Universal telecommunications services account

A system for accumulating charges for telecommunications services used during a calling card call placed by a cardholder using a calling-card, the system comprising:

• a database storing billing rate information for predetermined telecommunications services, the billing rate information including information relating to specific calling plans subscribed to by the cardholder relating to connection of the calling-card call and relating to telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call;
• a billing processor, coupled to the database, receiving call detail information for a calling-card call, the calling card call using telecommunications services including telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call, the billing processor determining a charges accruing rate of a funds account associated with the calling-card call based on the received call detail information and the specific calling plan information for the connection of the calling-card call and the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call that are stored in the database, and accruing charges for the funds account at the determined charges accruing rate during the calling-card call, the accrued charges including charges for the connection of the calling-card call and the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call.

A method for accumulating charges for telecommunications services used during a calling card call placed by a cardholder using a calling-card, the method comprising the steps of:

• recording call detail information for a calling-card call, the calling card call using telecommunications services including telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call;
• associating services rate information with telecommunications services used by the calling-card call, the services rate information including information relating to specific calling plans subscribed to by the cardholder relating to connection of the calling-card call and relating to the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call;
• determining a charges accruing rate for a funds account associated with the calling-card call based on the recorded call detail information and the specific calling plan information for the connection of the calling-card call and the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call;
• accruing charges for the funds account at the determined charges accruing rate during the calling-card call, the accrued charges including charges for the connection of the calling-card call and the telecommunications services other than connection of the calling-card call.