Patent ID: 8260256

Claim:
A method of billing for voice short messaging services, comprising the steps of: sending a first voice short messaging service message by a sender subscribing to a first network to a recipient subscribing to a second network; replying to said first voice short messaging service message by said recipient using a second voice short messaging service message; routing said second voice short messaging service message to an intelligent network element of the first network; looking up device addresses of said sender and said recipient in a payment record stored on the intelligent network element by the intelligent network element to determine whether a prior payment for delivering the second voice short messaging service message has been confirmed by said sender; prompting the recipient for a payment by said intelligent network element for delivering the second voice short messaging service message to said sender, if said prior payment for said delivery of the second voice short messaging service message is not confirmed by said sender; making said payment for the second voice short messaging service by said recipient through one of a premium chargeable short messaging service message and a premium chargeable reply voice call, if said prior payment for said delivery of the second voice short messaging service message is not confirmed by said sender; collecting said payment by one of an operator of said first network and an operator of said second network and sharing a part of said payment with the other of said operator of the first network and the operator of the second network; and confirming said collected payment to the intelligent network element.