provided by Star2Billing S.L.

Hello everyone,

After reading thru the forum, and patching up all the pieces i can find concerning DID Billing...
I'm happy to say, i got it working flawlessly after 2 nites of intense reading and trial & error.

However i have noticed, that everyone posted different ways of getting it to work, what work for one person didn't work for the other.

As i continue to read, i realized that while all configs provided by some folks didn't work for the other, was mainly due to the fact that each had a different way of how they would apply their billing, so therefore what worked for John, didn't work for Peter..

So much said, i haven't came across any document, that has the entire process documented from beginning to end, most folks only posted just certain parts of the process, and therefore that give others hell to get it working..

eg. i set up the DID billing with free package of 3000 minutes, but for no good reason, i could have get it to bill after 3000 minutes, it was still billing from the first call made.
it took me a while searching till i find a post by JROPER, stating that you have to click on "USE FREE TIME TO CALL PACKAGE" in the rate sheet.

Now, if you know what you a doing, it's a simple pick up, but if you're not so sure, you'll be trying from now till tomorrow, and still won't get it to work..

What i also found very difficult, i was searching and finding postings dated all the way back to 2006, and trying to apply those too, but little did i know, in newer version of A2billing, it wasn't working like that..(waste of my time, should have looked at the date of posting first, before trying)

Also what i have realized, was that most people fail to understand the logical thinking of how the process works, and were applying steps in the wrong manner, can't blame them, base on what i read, the nice helpers was listing the steps not in the correct order (makes me think of UNIX) instructors taught always with the assumption that you know UNIX already...

In many places i would see, example (not necessarily in this wording, just to make the point).
I create Rate card.
I create trunk.
......
....

Now logically speaking, it would be best to create the trunk first, cause you need to use that trunk in your ratecard.

These are the stuff that i found very confusing, especially for the newbies.
most don't take the time to search, and if they do search they don't use the correct keywords, so they finds nothing..

While just by reading almost every link i find by the Gurus, STRAVOS, CALLINGCARD, JROPER, ASIBY, GUE, and the many others....
i managed to patched up every note, and come to a working solution.

What i would like to do is the following, i already started, but i'm missing some key info to complete the process.

Write up the entire DID Billing process, in a logical manner..
DID billing from ISP --> FREEPBX --> A2Billing --> SIP/IAX2 Friend
DID billing from ISP --> FREEPBX --> A2Billing server 1--> A2Billing server 2 (Reseller to his client)

As i said, it's working 100%, maybe it can do with some fine tuning, i'll leave the gurus add in the missing parts, advise on the not so best manner, and i'll make corrections where needed.

I'm not an expert in A2billing, just someone that thinks logical, and read before i start posting (lord, i really hate it when someone says, search for yourself - it hurts, especially when you have been searching for 2 hours, and using the wrong keywords - joke)

Ok, enough of the pre-history, time for what i need to complete.

1-
===========================
If a DID is assigned to a CARDNumber by admin.
the DID would only be billed if VOIP_CALL = NO.
-----------------------------------------------------
If you have enabled the DID screen for your client in a2billing.conf.
the client can easly go to this screen, edit his VOIP_CALL = yes....

**note, haven't tested to see what the results will be.

Question:
Can this be fixed in some how so the client, can't change that option, besides not letting them see the DID screen.

What are the outcome if the client do change this to Yes,
which over rules, the client settings, or the setting the admin created when he assigned the DID..

this can have serious financial impact, if you don't know exactly what's happening behind the screen with this FIELD set to the wrong option..

2-
===========================
If a DID is purchased by client via DID screen
Cleint has choice to select VOIP CALL - yes|no
-----------------------------------------------------
Same question apply, if this setting has search great impact on the billing of this DID.
Why would we want the client to make that choice,
shouldn't this be set in one of the .conf files, or somewhere in the DID database.

----NOTE......
Maybe i'm over looking a setting somewhere, but didn't find any thing related to this option in my many, many search queries.
in my document, i would really like to emphasis on this setting, as it can send you poor, if your are also paying for the DIDs per/minute from your provider.
(maybe i understand this choice incorrectly, if i do please be so kind to put me on the right track.)

3-
===========================
A2Billing to A2Billing..
Reseller option
-------------------------------------------------
This one was difficult, really had me sweating, had to goto bed, wake up fresh in the morning, and yep, that fresh mind did the trick.

After using wrong information, i had hell getting the DID number passed thru to the 2nd A2billing server, i tried every option i find, but all i was getting sent to the other a2billing server, was the CARDNUMBER that that server used to register to the first A2Billing server...
Finally i find the key, that lied in the DID destination, it was so simple, but darn hard to find it..

What was done:
Free package set up....linked to call plan
3000 Minutes Free..base on monthly roll over
Buy Rates and sell rates assigned to RateSheet..
RateCard assigned to callplan

What was tested:
SIP/IAX Friend on 2nd a2billing received incoming call.
Admin checks CDR reports..
this is what he sees:

1. 2009-03-08 16:41:18 4844 22353639583 did incoming 00:04 2353639583 LOCAL-SIP ANSWER DIDCALL 0.002 usd 0.000 usd n/a -100.00%

Important here:
buy rate = 0.002usd
sell rate = 0.000usd.

Now this is exactly what we wants to see, lets us know that the free package is working.
however, it does shows a negative inpack on your buy rate.

So i cross-check this, logged in as client to the 1st A2billing, and that also showed correctly that i was not billed for the incoming call (same setup - Free package 3000Minutes etc.)
so, we cooking on gas and feels happy.

It works like a charm, and we all happy..
but for reporting issues on the 2nd A2billing, it can't be justified.

