The Usage Rate component creates in the decision
tree a main branch that rates usage events. The Usage Rate component uses
a chargeable item class to rate the usage events. The Usage Rate component creates in the decision
tree a main branch that rates usage events. The Usage Rate component uses
a chargeable item class to rate the usage events.
The rules are the following:
A price plan can contain several Usage Rates.
You must at least assign a chargeable item class to a Usage Rate.
If the Chargeable Item Class list of the Definition tab contains many chargeable item classes, you assign each chargeable item class to a different Usage Rate, or you assign all the chargeable item classes (*) to the same Usage Rate. You cannot however assign a chargeable item class to several Usage Rates.
If a chargeable item class is assigned to a Usage Rate, the default properties and the user properties of this chargeable item class are available only in the branch that uses this Usage Rate.
The Charge Effective Date property which represents the start date of the related provider contract item is available in the Usage Refill branch
(*) When you want to assign all the chargeable item classes to a Usage Rate, you select the All Chargeable Item Classes option, which is available if no chargeable item class is already assigned to another Usage Rate. If you select this option, only the charge effective date property is available in the Usage Rate branch, but the default properties and user properties of these chargeable item classes are not available.
You use the Usage Rate component to trigger and rate chargeable item classes. The following examples shows how to use the Usage Rate component:
Phone call fees that are based on the chargeable item class “Phone Call” and charged each time that the customer makes a call
Online news fees that are based on the chargeable item class “Open Document” and charged each time that the customer opens a document
To use a chargeable item class called “Phone Communication,” a customer is charged a fee for each phone call. The rate is $0.10 per minute. The following table shows the rating process information:
|
Data |
Name/Content |
|
Chargeable item package |
Name: Phone Communication. |
|
Chargeable item class |
Name: Communication. Type of chargeable item class: Service. User property name: Call duration. |
|
Branch of the price plan |
The chargeable item class “Communication” is assigned to the Usage Rate component. The branch contains a linear function component to compute the call price with the numerical property “Call duration”. |
Name: Type the name of the component (mandatory). Choose an appropriate name because it is reused as the label of pricing transactions.
Description: Allows you to type the description of the component (optional).
Chargeable Item Class: Provides the list of chargeable item classes related to chargeable item packages. Select a chargeable item class or select All Chargeable Item Classes. If you select the All Chargeable Item Classes option, you assign all the chargeable item classes of one or more chargeable item packages to one Usage Rate component; however, user properties or default properties are not available in the Usage Rate branch except the charge effective date property. The All Chargeable Item Classes option is available if no chargeable item is already assigned to another Usage Rate.