Table of Contents
Overview
Prepaid subscriptions are funded from the wallet of the subscriber. Services can be billed for a predetermined upcoming period (pre-rated) or right after being used (post-rated). Depending on their type, services are billed when activated or during a prepaid billing run.
In order for a subscription to be successfully activated, there must be sufficient funds in the wallet of the subscriber to cover the period during which the services will be active. Should the funds be insufficient when the billing run takes place, the services become candidates for deactivation.
This guide aims to explain how CRM.COM modules interact and provide a solution for billing prepaid subscriptions.
View the Subscription Management solution overview to find out which CRM.COM modules interact to set up and use subscriptions.
View the Subscription Normal Billing solution overview to find out how CRM.COM manages normal subscription billing.
View the Understanding CRM.COM billing models solution overview to find out how CRM.COM manages billing in general.
Prepaid Billing in CRM.COM
Several CRM.COM modules and processes (described below) interact to provide a comprehensive solution for billing prepaid subscriptions.
Prepaid billing specifics
Billing term schemes establish contract term options, rules for billing subscriptions, and the billing model (normal or prepaid). Subscription services offered through a prepaid scheme must be settled before they are used. The scheme configuration can be used to define the period for which a service must be prepaid (e.g., one day or week).
Subscription types represent the packages a company offers its subscribers. Each type can support one or more billing term schemes. Prepaid billing term schemes must be added to a subscription type to determine how the services will be billed.
The billing definition translates the rules of a business into system rules, administering the billing of a subscription throughout its life cycle. Default values required by the prepaid billing run are specified in the definition's billing settings.
Subscription types and billing terms schemes are set up to customize the behavior of an individual subscription.
Billing definitions are used to apply common rules and manage all subscriptions.
Funding prepaid subscriptions
A wallet is automatically created when a prepaid subscription is registered. The wallet is associated with the subscription and used to pay its expenses. Wallet transactions credit and debit the wallet. Funds are deducted from the wallet based on the subscription service rates.
The accounts receivable (a subscriber financial account which is also used for identification) funds the wallet. The wallet must be credited in advance in order to be able to order or reactivate services.
Billing of prepaid subscriptions
The prepaid billing run is a recurring (background) process which identifies and bills prepaid subscription services that are both pre-rated (billed for an upcoming period) and post-rated (billed at the end of each day).
In addition to the recurring billing process, a prepaid subscription is also billed each time it is activated (initial registration or following a deactivation due to lack of funds). During the billing process conducted on activation, the system can verify that there are sufficient funds in the wallet of the subscriber to cover the period. The services are not activated and billing is not conducted if the funds are insufficient. If the funds are sufficient the services are activated, billing takes place and funds are deducted from the wallet.
Deactivating and reactivating prepaid subscriptions
Deactivation is a recurring background process used on subscriptions when wallet funds are insufficient to cover the upcoming period. As a result, the provision of subscription services is discontinued and their billing is put on hold.
The deactivation process can also identify subscriptions or services whose period of 'resting', 'grace', or 'short-term deactivation' is about to end and determine whether they should be reactivated or deactivated again.
Deactivated subscriptions are reactivated once the outstanding balance is settled, or through an automatic activation process that verifies that there are sufficient funds in the wallet to cover the upcoming period.
Debiting and crediting the wallet
Wallet transactions debit or credit the wallet of the subscriber.
- Debit wallet transactions are created when the subscription is billed.
- Credit wallet transactions are created when the wallet receives a payment.
In CRM.COM, a wallet can be credited with cash, direct debit cards, online credit card payments or vouchers (pre-paid cards that can be used to top up an account).
It is possible to safeguard against service interruption by automatically topping up the wallet. The wallet can be funded from an online payment system (such as credit card or PayPal) when its balance falls below a predetermined threshold.
Recommended Reading
Integrating with CRM.COM
- Authentication
- Subscriptions
- Accounts Receivable
- Wallets
- Vouchers
- Price Plans