Telecommunications or similar bills are prepared on diskette in an optimal format for further processing, display, and analysis on popularly-available, inexpensive personal computers. A telecommunications carrier provides, for participating customers, appropriately selected billing records at the stage in the carrier's ordinary billing process after the carrier has completed all billing activities except actually printing a paper bill. This ensures that the information ultimately supplied on diskette will exactly correspond to that on the paper bill. In a first step, preferably performed on a large computer, the records are sorted, edited and reformatted into an optimal organization for further processing on a personal computer. In addition, a variety of preprocessed summary reports and graphs are prepared for rapid retrieval on the customer's computer. In a second step, preferably performed on a network of smaller computers, the reorganized records and summary reports for each customer are separated, compressed, and recorded on diskettes compatible with each customer's personal computer. A user application program on the customer's computer displays and analyzes the billing information supplied on diskette, including the billing records, preprocessed summary reports and graphs, and prepares new summary reports on demand.
A computer-aided billing system which directs the printing of customer invoices to include current billing information and transmittal charges for a pre-paid return envelope which the debtor will receive with the invoice for use in return of the invoice payment and which also directs collation or assembly of the pre-paid return envelope, the invoice, and the shipping envelope in which the invoice and pre-paid return envelope will be sent to the debtor. The computer-aided billing system contemplates debtor agreement to pay the transmittal charges and the possibility of future transmittal charges for electronic transmittal of invoices and invoice payments. Applications include, but are not limited to, use by banking institutions and credit card companies.
A visual editing system for creating commercial online computer services. The visual editing system creates online services that consist of a number of subservices. Each subservice is a program that provides a particular type of functionality to the online service. Different subservices exist for displaying hypermedia documents, searching directories and databases, displaying classified advertisements, providing a bulletin board system, etc. Each subservice has an associated database of information and a collection of scripts that handle events such as input from a user. The visual editing system of the present invention features a fee setting tool that allows the developer to develop a fee structure for an online service. The fee structure can handle both fees levied against users and third party content providers. For example, users can be levied fees for logging onto an online service, performing searches, or downloading information. Third party content providers can be levied fees for submitting advertisements or for executing a transaction with a user. Similarly, the fee setting tool also allows the developer to assign a payment system whereby users or content providers can be paid for certain actions. A user may be paid when that user that fills out a marketing questionnaire or wins a contest. A third party content provider can be paid when that third party content provider supplies valuable information desired by the users of the online service.
A method for detecting duplicate records generates a checksum (222) for each record and compares the generated checksum (222) to checksums stored in check files (30). In a particular application, a system (10) for processing call detail records utilizes a duplicate check module (28) that detects duplicate records using checksum processing.
A method that provides improved invoice validation in a wireless telecommunication system comprises receiving billing input data for a circuit and indicating a discrepancy if a billed amount and a calculated amount differ by greater than a threshold amount, the billing input data including the billed amount. In addition the method includes indicating billing parameters used to create the calculated amount.
An improved credit card billing method and system is disclosed which permits multiple items purchased as part of a single transaction or order to be separately billed on a credit card in accordance with a payment schedule designed to minimize inquiries regarding the overall order by the customer. The billing system permits the billing descriptor appearing on the credit card billing statement to have sufficient detail to minimize subsequent customer inquiries. The billing descriptor preferably includes a different customer service number for each individual item. Goods or services are purchased from a merchant in a conventional manner. The customer provides the merchant with a list of the multiple items included in the order, as well as credit card information. The merchant will preferably establish a staggered schedule for billing each individual item in the order and submit the charge requests to the credit card issuer in accordance with the established billing schedule.
