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Rate groups are used to contain one or more rates. Rate groups are added to rate plans and those rate plans are then attached to packages and other system entities in order to specify the rates that apply to usage (for a complete list of entities that rate plans can be attached to see the rate plans helpthe rate plans screen help). If you are only rating usage using a few rates or a single rate (for example, data usage may be billed at a singular rate) then your rates may be best organized into a single rate group. If you are rating calls, airtime, messaging or other types of usage with rates that differ by location/carrier then multiple rate groups will be needed.
Rate groups can be setup to be utilized under specific conditions if desired. For instance, a rate group can be configured to be used only within specific hours, on specific days, or used only when certain conditions are met (e.g. usage is coming from a particular provider). In cases where rate groups are conditional at least one other rate group must exist in the rate plan to ensure usage is can be rated when the given configured condition is not met.
Prerequisites
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Edit Usage Rate Group Fields and Options:
Name: a unique and meaningful name for the rate group (data rates, international rates, etc.)
Display Name: an optional field which allows you to specify a user friendly rate group description that can be presented on invoices or reports if desired
Start: the date and time when the rate group is available for useTime Period: an optional field which allows you to select a time period where rates in this rate group will be applicable (e.g. evenings, weekends). You can define time periods on the time period screen
Currency: allows you set the currency the rates within the group will be converted to. The rate group will be used when the account the usage charges relate to is configured with the same currency as the rate group. For instance if a rate group currency is set to 'Euro' and the account the usage belongs to is set to Euro currency, then rating will execute converting the usage charges into Euros. If the account the usage belongs to is configured to use USD as its currency and there is no United States Dollar currency rate group in the same rate plan then a rating exception will occur
Use For Cost: configures the rate group as a 'cost' rate group. Rates added to a for cost rate group will be considered 'cost' rates and referenced when a rate in an adjacent rate group within the same rate plan has a 'Rate Type' of 'Markup'. For example, if a SMS mobile originating rate with a 'Markup' rate type exists in a rate group, then when rating occurs the charge for this rate will be determined by looking for a 'Use For Cost' rate group within the same rate plan. If the for cost rate group exists with a SMS-MO class rate then that cost rate will be marked up to determine the rate to charge. If no matching 'for cost' rate group with the appropriate rate is found then a rating exception will occur when attempting to calculate the markup rate
Currency: allows you set the currency the rates within the group will be converted to. The rate group will be used when the account the usage charges relate to is configured with the same currency as the rate group. For instance, if a rate group currency is set to 'Euro' and the account the usage belongs to is set to Euro currency, then rating will execute converting the usage charges into Euros. If the account the usage belongs to is configured to use USD as its currency and there is no United States Dollar currency rate Aggregatedgroup in the same rate plan then a rating exception will occur
Aggregate Rates: if enabled the rate group will be configured to contain aggregated (tiered) rates. When rates are created they will be set configured as aggregated only if they are connected to a rate group that has this Aggregation setting enabledthe Aggregate Rates setting enabled
Time Period: an optional field which allows you to select a time period where rates in this rate group will be applicable (e.g. evenings, weekends). You can define time periods on the time period screen
Pass Through Rating: Allows usage charges to be passed through the system so that another application can handle rating activities. When this option is enabled rating will not occur in LogiSense Billing, the usage will simply be mapped to the appropriate account. The following rate values will be null for pass through rates: Amount, Additional, UsageRoundingID, GeoTreeLocationID (Any rates that use the GeoTree rater will default their location to /Everywhere), GeoTreeLocationGroupID, MinimumCharge, UsageUnit and UsageRateCalculationTypeID
Rates
The Rates tab shows you the rates that are assigned to the current group. Rates are added to groups when rates are when rates are configured.
Plans
The Plans tab shows you the rate plans that the current rate group is assigned to. Rate groups are added to rate plans when rate plans when rate plans are are configured.
Conditions
The Conditions tab allows you to define conditions that must be met for the rate group to be used. For example, if you have a usage feed for network X and another usage feed for network Y (with network Y offering more favorable rates), you could setup a condition 'UDR Feed Equals Network Y', which when met would result in rates from the group being used. If the condition is not met then rates from another rate group in the same rate plan will be used. See the guides section below under this article for details on how to setup conditions.
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Once a rate group has been setup you can associate rates with the group on the rates configuration the rates configuration screen.