Call Rating Formula Wizard

Because of the extreme flexibility of the call rating formula, it has a quite complex syntax. To avoid possible errors, the call rating formula wizard allows you to design a call rating formula easily.

The top table allows you to edit rate parameters (such as interval or price per minute) directly; below it, the current formula is displayed (read-only); and, finally, there are two tabs for managing different formula parameters.

Rating Sequence

Here you can construct the actual call charge plan by defining a sequence of charge elements such as time intervals, surcharges and call disconnect.

Please consult the Charging Calls – Rating Formula Method section of the Unified PortaSwitch Handbook Collection for more details.

The following categories are available in the (Available) list on the left.

Interval – sets rounding and prices for certain call intervals.
Fixed Surcharge – adds a fixed amount to a call's cost.
Relative Surcharge – adds a percentage to a call’s cost. This percentage is counted based on the sum of charges for all charge elements from the beginning of a call to the moment of the surcharge application. Relative surcharge is added immediately when it is applied.
Call Disconnect – forcibly disconnects calls.

Choose the element type from the list on the left (Available).
Fill in the element parameters (such as interval duration, price, etc.).
Click the Include button to add this element to the formula.

Interval

Field	Description
Count	Number of rounding periods in the interval.
Duration	Rounding period (in seconds).
Price	Price per minute automatically prorated according to the rounding period duration.

Fixed Surcharge

Field	Description
Custom	Defines the amount to be added to the total call cost at a specified moment.
Tariff Connect Fee	If enabled, the amount specified in the tariff Connect Fee field will be applied.
Tricky	If enabled, a fixed surcharge will be left out when the call duration is announced to the end user.
Apply randomly	Randomly applies a fixed surcharge using a percentage chance (defined below).
Probability	Defines a percentage chance for applying a fixed surcharge (only available if the Apply randomly field is enabled).

Relative Surcharge

Field	Description
Custom	If specified, the total call cost (for all charge elements from the beginning of the call to the moment of the surcharge application) will be increased by a specified percentage.
Tariff Post call surcharge	If enabled, the call cost for all charge elements from the beginning of a call to the moment of the surcharge application will be increased by the percentage specified in the tariff’s Post Call Surcharge field.
Tricky	If enabled, a fixed surcharge will be left out when the call duration is announced to the end user.
Apply randomly	Randomly applies a relative surcharge using a percentage chance (defined below).
Probability	Defines a percentage chance for applying a relative surcharge (only available if the Apply randomly field is enabled).

Disconnect Call

Field	Description
Probability	Defines the percentage chance for disconnecting the call.
Dispersion	The interval in seconds during which the call disconnection will occur.

Call Duration

NOTE: This option must be enabled on the configuration server web interface; by doing so, you accept the responsibility for any legal issues related to use of this billing feature.

Do not bill calls shorter than – For a detailed description of this feature, see the Too short calls section of the PortaBilling Administrator Guide.

Field	Description
Interval, sec.	The duration of a specific call interval to which “add duration” should be applied. Initially there will be only one row in the Add Duration table, defining the rule to be applied to the whole call. Click the Add button to add a rule for another interval. Intervals are interpreted according to the order in which they appear in the table, e.g. the first row covers the first 300 seconds, the second row covers the following 300 seconds, and so on.
Extend By, %	Defines how the call duration for this interval should be changed (increase in percentage; a 0 value means that the call duration should not change).

Field

Description

Interval, sec.

The duration of a specific call interval to which “add duration” should be applied. Initially there will be only one row in the Add Duration table, defining the rule to be applied to the whole call. Click the Add button to add a rule for another interval. Intervals are interpreted according to the order in which they appear in the table, e.g. the first row covers the first 300 seconds, the second row covers the following 300 seconds, and so on.

Extend By, %

Defines how the call duration for this interval should be changed (increase in percentage; a 0 value means that the call duration should not change).