PortaBilling: Telecom Billing & Charging Platform for Service Providers and MVNOs
A real-time billing and charging platform for MVNOs, IoT operators, and business telephony providers. Launch, price, provision and manage the complete range of telecom services.
Contact usLaunch a mobile or voice service with billing that works on day one
PortaBilling charges usage in real time, sends account changes to your network, and connects payment providers from your first customer.
At launch
Common problems when launching a new service
- Plans drawn on a whiteboard can't be rated as designed
- Charging must work from the first real customer session
- Network and payment integrations all have to land at once
- Services are activated and suspended by hand in the first few weeks
- Mid-month plan changes cause errors on initial invoices
- Developing in-house billing takes longer than the launch timeline allows
With PortaBilling
How PortaBilling handles the same tasks
- Lets you set up plans in the admin interface, without a programmer
- Authorizes usage in real time and stops it at zero
- Connects to your network and payment providers
- Sends activations and suspensions to your network and other systems through PortaFlow
- Prorates mid-cycle plan changes from the change date
- Gets a new feature release every 7 weeks, with no billing code for your team to maintain
Monetize these services with PortaBilling
PortaBilling charges mobile voice, data, and SMS on 4G and 5G, cloud PBX and SIP trunking, internet and fiber, IPTV, and IoT SIMs, on prepaid or postpaid plans.
Wholesale
Termination & Origination · SIP Trunking · Routing · Reporting · Exchange
Retail & SMB
OTT Mobile Apps · WebRTC · Cloud PBX · DID Management
Wireless
Mobile · MVNO / MVNE · LTE / VoLTE · 5G · WiFi
Converged
Residential Triple Play · SMS · IPTV & Pay-per-view · Broadband ISP · Value Added Services
IoT / M2M
Smart Metering · Device Management · Asset Tracking · Utility Billing · Connected Appliances
Run PortaBilling in the cloud
Get access to PortaBilling in the cloud within a day, and add processing capacity as your business grows.
Reduced deployment time
Get access to your billing in the cloud within a day rather than weeks
Save on hardware and hosting
We maintain the platform, so you save on hardware purchasing, hosting, provisioning, and maintenance
Add capacity as you grow
Choose your ideal processing capacity and increase it on demand at any time
Upgrades while service keeps running
Benefit from our wide range of geographic locations to ensure redundancy when performing software upgrades
Simplified billing
Easy-to-understand subscription fees based on concurrent calls and the number of CDRs
Why operators run their billing on PortaBilling
PortaOne has built real-time billing for 25 years. Datora runs 5 million SIM cards on PortaBilling.
500+
operators in nearly 100 countries run PortaBilling
25 years
of real-time billing at PortaOne
24/7
support from 180 PortaOne engineers
Launch plans without code
New tariffs, products, and services go live in the PortaBilling admin interface without requiring a programmer.
Connect your systems through the API
The PortaBilling API connects your CRM, payment providers, and customer portals. Access the source code if you need to make deeper changes.
Grow on the same platform
PortaBilling is suitable both for startups with minimal traffic and for operations processing over 50 million CDRs a month, in a clustered, geo-redundant setup.
Let AI agents use PortaBilling
PortaBilling has a public MCP server that exposes the PortaBilling API to AI agents.
Get new features on a regular release schedule
PortaOne ships 20+ PortaBilling builds a year, with a new feature release every 7 weeks.
Access support around the clock
Support is included with PortaBilling, and backed by 180 PortaOne engineers who answer support requests 24/7.
Trusted by over 500 operators in nearly 100 countries
Deploy and pay exactly the way you want
Run your operations your way, with a choice of where to deploy PortaBilling and how to pay for it.
Deployment scenarios
On-premise
Install on your own hardware and host it in your favorite datacenter.
In the cloud
Oracle datacenter hosting is available for SaaS subscriptions.
Payment options
Unlimited perpetual license
A one-time payment gets you an unlimited perpetual license for installation of a specified number of servers.
Monthly SaaS subscription
Based on a single value metric with an initial setup charge. Includes support. Hosting on Oracle Cloud is optional, and many customers run SaaS on their own servers.
Updates and upgrades
Configurator
Included with every option. A tool to automate server installations and update processes, enabling secure testing and rollback to a previous version if necessary.
Dual Version
Optional paid add-on. Our solution for smooth and painless updates across multiple major releases of PortaOne software: download the white paper
How PortaOne onboards our customers
Four steps from sign-up to a trained team, each with its own timeframe in business days.
1
Download
Sign up & pay; download or get the system in the cloud
2
Install
Installation for on-premise is done in-house by client
3
Systems check
Support teams verify and test protocols remotely
4
Learn
Your team receives training, usually 24 class-hours in total
Talk with us
Let us show you how moving to PortaOne can help you achieve your goals
- Schedule a personal (video) call with sales or technical experts
- Ask for a thorough presentation delivered by our professional team
- Request all technical specs and documentation
FAQ
What billing models does PortaBilling support?
