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Configuring Prepaid Billing Term Schemes for Subscriptions

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Billing Term Schemes for Subscriptions

Billing term schemes are used to control the creation or modification of billing terms by providing the allowed options for each input field and by setting the default values, and also to control billing engine processes by providing the billing rules and policies that should be applied during billing runs.

Each Billing Term Scheme has a life cycle state which determines how the billing term scheme can be used. Each billing term scheme has an effective and expiration date, which are set automatically when the life cycle state is set to effective and terminated accordingly. Billing Term schemes can be modified or deleted only if there is no billing terms (effective or terminated) related with that billing term scheme.

If there is a need to modify a billing term scheme, then a specific action is applied which creates a new billing term scheme in life cycle state Effective related with the previous one, which is updated to status terminated and moved to billing term schemes history.

There exist 2 Billing Types of Billing Term Schemes, both of which are configured in the same screen however, one serves, Prepaid Billing and the other is for Normal Billing.

In this manual you will find out how to set up Prepaid Billing Term Schemes. If you would like to have a peak into Normal Billing Term Schemes setup, visit Configuring Normal Billing Term Schemes

 

Creating, Editing & Deleting Validations & Restrictions

ActionValidationsRestrictionsAdditional Information
Create
  • Mandatory fields have been defined
  • Not Applicable
  • Not Applicable
Edit
  • Mandatory fields have been defined
  • Cannot be edited if they have been added on at least one entity
Delete
  • Billing Term schemes cannot be deleted if there are any billable entities which are not terminated or have billable information which was not processed and billed yet.
  • Not Applicable
  • Not Applicable

Billing Term Schemes for Subscriptions attributes 

Name

Description

Billing term code*The same code is used across all billing term scheme instances of the same billing term scheme
Classification*

It determines the type of billable entity that will be allowed to use this billing term scheme. In this case the classification is set to Subscriptions

Billing Type*

Defines the billing type that will be used by the billing engine in order to bill services and physical goods. The supported options are the following:

  • Normal
  • Prepaid
Name*The name of the billing term scheme
DescriptionA description of the billing term scheme
Life cycle stateDetermines the state of the billing term scheme. The following billing term schemes life cycle states are supported:
  • Draft: Billing term schemes having that life cycle state cannot be used to create billing terms.
  • Effective: Billing term schemes having that life cycle state can be used to create billing terms and to apply billing rules during billing runs
  • Terminated: Billing term schemes having that life cycle state cannot be used to create new billing terms. Billing terms already related with a terminated billing term scheme will still be billed by applied the billing rules specified on that billing term scheme.
Effective & Expiration dates*

Each billing term scheme has an effective and expiration date, which are set automatically when the billing term scheme is created or being replaced by another billing term scheme. A version number is also kept on each billing term scheme that defines the version of each billing term scheme instance

Billing Rules
Concurrent usage based pricingDetermines if concurrent usage based pricing is allowed to be specified in billing terms of this scheme
Discount options*

Determines if the billing terms will use a fixed or flexible pricing. If fixed pricing is selected then ad hoc discounts cannot be applied on billable entities having billing terms of this scheme

Billable period start date*

The Billable Period Start Date used to determine how to automatically set the billable period start date on each new subscription service, which is the date that determines the start date of the billable period of each subscription service (it answers to the question “from which date should I start billing this service”). Subscription service billable period start date is by default set equal to the subscription service effective date, but it can be overridden by the rules specified in these definitions or by the subscription action which is adding the subscription service, if the billable period start date is explicitly defined there. The supported options are the following:

  • Subscription action performed date
  • Subscription action performed date + X UOT (i.e. + 1 month)
  • Subscription Service Initial Effective Date
  • Subscription Service Initial Effective Date + X UOT (i.e. + 1 month)
  • Subscription Service Latest Effective Date
  • Subscription Service Latest Effective Date + X UOT (i.e. + 1 month)
  • Binding Start Date
  • Binding Start Date + X UOT (i.e. + 1 month)
  • Agreement Date
  • Agreement Date + X UOT (i.e. + 1 month)
Billing effective date*

Billing Effective Date definition is used to determine how to automatically set the billing effective date on each new subscription service, which is the date that determines when a subscription service should start being billed. Subscription service billing effective date is by default set equal to the subscription service effective date, but it can be overridden by the rules specified in these definitions or by the subscription action which is adding the subscription service, if the billing effective date is explicitly defined there. The supported options are the following:

  • Subscription action performed date
  • Subscription action performed date + X UOT (i.e. + 1 month)
  • Subscription Service Initial Effective Date
  • Subscription Service Initial Effective Date + X UOT (i.e. + 1 month)
  • Subscription Service Latest Effective Date
  • Subscription Service Latest Effective Date + X UOT (i.e. + 1 month)
  • Binding Start Date
  • Binding Start Date + X UOT (i.e. + 1 month)
  • Agreement Date
  • Agreement Date + X UOT (i.e. + 1 month)
Allowed Attributes
Allowed Services
Supported services

Determines which services are supported by the billing term scheme. This means that the billing term scheme related to a subscription will define which services are available to exist on the subscription.

If a billing term scheme does not include any services as supported ones, then this means that all services are allowed for this scheme.

