250results about "Prepayment with prepaid account/card recharging" patented technology

A mobile phone system with a mobile phone having internal accounting capabilities for real time call debiting to account for the billing parameters of a mobile phone unit that is operated in a multi zone communication network with a complex rate structure, the mobile phone unit having an internal processor with accessible internal memory for storing the accounting program and call data for each call, a clock and circuit means for activating and deactivating the phone, the accounting program including an updatable rate table and a complex billing algorithm for calculating the account status on the fly including multiple rate structure factors such as long distance calls, international calls with country independent local charges, charges for roaming per day and/or roaming per minute, and call surcharges, where the account status of the mobile phone is calculated in real time for decrementing a debit account or calculating an account charge on demand, the mobile debit phone having a signal for alerting the user of account status which is preferably a display of real time account status, the mobile phone system including a communication system for activating and programming a new phone unit over the airways and upgrading the account status in rate table in the phone unit over the airways.

A system and method for transferring money by use of a prepaid card account is disclosed wherein two cards are issued to the user accountholder, one of which is provided to another user, and either user may add value to the prepaid account so that the other user may use the card and that value in a financial transaction.

A method and system for prepaying wireless telecommunications charges utilizes computer hardware and software including, for example, a user's mobile phone, a mobile operator's interactive voice response unit, a mobile payments interactive voice response unit, SMS, test messaging, email, ATM, kiosk, the Internet, and/or WAP or the like, a mobile payments engine, a mobile operator's prepaid billing system, a subscriber database, a payment gateway, and a transaction processing platform. The mobile payments engine receives information identifying a user's wireless telecommunication device via the mobile payments interactive voice response unit, passes the information to the mobile operator's billing system with a request for validation of a mobile account for the user, and if validation is received, the mobile payments engine receives financial source account and user identity verification information from the user, assigns a mobile personal identification number for the user, and arranges a credit from the source account to the user's mobile account.

Disclosed are systems and methods which provide techniques providing account setup, management and transaction authorization determinations in real-time using transaction interrupt messaging. Embodiments preferably take into consideration the quality of one or more parties to the transaction and the means by which charges may be rendered to them when making account setup, management, and/or transaction authorization determinations. Accordingly, transactions, such as collect calls, meeting at least some minimal risk threshold may be completed on a first call attempt, even where a pre-arranged billing agreement or other business relationship is not previously in place.

Systems and methods are provided to facilitate online transactions via mobile communications. In one aspect, a system includes a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of controllers in different formats for delivery of premium messages; and a common format processor coupled with the plurality of converters in a common format to send the premium messages. In one embodiment, the common format processor is to obtain an authorization for the initiation of communications with a mobile phone of a user for subsequent payments to a merchant. After obtaining the authorization, the common format processor may directly initiate communications with the mobile phone, using one of the converters, to obtain confirmation of payments directly requested by the merchant. Upon confirmation with the mobile phone, the common format processor may send premium messages to the mobile phone to collect funds for making the confirmed payments.

An Internet-based audio/video and VoIP telephone visitation system for prisons wherein audio/video and VoIP visitation may be originated by either an inmate or an outside visitor. An inmate uses an individual portable electronic device in his/her possession to communicate exclusively with the visitation system. Through the visitation system video messages, video visitations, and VoIP telecommunications may be exchanged between the inmate and a registered visitor having an Internet-enabled device. Communication requires no endpoint control by prison personnel. All communications may be subject to intervention, recordation, and monitoring by prison personnel. Payment for services is prepaid by visitors using an on-line payment service eliminating involvement of prison personnel. All non-privileged calls are recorded. All calls may be monitored. A fee-per-minute is charged. Time is tracked for each call. The call duration and time remaining for a call may be displayed for both the visitor and the inmate.

A system for providing airtime overdraft protection is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the system monitors or checks airtime usage of a user and determines if the user has reached an airtime threshold value. If the airtime threshold value is reached, a notification is sent to the user. The user then has an option to purchase additional discount airtime minutes in response to the notification.

