Credit Limits

Credit limits on balances can apply to the gross balance amount, the unreserved balance amount, or both. If a subscriber tries to use a service and the unreserved balance is at the credit limit, the MATRIXX Charging Application performs several operations to determine how to handle the usage. It examines the valid rate tables to determine which balances can be impacted, how much usage to authorize, and how much to charge. If no amount can be authorized because no applicable balances contain the required amount, a message is sent back to the network to disallow usage. The exception to this rule occurs when Allow Charges to Exceed Credit Limit is selected in a rate table for charge components. When selected, a prepaid balance can exceed the credit limit (0) and a postpaid balance can exceed its current credit limit. To limit charges from rate tables when Allow Charges to Exceed Credit Limit is enabled, create an overdraft meter.

Default credit limits are defined in balance and meter templates and provide a system-wide mechanism to ensure subscribers are limited to a maximum spending amount. Personal credit limits can be set by subscribers, group administrators, and CSRs on balances and meters that have an unlocked default credit limit. Group credit limits ensure credit limits are set on a group balance or meter in a group hierarchy. They limit a group's overall spending at each level in a multi-level group hierarchy.

Credit Limits for Prepaid Balances

For prepaid G/L balances, the credit limit is zero (0) because prepaid amounts are represented internally as negative values. As impacts occur against the balance, the amount is added to the prepaid amount until it reaches zero (0), and the prepaid amount has been completely consumed. Because the currency or asset is no longer available, usage cannot occur. For example, a subscriber might have a monthly grant of 300 MMS. This is represented in the system as -300. If a subscriber sends and receives 250 MMS, the available balance amount is reduced to -50 MMS. As usage continues, the prepaid balance amount is consumed until it reaches zero (0). There are no more prepaid MMS left and usage will not be authorized until the subscriber purchases another allotment or tops up the MMS balance.

For prepaid virtual balances, the credit limit is the absolute value of the credit floor. For example, if a balance is granted 300 minutes, the credit floor is -300, the credit limit is set at 300.

Credit Limits for Postpaid Balances

For postpaid balance G/L balances and meters, the credit limit must be greater than or equal to zero because postpaid quantities are represented as positive amounts. This is also true for virtual balances in a group member's wallet. For example, you can set a credit limit of $300 on a postpaid meter to stop subscribers from using a service when the charges to the tracked balance equal $300. The credit limit defines the maximum balance or meter amount that can accumulate before a subscriber is prohibited from using a service. Service providers must set these credit limits explicitly. Once a credit limit is reached, usage is no longer authorized against that balance until the balance amount returns below the credit limit due to a payment, top-up, credit, or other factor.

Service providers must use the SubMan API to set the credit limit on a subscriber's virtual balance to limit the usage against the G/L group balance. The credit limit must be set per-balance and can be an absolute value or a percentage of the available credit in the group G/L balance. The available credit is the difference between the credit floor and the credit limit. If the credit limit is defined as a percentage, the virtual balance credit limit adjusts automatically when the group's G/L balance changes. For example, for prepaid G/L balances, a grant to a shared asset that modifies the credit floor automatically increases the percentage-based credit limit.

Exceeding Credit Limits

When Allow Charges to Exceed Credit Limit is selected in a rate table for charge components, a prepaid balance can exceed the credit limit (0) and a postpaid balance can exceed its current credit limit. The balance cannot be an on-demand balance.

Virtual Balance Credit Limit

Configure a virtual balance with a credit limit that is a percentage of the threshold limit of the shared group G/L balance. The threshold limit is raised when a shared asset is granted. The threshold limit is lowered when a previously granted asset is forfeited, such as when a recurring grant is canceled or suspended. Lowering the threshold limit of a G/L balance might also lower the thresholds and credit limits of the virtual balance and the balance amount meter.

Notifications and other actions occur only when impacts cause the balance amount to reach some threshold value. Notifications do not occur when the threshold value reaches the balance amount.

For example, suppose a balance or meter amount is at $9, with a threshold that causes a notification to be sent when it reaches $10. If you charged $1, causing the balance or meter amount to rise to the $10 threshold, a notification would be sent, indicating that the balance or meter amount has met the $10 threshold.

If you were to modify the threshold to $9 while holding a balance or meter amount of $9, a notification would not be sent, as the threshold amount will have dipped to the balance or meter amount, and not the reverse.