Mobile device communication system

Abstract

A method and system to conduct financial transactions over a communication network is provided. A purchase request is received via a communication network, the purchase request associated with a mobile airtime account of a user. A purchase amount and a merchant account are identified based on the purchase request. A financial account module is configured to debit a financial account of the user with the purchase amount and credit the merchant account with at least a portion of the purchase amount. Also, an airtime account module to credit the mobile airtime account of the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a purchase request via a communication network, the purchase request associated with a mobile airtime account of a user;   identifying a purchase amount and a merchant account based on the purchase request;   debiting a financial account of the user with the purchase amount;   crediting the merchant account with at least a portion of the purchase amount; and   crediting the mobile airtime account of the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising crediting a portion of the purchase amount to a mobile service provider managing the mobile airtime account of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile airtime account of the user is credited based on the purchase amount. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile airtime account of the user is credited a fixed value for each purchase request received. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile airtime account of the user is credited a predetermined number of airtime minutes. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the predetermined number of airtime minutes is associated with at least one restriction. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the purchase request is for a purchase of airtime. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile airtime account is not debited for access to the communication network associated with the purchase request. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 a purchase request infrastructure to:
 receive a purchase request via a communication network, the purchase request associated with a mobile airtime account of a user, and 
 identifying a purchase amount and a merchant account based on the purchase request; 
   a financial account module to:
 debit a financial account of the user with the purchase amount, and 
 credit the merchant account with at least a portion of the purchase amount; and 
   an airtime account module to credit the mobile airtime account of the user.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the financial account module is further to credit a portion of the purchase amount to the mobile service provider as a service fee. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the airtime account module is to credit the mobile airtime account of the user based on the purchase amount. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the airtime account module is to credit the mobile airtime account of the user a fixed value for each purchase request received. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the airtime account module is to credit the mobile airtime account of the user a predetermined number of airtime minutes. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the predetermined number of airtime minutes is associated with at least one restriction. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the purchase request is for a purchase of airtime. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the mobile airtime account is not debited for access to the communication network associated with the purchase request. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a machine perform operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving a purchase request via a communication network, the purchase request associated with a mobile airtime account of a user;   identifying a purchase amount and a merchant account based on the purchase request;   debiting a financial account of the user with the purchase amount;   crediting the merchant account with at least a portion of the purchase amount; and   crediting the mobile airtime account of the user.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , further comprising allocating a service fee to the mobile service provider. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the service fee is a portion of the purchase amount. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the mobile airtime account of the user is credited a number of airtime minutes, the airtime minutes having at least one restriction.