Systems and methods for providing prepaid collect telecommunications service
A method of transmitting value via a telephone system, includes receiving a request from a Grantor to designate a predetermined number of minutes that are to be reserved to fund a telephone call between a telephone number associated with a Beneficiary and a telephone number belonging to the Grantor, receiving a request to establish the telephone call between the telephone number associated with the Beneficiary and the telephone number belonging to the Grantor, establishing the telephone call between the telephone number associated with the Beneficiary and the telephone number belonging to the Grantor, and deducting from the predetermined number of minutes a number of minutes corresponding to a length of time of the call between the telephone number associated with the Beneficiary and the telephone number belonging to the Grantor.
1. A method of transmitting value via a telephone system, comprising:
receiving a request from a Grantor to designate a predetermined number of minutes that are to be reserved to fund a telephone call between a telephone number associated with a Beneficiary and a telephone number belonging to the Grantor;
receiving a request to establish the telephone call between the telephone number associated with the Beneficiary and the telephone number belonging to the Grantor;
establishing the telephone call between the telephone number associated with the Beneficiary and the telephone number belonging to the Grantor; and
deducting from the predetermined number of minutes a number of minutes corresponding to a length of time of the call between the telephone number associated with the Beneficiary and the telephone number belonging to the Grantor.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, during the step of receiving a request from the Grantor, detecting the telephone number of the Grantor using automatic number identification (ANI).
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, during the step of receiving a request from the Grantor, communicating with the Grantor using an interactive voice response (IVR) system.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, during the step of receiving a request from the Grantor, requesting that the Grantor enter a security code or password.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, during the step of receiving a request from the Grantor, receiving the telephone number of the Beneficiary.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a confirmation code to the Grantor that confirms the number of minutes that are to be reserved.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving a request to establish the telephone call between the telephone number associated with the Beneficiary and the telephone number belonging to the Grantor comprises receiving the request from a mobile virtual network operator.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sequestering a first portion of the predetermined number of minutes to ensure that at least a portion of the call between the telephone number associated with the Beneficiary and the telephone number belonging to the Grantor will be funded.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving a request for sequestering a second portion of the predetermined number of minutes as the first portion is consumed.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising returning any unconsumed minutes to a pool of minutes available for subsequent telephone calls.
11. A method of transferring value using a telephone system, comprising:
reserving, in a prepaid pool of minutes, a predetermined number of minutes for funding a telephone call between a first telephone number and a second telephone number, each minute having a calculable monetary value;
receiving a request for a predetermined number of minutes to be consumed by a person associated with the first telephone number and making an inquiry regarding a balance of the prepaid pool of minutes;
if the balance is sufficient to fund the number of minutes to be consumed by the person associated with the first telephone number, receiving a confirmation number previously given to a person associated with the second telephone number, the confirmation number having been separately communicated by the person associated with the second telephone number to the person associated with the first telephone number; and
thereafter making available to the person associated with the first telephone number at least the monetary value of the requested predetermined number of minutes to be consumed.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the monetary value is made available in the form of cash.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the monetary value is made available in the form of telephone credit.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the request is received via the Internet.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving a request to initiate a call-back tie line between the persons associated with first and second telephone lines.
16. A method of transferring value from a Grantor to a Beneficiary using a mobile telephone system, comprising:
allocating on behalf of a Grantor a pool of minutes designated to fund a subsequent telephone call from a predetermined telephone number belonging to a Beneficiary;
establishing a telephone call, initiated by the Beneficiary, between the Grantor and Beneficiary;
sequestering a first portion of the minutes in the pool of minutes to fund at least a portion of the telephone call; and
sequestering a second portion of the minutes in the pool of minutes if the first portion is consumed by virtue of the length of the telephone call.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, completing a dial-back tie line between service provides servicing the Grantor and the Beneficiary.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising enabling the Beneficiary to redeem minutes from the pool of minutes.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising receiving a confirmation code from the Beneficiary evidencing a prior communication between the Grantor and Beneficiary.