Abstract: A service provider system enables a subscriber to purchase services over a network from a service provider for the benefit of third parties located in different locations. The service provider system provides service flexibility by allowing parameters to be set, such as place and time of service delivery. Further, conditions allowing third-party recipients to change service parameters include delivery time and place, exchange of purchased service for another service, return of the purchased service, etc. Reporting options to both the subscriber and the third party can additionally be provided. Reporting messages or notifications may be sent to the purchasing subscriber to indicate which of the third parties had taken advantage of the purchased service, when and where the service was consumed, and/or what the actual cost of delivering the service was. The service provider system can also provide incentives for third parties to take advantage of the purchased service.

Abstract: A service provider system enables a subscriber to purchase services over a network from a service provider for the benefit of third parties located in different locations. The service provider system provides service flexibility by allowing parameters to be set, such as place and time of service delivery. Further, conditions allowing third-party recipients to change service parameters include delivery time and place, exchange of purchased service for another service, return of the purchased service, etc. Reporting options to both the subscriber and the third party can additionally be provided. Reporting messages or notifications may be sent to the purchasing subscriber to indicate which of the third parties had taken advantage of the purchased service, when and where the service was consumed, and/or what the actual cost of delivering the service was. The service provider system can also provide incentives for third parties to take advantage of the purchased service.

Abstract: The invention provides a service provider system that enables a subscriber to purchase services over a network from a service provider for the benefit of one or more third parties located in different locations. The service provider system can provide service flexibility by allowing parameters to be set, such as place and time of service delivery. Further, conditions allowing third-party recipients to change service parameters—delivery time and place, exchange of purchased service for another service, return of the purchased service, etc.—can be included. The service provider system additionally can provide reporting options to both the subscriber and the third party. Reporting messages or notifications may be sent to the purchasing subscriber to indicate which of the third parties had taken advantage of the purchased service, when and where the service was consumed, and/or what the actual cost of delivering the service was.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically processing charges on a billing system for a telecommunications communication is provided. The type of communication is automatically determined from a received record. Based on the determined type of communication, information indicating attributes of the communication is retrieved from the record. A bill is then generated that includes at least one new section that is generated exclusively from the information retrieved from the record. The new section includes information about communications to new services. The billing system does not have to be extensively reconfigured when a new special service is offered on a trial basis.