ZoneBilling Supported Configurations

Billing software is fun, right? Most billing administrators wouldn’t agree with that statement, but ZoneBilling breaks the mold. The product is so flexible that configuring a new use case doesn’t have to be painful and oftentimes is actually fun! Once you understand the underlying data structure, it is possible to incorporate custom records, custom data points and advanced saved searches to tailor your system specifically to your business needs. And on top of all that – you can automate rating and billing saving everyone a ton of time! Below you will find an overview of the types of billing scenarios that ZoneBilling can handle out of the box. Most ZoneBilling environments mix and match these configurations to create complex, multi-dimensional billing solutions. 

One-Time Charge

A One-Time Charge configuration is just what it sounds like – a fee that only gets charged once. This type of configuration is often used for Implementation Fees, Activation Fees or other things that only happen once per billing contract. These fees can be added at any time during the contract period as needed

Fixed (Recurring)

A Fixed (Recurring) configuration is a fee that is charged on a regular schedule. This type of configuration is often used for recurring license, application or program feeds. Plus, in between billing cycles, you can adjust the data points like rate or contract end date if something changes!

Usage (Variable)

Usage can be pretty widely defined here. While this is a popular configuration for rental, telecommunication, data and energy usage, it has also been used for expenses and miscellaneous costs that need to be billed to clients. ZoneBilling supports three types of Usage (Variable) configurations and a multitude of pricing options. (Check back later for articles on pricing configurations in ZoneBilling!)

• Consumption – This is usage that is viable for rating during one specific billing period. This is the most commonly used usage type and can be found in almost every business. 
• Count – This is usage that is viable for all billing periods until an end date is entered or a negative usage record is entered to offset the count. A common use case would be software licensing where licenses can start or end mid-billing period, but otherwise roll over month to month. 
• Ad Hoc – This usage is not associated with any defined billing period, but rather allows it to be billed as usage is incurred without waiting for a specific bill date. 

Fixed (Recurring) & Usage (Variable)

This configuration is – you guessed it – a combination of the two configurations above. It is very popular in the telecommunications industry – think of a monthly cell phone plan that has a standard recurring fee and a cost per number of minutes or text messages over a specified limit. 

Prepaid Subscription

The configuration allows for a payment from a customer upfront that can be consumed by one or more Usage (Variable) configurations. The prepaid balance is reduced based on the amount being charged to the customer. No more tracking prepaid usage balances in a spreadsheet!

Prepaid Item Quantity

This configuration also allows for an upfront customer payment but it is consumed by one specific Usage (Variable) configuration and is based on the quantity of usage times a preset rate of deduction. 

Regardless of the industry you’re in, if you need to accommodate repetitive, contract or usage billing, ZoneBilling can be tailored to your company’s needs to relieve manual calculations and reduce user error. Check out Devma’s other ZoneBilling articles for more information on how ZoneBilling can streamline your billing processes.