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Configuring Billing Term Subscription Definitions

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Navigating to Billing Term Subscription Definitions

CONFIGURATION > BILLING APPLICATION > BILLING > SET UP BILLING TERM DEFINITIONS

 

What are Billing Term Subscription Definitions?

Billing Term represents the agreement between a customer and the company, and defines the rules and conditions that should be applied during the billing. All billing terms, regardless of their related Billing Schemes, will use billing term definitions in order to retrieve general business rules and restrictions. 

These business rules will be used in order to validate several processes that will be applied to either the billing term or its related billable entities. For example you can define rules where you will not allow Regret after a number of days, or define cancellation penalties based on a particular service and remaining binding period. According to the Billing Term definition, each Billing term in inheriting from, the respective rules will be applied.

Billing Term Definition Rules include validations and restrictions that will be used across billing terms, regardless of their schemes.

For each rule, one or more exceptions can be specified and for each rule it is allowed to define for which billing term schemes these rules must be applied. If no billing term schemes are defined, then this means that the rule is applied to all billable entities. However, if at least one billing term scheme is specified, then the rule will be applied only on billable entities having that billing term scheme.

 

Billing Term Subscription can be edited, deleted and have their life cycle state changed given that validations and restrictions are met.

Navigate to Billing Term Subscription Definition and explore existing records via the Summary page. Click on the link (name or number) of the record of your interest to enter the Data Entry page and have a better look of the available information. Use the Actions Menu to create a new (NEW) Billing Term Subscription Definition , modify (EDIT) or delete (DELETE) an existing one. Use the (BACK) link to go back to the summary page and (CANCEL) to cancel any unwanted changes made to the Definition . Check out the attributes table below for a thorough explanation of the information kept for Billing Term Subscription Definition  and the Validations&Restrictions table to find out validations and restrictions applicable when working with Billing Term Subscription Definition .

BILLING TERM DEFINITIONS


Validations & Restrictions

ActionValidationsRestrictions
General
  • Multiple Billing Term Subscription definitions can exist in the system, but each one should have a unique name and alternative code
  • Only one active Billing Term Subscription  definition can exist at any given time
  • If no active Billing Term Subscription definition exists, then no Billing Term Subscription can be created
Create
  • Mandatory Fields must be defined
  • Name and alternative code must be unique
  • Not Applicable
Edit
  • Mandatory Fields must be defined
  • Name and alternative code must be unique
  • Not Applicable
Delete
  • Not Applicable
  • Cannot be deleted if its the active definition

Billing Term Subscription Definition attributes 

Name

Description

NumberAn auto generated number that uniquely identifies the billing term definition
Name*A name for the billing term definition
Alternative code*An alternative code for the billing term definition
DescriptionA description for the billing term definition
StateThe state of the billing term subscription definition. Only one active definition per Classification should exists.
Classification*

It determines the type of billable entities on which the billing term definitions will be applied on. In this case the classification is set to Subscriptions

Billing Term Rules
Billing term amendment rules

Determines the rules that are applied during billing term amendments. The rules consists of the following:

  • Restrict binding period extension
  • Restrict binding period adjustment
  • Restrict binding period renewal

Applicable on Billing Term Schemes (drill down): Defines the billing term schemes that the subscriptions should be following in order for the specified processing method to be applicable. Multiple billing term schemes can be specified through that list.

Exceptions on specific users or units can also be defined per each rule

APPLICABLE UP TO R9Prepaid Billing Rules

AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R10.0.0

From CRM.COM R10 and forward the section is no longer available.

The logic on Prepaid Billing Run rules will be replaced as follows

  • The minimum wallet balance threshold is defined on the wallet definitions and it is applicable across all billing term schemes
  • The Prepaid Billing Run will not be billing subscription services if the available wallet balance minus the amount to be debited is less than that specified threshold

 

Determines the rules that are applied during prepaid billing runs. The rules consist of the following:

  • Restrict debiting wallets with balance less than the stop service threshold: If enabled then the prepaid billing run will debit wallets for just the remaining amount and not below that. For example if the wallet balance is 10, the stop service threshold is 0, this rule is enabled and the prepaid billing run rated an amount of 15 euros, then a wallet debit transaction will be created for the amount of 10 euros and not 15 euros, resulting to a wallet balance of 0 euros. If this rule is not enabled then the wallet debit transaction will be created for the amount of 15 euros, resulting to a wallet balance of -5 euros.
    The disconnection threshold can be configured in the Prepaid Billing Run Definition under Stop Service Tab which becomes available only if enabled 

Applicable on Billing Term Schemes (drill down): Defines the billing term schemes that the subscriptions should be following in order for the specified processing method to be applicable. Multiple billing term schemes can be specified through that list.

