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 apparatus includes a printing unit that executes a printing operation to print an image on a recording sheet, a HDD in which first authentication information for identifying a user is stored in advance, an operation device for receiving information inputted, and a control device. The control device causes the printing unit to print, on the recording sheet, a first status page including first information related to a charge arising from execution of the printing operation, when an instruction to print a status page indicating a printing status by the printing unit has been received, and the authentication information received through the operation device and the first authentication information stored in the HDD in advance have been accorded with each other.

Provided is a service providing system including: a service providing server providing a printer use service; and a user terminal configured to communicate with the service providing server, in which the user terminal receives an input of a card number recorded in a service card for receiving the printer use service and transmits the received card number to the service providing server, and the service providing server performs authentication processing of the service card based on the card number received from the user terminal and performs printer delivery processing of causing a service printer to be delivered when authentication of the service card in the authentication processing is successful.

A service printer includes a printer printing unit that executes a print function, a scanning unit that executes a scan function, a printer communication unit that acquires, from a service providing server that provides a delivery service of delivering ink, status information indicating at least one of the status of a contract for use of the delivery service and the status of payment of the usage fee for the delivery service, and a printer controller that enables or disables execution of the print function and execution of the scan function based on at least one of the contract status and the payment status that are indicated by the status information acquired by the printer communication unit.

An image forming apparatus is used in a post-payment system based on a customer's electronic money, and includes an image forming section, a communication section, and a controller. The image forming section performs a printing operation of forming an image on a sheet. The communication section performs communication so as to acquire settlement information including information that identifies the customer. The controller controls the image forming section and the communication section. As to the printing operation performed after acquisition of the settlement information, the controller settles a printing fee with a discount in a unit price per sheet in a situation where a printed sheet count is a predetermined number or more.

An information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires a processed image obtained through image processing, and a generation unit that generates a synthesis image obtained by synthesizing an evidence image, which is an image becoming an evidence of the image processing and including at least information on a fee required for the image processing, with a reduction image obtained by reducing the processed image.

An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit that generates image data from an image on an original document, a short-range wireless communication unit that performs communication via short-range wireless communication, an acquisition unit that acquires identification information from a plurality of mobile terminals within a communication area, a display unit that displays a plurality of pieces of identification information, an operation input unit that accepts selection of a plurality of pieces of identification information, which is at least some of the pieces of identification information, in accordance with operation by an operator and that specifies a selection group including a plurality of mobile terminals indicated by the selected plurality of pieces of identification information, and a transceiving unit that transmits image data only to the plurality of mobile terminals included in the selection group via the wireless communication unit.

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus, a management terminal device, and a mobile terminal device. The mobile terminal device downloads and installs an application program, presents identification information to the management terminal device, and accepts a temporal ID. The management terminal device, upon accepting the identification information from the mobile terminal device, generates the temporal ID, presents the temporal ID to the mobile terminal device, and transmits the temporal ID to a user authentication device to register the temporal ID as a user ID of the guest user. When payment of a usage fee for the image forming apparatus by the guest user is completed, the management terminal device deletes registration of the temporal ID. The image forming apparatus performs user authentication when the guest user logs in to the image forming apparatus, and issues an invoice when the guest user logs out.

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.

A multi-function printer is coupled to a mobile device via a proximity network interface. The multi-function printer determines a workflow specified by a user of the mobile device. An ephemeral token associated with the workflow is sent to the mobile user device. The mobile device uses the ephemeral token to create a payment packet that is sent to a payment server which sends a receipt in response thereto. The multi-function printer receives the receipt from the mobile device and in response to receiving the receipt, obtains a list of payments from the payment server. The multi-function printer performs the workflow based on validating the receipt against the list of payments.