According to the invention, a method and apparatus are disclosed for a
dynamic communications service bank card billing system for authorizing and billing
communications services using a bank card financial network. The communications
service bank card billing system receive events from communications services and
equipment providing such services. If a received event corresponds to a request
for initiating a communications service, the event is tariffed and taxed, and a
pre-authorization and hold request is made to the associated customer account number.
If the communications service receives a service authorization or denial indication,
the communications service bank card billing system provides such indication indicative
of the successful or non-successful pre-authorization and hold request. Alternatively,
if a received event corresponds to a request to charge a customer account, the
event is tariffed and taxed, and a forced post request is made to the associated
customer account number over the bank card financial network if no pre-authorization
preceded the forced post request. Otherwise, a pre-authorization completion is
formatted and sent. Additionally, a representation of the content of the event
is stored by the communications service bank card billing system for accumulating
communications service charges during a billing period. At the end of the billing
period, the communications services charges can be summarized and evaluated whether
a credit or a surcharge is required. Such an account adjustment or a credit is
then made via a forced post request to the associated customer bank card account
number over the bank card financial network.