The Internet NG Project

ITU-T Accounting Terminology

Account/Accounting - Charge/Charging - Bill/Billing - Audit/Auditing - Metering

This document gives the terms and definitions which are used within the ITU-T. The definitions and terms are grouped according to the following accounting terms:

account/accounting
charge/charging
bill/billing
audit/auditing
metering

All these terms are defined in the SANCHO database.

Account/Accounting

CNM Detailed Accounting Service: The Detailed Accounting Service provides a customer with the capability to retrieve his own accounting records. These records are automatically created as a consequence of the occurrence of accountable events in a customerÆs communication. An accounting record contains information elements and counters that identify the customer, the used resources, the usage time and the usage volume. NOTE - It can be precise that the service providers will have the possibility to set some control functions like starting, suspending, or resuming the operations of related usage metering data objects or stopping the overall activity. These functions are described in Recommendation X.742: Usage metering function for accounting purposes.

Accounting: The action of collecting information on the operations performed within a system and the effects thereof.

Accounting (A): This category is for further study, in particular with respect to the reliability requirements for collection and storage of data, and in the security requirements for access to it.

Accountability: The property that ensures that the actions of an entity may be traced uniquely to the entity.

Accountable Object: A managed object representing a resource or another entity for which usage data are to be maintained, requiring its usage to be attributed to a user.

Accounting Authority Identification Code: An accounting authority identification code is assigned to each accounting authority (defined in the International Telecommunication Regulations). In effect the accounting authority acts as a billing intermediary between mobile stations and ROAs.

Accounting Management: A set of functions which enable the use of network services to be measured and the costs for such use to be determined and rendered.

Accounting Element: Is an item of information describing some aspect of a directory service request transmitted between a DMD consumer and DMD supplier. Thus directory service requests and the resulting directory entries returned by the DMD supplier are included as accounting elements.

Accounting Rate: The rate agreed between Administrations in a given relation that is used for the establishment of international accounts.

Accounting Rate Share: The part of the accounting rate corresponding to the facilities made available in each country; this share is fixed by agreement among the Administrations.

Accounting Revenue Division Procedure: The procedure whereby accounting revenue is shared between terminal Administrations, and, as appropriate, between the Administrations of transit countries.

Accounts for Shared Terminal: Provision of separate accounts to users of a shared terminal.

Customer Accounting: The reconciliation of accounts between MHS service provider and MHS service user. The charging policy used may be subject to a bilateral agreement.

Incorrect Charging or Accounting Probability: The probability of a call attempt receiving incorrect charging or accounting treatment.

International Transferred Account(TA) Service: Is a service in which the Administrations concerned agree that the charges for calls set up via the international packet-switched data communication service may be paid by a third party that has accepted responsibility for payment rather than being charged to the caller. It is an optional facility and depends on mutual agreement between Administrations.

Primary Account Number: The Primary Account Number is the number assigned to a charge card. Its numbering system is specified in Recommendation E.118. It is obtained from the card or the user when the user attempts to make a charge card call. The issuer identification number, which is a sub-part of the Primary account number, can be used by the card acceptor to identify the card issuer.

Primary Account Number: The Primary Account Number (PAN) (19 visible characters - maximum) is the number assigned to a charge card. It is obtained from the card or the user when the user attempts to make a charge card call. The user identification number, which is a sub-part of the Primary Account Number, can be used by the call originating ROA to identify the card-issuing ROA.

Selective Accounting: A number of separate telephone accounts are associated with an exchange termination and the account to which charges for a particular call are to be debited is identified when making the call.

Statement Of Call Account: The sending by the network upon request of a subscriber, an Administration, closed user group or private network, of a detailed account of his call charges either since his last request or over a nominated period.

Charge/Charging

Charge: Determines special charging treatment for the call, where special refers to any charging in addition to that normally performed by the basic call process. In the IN CS-2 context, this means that the SIB provides the functionality for producing the data to be recorded physically. In general, this involves identifying: - the call for which usage is to be observed; - the resources used, plus related data, e.g. begin and end of usage; - operational data, e.g. restrictions relative to the resource. It should be noted that this SIB is not responsible for the subscriber billing process.

