Patent ID: 8768299

Claim:
A method comprising steps of: receiving an initiation request from a mobile station to be activated over the air in a mobile communication network; assigning a temporary routing number to the mobile station responsive to receiving the initiation request, wherein the temporary routing number is used for communicating with the mobile station through the mobile communication network prior to completion of activation of the mobile station on the mobile communication network; automatically capturing from the mobile station, by a first mobile communications network element, a mobile station identifier, responsive to the received initiation request, wherein the step of automatically capturing comprises receiving the mobile station identifier from the mobile station without end-user input of the mobile station identifier; validating, by a second mobile communications network element, one or more account parameters, the validating step including validating a mobile directory number by verifying that a method for payment of future services of the mobile station exists, wherein the mobile directory number is a telephone number to be associated with the mobile station; after validating the mobile directory number by verifying that a method for payment of future services of the mobile station exists, validating an account security code to determine access to an existing mobile communications network account; and upon successful validation of the mobile directory number and determining access to the existing mobile communications network account, associating the captured mobile station identifier with the existing mobile communications network account to activate the mobile station for mobile communication network service on the existing mobile communications network account.