Patent ID: 7136468

Claim:
A method for sending a message to a recipient's telephone over a global computer network, the method comprising: receiving the message and a directory number associated with the recipient's telephone, over the global computer network; in a telecommunications network, determining a billing directory number associated with a sender of the message; creating a call from a service node assigned to the billing directory number to the recipient's directory number in the telecommunications network; determining if the recipient's telephone is answered; if the recipient's telephone is answered, receiving input from the recipient, wherein the recipient indicates how to respond to the received message; and charging one of the billing directory number and a billing telephone number designated by a user for fees associated with establishing the connection between the service node and the recipient's directory number in the telecommunications networks, wherein the sender is charged for calls to the recipient and from the recipient if the input from the recipient indicates a desire to talk to the sender based on the received message.