Address-Complete Signal, Charge: A signal sent in the backward direction indicating that all the address signals required for routing the call to the called party have been received, that no called-party's-line-condition signals (electrical) will be sent, and that the call should be charged on answer.

Address-Complete Signal, No Charge: A signal sent in the backward direction indicating that all the address signals required for routing the call to the called party have been received, that no called-party's-line-condition signals (electrical) will be sent, and that the call should not be charged on answer.

Address-Complete, Subscriber-Free Signal, Charge: A signal sent in the backward direction as an alternative to the address-complete, charge signal indicating that the called party's line is free, and that the call should be charged on answer.

Address-Complete, Subscriber-Free Signal, No Charge: A signal sent in the backward direction as an alternative to the address-complete, no charge signal indicating that the called party's line is free, and that the call should not be charged on answer.

Advice Of Charge: Is a supplementary service allowing the user paying for a call to be informed of usage-based charging information. This service may include one or more of the following cases: 1) Charging information at the end of the call. 2) Charging information during a call. 3) Charging information at call setup time.

Advice Of Charge (AOC)

The AOC supplementary service allows the served user to be informed of usage-based charging information. The AOC supplementary service is not meant to replace the charge metering inside the network which is considered to be correct in all cases. Three AOC supplementary services exist:

Charging information at call set-up time (AOC-S). The AOC-S supplementary service enables a user to receive information about the charging rates at call set-up time and also to receive further information during the call if there is a change of charging rates.
Charging information during the call (AOC-D) The AOC-D supplementary service enables a user to receive information on the recorded charges for a call during the active phase of the call.
Charging information at the end of the call (AOC-E). The AOC-E supplementary service enables a user to receive information on the recorded charges for a call when the call is terminated.

The AOC supplementary service is applicable to all circuit-switched telecommunication services.

Advice Of Charge (AOC): Information about usage-based charging.

Answer Signal, Charge: A signal sent in the backward direction indicating that the call is answered and subject to charge. In semi-automatic working, this signal has a supervisory function. In automatic working, the signal is used: - to start metering the charge to the calling subscriber (Recommendation Q.28), and - to start the measurement of call duration for international accounting purposes.

Answer Signal, No Charge: A signal sent in the backward direction indicating that the call is answered but is not subject to charge. it is used for calls to particular destinations only. In semi-automatic working, this signal has a supervisory function. In automatic working, the reception of this signal shall not start the metering to the calling subscriber.

Automatic Transferred Charge Call Service: With prior indication and mutual agreement between the two parties, the automatic debiting to a called subscriber's account of relevant charges for a call made to his telephone number. No variants have been identified so far.

Automatic Transferred Debiting Of Charges: The automatic debiting to a subscriber's account of charges for calls made from any telephone by persons nominated by that subscriber and identified by the use of a secret code. This is similar to the existing credit card service but does not involve an operator. It must be provided for throughout a network.

Automatic Verbal Announcement Of Charges Applied Service: The possibility for a user to request a verbal announcement of either total or individual call charges.

Charge Card Validation (CCV): This service feature provides the ITCC service an authentication feature to compare user-side information, provided to the visited network, with information stored in the home network. Authentication attempts and fails are to be recorded for security purposes.

Charge Determination (CDET): This service feature enables the calculation of charges related to a call. The charged party(s) may include FPLMTS subscribers, UPT subscribers and/or other calling parties. Charges may be based on usage and chargeable events/procedures (e.g. location update and service profile management). Two methods of charge determination are possible. The first method is off-line charging. Relevant call information (i.e. a call record) is stored by the network at the end of a call. Call records are periodically processed off-line to calculate call charges. Call charge records are then transferred in batch-mode to the local billing centre, which may then forward them to the home service providers or home network designated locations for subsequent billing of their subscribers. The second method is on-line charging. Charging information is calculated in real time during the call. This method supports calls from pay phones, charge metering and advice of charge. Some calls may involve both on-line and off-line charging (e.g. for split charging).