A method for providing a quantity of pre-paid telephone time from an automated teller machine (ATM) or a point-of-sale device (POS terminal), to a patron of either of such device. PIN numbers, obtained from a telephone service provider and each designating a pre-paid quantity of telephone service time, are made available to the ATM or POS terminal. The patron is queried by the device if he/she wishes to purchase telephone time. Upon selection of a quantity of pre-paid telephone time by a patron and payment for such purchased quantity of time, the device selects a particular PIN number having an associated quantity of telephone time corresponding to the quantity of telephone service time purchased by the patron, and provides such PIN number to the patron. In a preferred embodiment the PIN number is provided to the patron by being printed out on the ATM's existing account statement printer, or on the account statement printer of a POS terminal if a POS device is alternatively employed. An ATM to permit patrons of such ATM to purchase a quantity of telephone time from one of a plurality of telephone service providers is further disclosed.

The invention provides for docking short-range wireless communication tags, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or near Field Communication (NFC) smart cards onto a mobile terminal having a corresponding short-range wireless communication reader device, such as an RFID reader or a NFC reader. Docking of the tag to the mobile terminal may take the form of attaching or otherwise affixing the tag to the mobile terminal via a tag holding mechanism, such that the reader device may periodically read the tag and also provide for interrogation and reading of other external short-range wireless communication tags and devices in the proximity of the mobile terminal when the reader device is not communicating with the docked tag

In a relationship in which a universal prepaid telecommunication services card issuer is different than a telecommunication services provider, a method and system for implementing a universal prepaid telecommunication services card (prepaid card), which can be used as a prepaid card for a plurality of services providers providing one or more telecommunication services. The method comprises a card issuer providing a prepaid card having a identification number associated with the prepaid card. Upon receiving a prepaid card activation request from a card seller or distributor, the card issuer activates the prepaid card. After the card is activated, the card issuer can receive a request to use the card from a user. The card issuer then receives from the user the identification number associated with the prepaid card and validates the identification number. Upon validation of the identification number, the card issuer receives from the user a service request for a particular service provider. The card issuer then communicates the service request to the particular service provider.

A method and system for redirecting communication traffic of a prepaid subscriber of a wireless network includes determining when the subscriber has exhausted or nearly exhausted his usage quota, identifying a recharging facility to which the subscriber should be redirected to recharge his account balance, and redirecting the subscriber communication traffic to the recharging facility as a result of determining that the subscriber has exhausted or nearly exhausted his usage quota. The redirection can occur during an existing session or during the process of initially establishing a session.

A set of multiple prepaid calling cards that are associated with a single account is disclosed. A predetermined amount of minutes is associated with the set of cards. Cards within the set can be used simultaneously and extract minutes from the account in predetermined increments. Each card can use the same Personal Identification Number (PIN) or each card can have its own unique PIN. In some instances, any card in the set can recharge the account, (i.e., add more minutes to the account), or in some embodiments, only a control card can add minutes to the account.

A system and method for supplying communication service value is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes distributing indicia of an identifier to a merchant for distribution to a customer having a customer account. The identifier has an associated service value that is redeemable with a plurality of carriers. The method further includes activating the identifier upon distribution of the indicia to the customer, receiving a request from the customer to add the associated service value to the customer account, and adding the associated service value to the customer account is disclosed. In a further embodiment, the request includes identifier input and customer account input, and receiving a request from the customer to add the associated service value of the identifier to the customer account further includes verifying the identifier input and verifying the customer account input.

A service control point transmits a recharge request message or advice of charge to a mobile client resident in a wireless communications device. The message is first received by a wireless telephony application server that then forwards the message to a wireless access protocol gateway. The wireless access protocol gateway then sends the request to the mobile client. The user of the mobile client responds with an affirmative or negative answer to the request to recharge the prepaid telephone airtime account. The service control point then either recharges the account as instructed or lets the account expire, depending on the response from the user.

A method for creating customer hierarchies via a network by sending an invitation to one or more customers to join a hierarchy, receiving, from the one or more of the customers, a request to join the hierarchy based upon the invitation, and adding the sender of the request to the hierarchy.