Patent ID: 7218712

Claim:
A method for handling a service request in a telecommunications system from a first station (ST-A) to a second station (ST-B), said first station (ST-A) being associated to accounting information, said method comprising the steps of: a) receiving a service request from said first station (ST-A), said service request comprising an identifier (Id-B) of said second station (ST-B); b) identifying the accounting information related to said first station (ST-A); c) obtaining number portability information related to said identifier of said second station (PI); and d) checking if said service can proceed based on said portability information and said accounting information; wherein said service request is received in a switching point of said telecommunications system, and wherein the steps b), c) and d) further comprise the steps of: b1) sending from said switching point (SP, MSC, SGSN) a first query for handling said service to a payment server entity (PS), said payment server entity (PS) including service logic for handling accounting information for payment of services, said first query comprising said identifier (Id-B) of said second station (ST-B) and an identifier (Id-A) of said first station (ST-A); b2) using in said payment server entity (PS) said identifier of said first station (Id-A) for identifying the accounting information related to said first station (ST-A); c1) sending from said payment server entity (PS) a second query for obtaining number portability information to a number portability server entity (NPS, NPDB-SGF, MNP-SRF), said second query comprising said identifier of said second station (Id-B); c2) receiving a response to said second query in said payment server entity (PS), said response comprising portability information for said identifier of said second station (PI); d1) checking in said payment server entity (PS) if said service can proceed based on said accounting information related to said first station (ST-A) and said portability information; and d2) sending a response to said first query from said payment server entity (PS) to said switching point (SP, MSC, SGSN) based on said check.