Calling Cards Addon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A telephone card, calling card or phone card for short, is a small card, usually resembling a credit card, used to pay for telephone services. Such cards can either employ prepaid credit system or credit card style system of credit. The exact system for payment, and the way in which the card is used to place a telephone call, depend on the overall telecommunication system. Currently, the most common types of telephone cards involve pre-paid credit in which the card is purchased with a specific balance, from which the cost of calls made is deducted. Pre-paid phone cards are disposable. When the balance is exhausted you simply buy a new card. Cards purchased can often be refilled. The other main type of card involves a card with a special PIN printed on it that allows one to charge calls to a land-line telephone account.

Short description

Calling Card module lets manage cards printed on plastic/paper or sold over internet for international calling.

The calling card platform is dedicated to calling cards - e.g. the plastic/paper cards with scratch surface which can be sold in shops or in streets. Also these cards (or their number/pin) can be sold over internet.

When user buys a card, he gets number/pin of the card. Then he dials some access number and IVR asks him to enter this number/pin.

Then user hears credit remaining and time remaining and can enter destination. If destination is ok - he gets connected and can talk. After call is finished – the call's price is deducted from card's balance.

Differences between Users and Cards in MOR (for a2billing users)

There are 2 main ways how person can use MOR system to dial out:

1. Using his User account
2. Using Calling Card

The main difference is that User account is for permanent users. Calling Cards are used by occasional dialers who use the service from time to time and often anonymously.

Rule about Users and Cards:

Users and cards are not related at all. That means:

• User (as entity in MOR) can't have Cards.
• Card (as entity in MOR) can't belong to some User.

NOTE: MOR is not A2Billing. So Calling Cards Addon is ONLY for Calling Cards which are sold over internet/in the streets/shops/etc.

System Setup

1. First Card Group should be created with correct details
2. Cards for Card Group should be generated
3. Calling Card Dial-Plan should be created
4. DID should be assigned to this Dial-Plan

All these steps are described in details further.

Work-Flow

1. User buys Calling Card (Over internet/Printed in the store/street/etc)
2. User finds NUMBER and PIN of the Card – it can be on the plastic/paper Card or given to user in Online Calling Card Store
3. User dials access number – this number is given to user same way as NUMBER/PIN. User can dial this number from anywhere in the world.
4. System asks him (user) to enter NUMBER and PIN (or only PIN) – When user dials to access number – IVR will ask him to enter card NUMBER and/or PIN.
5. NUMBER and/or PIN are/is good – in this step system checks database to see if Card with provided NUMBER/PIN exists. If Card is not find – user is asked to enter new NUMBER/PIN. It is possible to change how many times system will let to reenter NUMBER/PIN. Default is 3 tries.
6. System tells remaining balance on the card – this step is optional it can be disabled.
7. System asks to enter Destination – IVR will ask user to enter destination he wish to dial.
8. System tells remaining time – based on entered destination and remaining balance system will tell user remaining time he can talk with this destination. This step is optional. It is influenced by Ghost Minute Percent.
9. System dials Destination – using LCR system chooses cheapest provider and dials entered Destination/
10. After the call it's price is deducted from Card's balance – self explanatory.

More detailed logic is explained here

Pinless dialing

It is possible to enable Pinless dialing to the Calling Card Dial Plan.

This lets user only once enter Cards' number/pin and system remembers CallerID. Next time when system receives call from same CallerID - it will not ask user to enter Cards' number/pin.

If Card balance is empty - user will be asked to enter new Card number/pin.

Pinless functionality is only available for valid CallerID.

When CallerID is not empty and is numeric and/or has '+' sign then it is valid. If CallerID is invalid (has some non-numeric symbol in it, except '+') - Pinless functionality will be disabled.

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See also:

• Calling Card Groups
• Calling Card logic
• Sound files
• Speed Dials for Calling Cards
• Callback and Calling Cards
• Card import from CSV file
• One million Calling Cards
• IVR for Calling Cards
• How to sell Calling Cards in e-commerce site