System and method for correlating user call response to electronic messages

A method of charging a merchant for received real-time communications, the method comprising:

• maintaining a database that stores a record of sent electronic advertisements, indications of users who receive the electronic advertisements, and information indicating a time at which the users receive the electronic advertisements;
• automatically storing, in the database, records of real-time communications made to the advertisers by the users who received the electronic advertisements;
• using the database, for each real-time communication to a merchant from a user, automatically determining whether the real-time communication was made within a predetermined time period T from a time at which the user received an electronic advertisement for the merchant;
• and
• based on the determination, selecting an amount and/or rate to charge the merchant for the real-time communication.

A method for receiving voice calls by recipient parties, the method including:

• sending electronic messages to potential callers, the electronic messages indicating a method for calling the recipient parties;
• maintaining a database that stores a list of the sent electronic messages, indications of potential callers who received the electronic messages, and information indicating a time at which the users received the electronic messages;
• automatically storing in the database records of voice calls made to the recipient parties by the potential callers who received the electronic messages;
• using the database, for each voice call to a recipient party from a potential caller, automatically determining whether the voice call was made within a predetermined time period T from a time at which the potential caller received an electronic message indicating a method for calling the recipient party;
• and
• based on the determination, selecting an amount and/or rate to charge the recipient party for the voice call.

A method for determining how much to bill a merchant for a voice call received by a caller, the method comprising:

• storing, in a database, a list of calls made by the caller from at least two calling sources including a first calling source and a second calling source, the list including a time at which each call was made;
• storing, in the database, a list of advertisements received by the first calling source, the list including an indication of a time at which each advertisement was received and/or displayed at the first calling source;
• automatically determining, based on the list of calls made and the list of advertisements received, whether any of the calls were calls made to the merchant within a predetermined time period T of the first calling source receiving and/or displaying an advertisement for the merchant;
• when it is determined that a call was made to the merchant within a predetermined time period T of the first calling source receiving and/or displaying an advertisement for the merchant, charging the merchant for the call based on a first billing scheme;
• and
• when it is determined that a call was made to the merchant after the predetermined time period T of the first calling source receiving and/or displaying an advertisement for the merchant, charging the merchant for the call based on a second billing scheme different from the first billing scheme.