System and method for commoditizing browsing time in a self-service store

A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising code, that, when executed by a computer, enables the computer to perform the following:

• communicate with a subscriber to a service plan with a communication carrier, wherein the service plan provides the subscriber with a certain number of minutes each month to use for telecommunications;
• enable the subscriber to browser a voice store via phone;
• track the amount of time the user spends browsing the store via phone;
• subtract from the tracked time an amount, if any, of free time that the subscriber is allotted to browse the store;
• and
• in response to the user finishing browsing the voice store, report to the communication carrier any tracked time that exceeds the amount of free time allotted to the subscriber, wherein the communication carrier charges the subscriber for the reported time by treating the reported time as used minutes under the subscriber's service plan.

A self-service system for providing a voice storefront interface for a wireless communication carrier store and for commoditizing browsing time by a user in the voice store, wherein the user is a subscriber to a service plan with the communication carrier that provides the users with a certain number of minutes each month to user for telecommunications, the system comprising:

• store business logic for enabling the user to browse the store via phone, tracking the amount of time the user spends browsing the store via phone, subtracting from the tracked time an amount, if any, of free time that is the user is allotted to browse the store;
• and in response to the user finishing browsing the voice store, reporting to the communication carrier any tracked time that exceeds the amount of free time allotted to the user to enable the communication carrier to treat such tracked time as used telecommunication minutes under the user's service plan;
• a phone interface that provides an interface between a phone network and the store business logic;
• and
• a configuration tool for configuring the self service system, where the configuration tool creates rules that are used by the store business logic.

A method for commoditizing browsing time in a self-service system that provides a voice store for a communication carrier, where a user of the voice store is a subscriber to a service plan with the communication carrier that provides the user with a certain number of communication minutes, the method comprising:

• enabling the user to browse the voice store;
• if browsing time is available to the user, deducting time spent browsing the voice store from the available free browsing time;
• and
• if no free browsing time is available, tracking non-free time spent browsing the voice store, and, after the user finishes browsing the store, reporting such tracked time to the communication carrier to enable the communication carrier to treat such tracked time as used communication minutes under the user's service plan.