Patent ID: 7149500

Claim:
A method of billing a first subscriber having a first telephone device associated with a call in a telecommunication network for variable charges associated with the call normally billed to a second subscriber having a second telephone device associated with the call, the method including the steps: a) providing a charge-all mode whereby the first subscriber can arrange to have the first subscriber billed for variable charges associated with the call that are normally billed to the second subscriber and the second subscriber can arrange to have the second subscriber billed for variable charges associated with the call that are normally billed to the first subscriber; b) connecting the call between the first telephone device and the second telephone device; c) determining whether charge-all mode has been arranged for the first subscriber; d) determining whether charge-all mode has been arranged for the second subscriber; e) if charge-all mode has been arranged for at least one, but not both, of the first and second subscribers, billing the at least one subscriber for variable charges associated with the call that are normally billed to the other subscriber; and f) if charge-all mode has been arranged for both of the first and second subscribers, performing a racing condition resolution algorithm to determine billing of the variable charges for the call between the first and second subscribers.