Charge Indicator: Information sent in the backward direction indicating whether or not the call is chargeable.

Charge Information Message (CRG): Information sent in either direction for accounting and/or call charging purposes.

charge information request indicator: Information sent in either direction requesting charge information to be returned.

Charge Information Response Indicator: Information sent in response to a request for charge information indicating whether or not the requested information is included.

Charge Number: The number to be charged for the call.

Chargeable Calls: Comprise completed calls and other kind of calls which are charged for a particular reason, e.g. some call attempts may be charged even if the call is not completed.

Chargeable Duration - Charged Duration: The time interval on which the charge for a call is based is called the chargeable duration. The chargeable duration is equal to the duration of the call reduced in manual or semiautomatic service, if necessary, to make allowance for any interruptions or other difficulties which might have occurred during the call. The duration of a call for which the charge is paid by the calling subscriber (or the called subscriber in the case of a collect call) in the case of manual or semiautomatic operation, is the chargeable duration rounded upwards to the next whole minute.

Charged Number: The number which shall be charged for the call.

Charged Party Identification: Information identifying the charged party, e.g. the account number.

Collection Charge: The charge established and collected by an Administration from its customers for the use of an international telecommunication service.

Estimated Call Charge: This is a component of a call disposition and shows the estimated call charge calculated in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs).

indication of charge: The indication by the network to the paying terminal of the charge of a call prior to the release of the paying terminal or by recall at a convenient time. Note - This information may be provided automatically or on demand.

International Telecommunication Charge Call (ITCC): This service allows the holders of a telecommunication charge card to make use of a variety of telecommunication services provided by the card acceptor (visited network) and have the charges billed to the customer's account number by the card issuer (home network). It is described in Recommendations E.113 and Q.86.7.

International Telecommunication Charge Card (ITCC) Service: Allows the holders of a telecommunication charge card to make use of a variety of telecommunications services provided by the card acceptor and have the charges billed to the customers account by the card issuer.

International Telecommunication Charge Card Service: Allows the holder of a telecommunication charge card to make use of a variety of services provided by the card acceptor (i.e. the public data network from which services are being obtained) and have the charges billed to the customer's account by the card issuer. The scope of public data transmission services for which the card applies will be subject to agreements between the card issuer and card acceptor. This Recommendation specifically entails the use of a telecommunication charge card issued by an ROA in compliance with Recommendation E.118. The International Telecommunication Charge Card Service in a public data network depends on agreements between the card acceptors and card issuers. Major items to be covered may include: - types of service for which cards may be used; - basis for settlement of service charges and surcharges; - prevention of fraudulent use of cards; - procedures for uncollectible and unbillable services.

International Telecommunication Charge Card Service: Allows the holder of an international telecommunication charge card (as described in Recommendation E.118) to make use of a variety of telecommunication services provided by the card acceptor, and to have the charges billed to the customer's account by the card issuer.

International Telecommunication Charge Card Service: Allows a holder of a telecommunication charge card to make use of a variety of telecommunication services provided by the card acceptor and have charges billed to the customer's account by the Card Issuer.

Land Line Charge: The charge relating to the transmission over the terrestrial public switched telecommunications network.

Land Station Charge: The charge relating to the use of facilities provided by the land station, which will include the space segment costs in the maritime mobile satellite case and which may be presented by the LSO in its component parts.

Printed Record Of Duration And Charge Of Calls Service: The possibility for a subscriber to get a specific printed record of called number, duration and charge of calls.

Recorded Charges: This information indicates the number of charging units or currency units incurred for a call.

Subscriber Call Charge Meter: Meters at the subscriber's premises showing call charge units debited.