Price changes rules

Determines the rules that are applied when there are changes in price plans which are already used in billing terms. The rules consist of the following:

  • Applying price changes only on customers in binding
  • Applying price changes only on customers out of binding

Applicable on Billing Term Schemes (drill down): Defines the billing term schemes that the subscriptions should be following in order for the specified processing method to be applicable. Multiple billing term schemes can be specified through that list.

Usage Services Billing Rules

AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R10.0.0

From CRM.COM R10 and forward the following change is applied

  • Usage Service Billing Rules are only applicable on normal billing term schemes
  • Usage services will always be billed immediately after execution if the subscription is following a Prepaid billing term scheme

 

Defines the billing rules that should be applied on usage services based on a set of conditions. Multiple rules can be specified but the conditions should not be contradicting

  • APPLICABLE UP TO R9 Processing Method (radio button): Defines if the usage services should be processed and billed immediately on submitting them or if they should be billed by the billing run process. The supported values are the following:
    • Billing run process (the default option)
    • Immediately after execution
  • AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R10.0.0 Maximum un-billed amount threshold: Defines the maximum rated amount of among all usage services that needs to be reached in order for them to be included in a bill. (Applies only for Normal Subscriptions and not Prepaid)
  • AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R10.0.0 Maximum number of un-billed UDRs:  Defines the maximum number of unprocessed Usage Detail Records required in order for Usage Services to be included in a bill. (Applies only for Normal Subscriptions and not Prepaid)
  • Applicable on Billing Term Schemes (drill down): Defines the billing term schemes that the subscriptions should be following in order for the specified processing method to be applicable. Multiple billing term schemes can be specified through that list.

Override Credit Limit Rules

AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R11.0.0

A set of rules which, if met, override the default Credit Limit Rule of CRM.COM, which does not allow any of the events, (Subscription actions) to be executed if the Credit Limit of the customer, defined on their Accounts Receivable is exceeded. i.e. the balance of the Accounts Receivable is greater than the Credit Limit
If no rules are defined, then the default behaviour of exceeding Credit Limit is applied and no Subscriptions can be activated unless the balance of the Accounts Receivable is less than the Credit Limit of the Account

This set of rules define the required conditions that should be met in order for actions to override the Credit Limit Rule and be applied on Subscriptions.

Name

Description

Events

The events which the rule is applicable on:

  • Become Effective Subscriber
  • Subscription Activation
  • End Subscription Resting
  • Subscription Service Start
  • Service Upgrade
  • Service Downgrade
  • Service Swap
  • Add Service Usage
  • Short Term Subscription Activation
  • End Short Term Subscription Deactivation 
  • Change Subscription Distribution
  • Change Subscriber Account
  • Extend Grace Period
  • Amend Bundled Services
Applicable on Conditions

A set of conditions that should be met in order for the rule to be applied and override the Credit Limit rule. Conditions set in the same row must both be met for the rule to be applied.
If no conditions are defined, then the rule is applied anyway. The following can be set:

  • Accounts Receivable Classification
  • Credit Rating


Subscription Action Rules
Activation Conditions
APPLICABLE UP TO CRM.COM R10 

APPLICABLE UP TO CRM.COM R10 - Activation Conditions are available up to CRM.COM R10. As from CRM.COM R11 Override Credit Limit Rules, functionality is used in order to control the activation of Subscriptions.

