Image forming apparatus, server, and system for use with apparatus or consumable contracts

A server comprising:

• a communication interface configured to communicate with a user terminal and an image forming apparatus;
• a server memory configured to store contract mode information in association with the image forming apparatus, the contract mode information indicating one of a first contract mode and a second contract mode, the first contract mode being a mode in which an apparatus contract and a consumable contract are set, the apparatus contract being a contract for an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus, the consumable contract being a contract for a consumable attachable to the apparatus main body, the second contract mode being a mode in which the apparatus contract is not set and the consumable contract is set;
• and
• a server controller configured to perform:
• receiving cancellation information of the first contract mode of the image forming apparatus from the user terminal via the communication interface;
• in response to receiving the cancellation information of the first contract mode of the image forming apparatus from the user terminal, transmitting a first condition to the user terminal, the first condition including the second contract mode, a commercial mode, or return of the apparatus main body, the second contract mode being executable after cancellation of the first contract mode, the commercial mode being neither the first contract mode nor the second contract mode;
• receiving selection of the first condition from the user terminal via the communication interface;
• updating the contract mode information of the image forming apparatus with the received selection of the first condition;
• and
• transmitting the updated contract mode information to the image forming apparatus via the communication interface.

A system comprising:

• an image forming apparatus;
• a server configured to communicate with the image forming apparatus;
• and
• a user terminal configured to communicate with the server,
• the image forming apparatus comprising an apparatus main body, a consumable attachable to the apparatus main body, an apparatus communication interface, an apparatus memory, and an apparatus controller,
• the server comprising:
• a server communication interface;
• a server memory configured to store contract mode information in association with the image forming apparatus, the contract mode information indicating one of a first contract mode and a second contract mode, the first contract mode being a mode in which an apparatus contract and a consumable contract are set, the apparatus contract being a contract for the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus, the consumable contract being a contract for the consumable, the second contract mode being a mode in which the apparatus contract is not set and the consumable contract is set;
• and
• a server controller configured to perform;
• receiving cancellation information of the first contract mode of the image forming apparatus from the user terminal via the server communication interface;
• in response to receiving the cancellation information of the first contract mode of the image forming apparatus from the user terminal, transmitting a first condition to the user terminal, the first condition including the second contract mode, a commercial mode, or return of the apparatus main body, the second contract mode being executable after cancellation of the first contract mode, the commercial mode being neither the first contract mode nor the second contract mode;
• receiving selection of the first condition from the user terminal via the server communication interface;
• updating the contract mode information of the image forming apparatus with the received selection of the first condition;
• and
• transmitting the updated contract mode information to the image forming apparatus via the server communication interface.