| 摘要 |
A method and system for billing application software usage transactions conducted over the Internet between a User on a terminal (101) and an Applications Service Provider (ASP) (104) server system through an Internet Access Provider (IAP) (102). Upon connection between the User's terminal (101) and the ASP, the ASP system checks the User's terminal for the User's identity and his "usage status". This "usage status" identifies for each software package offered by the ASP, whether the User is a "free of charge" software evaluator, or a paying customer. This "usage status" together with the User's billing information such as his credit card or other financial contract between the User's company and the ASP is stored in a transaction server for the duration of his connection session. When the User selects a particular application software from a library of various application software offered by the ASP, an Application Server (108) transmits to the User's terminal entry form images for the User to enter his input information data needed to use the selected application software. A Pricing Module predetermines the usage price, of application software "Runs", on the basis of the data in the input form images submitted back by the User to the ASP system. A Billing Server (110) associates the price signal from the Pricing Module with the User's "usage status" record from the transaction server database and determines an actual price for the usage. At the end of each application "Run", the User's account is debited by either a credit card clearing system (112) or by the User's predetermined financial arrangement, which is stored in the financial database (111) of the billing server. At the end of the User's session, the charges for all the transactions during the session are stored in the financial database (111) of the billing server.
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