Patent ID: 8355487

Claim:
A system comprising: a session control function of a communication network adapted to receive a setup message from a party to initiate a prepaid session; the session control function is further adapted to identify a first maximum duration for the prepaid session that is statically defined in the communication network, to calculate a second maximum duration for the prepaid session based on a prepaid account balance for the party, and to determine a third maximum duration for the prepaid session based on duration criteria after the prepaid session is initiated, wherein the duration criteria comprise pre-defined policies that control how maximum durations are dynamically determined on a session-by-session basis at initiation of the sessions; the session control function is further adapted to select one of the first, second, or third maximum duration for the prepaid session, and to monitor the duration of the prepaid session based on the selected maximum duration responsive to the prepaid session being established over the communication network.