Patent ID: 7308087

Claim:
A method of crediting a pre-authorized account of a user, maintained at a platform connected to a plurality of networks, comprising: sending a request message to the user at a receiver that the pre-authorized account needs additional funds; receiving a response message from the user using the receiver requesting additional funds be added to the pre-authorized account in accordance with the request message; authenticating at the platform, using a password and a number unique to the user, that the user is associated with the pre-authorized account and identifying another account from which the additional funds are to be drawn; and after authentication that the user is associated with the pre-authorized account, obtaining the additional funds in a real-time transaction debiting the other account and adding the additional funds to the pre-authorized account used in paying for at least one communication service or transaction, provided or consummated, respectively via at least one of the networks of different types which are external to the platform.