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MATRIXX Pricing and Rating
Pricing
Pricing Plans
Pricing plans define the pricing and policies that allow you to control how you provide services to subscribers and how you are paid for those services. Pricing plans are comprised of catalog items, offers, bundles, and supporting objects required to implement pricing.
Normalizer Instances
Normalizer instances condense large sets of discrete field values into a manageable set of parameters. Each parameter represents the aggregate value set, so that assigning a result to every possible field value is not required.
Using Default Parameter Values for Normalizers
You can define a default parameter value for a normalizer to handle cases when the network message or MDC field contains a value that is not defined in the normalizer.

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MATRIXX Pricing and Rating
- About Pricing and Rating
  MATRIXX Pricing and Rating provides an introduction to MATRIXX pricing and rating functionality and describes how to define the catalog components necessary for rating and policy selection. It also provides an overview of the MATRIXX rating process and an introduction to My MATRIXX, a web-based user interface application you use to create and manage product catalogs.
- Rating
  The following information describes MATRIXX Charging Application rating functionality.
- Pricing
  - Pricing Overview
    The MATRIXX pricing model is highly flexible and enables you to create innovative service offerings and tailor pricing to subscriber needs. It is compatible with the TM Forum (TMF) Shared Information/Data (SID) model.
  - Pricing Data
    The MATRIXX Engine pricing data model is compatible with the Shared Information/Data (SID) standard, as defined by the TM Forum (TMF).
  - Pricing Corrections and Revisions
    Make corrections and revisions to all pricing items except balance classes, meter classes, balances, meters, and products. For information about product offer versions, see the discussion about product offers.
  - Updating Pricing After Purchase
    Not all pricing items can be updated after pricing is loaded and subscribers are using it.
  - Pricing Plans
    Pricing plans define the pricing and policies that allow you to control how you provide services to subscribers and how you are paid for those services. Pricing plans are comprised of catalog items, offers, bundles, and supporting objects required to implement pricing.
    - Balances and Meters
      When you define rates, you specify which balances and meters to impact when rating occurs. The impacts are a result of the price components applied, and represent the financial liabilities to subscribers and groups.
    - Thresholds and Credit Limits
      Create thresholds and credit limits when you create or change balances and meters.
    - Decision Tables
      Decision tables consist of a number of _glossary/normalizer.html columns that define a set of business logic (one or more condition sets) that can be reused in different circumstances. Decision tables can be combined with a set of results into any type of component table, such as a policy table, rollover table, rate table, _glossary/gl_transaction_type.html table and account table, filter, or priority generator.
    - Contracts
      You can create finance or service contracts. A finance contract defines the terms and conditions of a contract. A service contract defines the terms and charges for a service, for example, voice or data.
    - Final Unit Indication
      You can configure Diameter Final Unit Indication (FUI) information to be static or dynamic.
    - Announcements Components
      MATRIXX Engine uses announcement pricing components for determining the list of announcements to play to a subscriber during a voice call, and the language they must be played in. You configure announcement data to be dynamic, so a different result occurs based on conditions that are valid at the time of rating.
    - Data Modifying
      You use the data modify interface in My MATRIXX to configure data modify actions, data modify profiles, and data modify profile selectors.
    - Filters
      Filters are independent, reusable, pricing items that can be associated with balances, meters, subscription product offers, and notifications.
    - Normalizer Templates
      Normalizer templates identify the MATRIXX Data Container (MDC) and its fields, catalog item parameters, balances, quantities, or times that are normalized during rating to determine which rates to apply. The fields can be located in a network message or in a MATRIXX database MDC, such as a subscriber, device, group, or purchased offer MDC.
    - Normalizer Instances
      Normalizer instances condense large sets of discrete field values into a manageable set of parameters. Each parameter represents the aggregate value set, so that assigning a result to every possible field value is not required.
