Billing Errors

As the platform processes calls, some entries may fail due to missing information, such as a missing number or rate. You can view these failures in Billing Errors, accessible from the Billing Run menu.

Not all sections described below will be visible to every user. The sections you see depend on your platform setup and your individual permissions.

At the top of the page, a Billing Run dropdown lets you filter errors to a specific billing run, or select All to see everything outstanding. Filtering to a specific run helps you focus on the issues that affect the bills you are about to produce.

Next to the dropdown is a Billable calls only checkbox. When ticked, the page hides calls that can never form part of a bill: those from CDR files marked as non-billing. This filter carries through every report, count, CSV download and action on the page.

When you open Billing Errors from an individual billing run, the platform preselects that run in the dropdown and ticks Billable calls only for you, so you see only the traffic that affects that run. Opening Billing Errors from the main menu instead shows everything, with the dropdown on All and the checkbox clear.

You do not have to fix everything here

Many errors are quicker to fix at the source, and you do not have to clear them all in one sitting or stay in the run until it is complete. Adding a missing number to a customer, uploading an up-to-date tariff, or dropping a number with the carrier are all done in their usual places in the platform. Once the underlying data is right, come back and reprocess the affected calls to clear the errors. You can leave the billing run and return later; the errors stay outstanding until the calls are reprocessed.

Summary Page

The summary page shows outstanding issues, broken down into sections. Each section shows the number of affected calls, their cost, and how many distinct items (numbers, tariffs, etc.) are involved. Where some calls have no cost data, the cost displays as “at least” the known total.

Work from the top of the list to the bottom. Fixing errors in one section may introduce new errors further down. For example, adding a missing number without the necessary tariffs clears the number error but creates a missing tariff error.

Each section contains a link to view the specific issues. Against each issue is a link to view the individual calls. Every summary table can be downloaded as a CSV: use the Download CSV option on the View menu in enhanced mode, or the download link shown above the table in standard mode. The filename records the report, billing run and date.

Applying Changes

On the actionable error lists, each row carries its own controls: a checkbox or dropdown for each action available on that list (bill, delete, ignore or add). Make your choices across as many rows as you like, then click the single Apply Changes button to apply them all in one pass.

In enhanced mode the controls are colour-coded so a mixed batch is easy to read at a glance: green for bill, red for delete, and blue for add.

Where a row is ticked for more than one action, billing takes priority: a row marked for both bill and delete is billed rather than deleted, and a charge band row marked for delete is skipped when charge bands are allocated. The reprocessing buttons then apply your changes to the affected calls.

Number Errors

The first set of errors relates to traffic that cannot be assigned to customers or numbers in the platform. This can happen for several reasons, such as a number being missing entirely, or being present but not billable on the date of the call. A call can appear in multiple sections if it could match multiple numbers.

Check these lists regularly. They usually indicate loss-making traffic, either from missed billing to a customer or from traffic on numbers you cannot bill. For example, a number may not have been fully dropped when a customer left.

Fix these at source where you can

For most number errors the proper fix is to get the number right on the customer: add the missing number with the correct Date Sold, correct the dates on an existing one, or drop it with the carrier if the customer has left. The calls then bill correctly and stay fixed. Ticking Delete or Ignore is a shortcut to get the bills out, not a long-term fix: reserve it for traffic that should genuinely never be billed, such as your own numbers or test calls, rather than using it to clear the list.

Unregistered CLIs

This is the broadest category. It shows all unprocessed calls that cannot be matched to a number in the platform. Where the platform finds potential matches, it displays them alongside the CLI.

List columns: CLI, Carrier, Calls, Call Cost/£, Call Dates, Delete, Ignore/Delete By Number, Customer, Number, Call Plan, Dates

Available actions:

• Delete Calls: tick the delete control against calls to remove
• Ignore/Delete Traffic By Number: choose an ignore type to add numbers to the ignore list
• Add Numbers: select a customer to create the missing numbers against

Unrecognised Numbers

A subset of unregistered CLIs where the platform found no potential matches at all. This usually means a number has been sold to a customer but not yet entered into the platform.