Question:
Anybody knows how we can better fix this up, to capture the FREE MINUTES also for the buy rate, on the 2nd A2billing server.
therefore if we are withing the 3000 minutes, buy rate won't display 0.02 but 0.00.

4-
===========================
Rate sheets for DID's
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Searching brought me lots of different answers,
but as i said before, everyone applied his/her solution for a specific purpose.

It was not clear, if a rate sheet was needed for every DID i brought into A2Billing.

Taking note that DID's from different countries/providers has a different price tag attached.
So i was thinking,
Create DID's by virtual groups..
all DID's that cost the same (USA) gets one rate sheet, (GER) a next rate sheet...also, ietc..etc..etc

Same would apply for DIDs from different providers.
(am i over doing it? - can it be more simple?)
that was easy..

Where i was lost in the process with multiple DIDs (haven't make no test as yet - discussion is base on testing of single DID)

In different posting, was different ways of adding the PREFIX of the DID to be caught and sent to the right callplan/ratecard.

In one post, mancho mention, that he does it by giving each ratesheet a prefix of 2 and thereafter linking that prefix just before calling the extension number in the DID Destination.
(this work perferctly)

Some other places, i saw, some using %callcard% instead of %dialingnumber% in the trunk, and then doing a sip_iax_dirct dial option.

Somewhere it was also mention, to add the users extension number as the
dial prefix in the ratesheet.
(this one i really didn't understand, and didn't find the logic)

While both options may work perfect for each giving reason.

i'm still trying to understand the logic, as to how this all happens.
very slow on this one (need some more coca-cola)

Question -
If DIDs are setup in virtual groups (USA, germany, canada,etc)
and using just a prefix if 2, as described by manch, would they be all captured correctly, or would there be major error messages....?

or should each virtual group have it's own prefix?

how is this best achieved, for many DIDs?

Now what those questions answered, i'll have a step by step document of what i did to get it working..
this i believe all newbies, can use as they first step in getting it to work, once working they the creativity can come out the bag, for each different way of usage...

after all, that's how i did it...started with the basic, and then try all kind of things..
but the basis are working..

Thank your guys for such a wonderful product, wish i had found it 2 years ago...

I would like to have this doc posted as my first contribution to the forum,
if such a document already exist, let me know where it is, and i'll see if i can kind work around it....

If that's the case, please say as much (and ideally mention those search keywords in your post to leave some crumbs for others to follow) and I'll be happy to furnish you with links if I can find them.

To cover the cost of the inbound DID each DID can deduct a fixed cost each month. If you need to charge per-minute fees then there is a work-around elsewhere on this forum which I believe you've already found (I think 'manchu' may have first described it, it involves creating an additional rate-card and 'spoofing' the DID destination).
If voip_call = no the customer can only call destinations that cost you only bandwidth not money, so the outbound leg of the DID is free-of-charge. If voip_call = yes the destination is looked up in the rate-tables and charged at the prevailing rate.
With this in mind, do you still have concerns as to how to bill DIDs effectively?

I'm not aware of a means to define a progressive rate structure such as this for your buy-rates. It would need a little code.

So here we're referring to manchu's inbound per-minute charging work-around? A single rate-card will suffice for all the DIDs, unless you have a pressing reason for wanting to further separate them. As for which rates you should add, well that's a loaded question.
Let's try an example: in the UK an 0800 DID is free to the caller but costs me 2 pennies-per-minute, an 0845 costs the caller standard land-line rates and costs me 1p per-minute. I would add two rates to the 'virtual DID' rate-card, one for each prefix (and therefore one for each charge band).
Your country's dial-plan may differ, and you may not be able to deduce the per-minute rate from the first few digits of the prefix alone. In this case you'll have to add each DID individually to the 'virtual DID' rate-card.
Remember that it doesn't matter what length of prefix you add to the DID before looking it up in the 'virtual DID' rate-card, so long as your 'virtual DID' trunk removes sufficient digits to re-normalise the destination number. You can use this to your advantage if, for example, you receive 0800 DIDs from two providers with different rates.
Documentation ideally belongs on the wiki. I'm sure any effort you'd care to donate in improving our existing documentation would be appreciated by everyone. One benefit of placing it on the wiki is that the help link at the top of every A2B screen (hopefully!) takes you straight to the relevant wiki article.

With that said, can i safely assume the following:
voip_call option has effect on OUT GOING CALLS?.

if my assumption is correct? what's the link between this option being selected in order for the DID to be billed per minute.
what's the effect of this selection on the DID being charged.
I'm just trying to figure out the logic, so please bear with me.....

As i'm thinking out loud, this is how i see it.....
DID is purchase from upstream provider, and is charge per month, and also with a charge per minute......

In A2billing in my rateshate i make the rates available.
client purchase this number, and chooses voip_call = no..
he will not be charged per minute, but i will be charged per minute by my provider..

please correct me if i'm the wrong track of thinking, and guide me in the correct direction if my taughts are way off track..

That's correct, it affects only the outbound leg of DID calls.

As I said previously, if it's set to 'NO' all calls will be free (the destination must be a VoIP URL, rather than a PSTN number, and will be routed directly to that URL). If set to 'YES' all calls will be charged the standard rate to that number (and be routed using the A2B trunk specified in the rate-tables).
Yes, that's correct. If you additionally want to charge for the inbound leg you need to use manchu's work-around (which always charges, regardless of what VoIP_call is set to).

Stravos....thanks man...
this is what i needed to be aware of.
knowing this makes the logic easier to understand..

These are the correct terms of making it more understandable...