Information processing apparatus notifying of amount of fee to be charged for image formation on printing medium in advance

A printing system comprising:

• a printing device comprising:
• a first controller;
• and
• a printing engine configured to perform image formation on a printing medium;
• and
• a data processing server comprising:
• a second controller;
• and
• a communication interface for communicating with the printing device via a network,
• the second controller being configured to perform:
• (a) receiving a first e-mail from an external device, the first e-mail being an e-mail having a print file attached thereto and addressed to a device e-mail address assigned to the printing device;
• (b) determining a fee to be charged for performing image formation on a printing medium on the basis of the print file attached to the first e-mail received in the receiving (a);
• (c) generating a second e-mail including:
• a first amount that is the amount of the fee determined in the determining (b);
• and
• a first URL for a payment page for paying the first amount;
• (d) transmitting the second e-mail generated in the generating (c) to the external device in reply to the first e-mail received in the receiving (a);
• and
• (e) transmitting, after payment of the first amount is completed through access to the first URL included in the second e-mail transmitted in the transmitting (d), either print data based on the print file or storage destination information for the print data to the printing device via the communication interface, and
• the first controller being configured to perform:
• (f) acquiring the print data transmitted in the transmitting (e) or acquiring the print data from a storage destination accessible using the storage destination information transmitted in the transmitting (e);
• and
• (g) controlling the printing engine to perform image formation on a printing medium on the basis of the print data acquired in the acquiring (f).

An information processing method for an information processing apparatus comprising a controller and a communication interface for communicating with a printing device via a network, the printing device being configured to perform image formation on a printing medium,

• the information processing method comprising:
• (a) receiving a first e-mail from an external device, the first e-mail being an e-mail having a print file attached thereto and addressed to a device e-mail address assigned to the printing device;
• (b) determining a fee to be charged for performing image formation on a printing medium on the basis of the print file attached to the first e-mail received in the receiving (a);
• (c) generating a second e-mail including:
• a first amount that is the amount of the fee determined in the determining (b);
• and
• a first URL for a payment page for paying the first amount;
• (d) transmitting the second e-mail generated in the generating (c) to the external device in reply to the first e-mail received in the receiving (a);
• and
• (e) transmitting, after payment of the first amount is completed through access to the first URL included in the second e-mail transmitted in the transmitting (d), either print data based on the print file or storage destination information for the print data to the printing device via the communication interface.