The invention relates generally to mobile (cellular) telephone communications services. More specifically, the invention relates to methods and systems that enable businesses to subscribe to a mobile telephone service that allows subscriber's to a mobile telephone service provider to place a telephone call to a business and not have their allotted contract airtime minutes (subscriber-based measured-per-minute call charge) debited.
Presently, mobile telephone service provider subscriber service contracts include a predetermined number of contracted-for airtime minutes. When a subscriber (customer) uses more than their allotted airtime minutes in a given billing period, the over minutes are charged at an inflated rate. Therefore, subscribers usually monitor their airtime minute usage to prevent over minutes, or if their airtime use warrants it, change to a service plan that includes more airtime minutes.
Calling businesses for general information, pricing inquiries and orders from a mobile telephone consumes airtime minutes. Especially if a call is placed on hold for several minutes.
Due to the proliferation of mobile telephone service, many consumers are dropping landline telephone services. This becomes more troublesome for business owners. If consumers minimize time spent shopping from one business to another due to mobile telephone airtime minute usage, business in general suffers and competition between like businesses is affected.
What is desired are methods and systems that forward a call placed from a mobile telephone to a preexisting business landline telephone number not using airtime minutes.