Billing
Telecom BillingAlso known as VoIP billing, Rating and billing
Definition
Telecom billing is the process of turning usage records into charges and invoices. A billing system collects CDRs, rates each call against price plans (per destination, time and billing increment), applies bundles and taxes, debits prepaid balances or builds postpaid invoices, and reconciles costs with carriers.
The billing pipeline
- Mediation: collect and normalise CDRs from switches and gateways.
- Rating: match each call to a rate by destination prefix and time band, then apply billing increments such as 60/60 (per minute) or 1/1 (per second).
- Charging: debit a prepaid balance in real time, or accumulate charges for a postpaid invoice.
- Invoicing and payments: produce invoices, apply taxes and record payments.
- Reconciliation: compare costs from carriers against your own CDRs.
Prepaid vs postpaid
| Prepaid | Postpaid | |
|---|---|---|
| When paid | Before use | After the billing period |
| Credit risk | None: calls stop at zero balance | Provider carries the risk |
| Needs | Real-time balance checks | Credit limits and collections |
| Common for | Resellers, new customers, minute bundles | Established business accounts |
Real-time charging needs the switch and the billing system to talk during the call, so a prepaid account can be stopped when its balance runs out.
Billing in GSMCalls
Accuracy depends on clean inputs: consistent time zones, correct answer times, up-to-date rate decks and a clear rounding rule. Most billing disputes trace back to one of these rather than to the billing software itself.
GSMCalls includes prepaid billing with plans, minute allocations, spending limits and live balances, driven by its own CDRs, so operators and resellers can manage usage per customer and site without spreadsheets. See pricing, features and telecom billing software for VoIP. Measures such as ASR and ACD come from the same records.
Frequently asked questions
What is rating in telecom billing?
Calculating the price of each call from its destination, time and duration using the applicable rate plan and billing increments.
What does 60/60 or 1/1 billing mean?
The first number is the minimum billed period and the second the increment after it, in seconds. 60/60 bills per full minute; 1/1 bills per second.
Why is real-time billing important for prepaid?
Without it, calls can run past a zero balance and create unrecoverable debt.