System and method of purchasing products and services using prepaid wireless communications services account

Abstract

System and method for enabling the purchase of products and services using a prepaid account associated with a wireless communications device are described. In a preferred embodiment, when a subscriber desires to pay for a transaction using a prepaid wireless communications services (“PWCS”) account associated with a wireless communications device, a telephone number of the device and the transaction amount are entered using a keypad of a card reader. The information is routed through a financial institution to a financial clearing house network based on the telephone number. The data is then routed through a financial interface of a wireless communications network to a service control point (“SCP”) containing the subscriber record associated with the telephone number. At the SCP, a determination is made whether there are sufficient funds in the subscriber's prepaid account to cover the amount of the transaction. If so, the transaction is allowed and the subscriber's account is debited in the amount of the purchase. Otherwise, the transaction is denied and the merchant is notified. In one aspect, before the PWCS account is debited, a short message service center (“SMSC”) connected to the SCP generates a message to the wireless communications device to obtain authorization of the transaction. An additional level of security may be provided by requiring the subscriber to enter a PIN number prior to allowing him or her to authorize or reject the transaction.