1. A method for real-time multimedia messaging service (MMS) rating and billing comprising: receiving a request from a multimedia server in a multimedia messaging service rating and billing device via an interface protocol to rate an MMS message associated with a user account; determining a rate for the MMS message in dependence on pre-determined rating rules at the multimedia messaging service rating and billing device; communicating the determined rate from the multimedia messaging service rating and billing device to an external billing system in order to charge the user account; receiving a second communication in the multimedia messaging service rating and billing device indicating a success or failure in charging the determined rate to the user account; and communicating a response from the multimedia messaging service rating and billing device to the multimedia server via the interface protocol indicating, in dependence on the second communication received in the multimedia messaging service rating and billing device, the success or failure in charging the user account.