Systems and methods for providing telephony services
View Patent ↗A system and method for enabling a user to purchase an instant mobile telephony services plan makes use of an application on a mobile telephony device. The user can purchase an instant mobile plan via a third party merchant. Once purchased, the user can also make use of the application on the user's mobile telephony device to obtain the purchased telephony services. The communications services provider that provides services to the user under an instant mobile plan may be different from the communications services provider that is tied to the user's mobile telephony device.
1. A method of providing communications services to a user of a mobile telephony device, comprising:
displaying telephony communications services plan options offered by a first telephony service provider on a user's mobile telephony device that receives telephony service from a second telephony service provider;
communicating the user's telephony communications services plan selection to a third party merchant via the user's mobile telephony device; and
effecting the purchase of the selected telephony communications services plan from the third party merchant using the user's mobile telephony device such that the user can obtain telephony services from both the first telephony service provider and the second telephony service provider, wherein the user has a pre-existing account with the third party merchant, wherein the effecting step comprises facilitating communications between the third party merchant and the user such that the user can purchase the selected telephony communications services plan via the user's pre-existing account, wherein the user's mobile telephony device receives, from the third party merchant, information about the user's purchase of a telephony communications services plan after the purchase has been made, and wherein the user's mobile telephony device sends at least some of the information received from the third party merchant to the first telephony service provider so that the first telephony service provider can verify the user's purchase of a telephony communications services plan.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the telephony communications services plan is an instant mobile telephony services plan that provides the user with a pre-defined bundle of telephony services that are provided by the first telephony service provider.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effecting step comprises facilitating communications between the third party merchant and the user such that the user is able to purchase a telephony communications services plan that is not tied to a telephone number associated with the user's mobile telephony device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the telephony communications services plan purchased during the effecting step comprises a first telephony communications services plan, and wherein the displaying, communicating and effecting steps are repeated such that the user can purchase a second telephony communications services plan that is provided by a telephony service provider other than the second telephony service provider, and wherein the first and second telephony communications services plans can be concurrently used by the user via the user's mobile telephony device.
5. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed cause a user's mobile telephony device to perform a method comprising:
displaying telephony communications services plan options offered by a first telephony service provider to the user, wherein the user's mobile telephony device receives service from a second telephony service provider;
communicating the user's telephony communications services plan selection to a third party merchant; and
effecting the purchase of the selected telephony communications services plan from the third party merchant via communications implemented with the user's mobile telephony device such that the user can obtain telephony services from both the first telephony service provider and the second telephony service provider, wherein the instructions also cause the user's mobile telephony device to receive, from the third party merchant, information about the user's purchase of a telephony communications services plan after the purchase has been made, and wherein the instructions also cause the user's mobile telephony device to send at least some of the information received from the third party merchant to the first telephony service provider so that the first telephony service provider can verify the user's purchase of a telephony communications services plan.
6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the instructions cause the user's mobile telephony device to effect the purchase of an instant mobile telephony services plan that provides the user with a pre-defined bundle of telephony services that are provided by the first telephony service provider.
7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the telephony communications services plan purchased during the effecting step comprises a first telephony communications services plan, and wherein the instructions also cause the user's mobile telephony device to repeat the displaying, communicating and effecting steps so that the user can purchase a second telephony communications services plan that is provided by a telephony service provider other than the second telephony service provider, and wherein the first and second telephony service plans can be concurrently used by the user via the user's mobile telephony device.
8. A method of providing a user with the ability to purchase a communications services plan with a mobile telephony device, comprising:
causing a user's mobile telephony device to present the user with telephony communications services plan options provided by a first telephony service provider, wherein the user's mobile telephony device is already provided with telephony service by a second telephony service provider; and
facilitating communications between the user and an online merchant so that the user is able to purchase a selected communications services plan provided by the first telephony service provider from the online merchant such that the user can obtain telephony services from both the first telephony service provider and the second telephony service provider, wherein the communications are implemented via the user's mobile telephony device, wherein the facilitating step comprises facilitating communications between the user and the online merchant such that the user can purchase a telephony communications services plan from the online merchant via a pre-existing account that the user has established with the online merchant, wherein the user's mobile telephony device receives, from the third party merchant, information about the user's purchase of a telephony communications services plan after the purchase has been made, and wherein the user's mobile telephony device sends at least some of the information received from the third party merchant to the first telephony service provider so that the first telephony service provider can verify the user's purchase of a telephony communications services plan.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising causing the user's mobile telephony device to send the user's telephony communications services plan selection to the online merchant.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the facilitating step comprises facilitating communications between the online merchant and the user such that the user is able to purchase a telephony communications services plan that is not tied to a telephone number associated with the user's mobile telephony device.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the telephony communications services plan purchased during the facilitating step comprises a first telephony communications services plan, and further comprising repeating the causing and facilitating steps so that the user can purchase a second telephony communications services plan that is provided by a telephony service provider other than the second telephony service provider, and wherein the first and second telephony service plans can be concurrently used by the user via the user's mobile telephony device.
12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed cause a user's mobile telephony device to perform a method comprising:
presenting the user with telephony communications services plan options provided by a first telephony service provider, wherein the user's mobile telephony device is already provided with service by a second telephony service provider; and
facilitating communications between the user and an online merchant so that the user is able to purchase a selected telephony communications services plan from the online merchant such that the user can obtain telephony services from both the first telephony service provider and the second telephony service provider, wherein the communications are implemented via the user's mobile telephony device, wherein the instructions cause the user's mobile telephony device to facilitate communications between the user and the online merchant such that the user can purchase a telephony communications services plan from the online merchant via a pre-existing account that the user has established with the online merchant, wherein the instructions also cause the user's mobile telephony device to receive, from the third party merchant, information about the user's purchase of a telephony communications services plan after the purchase has been made, and wherein the instructions also cause the user's mobile telephony device to send at least some of the information received from the third party merchant to the first telephony service provider so that the first telephony service provider can verify the user's purchase of a telephony communications services plan.
13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the user's mobile telephony device to effect the purchase of an instant mobile telephony services plan that provides the user with a pre-defined bundle of telephony services that are provided by the first telephony service provider.
14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the telephony communications services plan purchased during the facilitating step comprises a first telephony communications services plan, and wherein the instructions also cause the user's mobile telephony device to repeat the presenting and facilitating steps so that the user can purchase a second telephony communications services plan from a telephony service provider other than the second telephony service provider, and wherein the first and second telephony service plans can be concurrently used by the user via the user's mobile telephony device.