Systems and methods are provided to facilitate retail transactions via mobile communications. In one aspect, a retail terminal includes: a user interface to receive a phone number of a customer; a memory; a data communication interface; and a processor coupled with the memory and the data communication interface to transmit the phone number to a server computer to cause the server computer to communicate with a mobile phone at the phone number to confirm a transaction at the retail terminal and to transmit one or more premium messages to the mobile phone to collect funds for the transaction, and to receive from the server computer a message indicating that the funds are available for the transaction. The retail terminal is to perform the transaction in response to the message from the server computer.