As shown in the illustration below, the charging mapping is included in subscriptions. It is a table describing the links between charging references declared in a charging plan and charged accounts of a subscriber account.
After the related Usage Rate in the price plan has triggered the rating function to calculate dynamically the price amount, the charging process carries out the following steps to determine the account(s) to credit or debit:
The charging process checks that the charging reference assigned to the Charging component exists in the subscription mapping.
If the charging reference exists, the account of the subscriber linked to the charging reference is charged or refilled with the calculated amount of the Usage Rate. The charging process is complete.
Otherwise, if the charging reference does not exists in the mapping subscription, the charging process checks that the charging reference is the default charging reference.
If the charging reference is the default charging reference, the account of the subscriber linked to the default charging reference is charged with the calculated amount of the Usage Rate. The charging process is complete.
Otherwise, if the charging reference is not the default charging reference, the charging process replaces the charging reference by its backup reference saved in the internal reference dictionary.
The backup reference becomes the charging reference. The charging process starts the cycle again to step 1 (*).
(*): The charging process carries out the treatment as many times as necessary to find either a backup reference existing in the subscription mapping or the default charging reference of the internal reference dictionary.
The three following examples refer to the illustration earlier in this topic. In this illustration, the Internal Reference component "Family account" is associated to the Reference "Accref1" (which is set on the Definition tab of the Internal Reference component "Family account"):
Example 1
The Internal Reference component "Family account" is associated to the Reference "Accref1".
When a call is rated and the charging plan identifies "Accref1", the charging process checks that the charging reference "Accref1" exists in the subscription mapping. As "Accref1" is linked to the account "Parents" of the subscriber "Smith Family", this account will be charged any amount calculated by the Usage Rate in the price plan.
Example 2
The Internal Reference component "Family account" is associated to the Reference "Accref1", but the subscription mapping is empty.
When a call is rated and the charging plan identifies "Accref1", the charging process checks that the reference "Accref1" exists in the subscription mapping. Because the subscription mapping is empty, the default account of the subscriber "Smith Family" is charged the calculated amount of the price plan.
Example 3
The Internal Reference component "Family account" which was associated to the Reference "Accref1" is modified to be associated to the Reference "Accref3"; however, the subscription mapping is not modified, and the Internal reference dictionary of the charging plan contains the following list of references:
When a call is rated and the charging plan identifies "Accref3", the charging process does the following:
It checks that "Accref3" exists in the subscription mapping.
As "Accref3" does not exist in the subscription mapping, the charging process checks that "Accref3' is the default charging reference.
As "Accref3" is not the default charging reference, the charging process replaces "Accref3" by its backup reference ("Accref2") saved in the Internal reference dictionary.
The charging process checks that "Accref2" exists in the subscription mapping. As "Accref2" exists in the subscription mapping, the calculated amount of the price plan is charged to the related account "John" of the subscriber "Smith Family".