Abstract: Cellular telephone rental system and method wherein a point-of-purchase rental terminal capturing transaction data, obtains validation thereof, and communicates same to a collector which in turn instructs a switching system to enable the cellular phone to make and receive calls. The collector examines in real time automatic message accounting data in the switching system and calculates call charges in real time. The collector then transmits call data to the rental terminal which provides both the rental agency and the cellular phone user call data in real time, with the call data also being transmitted to an account administration system nightly. Also disclosed is an embodiment for entering credit card data at the rental phone to enable use on credit billing and remote programming of such rental phone all over the voice responsive communication of the cellular system.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for use in a mobile telephone rental system in which credit card information is communicated between the mobile telephone unit 100 and a Voice Response System 302 for customer registration and remote programming of mobile telephone unit 100 features and NAM settings; communicating data between the Voice Response System 302 and a Registration System 304 for customer credit card validation; communicating data between the Registration System 304 and a credit card clearinghouse 306 for credit card approval or decline; communicating data between the Registration System 304 and a plurality of Collector Systems 307 for call rating and billing; communicating data between the Registration System 304 and an Administration System 309 for providing rated call information to the reseller; and communicating data between the mobile telephone unit 100 and an Indirect System 303 for establishing service in cellular areas without Collector System 307 service.