Determines the conditions that should be fulfilled in order for a subscription or a subscription service to become effective. The condition set includes the following:

  • Billing term scheme
  • Financial account classification
  • Credit rating
  • Outstanding Amount Less Than
  • Outstanding for Less than x days
    If the actual  Due amount (due is calculated based on the x days ago) is more than or equal than the figure provided here, then the subscription will not be activated
  • Account Balance
    If the actual Account Balance is more than or equal than the figure provided here, then the subscription will not be activated

If Billing Term Scheme and Account Classification conditions are met, then the system will proceed to check the rest of the conditions applied (Credit Rating, Balance, Outstanding Amount).

If these conditions are met then the subscription will not be activated. Essentially these fields act as restrictions to Activation.


The conditions are applicable on a set of events. More than one event can be selected per each condition set. The set of events include the following:

  • Become effective subscriber
  • Subscription activation
  • End subscription resting
  • Subscription service start
  • Service upgrade
  • Service downgrade
  • Service swap
  • Add service usage: If checked then the activation conditions will be applicable whenever an Add Service Usage is submitted.
  • Short Term Subscription activation
  • End Short Term Subscription deactivation

Resting period rules

Determines the rules that are applied whenever a subscription goes into resting. The rules consist of the following:

  • Allowed days in resting per year, starting either from the
    • First day of year
    • Subscription effective date
    • Billing start date
    • Agreement date
  • Allowed times in resting per year, starting either from the
    • First day of year
    • Subscription effective date
    • Billing start date
    • Agreement date
  • Minimum and maximum days in resting per each time

The rules can be applied either on all billing term schemes or only on specific billing term schemes. Exceptions on specific users or units can also be defined per each rule.

Grace period rules

 

Determines the rules that are applied whenever a subscription's grace period is extended. The rules consist of the following:

  • Allowed days in grace per year, starting either from the
    • First day of year
    • Subscription effective date
    • Billing start date
    • Agreement date
  • Allowed times in grace per year, starting either from the
    • First day of year
    • Subscription effective date
    • Billing start date
    • Agreement date
  • Minimum and maximum days in grace per each time

The rules can be applied either on all billing term schemes or only on specific billing term schemes. Exceptions on specific users or units can also be defined per each rule.

Regret period rules

Determines the rules that are applied whenever a subscription or subscription service is regretted. The rules are enforcing the customers to regret within a specific period of time after the subscription or the service was activated.The rules consist of the following:

  • Allow regretting a subscription
    • Maximum period after subscription effective date, agreement date or binding start date, measured in days, weeks, months or years
  • Allow regretting a mandatory subscription service
    • Maximum period after subscription service effective date, agreement date or binding start date, measured in days, weeks, months or years
  • Allow regretting an optional subscription service
    • Maximum period after subscription service effective date, agreement date or binding start date, measured in days, weeks, months or years

The rules can be applied either on all billing term schemes or only on specific billing term schemes. Exceptions on specific users or units can also be defined per each rule.

The conditions set will all be validated. 

i.e. if you define an Allow Subscription Regret which is 1 day after Effective Date and Allow Mandatory Service Regret 5 days after Effective Date, when you try to regret the mandatory service the Subscription Regret will also be validated. The mandatory service can only be regretted if only 1 day has passed since Activation.

Either define Period to Regret Subscription or Period to Regret Mandatory Services along with Period to Regret Optional Services. You cannot define all 3 restrictions together.

Service swap rules

Determines the rules that are applied whenever a mandatory or optional service is swapped. The rules are enforcing the customers to swap services only if a period of time after the date that the subscription or the service was activated, has already passed.The rules consist of the following:

  • Swap Type
    • Allow service upgrading
    • Allow service downgrading
    • Allow service switching
  • Minimum period of time before swapping is allowed, starting from 
    • Subscription Effective Date
      Services can be swapped after Subscription Effective Date
    • Subscription Service Effective Date
      Services can be swapped after Subscription Service Effective Date
    • Binding start date
      Services can be swapped after Binding Start Date 
    • Agreement Date
      Services can be swapped after Agreement Date 
    • AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R11.0.0 Rated up to date
      Services can be swapped after the Rated Up to Date, if they are already rated

The rules can be applied either on all billing term schemes or only on specific billing term schemes. Exceptions on specific users or units can also be defined per each rule. This type of rules are configured separately for mandatory and optional services

