A printing device includes: a communication interface communicable with a server capable of offering a specific printing service under a contract with the printing device; and a controller configured to control transition of an operation mode of the printing device from a non-contract mode without any contract with the server to a contract mode where the printing device is recognized as a contract-covered device eligible for executing specific printing under the contract. In response to receiving a command from the server to execute the transition to the contract mode, the controller is configured to perform: a determination process to determine whether the transition to the contract mode is to be executed; and a mode control process to maintain the non-contract mode without executing the transition to the contract mode against the transition command when the transition to the contract mode is determined not to be executed in the determination process.

A printing system includes a printing apparatus and a server system to receive a processing result of processing performed by the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus notifies the server system of the processing result, which includes a plurality of types of counts that indicate the number of prints generated by execution of print processing in the printing apparatus and that concurrently count up under predetermined conditions, and the server system provides a service based on the plurality of types of counts included in the processing result. In addition, the processing unit provides the service based on counts which are a combination of at least two types of counts from among the plurality of types of counts, and the combination of the types of counts is set in advance in association with the service.

Examples of a user interface (UI) for depletion level selection are described herein. In some examples, a control element is displayed in a UI to select a color depletion level for a color printing substance of a printing device. A predicted cost-per-page to print is displayed in the UI based on based on a selected color depletion level. A color map for the printing device is determined based on the selected color depletion level and a separate black depletion level.

Methods and systems for printing on a print device from both authorized users and guest users are disclosed. The methods include receiving a request to initiate a document processing session on the print device, determining whether the requested document processing session is a kiosk mode session for executing a document processing job for a guest user or a staff mode session for executing a document processing job for an authorized user, initiating the kiosk mode session for executing paid document processing jobs in response to determining that the requested document processing session is the kiosk mode session, receiving a request for executing a first document processing job, determining a cost for executing the document processing job at the print device, receiving approval to execute the first document processing job at the print device for the determined cost from a guest user.

An image forming device includes a hardware processor that: receives a charging job that is an object of charging; searches for a charging information storage that is around the device when the charging job is received; obtains charging information from the searched charging information storage; carries out a charging process for the charging job based on the charging information; and processes the charging job after the charging process is carried out.

An image processing apparatus includes a storage unit in which a usage quantity of each of the functions is stored, and a processor configured to control activation of the application, based on the usage quantity of the function employed by the application.

Examples for cost generation for a common print substance supply are described herein. In some examples, signals indicative of an amount of print substance consumed by a plurality of printing devices are received at a computing device. Signals indicative of a cost corresponding to the amount of print substance consumed by each printing device of the plurality of printing devices are generated at a processor of the computing device based on the received signals. The cost is also generated based on a device identifier, a customer identifier, a print media identifier, or a combination thereof. The signals indicative of the cost for each printing device are transmitted.

A system and method for multiple account document processing cost accounting includes a multifunction peripheral including an intelligent controller having a processor and memory. A document processing engine operates in conjunction with instructions issued from the intelligent controller. The intelligent controller receives into memory document processing job data associated with a user. A user interface receives user input identifying the user. The user selects one or more charge based document processing operations to be performed. An account balance associated with the user is checked against one or more requested operations. User device operation permissions are assigned for each operation for which the user has sufficient credit in their account. Each document processing operation for which a permission has been given is completed, and the information is used to recalculate the user's account balance.

An information processing device is provided with a provision unit, a reception unit, and a control unit. The provision unit provides a service. The reception unit receives a billing destination of a fee with respect to a use of the service from among multiple destinations including a first organization that manages the service and a second organization different from the first organization. The control unit forwards, to an external device, a request to use the service including a request for verification of the billing destination received by the reception unit, controls the provision of the service by the provision unit in accordance with a response from the external device regarding the forwarded request, and causes a usage history of the service to be stored in association with the billing destination received by the reception unit.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body memory, and a controller. A second upper limit information stored in the main body memory indicates an upper limit of a printable page number that the image forming apparatus is allowed to print in a state where the image forming apparatus is in an off-line state. A printed page number information stored in the main body memory indicates a printed page number printed in the off-line state. The controller is configured to: increment the printed page number information by one in a case where the one sheet of paper is printed on one side printing; and increment the printed page number information by two in a case where the one sheet is printed on double-sided printing. The controller is configured to determine whether the printed page number information is greater than or equal to the second upper limit page number.