Importance

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Abstract

A calling-party-pays gateway operative for billing a surcharge for a telecommunication service to an account associated with a calling line number. The calling-party-pays gateway is configured for connection between a telephone system and a switch servicing a group of terminating stations such that all communications directed to terminating stations serviced by the switch are routed through the gateway. When the gateway receives a connection request defining a communication directed to a terminating station serviced by the switch, the gateway determines whether the terminating station is associated with an account that requires the surcharge to be billed to the account associated with the calling line number. If the terminating station is associated with an account that requires the surcharge to be billed to the account associated with the calling line number, the gateway determines whether the account associated with the calling line number is pre-approved to receive the surcharge. If the account associated with the calling line number is pre-approved to receive the surcharge, the gateway routes the communication to the terminating station and creates an accounting record billing the surcharge to the account associated with the calling line number.

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First Claim