METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR SUPPORTING PURCHASES OF GOODS AND SERVICES VIA PREPAID TELECOMMUNICATION ACCOUNTS
Apparatus and method for detecting in real-time when a User of a prepaid telecommunications account tries to complete a data, voice or financial transaction to purchase a product or service but cannot, due to insufficient funds in the Prepaid Account. The system then determines whether the Account is eligible to receive a Facilitation according to predetermined criteria and, if so, either (1) automatically authorizes the transaction to be completed based on a Facilitation amount, subsequently recorded by the system to satisfy the insufficiency, or (2) instantly communicates to the User an offer to do so, and if the User accepts the offer, authorizes the transaction and records the Facilitation amount. The transaction can then be completed without significant interruption. A mechanism is provided such that on the next Topping-Up event(s) of the User's Account, the Facilitation amount is debited from the User's Account for return to the Facilitator.
1 . Apparatus for use with a Prepaid Account associated with a Subscriber and a Mobile Device, the apparatus comprising:
at least one network communication interface;
a memory to store processor-executable instructions and other information; and
at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one network communication interface and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the at least one processor
A) compares a balance of the Subscriber's Prepaid Account with a predetermined price of a product and/or a service for a current attempted purchase of the product and/or the service via the Subscriber's Prepaid Account;
B) upon determining, based on the comparing, that the balance is insufficient for the current attempted purchase, controls the at least one network communication interface so as to transmit at least one Facilitation query message to a Facilitator to request a Facilitation for the current attempted purchase.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor further:
C) upon receiving, via the at least one network communication interface, at least one Facilitation confirmation message from the Facilitator in response to the at least one Facilitation query, generates at least one authorization message authorizing release of the product and/or the service to the Mobile Device without requiring a Top-Up of the Prepaid Account prior to the release of the product and/or the service to the Mobile Device;
D) controls the at least one network communication interface so as to transmit the at least one authorization message to a Service or Product Provider (SOPP) associated with the product and/or the service;
E) receives, via the at least one network communication interface, notification of a Facilitation amount determined based on the predetermined price; and
F) deducts the Facilitation amount from one or more subsequent Top-Ups of the Prepaid Account performed after the release of the product and/or the service.
3 . A method comprising:
A) via a computer, comparing a balance of a Prepaid Account, associated with a Subscriber and a Mobile Device, with a predetermined price of a product and/or a service for a current attempted purchase of the product and/or the service via the Subscriber's Prepaid Account;
B) upon determining, based on the comparing, that the balance is insufficient for the current attempted purchase, transmitting at least one Facilitation query message from the computer to a Facilitator to request a facilitation for the current attempted purchase.
4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
C) upon receiving at least one Facilitation confirmation message from the Facilitator in response to the at least one Facilitation query, generating, with the computer, at least one authorization message authorizing release of the product and/or the service to the Mobile Device without requiring a Top-Up of the Prepaid Account prior to the release of the product and/or the service to the Mobile Device;
D) transmitting the at least one authorization message from the computer over a network to a Service or Product Provider (SOPP) associated with the product and/or the service;
E) receiving notification of a Facilitation amount determined based on the predetermined price; and
F) with the computer, deducting the Facilitation amount from one or more subsequent Top-Ups of the Prepaid Account performed after the release of the product and/or the service.
5 . At least one computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method for use with a Prepaid Account associated with a Subscriber and a Mobile Device, the method comprising:
A) comparing a balance of the Subscriber's Prepaid Account with a predetermined price of a product and/or a service for a current attempted purchase of the product and/or the service via the Subscriber's Prepaid Account;
B) upon determining, based on the comparing, that the balance is insufficient for the current attempted purchase, transmitting at least one Facilitation query message to a Facilitator to request a facilitation for the current attempted purchase.
6 . The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises:
C) upon receiving at least one Facilitation confirmation message from the Facilitator in response to the at least one Facilitation query, generating at least one authorization message authorizing release of the product and/or the service to the Mobile Device without requiring a Top-Up of the Prepaid Account prior to the release of the product and/or the service to the Mobile Device;
D) transmitting the at least one authorization message to a Service or Product Provider (SOPP) associated with the product and/or the service;
E) receiving notification of a Facilitation amount determined based on the predetermined price; and
F) deducting the Facilitation amount from one or more subsequent Top-Ups of the Prepaid Account performed after the release of the product and/or the service.