Subscriber Line Free, Charge: A signal indicating that the called subscriber's line is free and that the call is to be charged on answer.

Subscriber Line Free, No Charge: A signal indicating that the called subscriber's line is free and that the call is not to be charged on answer. This signal is used only for calls to special destinations

Unchargeable Calls: Call attempts which are not charged are called unchargeable calls.

Active Reverse Charging: This indicates that a Reverse Charging has been invoked successfully in a call.

Advice Of Charge: Charging Information At Call Set-up Time (AOC-S): The advice of charge: charging information at call set-up time (AOC-S) supplementary service enables a user to receive information about the charging rates at call set-up time and also to receive further information during the call if there is a change of charging rates.

Advice Of Charge: Charging Information At The End Of The Call (AOC-E): The advice of charge: charging information at the end of the call (AOC-E) supplementary service enables a user to receive information on the recorded charges for a call when the call is terminated.

Advice Of Charge: Charging Information During The Call (AOC-D): The advice of charge: charging information during the call (AOC-D) supplementary service enables a user to receive information on the recorded charges for a call during the active phase of the call.

Apply Charging (APC): A means of requesting charging information.

Apply Charging Report (APR): A means of reporting charging information.

Charging Correctness: The probability that the network correctly charges the communication by type, destination, time location and duration.

Charging Information: Information sent in the forward direction for charging and/or accounting purposes.

Charging Information At Call Set-up Time (AOC-S): The AOC-S supplementary service enables a user to receive information about the charging rates at call set-up time and also to receive further information during the call if there is a change of charging rates.

Charging Information At The End Of The Call (AOC-E): The AOC-E supplementary service enables a user to receive information on the recorded charges for a call when the call is terminated. The AOC supplementary service is applicable to all circuit-switched telecommunication services.

Charging Information During The Call (AOC-D): The AOC-D supplementary service enables a user to receive information on the recorded charges for a call during the active phase of the call.

Charging Information Signals: Information sent in the backward direction for charging and/or accounting purposes.

Charging Message: A type of message containing charging information.

Feature Use Charging (FUC): This feature enables the service provider to apply a certain charge to the use of any specified feature.

Furnish Charging Information (FCI): A means of interacting to request information to enable the production of billing record information based upon call record information.

Overcharging Probability: The probability that a call attempt will be overcharged for any reason.

Reverse Charging (REV)

A supplementary service allowing a called user to be charged for the actual communication, that is for usage-based calls. Four cases of reverse charging are distinguished:

Case A: Reverse charging requested by the calling user at call set-up time;
Case B: Reverse charging for the rest of the call requested by the calling user or the called user during the active phase of the call;
Case C: Reverse charging for the entire call requested by the called user during the active phase of the call;
Case D: Reverse charging unconditional.

NOTE: The calling user should not be provided with a bearer connection until the option of charging, either normal or reversed has been resolved. The REV supplementary service is applicable to all telecommunication services. Further part(s) of this Recommendation shall specify the method of testing required to identify conformance to this Recommendation.

Send Charging Information (SCI): A means to enable the demands of the SLP for charging information that is sent back down the call path.

Special Charging Arrangement: This charged item indicates that a special charging arrangement exists for calculating the cost of the call. NOTE - The use of this charged item is outside the scope of this Recommendation. It is a matter for the network operator and the user to which it is sent.

Special Charging Code: This specific code indicates a rate which can identify a charging algorithm that can be used as a basis for determining the cost of a call.

Timing For Start Of Charging (Circuit Switched Calls): When required, timing for charging at the exchange where this function is performed, shall begin after receipt of an ANSWER indication from a connecting exchange or the called user. The start of timing for charging should occur within the intervals recommended in Table 26.

Undercharging Probability: The probability that a call attempt will be undercharged for any reason.

Bill/Billing

Billed Number Screening (BNS): The authorization of billing to a telephone number for collect and bill-to-third party calls.

Billed Number Screening System: The system containing the database to be used to house BNS information.

