Billing¶
Document Metadata
Category: Setup → Billing
Audience: Administrators, Engineers, Finance Team
Difficulty: Intermediate
Time Required: 15–25 minutes
Prerequisites:
- A working understanding of your account’s billing model (per-minute vs. per-channel)
- Access to your usage data or CDRs to understand how charges are incurred
Next Steps: Confirm your billing model, configure rate cards, set up MRC packages if required, and test with a sample invoice.
ConnexCS Billing Per Channel¶
Billing per channel is the traditional approach, where the customer pays for a set number of channels or ports — the VoIP equivalent of per-line billing in mobile networks.
Advantages¶
- Cheaper than per-minute billing for systems with consistent, high traffic volumes.
- Free servers are available for several tiers of service.
- Predictable costs allow for stable billing cycles and simplified cost-benefit analysis.
Disadvantages¶
- Inconsistent traffic often leads to higher costs relative to per-minute billing.
- Capacity planning is inherently less flexible.
ConnexCS Billing Per Minute¶
In per-minute billing, the number of seconds used is tallied daily, combined with the per-minute cost, and deducted from the account balance.
Advantages¶
- Scales precisely with actual usage — ideal for variable or unpredictable traffic patterns.
- Per-minute rates are granular enough to align costs closely with revenue at the route level.
Disadvantages¶
- More expensive than per-channel billing when traffic is consistent and high-volume.
- Running multiple servers increases cost proportionally.
Minimum Charges¶
All accounts must reach a minimum spend per server per month to remain active. This prevents losses from stagnant or inactive accounts. See the Pricing page for current minimums.
Choosing the Right Model¶
| Consideration | Per Channel | Per Minute |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic pattern | Consistent, high volume | Variable or unpredictable |
| Cost predictability | High | Moderate |
| Scaling flexibility | Lower | Higher |
| Margin visibility | At channel level | At call/route level |
If you run a mix of business types — for example, wholesale interconnect alongside retail VoIP — you may operate both models simultaneously on different customer accounts.