Patent ID: 7263346

Claim:
A method for enabling a mobile user to manage calls, the method comprising: provisioning a mobile user with mobile to mobile minutes for mobile to mobile calls within the same provider during a given time period and with usage minutes for usage calls during the given time period; determining whether the mobile user and a telephone user belong to the same provider after a call between the first mobile user and the telephone user being initiated, designating the call as a mobile to mobile call within the same provider if the mobile user and the telephone user belong to the same provider, and designating the call as a usage call if the mobile user and the telephone user do not belong to the same provider, wherein a usage call is a call other than a mobile to mobile call within the same provider; if the call is a mobile to mobile call within the same provider and if the mobile user is provisioned with unlimited mobile to mobile minutes, then completing the call without requiring authorization by the mobile user; if the call is a mobile to mobile call within the same provider and if the mobile user is provisioned with a limited number of mobile to mobile minutes and if any of the mobile to mobile minutes are remaining, then advising the mobile user that the call is a mobile to mobile call within the same provider and advising the mobile user the number of mobile to mobile minutes remaining, and then requiring an affirmation from the mobile user to complete the call; if the call is a mobile to mobile call within the same provider and if none of the mobile to mobile minutes are remaining, then designating the call as a usage call instead of a mobile to mobile call within the same provider; and if the call is a usage call, then advising the mobile user that the call is a usage call and advising the mobile user the number of usage minutes exhausted by the mobile user for usage calls during the given time period, and then requiring an affirmation from the mobile user to complete the call.