Non-Usage Charges

Not every charge on an invoice comes from call usage. Line rentals, installation fees, equipment charges and manual adjustments all reach the invoice through different routes. This guide explains how each type of non-usage charge is created, how its price is determined, and where to set it up.

The Four Sources

The platform creates non-usage transactions from four sources.

How Each Source Creates Transactions

One-Off Charges

When you add a feature with a one-off charge, the platform creates a single transaction on the feature’s start date. The charge is multiplied by the feature count if one is set. One-off charges are created once and do not repeat.

Recurring Charges

Features with a recurring charge generate a new transaction at each billing interval (monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.). If a feature stops part-way through a period, the platform pro-rates the final charge regardless of interval type. At the start, behaviour depends on the interval: calendar-aligned intervals (e.g. Calendar Monthly) pro-rate the first charge to align with the calendar boundary, while non-calendar intervals (e.g. Monthly) simply run from the feature’s start date with no initial alignment or pro-rating. Like one-off charges, the amount is multiplied by the feature count.

Carrier-Generated Charges

Your carriers can supply fixed fee files containing non-call charges such as line rentals and installation fees. The platform imports these files, creates carrier transactions, and matches them to the correct customer, number or feature. During the billing run, each carrier transaction becomes a billing transaction on the customer’s invoice. See Supply Files for how files are delivered.

Manual Charges

You can add a transaction directly to a feature or invoice at any time. Manual transactions cover a wide range of scenarios: billing for one-off products or services, charging for bespoke work, applying goodwill credits, or raising any charge that doesn’t fit a recurring pattern.

For businesses that sell products or ad-hoc services alongside subscriptions, manual transactions are a core part of day-to-day billing rather than an exception. If a manual transaction is linked to a feature with a fixed fee tariff, the platform can fill in pricing automatically — leave the value blank and the tariff calculates it for you.

See Adding a New Transaction for the steps.

How Pricing Is Determined

When the platform creates a non-usage transaction, it follows a chain to find the right price. The first value it finds wins.

The Charge Resolution Chain

For one-off and recurring charges:

1. Explicit charge on the feature — if a charge amount is entered directly on the feature, that value is used
2. Standard feature default — if the feature is linked to a standard feature and the charge field is empty, the standard feature’s value is used
3. Fixed fee tariff — if neither the feature nor the standard feature has a value, the platform looks up a fixed fee tariff

For carrier-generated charges, the platform uses a fixed fee tariff to determine the retail price. The tariff can set a fixed amount, a pro-rated amount, or a percentage markup on the wholesale cost from the carrier file.

For manual charges, the platform applies a fixed fee tariff to fill in any values you leave empty. If you enter a retail value, the tariff is not used for that field. If you leave the wholesale value empty but a wholesale tariff exists, it fills that in too.

Fixed Fee Tariff Lookup

When the platform needs a fixed fee tariff for a transaction linked to a feature, it checks these locations in order and uses the first one it finds:

1. Feature — a tariff set directly on the feature
2. Standard feature — a tariff set on the linked standard feature
3. Number — a tariff set on the number the feature belongs to
4. Service — a tariff set on the service the feature belongs to
5. Customer — a tariff set on the customer

For transactions added directly to an invoice (not linked to a feature), the platform uses the tariff set on the customer.

Within the tariff, the platform picks the rate that best matches the transaction’s number type, feature type and transaction type. More specific rates take priority over general ones. See Fixed Fee Tariffs for full details on how rate matching and priority work.

Wholesale vs Retail

The platform can track both the wholesale cost (what your carrier charges you) and the retail price (what you charge your customer) for non-usage transactions.

Retail tariffs calculate the price shown on the customer’s invoice. The tariff can set a fixed amount, a pro-rated amount, or a percentage markup on the wholesale cost.

Wholesale tariffs calculate the expected carrier cost. They are matched based on the carrier providing the service, and work the same way as retail tariffs.

When both are in use, the billing run applies the wholesale tariff first (to determine cost), then the retail tariff (to determine the customer price). If the retail tariff uses percentage markup, it calculates the markup on the wholesale value.

When to Use Each Approach

Use explicit charges on features when pricing is simple or bespoke. For example, you’ve agreed a specific monthly fee with one customer. Enter the amount directly on the feature.

Use standard features when many customers share the same pricing. Set up one standard feature with the correct charges, then link each customer’s feature to it. Updating the standard feature updates all linked features at the next billing run.

Use fixed fee tariffs when you need standardised pricing across many features with different types. For example, charge £12/month for all line rentals but £8/month for internal numbers. A single tariff handles both, and you don’t need to enter charges on every feature. See Fixed Fee Tariffs for setup details.

Use carrier files when your provider supplies billing-quality charge data. The platform imports the file, matches charges to features, and uses your tariff to calculate the retail price. See Carrier Transactions for details.

Quick Reference