Prepaid short message services revenue capture
A prepaid messaging solution that utilizes a pre-delivery debit query to tariff a short message, coupled with an additional debit query performed once necessary billing information has been acquired. A short message is tariffed prior to message delivery via a pre-delivery debit query to a prepaid server. During message delivery, the prepaid server is queried a second time, following the HLR query performed by the Short Message Service Center (SMSC). This subsequent debit query bills a subscriber for any additional service fees discovered throughout message delivery, e.g., international/roaming fees, etc. If either the pre-delivery debit query or the subsequent debit query indicates that a subscriber has insufficient account balance to deliver a short message, the message is prevented from being delivered. If a message is dropped due to lack of account balance, any funds debited throughout the attempted message delivery may be credited back to the subscriber's prepaid account.
1. A method of providing prepaid message services, comprising:
receiving a text message from a mobile device associated with a prepaid account for text messages;
initiating a pre-delivery debit query to a prepaid server to determine if said prepaid account is sufficient to deliver said text message;
initiating delivery of said text message when said prepaid account indicates adequate funds to deliver said text message;
subsequently initiating an additional debit query during said initiated delivery of said text message; and
dropping said text message when said prepaid account indicates inadequate funds to cover an additional service fee identified after said pre-delivery debit query.
2. The method of providing prepaid message services according to claim 1 , wherein:
said additional service fee is identified in a home location register (HLR) query response.
3. The method of providing prepaid message services according to claim 1 , further comprising:
performing successive debit queries during delivery of said text message.
4. The method of providing prepaid message services according to claim 1 , wherein:
said additional service fee is identified in response to said additional debit query.
5. The method of providing prepaid message services according to claim 1 , wherein:
said text message is a Short Messaging System (SMS) message.
6. A short message service center (SMSC) comprising one or more computing devices, the SMSC being configured to:
receive a text message from a mobile device associated with a prepaid account for text messages;
initiate a pre-delivery debit query to a prepaid server to determine if said prepaid account is sufficient to deliver said text message;
initiate delivery of dropping said text message when said prepaid account indicates does not have adequate funds to deliver said text message;
subsequently initiate an additional debit query to the prepaid server during said initiated delivery of said text message; and
drop said text message when said prepaid account indicates inadequate funds to cover an additional service fee is identified after said pre-delivery debit query.
7. The SMSC according to claim 6 , wherein:
said additional service fee is identified in a home location register (HLR) query response.
8. The SMSC according to claim 6 , wherein the SMSC is further configured to
perform successive debit queries to the prepaid server during delivery of said text message.
9. The SMSC according to claim 6 , wherein:
said additional service fee is identified in response to said additional debit query.
10. The SMSC according to claim 6 , wherein:
said text message is a Short Messaging System (SMS) message.