Transaction-based service billing in a telecommunication system

A method for providing transaction-based billing for WAP services, comprising the steps of:

• writing transaction data generated from different WAP protocol levels and associated with billable WAP services to a billing log file;
• reading the written transaction data from the billing log file;
• converting the read transaction data from the billing log file into an alternate readable form;
• applying first rules to the converted transaction data to generate and store predefined transaction parameters based on the converted transaction data;
• and
• applying second rules to the stored transaction parameters to generate chargeable transactions for use in preparing transaction-based bills for the WAP services.

A system for providing transaction-based billing for WAP services in a telecommunication system that includes a telecommunication network, a terminal device connected to the telecommunication network and operable for using WAP services, a WAP gateway connected to the telecommunication network, a content provider of WAP services connected to the telecommunication network, a billing log file, an event manager operable for writing to the billing log file transaction data generated from different WAP protocol levels and associated with billable transactions, and a reading device for reading the transaction data from the billing log file, said transaction-based billing system comprising:

• a WAP charging gateway;
• a converter in said WAP charging gateway for converting the transaction data in the billing log file into a readable form;
• first rules for application in said WAP charging gateway against the converted transaction data for generating and storing predefined transaction parameters based on the converted transaction data;
• and
• second rules for application in said WAP charging gateway against the stored transaction parameters for generating, from the stored transaction parameters, chargeable transactions for use in preparing transaction-based bills for the WAP services.