      - Balance Difference Normalizer
        A balance difference normalizer chooses a result by comparing the following values to ranges of balance differences specified in the normalizer:
      - Balance Distribution Normalizer
        The balance distribution normalizer compares a balance or meter quantity to ranges of quantity values defined in the normalizer and matches the quantity to one range. The ranges must cover from negative infinity to infinity, with no gaps, and are used to choose a result.
      - Balance Spendable Normalizer
        The balance spendable normalizer determines whether any amount of a balance (or set of balances of the same class) is available for usage charging. The balance spendable normalizer is similar to a balance distribution normalizer in that normalization is based on an available balance amount with two ranges, the first range being less than or equal to zero and the second range being greater than zero.
      - Closed User Group Normalizer
        The closed user group normalizer, depending on configuration, either compares whether the subscription initiating an event is in the same group as the subscription receiving the event, or whether the subscription initiating an event is on the same same sub-domain as the subscription receiving the event.
      - Date Set Match Normalizer
        The date set match normalizer compares the time of an operation, such as the event time in a Diameter message, with a list of dates or datetimes saved in a _glossary/mdc.html, such as a custom subscriber or device MDC. If the operation is on a date included in the list in the specified MDC field, the normalizer evaluates to a match.
      - Difference Range Normalizer
        The difference range normalizer compares the following numeric values (integer or decimal) to ranges of differences specified in the normalizer:
      - Eligibility Feature Match Normalizer
        The eligibility feature match normalizer compares the feature defined in the normalizer with all the features of all the catalog items owned by a subscription, group, or device, to look for a match.
      - Multiplexing Normalizer
        Multiplexing normalizers reference one or more other normalizers. During authorization and rating, a multiplexing normalizer checks the fields used by its referenced normalizers. If a field used by one of the referenced normalizers is a valid field in the message being processed, then the referenced normalizer is selected and executed for rating. A normalizer that does not normalize on MATRIXX Data Container (MDC) fields should not be referenced by a multiplexing normalizer.
      - Numeric Equality Normalizer
        Numeric equality normalizers have two types, one for signed integers and one for unsigned integers. Each one chooses a result by comparing the numeric value in a specified MATRIXX Data Container (MDC) field to one or more values of the same type specified in the normalizer. If a match is found, rating uses the index associated with that numeric value.
      - Numeric Range Normalizer
        Numeric range normalizers have three types, one for signed integers, one for unsigned integers, and one for decimals. Each one chooses a result by comparing a numeric value in a specified MATRIXX Data Container (MDC) field to numeric ranges specified in a normalizer. On finding a match, rating uses the index associated with that range.
      - IP Address Normalizers
        IP address normalizers specify one or more IP addresses, defined by the normalizer as strings using the Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) notation, with which to compare an IP address value in the network message. If a match is found, the index associated with that IP address is used. A specified IP address can be an exact address or it can contain an optional network mask to denote a range of IP addresses.
      - Phone Number Match Normalizer
        The phone number normalizer compares a phone number value in the network message to one or more phone number prefixes specified as normalizer parameters. If the leading digits of the phone number matches one of the specified phone number prefixes, the index associated with that value is used.
      - Phone Number Set Contains Normalizer
        This normalizer compares a phone number or string field in any MDC, for example, in the Diameter message, with a set of phone numbers stored in any MATRIXX Data Container (MDC), such as an extended subscriber object or group object MDC to see if the set contains the exact same phone number.
      - Phone Number Pattern Match Normalizer
        The phone number pattern match normalizer uses complex strings (patterns) with ranges to represent a set of one or more phone numbers. It then compares a phone number value in the network message to each pattern specified as a normalizer parameter. If the phone number value matches one of the specified number patterns, the index associated with that value is used. The phone number pattern match normalizer can match strings that contain more than 15 digits, or that include the following characters: #, *, a, b, c, A, B, C, D, or E.