Cancellation outside of binding rules

Determines the rules that are applied whenever a billable entity is cancelled while not in binding. The rules are enforcing the customers to notify the service provide before cancelling a subscription or subscription service, X UOT before their requested cancellation date. The rules consist of the following:

  • Cancellation type: 
    • subscription cancellation
    • mandatory subscription service cancellation
    • optionally subscription service cancellation
  • Cancellation notice: A period of time before cancellation, which can be measured in days, weeks, months and years

The rules can be applied either on all billing term schemes or only on specific billing term schemes. Exceptions on specific users or units can also be defined per each rule

Either define Allow Subscription Cancellation or Allow Mandatory Services Cancellation along with Allow Optional Services Cancellation. You cannot define all 3 restrictions together.

Cancellation during binding rules

Determines the rules that are applied whenever a billable entity is cancelled while in binding. The rules are enforcing the customers to cancel their subscriptions or subscription services only if the cancellation date is near the binding end date or the allowed cancellation date. The rules consist of the following:

  • Cancellation type:
    • subscription cancellation
    • mandatory subscription service cancellation
    • optionally subscription service cancellation
  • Cancellation type: A period of time before the binding end date or the allowed cancellation date, which can be measured in days, weeks, months and years

The rules can be applied either on all billing term schemes or only on specific billing term schemes. Exceptions on specific users or units can also be defined per each rule. If not rules are specified or applied then cancellations while in binding are not allowed.

The conditions will all be validated. 

i.e. if you define a Subscription Cancellation Notice which is 1 day before binding end and a Mandatory Service Cancellation Notice for 5 days, when you try to cancel the mandatory service the Subscription Cancellation Notice will also be validated. The mandatory service can only be cancelled 1 day before Binding End.

TIP: Either define Allow Subscription Cancellation or Allow Mandatory Services Cancellation along with Allow Optional Services Cancellation. 

Short Term Activation period rules

 

Determines the rules that are applied whenever a subscription is activated for a short period of time. The rules consist of the following:

  • Allowed days in short term effective per year, starting either from the
    • First day of year
    • Subscription effective date
    • Billing start date
    • Agreement date
  • Allowed times in short term effective per year, starting either from the
    • First day of year
    • Subscription effective date
    • Billing start date
    • Agreement date
  • Minimum and maximum days in short term effective per each time

The rules can be applied either on all billing term schemes or only on specific billing term schemes. Exceptions on specific users or units can also be defined per each rule.

Short Term Deactivation period rules

 

Determines the rules that are applied whenever a subscription is deactivated for a short period of time. The rules consist of the following:

  • Allowed days in short term not effective per year, starting either from the
    • First day of year
    • Subscription effective date
    • Billing start date
    • Agreement date
  • Allowed times in short term not effective per year, starting either from the
    • First day of year
    • Subscription effective date
    • Billing start date
    • Agreement date
  • Minimum and maximum days in short term not effective per each time

The rules can be applied either on all billing term schemes or only on specific billing term schemes. Exceptions on specific users or units can also be defined per each rule.

For each of the rules added in each area of the Subscription Action Rules, Conditions in the Applicable on Conditions section follow the logic below

Values on the same row are related by AND
Values on different rows are related by OR

Policies

AVAILABLE FROM CRM.COM R9.0.0

For each added rule, Conditions in the Applicable on Conditions section follow the logic below

Values on the same row are related by AND
Values on different rows are related by OR

 

Expense ServiceThe Expense service that will be automatically added on the subscription once the policy's conditions are met. Only products marked as expense services are available for selection.
Event *
Mandatory if an expense has been selected 

A list of events upon which the Expense service might be eligible to be automatically applied on a subscription as long as the policy's Conditions are met. Only one event can be selected each time. The following events are available:

  • Subscription Initiation
    Expense Service is added automatically whenever a new subscription is created and activated or when a draft subscription is activated.
  • Short Term Subscription activation
     
    Expense service is added automatically whenever a subscription is activated for a short period of time
  • Subscription Cancellation
    Expense Service is added automatically whenever a subscription is cancelled 
  • Subscription Regret
    Expense Service is added automatically whenever a subscription is regretted 
  • Change Subscriber
     