List columns: Number, Carrier, Calls, Call Cost/£, Call Dates, Delete, Ignore/Delete By Number, Add

Available actions:

• Delete Calls: tick the delete control against calls to remove
• Ignore/Delete Traffic By Number: choose an ignore type to add numbers to the ignore list
• Add Numbers: select a customer to create the missing numbers against

Adding a missing number

When you add a number from an error list, make sure the value in the Number column ends up in the Number field and/or the CDR Number field on the new number. If you put it in CDR Number, you can set the Number field to a tidier display version. If the Extension column shows a value, put it in the Extension field, otherwise leave it blank. The platform allocates calls to a number based on its dates, so set the correct Date Sold to make sure these calls are picked up.

Loose Matches

Numbers that are close to registered CLIs but not an exact match. This includes transposed or missing digits, as well as prefix mismatches such as +44 versus 0044. The platform shows the closest registered numbers alongside each entry.

It is possible to reduce the strictness of number matching to avoid some of these appearing as errors.

List columns: CLI, Carrier, Calls, Call Cost/£, Call Dates, Delete, Ignore/Delete By Number, Customer, Number, Call Plan, Dates

Available actions:

• Delete Calls: tick the delete control against calls to remove
• Ignore/Delete Traffic By Number: choose an ignore type to add numbers to the ignore list

Unbillable Numbers

Numbers that are present in the platform but cannot be billed to the customer they belong to. This is generally because the numbers are still passing traffic after the customer’s account has been closed.

List columns: CLI, Carrier, Calls, Call Cost/£, Call Dates, Delete, Ignore/Delete By Number, Customer, Number, Call Plan, Dates

Available actions:

• Delete Calls: tick the delete control against calls to remove
• Ignore/Delete Traffic By Number: choose an ignore type to add numbers to the ignore list

Out of Date Call Plans

Numbers that are present in the platform and would be billable, but the calls fall outside the dates the number has been marked as billable for. This can be due to calls before the Start Date of the call plan on the number, which typically (but not always) points to a data entry issue. It can also be due to calls after the End Date, which, like unbillable numbers, can mean a number has not been dropped with the carrier.

List columns: Number, Carrier, Calls, Call Cost/£, Call Dates, Delete, Ignore/Delete By Number, Customer, Number, Call Plan, Dates, Bill

Available actions:

• Delete Calls: tick the delete control against calls to remove
• Ignore/Delete Traffic By Number: choose an ignore type to add numbers to the ignore list
• Bill Calls:tick the Bill control against call plans you want to bill despite the date mismatch

Unmatched Calls

Calls on numbers that would normally be assigned the traffic, but a restriction is preventing the match. These restrictions are usually carrier- or direction-based, where a number is only valid for calls from a specific carrier or specific call directions. Usually another number would be expected to handle these calls, but in some cases they can be ignored.

List columns: Number, Carrier, Call Directions, Calls, Call Cost/£, Call Dates, Delete, Ignore/Delete By Number, Customer, Number, Call Plan, Dates

Available actions:

• Delete Calls: tick the delete control against calls to remove
• Ignore/Delete Traffic By Number: choose an ignore type to add numbers to the ignore list

Ignored CLIs

Numbers you have told the platform to ignore. Traffic on these numbers no longer appears in the other number error sections and is listed here instead. This is useful for your own numbers, or numbers in quarantine after being dropped by a customer and awaiting reassignment.

List columns: Number, Carrier, Calls, Call Cost/£, Call Dates, Ignored By

This section is display-only. To stop ignoring a number, remove it from the ignore list in the platform settings.

Charge Band Errors

Fix these at source where you can

The lasting fix is to tell the platform how the band should be handled: allocate it to the correct call type (creating the type if it does not exist yet), or store a permanent rule for a discrepancy. Ticking a box to delete the calls is a shortcut to get the bills out, not a long-term fix: it loses billable traffic and leaves the same band to error again on the next run.

Unrecognised Charge Bands

Carrier charge band codes that are not mapped to a call type in the platform. The list is grouped by carrier.