Only termed, usage and expense services are allowed to be added in that list

Billing Type *

AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R9.0.0

Defines if the specified service should be billed for a period in advance or for a period of time which was already exceeded. The supported are the following:  

  • Post-Rate: This is the default option. If selected, then the related service will be rated up to the date that the prepaid billing run was performed
  • Pre-Rate: If selected, then the related service will be rated up to the date that the prepaid billing run was performed + the "period billed in advance" defined for that service

Period Billed in Advance *
Mandatory id the Pre-Rate billing type is selected 

AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R9.0.0

Defines the period that the specified service will be billed in advance. The period can be specified in days, weeks or months. This information is applicable and mandatory only for Prepaid Billing Term Schemes and only if the supported service's billing type is set to Pre-Rated.
Can only take integer values greater than 0
Allowed Price Plans
Price plansDetermines which price plans should be allowed to be used during the creation of billing terms having that billing term scheme. By default all price plan can be selected in the allowed price plans of a billing term scheme. If a billing term scheme does not include any price plan as allowed ones, then this means that all valid price plans are allowed for this scheme.

Defining your own Billing Term Schemes for Subscriptions tailored to your company's needs

  1. Navigate to CONFIGURATION > BILLING APPLICATION > BILLING > SET UP BILLING TERM SCHEMES
  2. Either search for an existing one or from the Top Menu click on NEW
    PREPAID BILLING TERM SCHEMES

  3. MAIN INFORMATION

    1. Provide information for the following fields

      1. Code: Provide name for the scheme

      2. Name:  Provide name for the scheme
      3. Type: Select PREPAID from the Drop down list
      4. Classification: Select Subscription from the Drop down List
      5. Description:  Provide a description for the scheme

  4. ALLOWED ATTRIBUTES

    1. SERVICES

      1. Click on ADD to search and add the services that will be available for subscription created based on the specific scheme

      2. Billing Type: Select between Pre-Rate and Post-Rate AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R9.0.0

      3. Period Billed in Advance: Type the period to be billed in advance and the UOT which can be days, weeks or months - AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R9.0.0
    2. PRICE PLANS
      1. Click on ADD to select from the drop down list the price plans that will be available for subscription created based on the specific scheme

  5. BILLING RULES

    1. GENERIC

      1. Billable Period Start Date: Select the billing method from the drop down list

      2. Billing Effective Date: Select the billing method from the drop down list

      3. Discount Option: Select the billing method from the drop down list. 
        Select Flexible Pricing if you would like to enable Additive Discounts application 

      4. Allow Concurrent Usage: Check the box if you would like to enable concurrent usage

  6. From the Actions Menu click on SAVE

  7. LOG INFORMATION

    Log information section keeps all the logging information related to the specific record

    • Basic set of information available in all entities
      • Created By User: The user that created the entity
      • Created By Unit: The unit of the user that created the entity
      • Updated By User: The user that last updated the entity
      • Updated by Unit: The unit of the user that last updated the entity
      • Date Created: The date the account was entity
      • Date Updated: The date the account was last entity
        LOG DETAILS

Amending Billing Term Schemes for Subscriptions

Billing Term Schemes cannot be updated in case there is at least one subscription/job that uses the specific Billing Term Scheme. If a Billing Term Scheme is required to change then a new Version of the scheme will be created. In this way:

  • When Billing Term Scheme A Version 1 is amended and Version 2 is created
  • Then
    • Subscriptions that have been created with Billing Term Scheme A Version 1, will keep abiding by rules and restrictions on Billing Term Scheme A Version 1
    • Subscriptions that have been created with Billing Term Scheme A Version 2, will abide by rules and restrictions on Billing Term Scheme A Version 2

Amend Billing Term Scheme

To amend a Billing Term Scheme follow the steps below

  1. Navigate to CONFIGURATION > BILLING APPLICATION > BILLING > SET UP BILLING TERM SCHEMES
  2. Search for an existing Billing Term Scheme
  3. Click on the number of the scheme to go to the Data Entry Page
  4. From the Actions Menu click on ACTIONS > AMEND
  5. Make the required changes
  • Note that the following fields cannot be amended
    • Code
    • Type
    • Classification

System Processing

  • New Billing Term Scheme
    • Version number will increase by 1
    • Effective Date will be set to the current date
    • All the configuration will be carried over from previous version
  • Previous Billing Term Scheme
    • Expired On  will be set to the current date
    • Life Cycle Date will be updated to Terminated

Viewing Previous Versions 

Accessing a billing term scheme with multiple versions, you will always see the latest version, while you have the option to View configuration of Previous versions by using the "VIEW PREVIOUS VERSIONS" link found in the Main Information tab

  1.  Click on the VIEW PREVIOUS VERSIONS link
    VERSIONING
  2. Search from the modal for the version you would like to see
  3. Select the version
    1. The system will now show the configuration of  the version you have selected.
  4. To go back to the current version click on the CURRENT VERSION link under Main Information

Deleting Billing Term Schemes for Subscriptions

  1. Search for the entity that you would like to delete
    Visit  Using Summary Pages   to find out how you can search using CRM.COM Summary Screens
  2. Click on the link of the record you would like to delete, to be transferred to the Data Entry page
  3. From the actions menu click on "DELETE"
     The entity will be deleted given that the validations are satisfied

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