    Expense Service is added automatically whenever the subscriber changes on the subscription (change of subscription owner, not just the accounts receivable).
  • Add Installed Item
     
    Expense service is automatically added when a new installed item is added on the subscription.through the Add Installed Item action
  • Swap Installed Item
    Expense service is automatically added when a new installed item is added on the subscription through a swap installed item action
  • Remove Installed Item
    Expense service is automatically added when an installed item is removed from the subscription through a remove installed item action 
Conditions

A set of Conditions that should be met in order for the Expense Service to be added on the subscription. Multiple conditions can be defined per event-based conditional expense policy. The conditions set includes the following:

If no condition is defined then the expense will be added every time the event is triggered

  • Subscription Types
  • Billing Term Schemes
  • Binding state
    • In Binding
    • Out of Binding
  • Existing Installed Item
    • Existing Installed item product (available for all type of events)
    • Existing Installed item product type (available for all type of events)
    • Existing Installed item product family (available for all type of events)
  • Installed Item to be added
    • Installed Item product to be added (available only if the event is add installed item or swap installed item)
    • Installed Item product type to be added (available only if the event is add installed item or swap installed item)
    • Installed Item product family to be added (available only if the event is add installed item or swap installed item)
  • Installed Item to be removed
    • Installed Item product to be removed (available only if the event is remove installed item or swap installed item)
    • Installed Item product type to be removed (available only if the event is remove installed item or swap installed item)
    • Installed Item product family to be removed (available only if the event is remove installed item or swap installed item)

Settings

For each of the rules added in each area of the Settings, Conditions in the Applicable on Conditions section follow the logic below

Values on the same row are related by AND
Values on different rows are related by OR

 

Billable Life Cycle States

Used to determine additional billing directions to extend the default behavior of the system. Additional billing direction consist of the following:

  • Additional Billable Subscription Service Life Cycle States: Billable subscription service life cycle states are used to determine which subscription service life cycle state history periods are billable or not. By default the system considers “Effective” and "Short Term Effective" periods as billable, but this can be extended by defining additional billable subscription service life cycle states. The supported states are the following:
    • Draft
    • Not Effective
    • In Resting
    • Short Term Not Effective
  • Additional conditions are available, which include the following:
    • Subscription Services
    • Subscription Types
    • Billing Term Schemes
    • Binding state (in binding / out of binding)
Non Creditable Life Cycle States
  • Additional Non Creditable Subscription Service Life Cycle States: Additional non creditable subscription service life cycle states are used to determine which subscription service life cycle state history periods should never be refunded (i.e. credited). By default the system considers “Effective”, "Short Term Effective" and “Draft” periods as non creditable, but this can be extended by defining additional non creditable subscription service life cycle states. The supported states are the following:
    • Draft
    • Expired
    • Not Effective
    • In Resting
    • Cancelled
    • Swapped
    • Removed
    • Short Term Not Effective

Additional conditions are available, which include the following:

  • Subscription Services
  • Subscription Types
  • Billing Term Schemes
  • Binding state (in binding / out of binding)
Allowed billing frequenciesDetermines the billing frequencies which can be used in billing term schemes, along with a label translation. Five custom options are also available. The time unit of each custom option can also be configured through this section
Allowed binding periodsDetermines the binding options which can be used in billing term schemes, along with a label translation. Five custom options are also available. The time unit of each custom option can also be configured through this section

Penalties

For each of the rules added in each area of the Penalties, Conditions in the Applicable on Conditions section follow the logic below

Values on the same row are related by AND
Values on different rows are related by OR

 

Cancellation penalties

Cancellation penalties are used to determine the penalties that will be applied when a service is cancelled either within or outside of binding.

Cancellation penalties can be specified either as a fixed amount or as a percentage. In the case of cancellation within binding the percentage is applied on the remaining time up to the binding end date. Different cancellation penalties within binding can be configured to cover different periods before binding end date. For example 20 percent if the cancellation is 12 to 6 months before the binding end date and 10 percent if the cancellation is 6 months before the binding end date.

Multiple cancellation penalties can be defined. Each cancellation penalties can be applied on all subscribers or on specific subscribers based on their:

  • subscription services
  • subscription type
  • billing term scheme
  • No labels