A standard feature is a reusable template for common services you offer repeatedly. Think of it as a blueprint: when you add line rental or voicemail to a customer, you can use a standard feature that already has all the pricing, discounts, and settings filled in. This saves time and keeps pricing consistent across your customer base.
Key Benefits
- Consistency: Every feature linked to a standard feature uses the same pricing and settings
- Efficiency: No need to re-enter charges, tariffs, and terms for each customer
- Central updates: Change the standard feature once and all linked features pick up the new values at the next billing run
How Inheritance Works
When a feature is linked to a standard feature, the platform uses a simple fallback rule:
- If a field is filled in on the feature itself, that value is used
- If the field is empty, the value from the standard feature applies
This means you can use the standard feature for most settings and override just the fields that differ for a particular customer. For example, you might have a “Business Line Rental” standard feature at £12.00/month, but override the recurring charge to £10.00 for a specific customer on a promotional deal.
When you update a standard feature, all features that inherit from it pick up the changes the next time charges are raised. Only fields that haven’t been overridden on the individual feature are affected.
Field Reference
Standard features share many fields with regular features. See the Features field reference for detailed descriptions of shared fields. The sections below summarise the fields available on a standard feature.
Feature Details
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A unique name for this template (e.g. “Business Line Rental”) |
| Availability | Controls who can use this template: Available, Headline, or Historic |
| Feature Type | The type of service (e.g. line rental, voicemail) |
| Description | Default description shown on invoices for linked features |
| Customer Products | Default products to associate with linked features |
| Auto Committed Count | How the committed count is calculated automatically |
Availability
The Availability field controls whether a standard feature appears when adding or editing features:
- Available: Shown in the standard feature dropdown when adding or editing features
- Headline: Highlighted as a preferred option
- Historic: Hidden from the dropdown but still linked to any existing features that use it
Charge Details
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Feature Value | Total value over the lifetime of linked features |
| Instalments | Number of instalments to split the total value |
| Transaction Type (One-Off) | Transaction type for one-off charges |
| One-Off Charge | Default one-off charge amount |
| Transaction Code (One-Off) | Code for one-off charges (for accounting exports) |
| Transaction Type (Recurring) | Transaction type for recurring charges |
| Recurring Charge | Default recurring charge amount |
| Recurring Charge Interval | How often the recurring charge applies |
| Transaction Code (Recurring) | Code for recurring charges (for accounting exports) |
| Transaction Code (Calls) | Code for call/usage charges |
| VAT Rate | Default VAT rate for one-off and recurring charges |
| VAT Rate (Calls) | Default VAT rate for call/usage charges |
Discount Scheme Details
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Initial Discount Scheme | Discount scheme applied when the feature is first created |
| Ongoing Discount Scheme | Discount scheme applied on an ongoing basis |
Tariff Overrides
Set default tariffs for specific call types. These override the customer or number tariffs when set.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Fixed Fee Tariff | Default fixed fee tariff for linked features |
| Inbound | Override tariff for inbound calls |
| National | Override tariff for national calls |
| Mobile | Override tariff for mobile calls |
| Non-geographic | Override tariff for non-geographic calls |
| Service Numbers | Override tariff for service numbers |
| International | Override tariff for international calls |
| Extended International | Override tariff for extended international calls |
| Surcharges | Override tariff for surcharges |
Discount Plans
Up to four discount plans can be set, each with a multiplier to control how much of the feature’s usage counts towards the discount pool.
Carrier Charge Details
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Carrier | Default carrier for linked features |
| Carrier Product | Default carrier product code |
| Carrier Product (Advanced Match) | Advanced matching pattern for carrier product codes |
| Carrier One-Off Charge | Default carrier one-off charge |
| Carrier Recurring Charge | Default carrier recurring charge |
Commission Details
Default commission settings for linked features, including profiles and amounts for one-off, recurring, and call charges. A secondary commission holder can also be configured.
Term Details
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Renewal Period | Default renewal period length and unit |
| Minimum Term | Default minimum term length and unit |
| Committed Term | Default committed term length and unit |
| Notice Period | Default notice period length and unit |
Adding a Standard Feature
- Go to Add menu > Standard Feature
- Enter the standard feature details, starting with a unique Name
- Fill in the default charges, tariffs, and terms as needed
- Click Save
The standard feature is now available to select when adding or editing features.
Editing a Standard Feature
- Open the standard feature from the standard features list
- Click Edit
- Make your changes
- Click Save
Changes take effect the next time charges are raised for linked features. Only inherited (non-overridden) fields on linked features are updated.
Cloning a Standard Feature
To create a new standard feature based on an existing one:
- Open the standard feature you want to copy
- Click Actions menu > Clone
- Give the new standard feature a unique name
- Adjust any fields as needed
- Click Save
Deleting a Standard Feature
- Open the standard feature
- Click Actions menu > Delete
Important: You can only delete a standard feature if no features are currently linked to it.
Price Increases
You can apply a percentage increase to a standard feature’s charges. Two modes are available:
- Apply Increase (In Place) — increases the recurring (and optionally one-off) charges on this standard feature in-place. All linked features that inherit their charges pick up the new values at the next billing run. Available from the Expert menu (requires expert level 5 to edit).
- Create Increased Version — creates a new standard feature with increased charges, leaving this one unchanged. Available from the Actions menu.
See Price Increases for full details, scope options, and step-by-step instructions.
Linking a Standard Feature to a Feature
When adding or editing a feature on a customer or number:
- Select the standard feature from the Standard Feature dropdown
- The platform fills in empty fields from the standard feature’s values
- Override any fields you need to change for this specific feature
- Click Save
To remove the link, edit the feature and clear the Standard Feature field.
Practical Example
Scenario: You offer a standard business line rental at £12.00/month with a 12-month minimum term.
- Create a standard feature called “Business Line Rental”
- Set the recurring charge to £12.00 and the interval to monthly
- Set the minimum term to 12 months
- Set the fixed fee tariff to your standard business tariff
Now, when adding line rental to any customer:
- Select “Business Line Rental” as the standard feature
- All the pricing and terms are filled in automatically
- If a customer negotiates a different rate, just override the recurring charge on their feature
If you later increase the standard rate to £13.00, all customers still on the inherited rate are updated at the next billing run. Customers with an overridden charge keep their existing rate.