Patent ID: 7620162

Claim:
A method for monitoring the usage of a plurality of services, the method comprising: receiving monitoring criteria corresponding to a usage quantity for a plurality of services, each of the plurality of services being provided over ones of a plurality of different communication systems; receiving from a communications device actual service usage information for the plurality of service from a communications device wherein the monitoring criteria is received by a usage monitoring system; comparing the service usage information and the monitoring criteria; and sending an electronic notification message when the monitoring criteria for one or more of the plurality of services is satisfied, wherein the notification message includes a promotional message comprising information about payment plans for the plurality of services when the monitoring criteria is satisfied and the information about payment plans is based on the service usage information wherein the electronic notification is sent by the usage monitoring system to a user device when the user initiates a service and before additional charges for services are incurred, the monitoring criteria is an amount of service usage for one or more of a plurality of users comprising a user group, and the method further comprises designating at least one of the plurality of users in the user group as an administrative user and accepting a change to the monitoring criteria if the change is received from the administrative user of the user group wherein the promotional message is sent to the administrative user.