Patent ID: 7209890

Claim:
A method for replenishing a wireless terminal account of a customer of a telecommunication service provider, the method comprising: transmitting through a point-of-sale device a merchant identification, a customer mobile identification number for a wireless terminal of the customer for which the wireless terminal account corresponds such that the replenishment allows for continued use of the wireless terminal, and a monetary amount to the telecommunication service provider; validating the merchant identification by comparing the merchant identification against a table comprising a plurality of merchant identifications and corresponding point-of-sale device identification numbers, wherein a point-of-sale identification number associated with the point-of-sale device is automatically transmitted at the initiation of a communication from the point-of-sale device to initiate replenishment of the wireless terminal account; crediting the customer's wireless terminal account in accordance with the monetary amount; delivering a merchant confirmation message about the crediting of the customer's wireless terminal account to the point-of-sale device; and delivering a customer confirmation message about the crediting of the customer's wireless terminal account to the customer's wireless terminal for which the customer's wireless terminal account corresponds.