Patent ID: 8903356

Claim:
A billing method for communication services, wherein the communication services are provided to a group of subscribers who share a billing account, and wherein the group is billed a first cost for a base quantity of communication services shared by the group and a second cost for total usage of communication services in excess of the base quantity by the group, the method comprising: (a) for each subscriber in the group: (i) allocating a share of the first cost to the subscriber; (ii) determining a portion of the base quantity used by the subscriber; (iii) based at least in part on the portion of the base quantity used by the subscriber, allocating a share of the second cost to the subscriber; and (iv) mathematically combining at least the allocated share of the first cost and the allocated share of the second cost to establish a suggested cost for the subscriber; and (b) generating at least one invoice for the billing account shared by the group, the at least one invoice indicating, for each subscriber in the group, the suggested cost for the subscriber, wherein allocating a share of the first cost to the subscriber comprises: determining a total number of subscribers in the group; determining a share of the first cost, at least in part, by dividing the first cost by the total number of subscribers in the group; and allocating the share of the first cost to the subscriber, wherein allocating a share of the second cost to the subscriber, based, at least in part, on the portion of the base quantity used by the subscriber, comprises: mathematically comparing at least the portion of the base quantity used by the subscriber and the cumulative usage level; and using the mathematical comparison as a basis for allocating a share of the second cost to the subscriber, wherein mathematically comparing at least the portion of the base quantity used by the subscriber and the cumulative usage level, comprises determining a ratio of (i) the portion of the base quantity used by the subscriber to (ii) the cumulative usage level.