Per call real time billing display

A method of providing per call, real-time billing display within a communications system, comprising:

• retrieving billing rate information from a repository of customer specific billing rate information for a call placed by a customer having a billing display feature activated;
• determining a billing rate applicable to the call for the customer;
• starting a timer;
• and
• upon elapse of a period of a predetermined length, transmitting current charge information to a display device associated with equipment employed by the customer to place the call.

A communications system, comprising:

• a plurality of switches routing communications between communications devices for subscribers of the communications system;
• a repository of customer specific billing rate information maintained in association with at least one switch within the plurality of switches;
• and
• a service interface to the repository of billing rate information allowing a switch within the plurality of switches to determine a billing rate applicable to a call routed for a subscriber of the communications system,
• wherein, during a duration of the call, the switch transmits billing rate information to a display device viewable by the subscriber.

A switch, comprising:

• switch intelligence providing logic for call processing;
• switch fabric providing communications connections requested by the switch intelligence;
• a routing information database containing information employed by the switch intelligence in routing calls during call processing;
• a customer information database containing billing rate information for users, wherein the billing rate information is employed by the switch intelligence to determine a billing rate applicable, for a customer, to a call routed by the switch;
• and
• a service interface transmitting charge information for the call to a display device connected to the switch, wherein the charge information is transmitted to the device at least once during the call.

A computer program product for use with a data processing system, comprising:

• a computer usable medium;
• first instructions on said computer usable medium for retrieving billing rate information from a repository of customer specific billing rate information for a call placed by a customer having a billing display feature activated;
• second instructions on said computer usable medium for determining a billing rate applicable to the call;
• third instructions on said computer usable medium for starting a timer;
• and
• fourth instructions on said computer usable medium for transmitting, upon elapse of a period of a predetermined length, current charge information to a display device associated with equipment employed by the customer to place the call.