Using a mobile device to make a transaction

摘要

An exemplary method enables a user of a mobile device to make purchases. From the mobile device, the user sends a messaging service short code identifying a retailer, an item identifier for an item offered for sale by a retailer and information indicating the user's intent to purchase the item to the retailer via a mobile network. The method also includes steps of receiving cost information for the item, from the system of the retailer; determining if the user has authorized transactions with the retailer through the network, and confirming the purchase of the item with the system of the retailer. Upon authorization, the cost information for the item is recorded to the subscriber's account, which enables processing of the cost information for inclusion on a bill to the user together with billing for mobile communication service provided by the network for the mobile device.

主权项

1. A method, comprising steps of:
receiving, by a message service center of a mobile communication service provider, a mobile network messaging service message from a system of a retailer, wherein the mobile network messaging service message contains an advertisement for an item; delivering the retailer message from the message service center through a mobile communication network to a user's mobile device; in response to the delivered retailer message, receiving, by the message service center of the mobile communication service provider, a mobile network messaging service message from the user's mobile device through the mobile communication network, the received user's mobile device message including a messaging service short code having a retailer identifier of the retailer, an item identifier for an item offered for sale in the advertisement by the retailer, and information indicating the user's intent to purchase the item; responsive to the short code, forwarding by the message service center, the item identifier in the short code to the system of the retailer identified by the retailer identifier using the mobile communication network; receiving, at the message service center of the mobile communication service provider, a message from the retailer indicating that the item is available from the retailer, the message including a request to authorize the purchase and to provide shipping information; in response to the request from the retailer for authorization and shipping information, checking, via a customer accounts server of the mobile communication service provider, an account record for mobile communication service provided by the mobile communication service provider for the mobile device, to determine whether a network subscriber associated with the account record has previously authorized transactions with the retailer via mobile network messaging service messages through the mobile communication network, wherein the previous authorization of transactions via mobile network messaging service messages through the mobile communication network occurs prior to the step of receiving the mobile network messaging service message from the user's mobile device indicating the users intent to purchase the item; upon determining by the message service center, via the checking of the account record, the network subscriber associated with the account record has previously authorized using mobile network messaging service messages for transactions with the retailer through the mobile communication network, confirming the purchase of the item by forwarding a confirmation message from the customer accounts server to the system of the retailer, by the message service center using the mobile communication network, wherein the confirmation message includes authorization for the retailer to complete a purchase of the item from the retailer and shipping address information of the subscriber based on information obtained from the account record; responsive to confirming the purchase, recording cost information for the item against the subscriber's account; and processing the cost information from the customer accounts server for inclusion on a bill to the subscriber together with billing for the mobile communication service provided by the mobile communication service provider for the mobile device.