Abstract: A home delivery contractor 10 enters into an affiliation contract with a credit card company 12 and also enters into a merchandise price collection consignment contract with a merchandise seller 14. If a consumer 16 orders merchandise 18 with the merchandise seller 14 on the Internet, then the merchandise seller 14 makes a request to the home delivery contractor 10 for home delivery. Upon receipt of the delivered merchandise 18, the consumer 16 passes to the home delivery contractor 10 a credit card 20 of the credit card company 12 who has entered into the affiliation contract with the home delivery contractor 10, whereby the home delivery contractor 10 settles the price for the merchandise 18 with a portable card reader device 22.

Abstract: A portable card reader 22 reads data from a credit card 20 issued by an account settlement institution, transmits the data for the card and the data for a service charge to the account settlement institution. When the account settlement institution receives from the portable card reader 22 the data for the credit card 20 and the data for the service charge, the account settlement institution issues a credit inquiry for the consumer based on the data received for the credit card and predetermined data for determining the validity of an account settlement card, and settles the service charge based on the result of the credit inquiry obtained by the credit inquiry and the service charge data that is received. Upon receiving the result of the credit inquiry, the portable card reader 22 issues a receipt in accordance with the result of the credit inquiry and the service charge data.

Abstract: A home delivery contractor 10 enters into an affiliation contract with a credit card company 12 and also enters into a merchandise price collection consignment contract with a merchandise seller 14. If a consumer 16 orders merchandise 18 with the merchandise seller 14 on the Internet, then the merchandise seller 14 makes a request to the home delivery contractor 10 for home delivery. Upon receipt of the delivered merchandise 18, the consumer 16 passes to the home delivery contractor 10 a credit card 20 of the credit card company 12 who has entered into the affiliation contract with the home delivery contractor 10, whereby the home delivery contractor 10 settles the price for the merchandise 18 with a portable card reader device 22.

Abstract: A home delivery contractor 10 enters into an affiliation contract with a credit card company 12 and also enters into a merchandise price collection consignment contract with a merchandise seller 14. If a consumer 16 orders merchandise 18 with the merchandise seller 14 on the Internet, then the merchandise seller 14 makes a request to the home delivery contractor 10 for home delivery. Upon receipt of the delivered merchandise 18, the consumer 16 passes to the home delivery contractor 10 a credit card 20 of the credit card company 12 who has entered into the affiliation contract with the home delivery contractor 10, whereby the home delivery contractor 10 settles the price for the merchandise 18 with a portable card reader device 22.

Abstract: A portable card reader 22 reads data from a credit card 20 issued by an account settlement institution, transmits the data for the card and the data for a service charge to the account settlement institution. When the account settlement institution receives from the portable card reader 22 the data for the credit card 20 and the data for the service charge, the account settlement institution issues a credit inquiry for the consumer based on the data received for the credit card and predetermined data for determining the validity of an account settlement card, and settles the service charge based on the result of the credit inquiry obtained by the credit inquiry and the service charge data that is received. Upon receiving the result of the credit inquiry, the portable card reader 22 issues a receipt in accordance with the result of the credit inquiry and the service charge data.

Abstract: A home delivery contractor 10 enters into an affiliation contract with a credit card company 12 and also enters into a merchandise price collection consignment contract with a merchandise seller 14. If a consumer 16 orders merchandise 18 with the merchandise seller 14 on the Internet, then the merchandise seller 14 makes a request to the home delivery contractor 10 for home delivery. Upon receipt of the delivered merchandise 18, the consumer 16 passes to the home delivery contractor 10 a credit card 20 of the credit card company 12 who has entered into the affiliation contract with the home delivery contractor 10, whereby the home delivery contractor 10 settles the price for the merchandise 18 with a portable card reader device 22.