Overview
Bolt-on add-ons (we will call them 'add-ons' in this article for readability) are an optional core billing object. As the name suggests, an add-on is a billing object that appends to a bolt-on. It is a child of the bolt-on subscription, meaning the add-on subscription can't exist without the bolt-on subscription.
If a customer purchases an add-on, it is created as a separate subscription, but it is tightly coupled with the bolt-on subscription.
A bolt-on can provide a specific allocation of a particular type. For example:
- 50 free SMSs on a mobile phone service
- 2GB data on a mobile phone service
Once the end user has used up their bolt-on allocation, excess rates can be applied.
Bolt-ons can have their own set up and access fees, much like a service or package plan, It also has the option of charging a first time fee which can be charged only if/when the customer uses it for the first time.
Example
A service provider is offering a mobile phone service for $50 per month. Included in the fee is:
- All calls to landline and mobiles within Australia.
- All SMSs within Australia.
All the pricing and configuration for these elements mentioned above is configured via the service plan, rate card and product rate cards.
The service plan has a bolt-on to give the user 8GB of data per month.
If or when the end user exhausts their allocation of data, they can purchase an additional 1, 2 or 5 GB of data to see them through until their allowance is reset.
The 1, 2 or 5 GB of data optional components of the plan is delivered using a bolt-on add-on.
Bolt-on Add-On Features
The following features are supported in add-on plans.
Fees
Add-ons support the following fees:
- Set up fee
- Access fee
Allocation
This is the included value of the bolt-on.
Weightings
A weight provides the ability to define which add-on takes priority over others.
Prorated
Bolt-ons can be set to pro rate just like package and service plans.
Provisioning
They can be configured to automatically provision. This required your carrier or supplier to support integration between Emersion's system and their provisioning platform.
Recurrence
Bolt-ons can be configured as a 'one time' add-on or to recur.
Maximum Occurrence
This feature limits how many add-ons can be purchased in a billing period.
Bolt-on Add-On Plan Construction
Emersion have created a wizard-style walk-though that guides users through the end-to-end process of constructing a bolt-on and preparing it for sale. If you are creating bolt-on add-on plans, or would like to know how its done, start here.
Self Service Options
End users are able view and manage their bolt-on and add-on subscriptions via the End User Portal.