A counter is a variable that is defined in a price plan. Each counter has a name and an initial value that you assign when creating the price plan.
Counters introduce a new numerical rating property that you can retrieve through the calculation system. A counter can be used in usage rates, recurring rates, or One-Shot Rates. You can change its value regardless of the rate type. There is no limit to the number of counters that you can create.
You can create two types of counters: Persistent or transient.
In Simulation Tool, there is no difference between these counters. You can equally use both types. They have been introduced in Simulation Tool to be compliant with the use of charges in Core tool. For more information about the persistent and transient counters, consult the online Help of Core Tool (see help resources).
As the telephone operator TelcoServ, you offer a package called Advantage. Customers pay a subscription fee of $35 and receive special rates for weeknight and weekend calls. Anyone subscribing to this offer receives 30 free minutes of call time. In order to include these minutes of usage as free of charge in your price plan, you create a counter that decrements for each minute used and signals SAP CC Core Server when 30 minutes have been used up. In this way, it can then start rating the usage.