List columns: Band, Call Count, Cost/£, Allocate, Delete, Add

How to resolve:

For each unrecognised band, use the Allocate dropdown to select the correct call type. You can pick any call type, but the platform’s best-guess suggestions are promoted to the top of the list and colour-coded. Suggestions are based on:

1. Call types determined from CDR location lookups
2. Fuzzy name matching against existing call types
3. Generic call types

The list also offers the fallback (less granular) parents of the guessed call types, so you can allocate to a broader type where no exact match fits. If a single clear match is found, the platform pre-selects it.

If the call type does not exist yet, create one without leaving the page. Use the Add link (or the Add New Call Type link on a band’s drill-down) to create a call type from the shared call type templates, with the name and details pre-filled from the band. You can amend the pre-filled name before applying.

You can also tick the Delete control against a band to remove its calls instead of allocating them.

Once you have made your selections, click Allocate Charge Bands to apply them all. Then click Process Charge Bands to reprocess the affected calls.

Caution

Anything showing here usually means a new type of traffic has arrived that has not been set up yet. If you are unsure how a band should be classified, contact support before allocating it.

Charge Band Discrepancies

Cases where the platform and the carrier disagree on the call type for a charge band. For example, the platform might classify a call as “UK Mobile” based on the number dialled, while the carrier’s charge band says “International”.

List columns: Carrier, Chargeband, Chargeband (Carrier), Call Count, Cost/£, Reset, Existing, Add

Bands that already have a “do not override” rule are moved below the actionable rows and greyed out under an Ignored (existing overrides) heading, so the rows that still need attention stay at the top.

How to resolve:

• To accept the carrier’s classification, use the Reset checkbox. Some boxes arrive already ticked, where an existing rule for that carrier/charge band combination says to reset to the carrier. Tick any others you want to reset. Nothing is applied until you commit it: whenever any Reset boxes are ticked, whether pre-ticked or ticked by you, click Reset and Use Carrier Chargebands to apply them. This clears the platform’s determination and reprocesses those calls using the carrier’s charge band.
• To create a permanent rule for this carrier/charge band combination, use the Add link to set up a charge band discrepancy record. If one already exists, the Existing link takes you to it.

Aligning carrier-defined calls

Click a band’s view link to see a table of the codes coming from your CDRs alongside the call type the platform converted each into. Where the carrier’s own definition should win, for example on SMS, tick Reset and click Reset and Use Carrier Chargebands to align the calls currently showing.

That only fixes the calls in front of you. For a permanent fix, store an override with the Add link so future calls on that band are handled automatically, either by always resetting to the carrier’s charge band or by moving them to the ignored list.

Tariff Errors

Fix these at source where you can

The proper fix is to add the missing rate where it belongs: the carrier tariff for wholesale, or the customer or number’s retail tariff for retail. That clears the calls in this run and every future call on the same rate. Ticking Bill Calls to apply a manual rate is a shortcut to get the bills out, not a long-term fix, and should never stand in for adding the rate properly.

Missing Wholesale Tariffs

Calls where no carrier tariff exists for the call type. The list is grouped by carrier and number type.

List columns: Call Type, Calls, Cost/£

Available actions:

• Delete Calls: tick the delete control against calls to remove
• Bill Calls: bill at a manually specified rate (a temporary fix, not recommended)

Missing Retail Tariffs

Calls where a retail tariff is missing or incomplete. This section is split into three sub-types.

Fixing missing rates in bulk

Use the calls link at the bottom of a list to group the affected calls by type, which makes mass-fixing much quicker. A call type labelled Outbound means the dialled or dialling number is not recognised by the lookup table, for example a misdialled or internal number: either delete these calls or set a manual rate for them. Anything else here is usually a genuine missing rate that needs adding to your tariffs. Use the customers link to see which customers are affected.

Missing Retail Rates

A combined view showing all retail tariff errors together. This is useful for seeing the full picture before drilling into the specific sub-types below. The list is grouped by number.

List columns: Call Type, Calls, Cost/£

Available actions:

• Delete Calls: tick the delete control against calls to remove
• Bill Calls: bill at a manually specified rate (a temporary fix, not recommended)

Customers/Numbers with Missing Tariffs

No tariff has been assigned to the customer or number for the specific call type. These appear as two separate lists: one grouped by customer, one grouped by number.

