A method for managing mobile payments in a mobile phone. The method includes receiving data associated with a plurality of issuer specific payment services at a mobile phone, selecting one of the issuer specific payment services, and conducting a transaction using the phone.

A method and system are disclosed for sending notifications asynchronously over a telephony network. The method and system include receiving a request over a first telephony connection from a first communication device associated with a first user identifying a second communication device associated with a second user, sending one or more response communications over the first telephony connection to the first communication device associated with the first user, disconnecting the first telephony connection with the first communication device of the first user, and sending a notification over a second telephony connection to the second communication device associated with the second user, the notification including information sufficient to allow the second user to identify the first user or the first communication device associated with the first user.

A method for managing mobile payments in a mobile phone. The method includes receiving data associated with a plurality of issuer specific payment services at a mobile phone, selecting one of the issuer specific payment services, and conducting a transaction using the phone.

Electronic arrangement for dynamically reserving quota having regard to the capacity of one or more resources available in a communications network, comprises one or more data interfaces such as transceivers for transferring data, at least one processor for processing instructions and other data, and memory for storing the instructions and other data, said at least one processor being configured, in accordance with the stored instructions, to cause: receiving a quota request with indication of a requested extent of quota, wherein the quota request is further associated with all-or-none preference indicator as to whether the request should be fulfilled completely, obtaining an indication of a currently remaining, unused and unreserved, quota of an account associated with the quota request, determining whether and to which degree, including in full, in part and not at all, the request may be granted in terms of reserving the requested quota based on at least the requested extent, the remaining quota and the preference indicator, wherein the indicator is utilized in the determination so that indicated preference on complete fulfillment of quota request translates into reduced criterion in quota allocation and vice versa, and providing a response to the quota request indicative of extent of granted, reserved quota, if any, where the response optionally refers to a signaling message. A corresponding method for reserving quota is presented.

Asynchronous and/or synchronous zero charge telephony protocol systems and methods may include an asynchronous signaling switch and/or a call duration time quota from a synchronous charging onset to place and complete a call. A call request is received with a second device mobile address. The asynchronous systems include instructions to automatically modify the mobile address with a routing prefix when the first device has insufficient balance or independent of balance, route to the asynchronous signaling switch based on an associated modified address trunk path, revert to the call signal at the asynchronous signaling switch, and deliver and automatically disconnect the call immediately when the call is completed. The synchronous systems include instructions to automatically set the call duration time quota upon insufficient balance, and deliver and automatically disconnect the call from the second user mobile device when the call is completed and the call duration time quota is exceeded.

Customer devices (e.g., mobile cellular phones) are configured to interact with a communications service provider (and optionally an administration and monitoring system). A customer device is configured as a capped pay-as-you-go device in which the customer associated with the device is charged no more than a pre-arranged amount in any given (dynamic or static) billing period. For example, if $50 is the capped amount for a billing period, a user might pay $10 for using 1 gigabyte of data in a billing period, or it might pay $50 whether it used 5 gigabytes of data or 10 gigabytes of data in a single billing period.

A mobile communications device receives an indication of a balance from a server when establishment of a voice call or sending of a message is requested. The mobile communications device determines whether the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over a mobile network. If the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, the voice call is established or the message is sent under normal operating conditions. If the balance is insufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, a grace period is activated and the voice call is established or the message is sent during the grace period over an available wireless local-area network.

A mobile communications device receives an indication of a balance from a server when establishment of a voice call or sending of a message is requested. The mobile communications device determines whether the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over a mobile network. If the balance is sufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, the voice call is established or the message is sent under normal operating conditions. If the balance is insufficient to place the voice call or send the message over the mobile network, a grace period is activated and the voice call is established or the message is sent during the grace period over an available wireless local-area network.

Customer devices (e.g., mobile cellular phones) are configured to interact with a communications service provider (and optionally an administration and monitoring system). A customer device is configured as a capped pay-as-you-go device in which the customer associated with the device is charged no more than a pre-arranged amount in any given (dynamic or static) billing period. For example, if $50 is the capped amount for a billing period, a user might pay $10 for using 1 gigabyte of data in a billing period, or it might pay $50 whether it used 5 gigabytes of data or 10 gigabytes of data in a single billing period.

A method for accessing a network. In one embodiment, the method includes at least one computer processor identifying a request from a first device to utilize wireless communication capabilities of a second device to communicate with a wireless network. The method further includes generating a secure peer-to-peer communication link between the first device and the second device. The method further includes establishing a wireless communication link between the second device and the wireless network. The method further includes transmitting one or more communications from the first device to the wireless network, via the wireless communication capabilities of the second device.