Patent ID: 7415431

Claim:
A method of validating service bills, comprising the steps of: monitoring service usage of a service user with a service entity by a first monitoring subsystem under the control of the user; determining using the first monitoring subsystem at least one user-generated fee value representing an amount due to the service entity for service usage of the user over a predetermined billing period; monitoring service usage of the user by a second monitoring subsystem under the control of the service entity, the first and second monitoring subsystems being distinct from one another; determining using the second monitoring subsystem at least one service-generated fee value representing the amount due to the service entity for the service usage of the user over the predetermined billing period; comparing the user and service-generated fee values; determining that the user and service-generated fee values are within a predetermined threshold amount; and, based upon said determination, validating the amount due determined from a predetermined one of the user and service-generated fee values.