealing particulars of corresponding customer for the previous month to the store terminal on real time can be included.

The present invention relates to a membership card issuance and management method enabling first issuance and use of the membership card and later registration of membership, and a management system. In the prior art, when issuing a membership card, customer should fill in one's information and submit the same on the spot and thus there were problems in terms of complicated procedure for filling in a written application and a lot of time required and disadvantages in that at first purchase, card has not been issued and thus a reserve point cannot accumulated. However, according to the present invention, a separate filling in of a written application is not needed when issuing a card hence issuance of a card is easy, reserve point can be accumulated for the first purchase, and therefore more customers can be easily secured. And, a loss of a card does not-cause a problem, anonymity is guaranteed because unique card number is used as a discrimination factor, a real name can be registered according to need of customer, and, in case another person's name is registered, a reserve point can be easily transferred to another person.

In addition, in the case of a conventional coupon system, customer information could not be obtained and thus customer management could not be carried out. However, the present invention can systematically conduct customer management through network and database and obtain customer information due to log in of member information to utilize it as marketing material.

Moreover, in case a customer management commission agent conduct the customer management, even small-scale store can conduct systematic customer management, apply the customer management system favorable for customer attraction, and attract customer or do marketing together with similar or related stores.

While the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.