Importance of Improving Your Telecom Billing Collection Process

Is your telecom billing process a no-brainer? If not, it should be. The monthly telecom bill is the primary contact most customers have with their service providers. Customers only reach out to communication service providers when there’s a problem—a network outage, service disruption, or billing question. Billing plays a big role in customer experiences—good or bad.

More than a transactional process, the telecom billing experience is a crucial interaction when customers evaluate the value they receive for their financial investment. A clear, convenient billing process demonstrates transparency, efficiency, and customer focus, building trust and loyalty. Simplifying the telecom billing process is important for customer satisfaction, retention and reducing costly collections.

Why Streamline Your Telecom Billing Collection Process?

An efficient telecom billing process is crucial for customer satisfaction and on-time payments.

When money is tight, consumers must decide which bills to pay first. According to a survey of 2140 U.S. consumers, 72% of respondents prioritize paying bills for essential services (think electricity and water). Friction in the telecom billing process also influences bill-paying decisions. More than one fifth (23%) of Millennials pay the easiest-to-pay bills first.

Complicated, unclear telecom billing statements are frustrating and jeopardize trust. Poorly defined charges and fees confuse customers and create doubt that they are being billed fairly—especially when bills are sometimes inaccurate. Customers who think they’re paying too much—or being over-charged and can’t tell why—are likely to switch providers. One study of mobile users in India found that hidden charges and billing errors increased consumers’ intentions to switch mobile providers. Another study found that billing problems increased the likelihood of switching mobile operators.

Telecom Billing Collection Process: 5 Steps to Monetization

Telecom billing systems manage the data and processes a CSP needs to rate calls, calculate charges and present invoices to customers.

Gathering Usage Data

The first step in the telecom billing process is to gather detailed records of customer usage of telecom services (voice calls, text messaging and internet data usage). Collecting this data is essential for accurately tracking and billing the services used by customers.

Usage data includes information about each event (i.e., a single billable occurrence of service usage, captured electronically by the network). For example, when someone makes a mobile phone call, the usage data for that call (event) includes call duration, time of day, and the phone number that was called. A Call Detail Record (CDR) stores usage details, including

• Calling Party (A number).
• Called Party (B number).Call Start (date and time).
• Call duration.
• Call Type (Voice, SMS, Data).
• A unique sequence number identifying the record.
• Other fields as needed.

The mediation system processes the CDRs and converts them into a format compatible with the billing system.

Rating Calls

Rating is the process of determining the charge/price of individual events. The telecom billing system includes a rating engine (Online Charging System) that calculates charges based on pre-defined charging rules.

The rating engine matches the event source (mobile number or IP address) to an account to determine what account will be charged for the event—and what rate plan (rating tariff) to use in charge/price calculation. The rating engine uses rating tables and event information from the CDRs to calculate the actual charge for each call. The rating tables include:

• Connection charges
• Minimum billable connection times
• Configurable call increments
• Call rounding options (up, down, round)
• Minimum and maximum calling charges

Generating Invoices

In this step, the billing system determines the final charges for each customer. The system:

• Rounds off amounts according to the company’s billing policies.
• Calculates charges.

  • Recurring charges (e.g., monthly plan costs)
  • Non-recurring charges (e.g., one-time setup fees or roaming charges)
  • Applicable Taxes

• Applies eligible discounts.
• Creates detailed, clear invoices that break down charges, services and fees.

Sending Invoices to Consumers

Billing systems deliver invoices to customers via email, print, PDF, or online. Customers can view their telecom bill via an online customer portal.

The billing system also sends payment reminders, increasing on-time payments and reducing the costs associated with collections.

Processing Payments

Payment processing refers to the processing of bill payments into the billing system. CSPs should offer a variety of payment methods to accommodate customer preferences:

• Cash
• Check
• Credit/debit card
• Automatic recurring payments
• ACH

As payments come in, the billing system posts the payments to the customer’s account.

B2B Telecom Billing

Telecom billing is more complicated for B2B than it is for B2C. As CSPs become digital service providers that provide a variety of services to enterprise customers, billing systems must be flexible enough to accommodate different business models (such as tiered pricing, subscriptions, and custom services). CSPs must be able to bill for network slicing, 5G private networks, and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity. The usage-based pricing model isn’t practical for IoT devices that generate relatively small amounts of data. The cost of managing and billing for each device might outweigh the revenue generated.

How Telecom Billing Software Can Help You Streamline Your Billing Process

5 Benefits of Modern Telecom Billing Systems

A modern telecom billing system is essential for managing the complicated billing process described above. Telecom providers need state-of-the-art billing software for several reasons:

Greater Efficiency

Telecom billing systems automate manual tasks, increasing efficiency and allowing CSPs to provide services on a large scale. Telecom billing systems streamline operations and save time by automating the gathering of usage data, calculation of charges and generation of invoices.

Increased Accuracy and Increased Revenue

Executing telecom billing processes manually is time-consuming and prone to human error. Integration with usage tracking systems allows telecom billing systems to capture real-time data on customer usage, services, and pricing plans. Using this data, the billing system generates accurate invoices by automating calculations (including taxes and discounts). Advanced telecom billing systems provide real-time rating and accurate pricing, so CSPs don’t leave money on the table. By minimizing errors, the billing system increases annual revenue per user (ARPU).

Enhanced Security

Telecom billing systems support the most up-to-date data security and privacy requirements. Telecom billing software keeps sensitive customer data secure, and robust security measures protect against data breaches and unauthorized access, fostering trust among customers. Advanced billing systems incorporate fraud detection and prevention features, safeguarding the telecom company and its customers.

Data-Driven Decisions

Telecom billing systems contain valuable data on customer usage and preferences–and data analytics that guide decisions about service offerings (e.g., bundles and subscriptions), pricing and resource allocation. For example, if data analysis reveals that an enterprise customer regularly exceeds the monthly data allowance, the digital service provider can use this information to develop a customized data plan that meets the customer’s needs.

Better Brand Reputation

For a telecommunications company to maintain an excellent reputation, it needs to consistently offer high-quality services and deliver smooth customer experiences. Telecom billing systems generate accurate invoices, building customer trust, and allow customers to easily manage their accounts and services.

Improve Your Telecom Billing Collection Process With CSG

An efficient, accurate telecom billing process is crucial for customer satisfaction and on-time payments.

CSG Ascendon streamlines the entire billing process, from gathering usage data and rating calls to generating clear invoices and processing payments. This translates to reduced costs, improved customer satisfaction, and increased revenue.

Download our eBook, Migration Mastery: How to De-Risk Your Telecom Billing System Conversion, to discover how modern telecom billing unlocks new services, attracts customers, and increases ARPU by 15%.