Patent ID: 7092916

Claim:
A payment service method, the method comprising: a payment service provider receiving a set of identifiers from a consumer provider associated with dial tone service of the consumer provider, the set of identifiers forming a database comprising existing and future customer accounts, the set of identifiers being formatted into a customer database, the customer database being operated by the payment service provider, wherein the dial tone service is configured to provide direct and uninterrupted access to telecommunication services; the payment service provider receiving a request from a customer of the consumer provider to pay for the dial tone service while the customer is physically present at a payment service provider location, wherein the request includes one of the identifiers and a payment; creating an electronic record of the payment and the identifier; communicating the electronic record to a host computer; electronically sending the electronic record from the host computer to a telecommunication switch; and activating the dial tone service upon receipt of the electronic record by the telecommunication switch, wherein communication of the electronic record to the telecommunication switch is configured to provide that the dial tone service is activated substantially contemporaneously with receipt of the payment by the payment service provider.