Patent ID: 8583508

Claim:
A method of processing a billing transaction, comprising: providing a software program for installation on a computing device associated with a subscriber, wherein the software program communicates with one or more network servers over a data network; enabling the software program on the computing device associated with the subscriber to perform at least a first function at least partly in response to a user request; querying, subsequent to enabling the software program to perform at least the first function, one or more databases on the one or more network servers over the data network to determine a subscriber's current account balance; at least partly in response to determining from the one or more database queries that the subscriber has an outstanding account balance, notifying the subscriber of the outstanding account balance wherein the notification includes a user authorization request to place a charge for the outstanding account balance on a phone bill of the subscriber; attempting by a billing transaction processing system to place the charge for the outstanding account balance on the phone bill of the subscriber; determining by the billing transaction processing system if the charge was placed for the outstanding balance on the phone bill of the subscriber; at least partly in response to determining that the charge was placed on the phone bill of the subscriber: updating the subscriber's account balance to reflect a payment associated with the placed charge on the phone bill of the subscriber, notifying the subscriber of the payment, at least partly in response to determining the charge was not placed on the phone bill of the subscriber: notifying the subscriber that an alternate payment method other than placing a charge on the phone bill of the subscriber is required.