      - String Match Normalizer
        A string match normalizer compares a string value in a specified field to a list of strings specified as normalizer parameters. The comparison can be configured to match characters starting at the beginning of the string (a prefix match) or the end of the string (a suffix match). If a match is found, the result associated with that string is used. Each specified string value can be configured to be an exact match or a closest match. In the case of a closest match, the string with the longest matching characters is used.
      - String Set Matches Normalizer
        The string set matches normalizer compares a value in a MATRIXX Data Container (MDC) field with a value in another MDC field. Both fields can either be a single string/phone number or a list/array of strings/phone numbers. The comparison could be an exact match, prefix match, or suffix match. If one field is an array/list and one field is a single value, then the system checks if anything in the list/array matches the single value (using the match mode). If a match is found, then the normalizer evaluates to true. It does not matter which field is the list/array and which is the single value. If both are arrays/lists, then the system checks if a value in one list/array matches any value in the other list/array.
      - Time Normalizer
        The time normalizer determines a result by comparing the start time of an event with multiple time ranges and matches the time into one range. A different result can be selected if the event spans multiple time ranges.
      - Time Interval Range Normalizer
        A time interval range normalizer chooses a result by comparing a time interval to time interval ranges specified in the normalizer. For each matching range, rating uses the index associated with that range.
      - Quantity Distribution Normalizer
        The quantity distribution normalizer defines ranges of usage quantities that can be associated with different rating results. It operates on the aggregated session quantity.
      - Zoning Normalizer
        The zoning normalizer determines a result by comparing two specified field values with a list of paired values listed in From and To fields.
      - Using Default Parameter Values for Normalizers
        You can define a default parameter value for a normalizer to handle cases when the network message or MDC field contains a value that is not defined in the normalizer.
      - Normalizer Chaining
        You can configure a normalizer template to copy the field value determined during normalizations to another MATRIXX Data Container (MDC) field. The MDC field can then be used during subscriber usage rating to apply policies and pricing.
      - GL Normalizers
        General Ledger (GL) transaction profiles and GL account selectors can contain normalizer tables.
      - Normalizers in Meter Filters Using Rate Tags
        For normalizations in meter filters for session meters, simple, and periodic meters, you can use the rate tag from selected normalizations.
    - Parameters
      You can configure definitions for parameters that you can use in pricing items such as catalog items, bundles, product offers, and price components.
    - Products
      A product represents the provisioning of a service type when a _glossary/catalog_item.html is purchased for a _glossary/subscription.html, _glossary/device.html, or _glossary/group.html. The products identify the service type, which in turn determines the pricing that can apply.
    - Catalog Items
      Catalog items are customizations of offers and bundles that are offered to a specific group of subscribers.
    - Catalogs
      A catalog contains catalog items and eligibility rules. The eligibility rules determine which catalog items are included or excluded from the catalog. You can also add metadata fields to further define the catalog.
    - Eligibility
      Eligibility rules define requirements and exclusions.
    - Product Offers
      Product offers are the basis for the pricing components that subscriptions, groups, and devices purchase, either singly or in bundles.
    - Bundles
      Bundles group one or more product offers together so they can be purchased as a unit. You can also create bundle-specific charges, grants, and discounts that override or supplement the existing price components defined in individual product offers.
    - Price Components
      MATRIXX price components are reusable pricing items that can be included in any number of product offers. They include charges, discounts, grants, refunds, and forfeitures.
    - Policies
      Policies provide the business logic for real-time policy decisions and rules, allowing you to track subscribers' service usage in real-time and change the behavior of a service based on that usage (for example, by throttling bandwidth).
    - Inbound Roaming
      Configure inbound and emergency roaming requests to define the agreements with third-party operators that allow requests for subscribers that are not identified in MATRIXX.
    - Denial Codes
      Denial codes are a way to deny service access to subscribers for a specific reason. You define them in My MATRIXX and add them to rate table rows in place of a rating formula, so the value is returned to the network based on the row selected during rating.
