US Patent 6965667 Method of accounting prepaid online internet service credit values

A method of accounting for online Internet usage credit includes establishing an account identifier in a database for a selected user. A number of credit value block records are associated in the database with the account identifier. Each credit value block has a stored credit value amount, and at least a second stored property indicator. In response to a measured amount of consumption of services by the user, at least one of the credit value blocks is debited by a debit amount based on the measured amount and the second stored property indicator. The stored property indicator may be a rate multiplier, or other factor indicating a different cost mode of online service, connection or usage.