List columns: Tariff, Calls, Cost/£, Add Tariff

Available actions:

• Delete Calls: tick the delete control against calls to remove
• Bill Calls: bill at a manually specified rate (a temporary fix, not recommended)
• Add Tariff:use the dropdown to assign an existing tariff to the customer or number

Tariffs with Missing Rates

A tariff exists but the specific call type or time period combination has no rate. The list is grouped by tariff.

List columns: Call Type, Time, Calls, Cost/£, Rate

Available actions:

• Delete Calls: tick the delete control against calls to remove
• Bill Calls: bill at a manually specified rate (a temporary fix, not recommended)
• Rate:link to the tariff editor to add the missing rate directly

Call Drill-Down

Clicking a CLI or number in any error list opens a detail view showing the individual calls.

In the number error sections, the drill-down shows the calls directly. In the charge band and tariff sections, it also shows the customer and number the call is billed to.

The calls tab shows these columns: Target, External Number, Termination Number, Carrier, Charge Band, Start Date, Time Period, Duration, Bytes, Events, CDR Cost, PPM

Use this view to investigate individual calls before deciding whether to delete, ignore, or bill them.

Common Actions

The actions below are the row-level choices you tick on the error lists. You select them across whichever rows you need, then commit them together with the single Apply Changes button.

Delete Calls

Deletes the call traffic itself, not just its entry on the error list. Tick the delete control against the rows you want to delete. Deleted calls can be restored for a limited time, so this is safe for traffic you are confident should not be billed. Available in most number and tariff error sections.

You can optionally filter which calls to delete:

• Max duration:only delete calls up to this many seconds long
• Max cost:only delete calls up to this many pence in cost

Leave both blank to delete all ticked calls regardless of duration or cost.

Ignore/Delete Traffic By Number

Adds a number to the ignore list so its traffic no longer appears in the number error sections. For each number, select the ignore type from the dropdown (for example, own number, test traffic, or wrong number). The available types are configured in your platform settings.

Ignored traffic moves to the Ignored CLIs section instead.

Add Numbers

Creates the missing numbers against a customer. Tick the numbers you want to add, then choose the customer using the search box. The selector searches your full active customer base, so you are not limited to the most recent customers. This action is available on both the Unrecognised Numbers and Unregistered CLIs lists.

See the tip on adding a missing number for what to enter in the Number, CDR Number, Extension and Date Sold fields.

Bill Calls (Wholesale)

Puts a manual wholesale cost against calls that have no carrier tariff. Tick the bill control against the rows, then enter a rate and select the rate type:

• % CDR Markup:percentage markup on the CDR cost
• p:fixed rate in pence per call
• ppm:rate in pence per minute

This is a temporary fix and we recommend against it. The usual shortcut of a 0% CDR markup (in effect, trusting the CDR cost) masks genuine problems rather than solving them. Where the wholesale cost really is unknown, it is better to leave it blank. The right fix is to obtain the missing rate from your supplier and enter it into the carrier tariff.

Bill Calls (Retail)

Puts a manual retail price against calls that have no retail tariff. Tick the bill control against the rows, then enter a rate and select the rate type:

• Fallback Markup:use the effective fallback markup (checked on the tariff first, then the number, then the customer)
• % CDR Markup:percentage markup on the CDR cost
• % Carrier Markup:percentage markup on the carrier cost
• p:fixed rate in pence per call
• ppm:rate in pence per minute

Like the wholesale version, this is a quick way to get a run out but is not recommended as a lasting fix. The proper fix is to add the missing rate to the tariff, which the Rate link on the Tariffs with Missing Rates list takes you straight to.

Reprocessing

After resolving errors, use the processing buttons at the top of each section to reprocess the affected calls:

• Process Unallocated:reprocess calls in the number error sections
• Process Charge Bands:reprocess calls with charge band changes
• Process Wholesale:reprocess calls with wholesale tariff changes
• Process Retail:reprocess calls with retail tariff changes