A method for crediting a customer account maintained by a vendor of services in response to payment received from a customer is disclosed herein. The method includes issuing, to the customer, a membership account number associated with at least the customer account. A membership account number and a payment corresponding to a requested amount of a service offered by the vendor are received from the customer at a point-of-sale. The method further includes generating, at the point-of-sale, an authorization message including at least the membership account number and embedded transaction information identifying the service offered by the vendor and the requested amount. The embedded transaction information is then communicated from the point-of-sale to a database server. The customer account is credited, in response to the embedded transaction information, based upon an amount of the payment. The method also includes electronically transferring funds based upon the amount of the payment from a first account associated with the point-of-sale to a second account associated with the vendor.

Methods and systems for top-up are provided. A representative telecommunication messaging and real-time replenishment (TMRTR) system includes a user interface that receives a user input and transmits the user input that includes chat message and a recipient phone number associated with a phone user's account; and a real-time replenishment (RTR) gateway that receives and transmits chat messages and the phone number from the user interface and requests for a telephone service company associated with the phone number to a home location register (HLR) look up service. The RTR gateway tops up phone minutes and/or balance of money of the phone user's account associated with the phone number based on the phone number of the received user input, and the determined telephone service company from the HLR look up service.

A method for accessing telecommunications services (124-126) from a terminal (110-112, 140-142) having credit-based communications capabilities. The method includes consuming credit when accessing telecommunications services, when available communications credit value becomes lower than a predefined threshold, providing to a user of said terminal a action selection user interface enabling the selection of a credit-generating action by the user, and after the action has been executed, recharging communications credit for the user. The present invention also provides a system for implementing the method.

The present disclosure discloses an automatic recharge system and method, and a server, and belongs to a field of online recharge. The system includes: an agent server end on which an automatic recharge program runs, a third-party platform server, and at least one provider server, each provider server providing at least one online recharge service; the third-party platform server generates at least one order and stores the order; the agent server end logs in the third-party platform server by using the automatic recharge program and obtains the order; and the agent server end sends a recharge parameter corresponding to the order to the provider server by using the automatic recharge program, so as to complete an online recharge process corresponding to the order.

A method, an apparatus, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium used in reloading a mobile number are disclosed. According to some embodiments, in performing the method, the apparatus receives a request of reloading the mobile number. The request is sent by a terminal, but the mobile number does not correspond to the terminal. The apparatus then obtains information on the mobile number, and determines whether the mobile number is a trusted number based on the obtained information. When the mobile number is a trusted number, the apparatus reloads the mobile number. When the mobile number is not a trusted number, the apparatus alerts the terminal that the mobile number is not a trusted number.

A method and system of detecting a delinquent mobile user device. An international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card of the user device is determined by the user device. The IMSI is sent to a Remote Recovery Server (RRS). A message is received from the RRS as to whether the IMSI is authorized for the user device. Upon determining that the IMSI is not authorized for the user device, a notification is displayed on a display of the user device.

Systems and methods which detect unauthorized, impermissible, or otherwise undesired call activity through the use of one or more third-party databases are shown. For example, a controlled environment facility information management system may access a database external thereto, such as a victim notification database, which is created and maintained by a third party unrelated to the controlled environment facility. Such third-party database access may be accomplished at the point of call validation or caller verification for determining the treatment of the call (e.g., allowed, blocked, allowed with limitations, etcetera). Such call treatment determinations may be made with respect a particular prisoner or other resident of the controlled environment facility making the call, may be made with respect to all calls made from a particular controlled environment facility, may be made with respect to a group of controlled environment facilities, etcetera.

A method for crediting a customer account maintained by a vendor of services in response to payment received from a customer is disclosed herein. The method includes issuing, to the customer, a membership account number associated with at least the customer account. A membership account number and a payment corresponding to a requested amount of a service offered by the vendor are received from the customer at a point-of-sale. The method further includes generating, at the point-of-sale, an authorization message including at least the membership account number and embedded transaction information identifying the service offered by the vendor and the requested amount. The embedded transaction information is then communicated from the point-of-sale to a database server. The customer account is credited, in response to the embedded transaction information, based upon an amount of the payment. The method also includes electronically transferring funds based upon the amount of the payment from a first account associated with the point-of-sale to a second account associated with the vendor.

A method and system of restoring a functionality of a mobile user device. A lock screen is displayed on the display of the user device. An international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card presently installed in the user device is determined. The IMSI is sent to a Remote Recovery Server (RRS). A message is received from the RRS indicating whether the IMSI is authorized for the user device and whether an account of the user device is replenished at least in part. Upon determining that the IMSI is authorized for the user device and the account of the user device is replenished at least in part, at least one function that was previously restricted is restored.

Systems and methods which detect unauthorized, impermissible, or otherwise undesired call activity through the use of one or more third party databases are shown. For example, a controlled environment facility information management system may access a database external thereto, such as a victim notification database, which is created and maintained by a third party unrelated to the controlled environment facility. Such third party database access may be accomplished at the point of call validation or caller verification for determining the treatment of the call (e.g., allowed, blocked, allowed with limitations, etcetera). Such call treatment determinations may be made with respect a particular prisoner or other resident of the controlled environment facility making the call, may be made with respect to all calls made from a particular controlled environment facility, may be made with respect to a group of controlled environment facilities, etcetera.