Abstract

An intelligent-networked telecommunications system allows a customer to make a free telephone call after listening to a product or service advertisement. The customer reaches a product/service menu after dialing a telephone number with a special prefix reserved for Advertisement With Bonus Call (AWBC) service. The customer then chooses the advertisement of interest. After listening to the advertisement, the system allows the customer to enter a destination number for a free bonus telephone call. In the preferred embodiment, the bonus call is limited to a predefined duration monitored by a timer reset at the beginning of the bonus call. When the time limit is near, the system broadcasts this fact to both the calling party and the called party. At the expiration of the time limit, the call is automatically disconnected, and the customer can be returned to the AWBC product/service main menu. Charging the bonus call to the sponsor of the product/service advertisement to which the customer has listened completes the transaction.