CNM Periodic Billing Service

Billing provides a customer with invoicing information, and the functionality to perform analysis, processing and reporting on a range of financial topics. Capabilities may include:

Periodic billing to allow customers to receive an electronic copy of their invoice;
Hierarchy management to enable users to create and manage their own organizational structures (unit, project, geographical or financial);
customer invoice validation:
- Invoice query management to identify queried invoice items and report on them;
- Allocation and apportionment of costs to allow a customer to allocate charges to responsible cost centres, including allocation of discounts;
- Cost management reports on customer telecommunications expenditure to assist in identifying excessive usage.

The following capabilities are also for further Study:

Contract management with automatic notification of approaching critical dates;
Credit management to allow a customer to access information relating to their invoicing points (account balance and payment status), and a log of transactions recorded for their accounts; and
Customer management to allow a customer to inform the service provider of changes to customer information.

This Recommendation provides a basic framework of billing, i.e., the notification of invoices and the control of notification. Since billing is dependent on the policy of network operating companies, billing items are not defined in this Recommendation but by each operating company.

Billing Error Probability: The probability of an error when billing a user of a service.

Billing Identification: Elements for billing identification informs the served user that the associated charges have been incurred due to the indicated situation (e.g. a call that has been forwarded at the served user's access).

Billing Integrity: Preservation of accuracy according to specified performance parameters and criteria when preparing bills to a user for a service.

Billing Integrity (Probability): The probability that the billing information presented to a user correctly reflects the type, destination and duration of the call attempt.

Billing Report (BR): Allows the subscriber to get billing report of a chosen type. Several types of billing report may exist, e.g. total, terminating telephone basis, and group basis.

Maritime Bill: The bill issued by the service provider in respect of collection charges for maritime mobile traffic originated by a maritime mobile station.

Unbillable Calls: Calls for which insufficient or incorrect billing information is conveyed to the Card Issuer such that the billing information cannot be associated with any particular customer account.

Audit/Auditing

Audit: An independent review and examination of system records and activities in order to test for adequacy of system controls, to ensure compliance with established policy and operational procedures, to detect breaches in security, and to recommend any indicated changes in control, policy and procedures.

Audit Analyser: A function that checks a security audit trail in order to produce, if appropriate, security alarms and security audit messages.

Audit Archiver: A function that archives a part of the security audit trail.

Audit Authority: The manager responsible for defining those aspects of a security policy applicable to conducting a security audit.

Audit Dispatcher: A function which transfers parts, or the whole, of a distributed security audit trail to the audit trail collector function.

Audit Provider: A function that provides security audit trail records according to some criteria.

Audit Recorder: A function that generates security audit records and stores them in a security audit trail.

Audit Trail Collector: A function that gathers records from a distributed audit trail into a security audit trail.

Audit Trail Examiner: A function that builds security reports out of one or more security audit trails.

Security Audit: An independent review and examination of system records and activities in order to test for adequacy of system controls, to ensure compliance with established policy and operational procedures, to detect breaches in security, and to recommend any indicated changes in control, policy and procedures.

Security Audit Message: A message generated as a result of an auditable security-related event.

Security Audit Record: A single record in a security audit trail.

Security Audit Trail: Data collected and potentially used to facilitate a security audit.

Security Auditor: An individual or a process allowed to have access to the security audit trail and to build audit reports.

Metering

Telemetry; Telemetering: A process in which measurements are made at some remote location and the results are transmitted by telecommunication.

Usage Metering: The abstraction of activities that monitor the utilization of resources, for the purpose of accounting and controlling the recording of usage data.

Usage Metering Control: Usage metering functionality dedicated to controlling the activities of gathering and reporting data concerning the utilization of resources.

Usage Metering Data: Data which represents usage from which usage metering records may be derived.

Usage Metering Record: A data item containing usage information relating to a specific period of resource utilization by a specific user.

This page was last updated at 13 October '99.
For questions please contact Mario Goorden