Integration into Billing Mechanisms

Integrate Micro Billing with Existing and Bespoke Systems

FlexyBill offers a number of standard integration mechanisms to work with existing or proposed systems (Download Printable PDF).

Common Token List | Unique Product Code | URL Switching | Subscription | Web or WAP Content Control

Common Token List

This is the simplest method to set up which can be applied to a broad range of systems.

When the FlexyBill system is set up, we will issue you with a number of valid 'tokens' which will be numeric or alpha-numeric codes each with a value at your billing increment. So for example ARP2VWX could be a valid token for £1.50.

Tokens may be used by your system to purchase a variety of goods or services - to pay for a single item of content, to access a web site for a limited period, to park for an hour...

Unique Product Code

This is suitable when you are supplying goods or services which can be defined by a unique product code. The FlexyBill payment process will include collection of the product code, so once payment has been confirmed, the rest of the fulfilment can be completely automated.

In order for product codes to be unique within the FlexyBill environment, we will ask you to prefix them with a fixed number, typically 3 digits, so all your product codes may start 111, for example.

This is a typical billing process for content delivered to mobiles, such as ringtones or logos but can be employed by many systems where product codes are involved.

URL Switching

This is a simple mechanism to control access to a web site or download area. Customers wishing to access the site or contents will be directed to the FlexyBill Payment form. FlexyBill will process the payment, giving the caller the choice of SMS or Premium Rate Payment.

If payment is successful, the customer will be redirected back to a URL on your web site. Where billing fails, they will be directed to a different URL. You can update these as frequently as you wish, for example where information changes daily.

The URL for Successful redirect can be updated by you via a web form as often as you wish, and this process can be automated.

Subscription

Where you wish to bill a customer on a regular basis for access to content, for example, FlexyBill can arrange subscription billing. A customer will have an account number, which could either be their mobile number, or a unique number within a scheme allocated to you by FlexyBill. Depending on whether SMS or premium rate billing is used, the customer will be either billed regularly automatically or given instructions to 'top up' their subscription account.

Your systems can interrogate the status of the customer account when required, such as when the customer attempts to get access to content on a web site, for example.

Subscription credits can be for a fixed period such as a day, week or month. Alternatively, they may be on a 'per-use' basis so the number of credits available is decremented when a 'used' instruction is received from your systems.

Web or WAP Content Control

The FlexyBill service can be combined with a content download control mechanism. Typically this will allow a single download of an item of content (a file) through a web or WAP session by making it available on a temporary URL once the payment has been received.

Additional set-up and download fees may be incurred where FlexyBill is involved in content management.