    - Offer Life Cycle Profiles
      An offer life cycle profile consists of a set of offer statuses, a set of policies associated with each offer status that describe behavior that can be executed in this status, and a set of transitions that can have conditions defined that can trigger a transition and actions defined that are executed after the transition is performed. Both offers and bundles can have an offer life cycle profile defined. Use offer life cycle profiles to customize the behavior of MATRIXX for your business processes.
    - Status Life Cycles
      A status life cycle is a collection of object states, policies, and transition rules that are defined for a specific object type. You can define a status life cycle for user, device, subscription, group, and offer objects to customize the behavior of MATRIXX for your business processes. For example, a device life cycle can begin with a provisioned status, transition to an active status, and finally transition to an inactive status.
    - Status Notification Profiles
      Notification profiles are reusable pricing components that define when expiration and recurring processing failure notifications are sent and the frequency with which those notifications are sent. Notification profiles can be assigned to each status in status life cycles. For a complete list of possible notifications, see the discussion about notifications in MATRIXX Integration.
    - System Attributes
      System attributes are custom properties you can attach to product offers, price components, rate tables, and rate table rows to add metadata to the object in the pricing database. They contain a mapping of attribute values to _glossary/mdc.html fields. The MDC fields get populated with the attribute values during rating and returned to the network in an MDC message.
    - Virtual Fields
      You use virtual fields to avoid creating multiple pricing configurations if your MATRIXX environment accepts multiple rating message types, for example, messages from Diameter and 5G networks.
    - Usage Triggers
      Use usage triggers to add lists of re-authorization triggers to the charging response messages for a session or rating group. Usage triggers are available for both Diameter Gy and 5G charging messages.
    - Usage Trigger Gy and 5G AVPs
      You trigger re-authorization for a session or rating group by assigning the Diameter Gy Trigger-Type and 5G triggerType AVP values listed here to usage trigger profiles.
    - Metadata
      Metadata summarizes basic information about other data and makes working with specific data easier. Metadata provides information about pieces of information that have meaning in relation to another piece of information in My MATRIXX.
  - Planning a Pricing Plan
    Before you create a _glossary/pricing_plan.html, determine how you want to name, organize, and set up the items that form planning a pricing plan.
  - Deploying a Pricing Plan
    Deploying a pricing plan involves compiling the pricing plan into a configuration file and loading the configuration file into the pricing database. During compilation, the pricing schema is validated and any errors that occur are displayed.
  - Group-Owned Pricing
    Groups can own product offers that define service pricing for group members. The product offers can define pricing for both usage and non-usage event types.
  - Taxation
    MATRIXX supports two types of taxation: tax classes and selectors, and US taxation. Tax classes specify tax rates or fixed taxes, and tax selectors dynamically select the tax rate, and apply one or more taxes to a charge. US taxation determines the taxes for a given location, and specifies the tax type, product category the tax applies to, and the tax authority who receives the tax based on CCH tax data.
- Appendices
MATRIXX Pay Now
MATRIXX Subscriber Management
MATRIXX Subscriber Management API
MATRIXX Business API SDK
My MATRIXX Help
MATRIXX Backoffice Customer Tool Help
MATRIXX Third-Party Licenses
Glossary

Using Default Parameter Values for Normalizers

You can define a default parameter value for a normalizer to handle cases when the network message or MDC field contains a value that is not defined in the normalizer.

When the MDC field used for normalization does not contain a value that matches any of the parameter values defined, the default value is used. For example, say you charge subscribers for data transfers based on the type of mobile device they own, iPhone™ or Blackberry™. If you set iPhone as the default value and a subscriber makes a call with a different device, the rate or policy selected is the one that matches all parameter values for the iPhone (default) parameter value.

When a default value is not defined and offline rating is performed, the event record will be rejected and logged for re-cycling purposes if no values match. When a default value is not defined and online rating is performed, the event will not be authorized, so subscribers cannot access the service. If an authorization request is not received, subscribers will have free usage because the MATRIXX Charging Application does not deny service access.