In some cases it can be required that traffic is not billed to the DP or SP, but to a third party providing a service over airtime. This can be applied to all traffic types that have a destination number or address. This is a four step process.
Step 1: creating the ICCID
As all airtime needs to be billed to a device/SIM card/ICCID, for the purpose of reversed billing a custom ICCID must be created, after which in the price plan this ICCID is included. They key identifier on this ICCID is the Mobile Number, which is the phone number that the remote device is calling. This can be a phone number or an Inmarsat C address.
The ICCID is owned by the customer that is to be billed for the reversed billed traffic so has to be created in that account. Add the MSISDN as the ICCID as well as for the Mobile Number.
Step 2: Defining the reversed billing number
Go to Tools – Settings – Reverse Billing Destination Numbers
It is possible to enter one or more numbers here. When mediation encounters a CDR with a destination number in this list, mediation will ignore the IMSI and ICCID fields of the vendor CDR, and match the CDR to a device in IBIS based upon the destination number of the CDR. In case a reverse billing number is limited to a specific service, add the serviceCode using a pipe character (|) as a separator, like this: 1234567890|Voice
Step 3: Creating the priceplan
It is recommended to activate a reversed billing number on a separate priceplan that is created especially for this purpose. The contract is with the owner of the reversed billing number, therefore the price plan should be as well.
Step 4: Activating the reversed billing ICCID onto the priceplan
Activate the ICCID on the required price plan, for billing only – do not provision to the airtime provider and/or PoP.
Step 5: Running the EOM
Two invoices are affected: One invoice is generated for the reversed billing entity (DS) (the owner of the ICCID) and the other for the user of the airtime BT), who does not see the CDRs on their invoice.
Please note that this can’t be applied retrospectively, as the assigning of the CDR happens as part of Mediation, not as part of rating. Reverse billing can only be applied with a future date.