A method of enabling a user of a
mobile device to select a billing method for a transaction to acquire an item of content, the method comprising: implementing steps on a meta-
payment server, comprising:
logging content provider data and content item
metadata for a plurality of items of content, said content item
metadata comprising a link;
logging phone
network data comprising a user identification number; storing a
list of available
payment methods, each with allowed types of content for which a
payment using the payment method may be made and a maximum transaction value; generating / identifying an account for said user comprising, a transaction history for said user defining previous successful and unsuccessful payments made by said user and the payment method for each; receiving a request from a content provider comprising a request for said meta-payment
server to serve a
list of payment methods to said user in response to said content provider; receiving a request from said user to purchase a said item of content by activation of said link; reading said content item
metadata for said identified item of content; reading a recent portion of said transaction history data for said user; identifying a plurality of available payment methods for said user to pay for said item of content by filtering said available payment methods using said portion of said transaction history and said content item metadata for said item of content in association with said payment method data; and sending from said meta-payment
server to said user, as a
mobile web page, said identified selection of a plurality of available payment methods as a set of links each of said links activating a respective said payment method, together with a price of said item of content such that by selecting a said link the user is able to pay by the selected method.