A method and apparatus for linking a web based account to a phone based
account is described. The method avoids the need to directly reveal
account information, e.g. username/password, about one account to the
provider of the other. The linking occurs on the web in one embodiment,
with a user's browser being redirected from the web site to the web site
of the provider of the voice service. The redirection URL will include
account linking information. Once the user identifies herself to the web
site of the provider of the voice service, the linking information can be
stored in the user's phone account as a cookie. When the user access the
voice service over the phone, her telephone identifying information can
be used to identify her profile. When she visits the phone application
corresponding to the web site, the cookie--now including linking
information--can be passed to the application to identify the appropriate
web account.