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 facilitating a purchase of a product and/or a service via 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) determines a 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, wherein the price is determined specifically for the current attempted purchase, and wherein the determined price is different from at least one other price specific to a purchase of the same product and/or service via a different Subscriber's Prepaid Account,
B) determines, prior to authorizing release of the product and/or the service, a Facilitation amount based on the determined price, wherein a balance of the Prepaid Account is less than the determined price, and a sum of the balance and the Facilitation amount is equal to or greater than the determined price,
C) generates at least one authorization message effective to allow 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 an Operator associated with the Prepaid Account and/or to a Service or Product Provider (SOPP) associated with the product and/or the service, and
E) records the Facilitation amount in the memory.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor determines the price based at least in part on an Operator ID associated with the Operator.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor determines the price based at least in part on a SOPP ID associated with the SOPP.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor determines the price based at least in part on an ID of the product and/or the service.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor determines the price based at least in part on an ID of the Prepaid Account.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor determines the price based at least in part on at least one past purchase made via the Prepaid Account.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor determines the price based at least in part on a promotion associated with the current attempted purchase.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor determines the price based at least in part on a time of day of the current attempted purchase.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor determines the price based at least in part on a date of the current attempted purchase.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor determines the price based at least in part on a day of the week of the current attempted purchase.
11 . A method comprising:
A) via a computer, determining a price of a product and/or a service whose purchase is attempted in a current transaction in progress by a User of a Mobile Device having an associated Prepaid Account with an Operator, wherein the price is determined specifically for the current transaction in progress, and wherein the determined price is different from at least one other price specific to a different transaction to purchase the same product and/or service via a different Prepaid Account;
B) determining, prior to authorizing release of the product and/or the service, a Facilitation amount based on the determined price, wherein a balance of the Prepaid Account is less than the determined price, and a sum of the balance and the Facilitation amount is equal to or greater than the determined price;
C) with the computer, generating at least one authorization message effective to allow 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 the Operator and/or to a Service or Product Provider (SOPP) associated with the product and/or the service, thereby facilitating the purchase within the current transaction in progress; and
E) recording the Facilitation amount in a computer-readable memory.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on an Operator ID associated with the Operator.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on a SOPP ID associated with the SOPP.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on an ID of the product and/or the service.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on an ID of the Prepaid Account.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on at least one past purchase made via the Prepaid Account.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on a promotion associated with the current transaction in progress.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on a time of day of the current transaction in progress.
19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on a date of the current transaction in progress.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on a day of the week of the current transaction in progress.
21 . At least one computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method for facilitating a purchase of a product and/or a service via a Prepaid Account associated with a Subscriber and a Mobile Device, the method comprising:
A) determining a 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, wherein the price is determined specifically for the current attempted purchase, and wherein the determined price is different from at least one other price specific to a purchase of the same product and/or service via a different Subscriber's Prepaid Account;
B) determining, prior to authorizing release of the product and/or the service, a Facilitation amount based on the determined price, wherein a balance of the Prepaid Account is less than the determined price, and a sum of the balance and the Facilitation amount is equal to or greater than the determined price;
C) generating at least one authorization message effective to allow 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 an Operator associated with the Prepaid Account and/or to a Service or Product Provider (SOPP) associated with the product and/or the service; and
E) recording the Facilitation amount in a memory.
22 . The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on an Operator ID associated with the Operator.
23 . The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on a SOPP ID associated with the SOPP.
24 . The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on an ID of the product and/or the service.
25 . The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on an ID of the Prepaid Account.
26 . The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on at least one past purchase made via the Prepaid Account.
27 . The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on a promotion associated with the current attempted purchase.
28 . The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on a time of day of the current attempted purchase.
29 . The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on a date of the current attempted purchase.
30 . The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the price is determined based at least in part on a day of the week of the current attempted purchase.