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.

An image printing system includes a plurality of image printing apparatuses each configured to accept a print order and print the image data, a payment machine performing a billing process, and a ticketing machine. If payment at the payment machine is selected, the image printing apparatus issues a first ticket and transmits order details to the payment machine. If payment at a counter is selected, the image printing apparatus 1 transmits second key information to the ticketing machine. After performing a billing process, the payment machine issues a third ticket on which first key information is printed and transmits the first key information to the image printing apparatus. The ticketing machine issues a fourth ticket including the second key information. The image printing apparatus prints the image data if accepting input of the key information printed on the third ticket or the fourth ticket.

A printing device includes a controller configured to perform: (a) storing identification information and transmission address information in association with each other; (b) acquiring, in response to receiving a print job together with the identification information from an external device, the transmission address information stored in association with the identification information in the (a) storing on the basis of the received identification information; and (c) transmitting the transmission address information acquired in the (b) acquiring to a data processing server so that payment process information is transmitted to a transmission address corresponding to the transmission address information, the payment process information being information to pay a fee charged for performing printing based on the received print job.

An information processing apparatus, an information processing system, and an information processing method. The information processing apparatus executes a predetermined workflow including a component whose usage history is to be counted, transmits to a user terminal through a communication network, count target contract input screen information for displaying a count target contract input screen on a display of the user terminal, the count target contract input screen associating a predetermined count target contract with the predetermined workflow, in response to an operation on the count target contract input screen displayed on the display of the user terminal based on the count target contract input screen information, associates the predetermined workflow with predetermined count target contract information indicating the predetermined count target contract, and in response to an execution of the predetermined workflow, counts the usage history of the component included in the predetermined workflow in association with the predetermined count target contract.

A printing system includes: a printing device; and a data processing server. A first controller of the printing device is configured to perform: a reading process to read a reading target to generate image data; and a data transmission process to transmit the image data to the data processing server. A second controller of the data processing server is configured to perform: a data receiving process to receive the image data; a fee calculation process to calculate a fee to be charged for forming an image based on the image data; and a payment-related process related to a payment of the fee. The first controller is configured to further perform: an acquisition process to acquire print data corresponding to the image data after the payment of the fee is completed; and a printing process to form the image corresponding to the print data on a printing medium.

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.

A printing system including a printing apparatus and a server system configured to receive a processing result of processing performed by the printing apparatus, wherein the printing apparatus includes a notification unit configured to notify 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 wherein the server system includes a processing unit configured to provide a service based on the plurality of types of counts included in the processing result.

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.

A billing method for a liquid jet device includes, counting a consumed amount of liquid by printing, counting the number of printed sheets, counting a consumed amount of liquid for maintenance of a jet head, calculating a maintenance consumption amount per unit number of sheets, from a maintenance consumption amount consumed in current maintenance, and the number of printed sheets for which printing is performed from previous maintenance to the current maintenance, setting, as a liquid consumption amount, a value obtained by adding the maintenance consumption amount per unit number of sheets, to a print consumption amount consumed in printing for the unit number of sheets, and billing for printing for the same number of sheets as the number of printed sheets performed after the current maintenance, in accordance with the liquid consumption amount.

An information processing apparatus includes a controller configured to manage the printing device on the basis of user information of a corresponding user. The controller further performs: (a) acquiring individual information identifying the printing device; (b) acquiring initialization identification information used for determining whether an information initialization has been performed on a specific printing device identified by the individual information acquired in the (a) acquiring; (c) determining, on the basis of the individual information acquired in the (a) acquiring and the initialization identification information acquired in the (b) acquiring, whether the information initialization has been performed on the specific printing device along with transfer of ownership of the specific printing device from a first user to a second user; and (d) prohibiting, in response to determining in the (c) determining that the information initialization has been performed, the second user from accessing the user information of the first user.