Patent ID: 8594626

Claim:
One or more tangible computer-storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of post-paid wireless service balance management, the method comprising: allotting an amount of post-paid usage resources to a post-paid wireless service account (“account”) for a billing period associated with the account; monitoring a current amount of usage for the billing period, wherein the monitoring includes A) determining that a wireless session has concluded, B) upon determining that the wireless session has concluded, then determining the current amount of usage based on an amount of usage at the end of the concluded wireless session, and C) determining whether the current amount of usage meets a threshold amount of post-paid usage prior to exceeding the allotted amount of post-paid resources; upon determining that the threshold amount of post-paid usage has been met, provisioning an enforcement point that monitors requests for service associated with the account and providing an option to upgrade the account in the middle of a billing session to avoid charges associated with excess usage, wherein upon upgrading the account, the account is associated with an upgraded set of mobile-phone minutes or messages that are applied retroactively during the billing period; at the provisioned enforcement point, subsequent to determining that the threshold amount of post-paid usage has been met, upon receiving a request for service from a mobile device associated with the account, and prior to commencing a wireless session in response to the request, determining whether the request exceeds the allotted amount of post-paid resources; upon determining that the request exceeds the allotted amount of post-paid resources associated with the account: A) determining a status associated with the account, wherein the status indicates how the request should be handled when the request exceeds the allotted amount of post-paid resources associated with the account, and B) handling the request based on the status associated with the accounts; C) wherein the account has associated therewith an authority user and a subservient user, wherein the authority user elects to enable the post-paid wireless service balance management on behalf of the subservient user, providing a set of instructions regarding handling of requests received after the threshold has been met, and wherein the instructions include at least one of A) an instruction to reject all but in-plan requests that exceed the set of resources associated with the account, or B) an instruction to notify the authority user of all requests that exceed the set of resources associated with the account and allow all requests.