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Tekton Billing frequently asked questions

Telecoms Billing Glossary

The billing terms you need to know, explained in plain English.

Billing has a language of its own. Whether you are new to the channel, training a new team member or comparing billing platforms, this glossary explains the terms you are most likely to come across, from CDRs and rating to revenue assurance and Ofcom rules.

Each definition is written by our billing specialists, with links to the pages where you can see how ZOEY handles it in practice.

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Billing and Invoicing

The process of generating invoices for all customers for a billing period, bringing together recurring charges, rated usage and one-off charges. In ZOEY, usage is processed throughout the month so the bill run itself is fast.

Billing several types of service, such as mobile, voice, broadband and IT, on a single customer invoice. ZOEY combines every service and supplier on one clear bill.

A fixed charge billed every period, such as a line rental, licence or support contract.

A single charge, such as hardware, installation or a connection fee, billed once alongside recurring and usage charges.

Charging part of a recurring fee when a service starts or ends partway through a billing period, so customers pay only for the days they had it.

The total value invoiced to your customers in a period. ZOEY’s pricing is a monthly platform fee plus a small percentage of billed revenue.

Invoices, emails and customer portals branded entirely as your business, with no mention of your billing provider.

Re-billing a supplier’s charges to customers with little or no change. It is simple but leaves margins exposed when supplier prices change.

A charge due when a customer ends a contract before its minimum term. ZOEY can calculate these automatically from contract terms.

A price rise applied during a contract. Since January 2025, Ofcom rules require any such rises for consumers and small businesses to be set out in pounds and pence at the point of sale, rather than linked to inflation.

Usage and Rating

A record of a single usage event, such as a call, text or data session, supplied by a network or wholesaler and used to bill usage.

A supplier record describing a service and its charges, such as a rental or add-on, used to bill and reconcile recurring services.

Applying your retail prices to usage records to calculate what each customer is charged.

Recalculating previously rated usage after a tariff or price change, so invoices reflect the correct price. ZOEY re-rates automatically.

A price list setting out what you charge for each type of usage, destination or service.

The unit in which usage is charged, such as per second, per minute or per megabyte, often with a minimum charge.

Charging usage in stages, for example a connection charge plus a per-minute rate, often used for non-geographic numbers.

Included minutes, texts or data within a tariff. Usage beyond the allowance is charged as out-of-bundle.

An allowance shared across several connections, so a business’s users draw from one combined pool.

Usage records that arrive from a supplier after the billing period they relate to, which must be billed in a later period.

Supplier usage that cannot be matched to a customer service, often because a service is missing or set up incorrectly. Left unresolved, it becomes lost revenue.

Collecting, checking and standardising usage records from many sources before rating. ZOEY Rate handles mediation and rating at high volume.

See These Terms in Action

Definitions only go so far. The quickest way to understand how rating, reconciliation and self-service work together is to see them in ZOEY.

Book a demo and we will walk through your own services and invoices.

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Converged Billing

Every service and supplier on one invoice.

Automatic Re-Rating

Price changes applied to usage already loaded.

Revenue Assurance

Gaps found before invoices go out.

Self-Service

Branded portal for your customers.

Margins and Revenue Assurance

The checks and processes that make sure everything you supply is billed correctly. See how ZOEY handles it on our revenue assurance page.

Income lost through missed charges, unbilled services, unallocated usage or pricing errors.

Matching supplier invoices and records against what you bill customers, to find services you pay for but do not bill.

Comparing wholesale cost with retail price by customer, service or product to see where you make, or lose, money.

Comparing billing between periods to spot unexpected changes before invoices are sent.

The price you pay your supplier for a service or usage, before your retail margin is added.

Telecoms and Networks

The retirement of the UK’s traditional copper telephone network, with Openreach planning to complete it by January 2027. Services are moving to digital alternatives such as VoIP and SoGEA.

The wholesale product used to resell traditional phone lines, being withdrawn as part of the PSTN switch-off.

A digital telephone service carried over the traditional network, being retired as part of the same programme.

Single Order Generic Ethernet Access, a broadband line without a traditional phone service, replacing many line-and-broadband combinations.

Voice over Internet Protocol, making calls over a data connection rather than the traditional phone network.

A virtual connection that carries VoIP calls between a business phone system and the network.

A business with a direct agreement with a mobile network to provide services to its own customers. ZOEY SP supports direct O2 (ABS) and Vodafone (VSS2) service providers.

Mobile Virtual Network Operator, a mobile provider that uses another operator’s network infrastructure.

Internet of Things and machine-to-machine connections, such as SIMs in trackers or meters, often billed with pooled allowances.

Moving a mobile service to a new SIM card, for example when a SIM is lost or damaged.

Blocking certain types of usage, such as international or premium-rate calls, on a connection.

A limit on how much a connection can spend in a period, often combined with alerts.

An unexpectedly high bill, usually caused by usage beyond an allowance. Alerts, caps and online usage visibility help prevent it.

Services, Security and Compliance

A service where a billing specialist runs your day-to-day billing for you. Explore our bureau billing service.

Running billing in-house on your own platform, with your provider supplying the software, training and support.

The workspace your team uses to manage customers, services, tariffs and contracts. See the ZOEY Admin Portal.

A website where your customers view invoices and usage and manage their services. See the ZOEY Customer Portal.

The rules all UK communications providers must follow, including requirements on billing accuracy, contract information and customer access to usage.

The international standard for information security management. Tekton Billing is certified to ISO 27001.

A UK government-backed certification showing protection against common cyber threats. Tekton Billing holds Cyber Essentials certification.

A way to sign in with an existing company account instead of a separate password, so access can be managed and removed centrally. ZOEY supports single sign-on for both the admin portal and the customer portal.

A second check, such as a code from an app, needed alongside a password to sign in.

The UK’s data protection law, setting out how personal data must be collected, stored and used.

Application Programming Interface, a way for two systems to exchange information automatically. See our APIs and integrations.

Secure File Transfer Protocol, commonly used by suppliers to deliver usage files, which ZOEY collects automatically.

Have a Question We Have Not Covered?

Our billing specialists are always happy to help. Book a demo or get in touch and we will talk it through with your own billing in mind.

01

Tell Us About Your Business

Share the services you sell, the suppliers you use and where billing takes too long today.

02

See ZOEY With Your Scenarios

We walk through your tariffs, supplier files and invoices in ZOEY, from the admin portal to the customer view.

03

Get a Clear Proposal

You receive a clear proposal covering scope, migration and pricing, with no obligation to proceed.

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