PortaBilling supports multiple billing models:
- Usage-based charges, calculated per minute, megabyte, or unit consumed, with peak and off-peak rates and configurable billing intervals. For example, a 30-second initial billing interval ensures that even short calls are billed for a minimum of 30 seconds.
- Recurring charges based on a billing cycle you set such as weekly, monthly, etc. For example, a subscription plan with 500 international minutes for a flat $25 per month. If a customer changes plans mid-cycle, you can prorate the charges based on the number of days each plan was active.
- One-time charges applied to equipment or service activation. For example, a customer signing up for home internet might pay $69 for a Wi-Fi router plus a $55 installation fee.
- Overage charges, applied when a bundle's included usage runs out. You can also choose to block the service or throttle its speed. For example, when a customer consumes their 10 GB data allowance, they're switched to standard per-MB rates until the bundle renews.
- Measured-resource charging, applied to services with metrics that change over time, such as the simultaneous call limit. PortaBilling continuously tracks the metric and charges per billing period based on a set formula, such as average, minimum, or maximum. For example, a business that raises its simultaneous call limit from 30 to 100 for a campaign, pays for an average limit of 47 concurrent calls over that period.
What billing cycles does PortaBilling support?
A billing cycle defines the interval PortaBilling uses to charge recurring fees and generate invoices. Each customer can choose their own billing cycle from the following:
- Daily: calendar day, from midnight to midnight.
- Weekly: calendar week, from Monday through Sunday.
- Semimonthly: twice a month, from the 1st to the 15th and from the 16th to the last day of the month.
- Monthly (calendar): calendar month, from the first to the last day of the month.
- Monthly (anniversary): one month from the day the customer was created, for example, from the 15th to the 14th of the next month.
- 28 days: fixed 28-day periods, regardless of the month length (available from MR133 onwards).
- 30 days: fixed 30-day periods, regardless of the month length.
Does PortaBilling allow subscribers to reach a self-care or payment page if they run out of data or funds?
Yes, PortaBilling supports two mechanisms for this:
- Content-based charging (rating groups): the network classifies traffic by service type and reports it to PortaBilling. This lets you mark specific services, such as access to a self-care portal, as free of charge. Data-heavy services like video streaming or gaming are still charged, regardless of the subscriber's remaining balance or data quota. Content-based charging requires the network to classify and report traffic by rating group.
- Hotlining: when a subscriber runs out of data or funds, or their account is suspended, PortaBilling can instruct the network to redirect them to a relevant page where they can make a payment or renew an expired plan. You can also customize that page with your own branding. Hotlining requires the network to support subscription traffic redirection to a specific page on command.
Does PortaBilling support both prepaid and postpaid real-time billing with instant balance updates?
Yes, PortaBilling supports both:
- Prepaid balance control: with prepaid billing, PortaBilling reserves funds or a bundle allowance before a session starts, updates the balance as usage continues, and stops the service automatically once the balance runs out.
- Postpaid balance control: with postpaid billing, PortaBilling tracks usage continuously against a credit limit and suspends the service automatically once the limit is reached.
What fraud prevention and credit control tools does PortaBilling include?
PortaBilling includes several fraud prevention tools to detect and block fraudulent or unauthorized account use. It flags access from an unexpected location, which can indicate a compromised account, and can also block calls from countries you mark as high-risk. Rather than blocking a suspicious call, PortaBilling can route it to a verification IVR, where the caller confirms their identity with a personal code. This way, a legitimate customer traveling abroad isn't accidentally cut off. If verification fails repeatedly, PortaBilling blocks the account automatically and can notify the customer.
PortaBilling also protects against overspending when an account has multiple active sessions. For example, a customer can stream video, make a call, and send a message at once. PortaBilling reserves part of the balance or service allowance for each session as it starts, which reduces the risk of overspending across sessions.
PortaBilling also protects against overspending when an account has multiple active sessions. For example, a customer can stream video, make a call, and send a message at once. PortaBilling reserves part of the balance or service allowance for each session as it starts, which reduces the risk of overspending across sessions.
Does PortaBilling support billing across 3G, 4G/LTE, and 5G networks?
Yes. PortaBilling serves as a Business Support System (BSS) and Online Charging System (OCS) for mobile operators across all network generations (5G, 4G/LTE, and 2.5G/3G). It covers voice, data, SMS, and value-added services.
If you run 4G and 5G simultaneously, PortaBilling supports 4G Diameter Gy and Ro interfaces alongside the native 5G interfaces.
- In 5G networks, PortaBilling acts as the Convergent Charging Function (CHF) in the 5G core, connecting directly to 5G network components to bill data and voice usage in real time.
- In 4G/LTE networks, PortaBilling connects to core components such as the IMS and PGW, using Diameter interfaces to bill data sessions, voice calls, and SMS in real time.
- In 2.5G/3G networks, where Diameter isn't available, a CAMEL gateway is required to translate requests to the Diameter protocol for real-time charging. A CAMEL gateway sits between the Mobile Switching Center (MSC) and PortaBilling, so calls are authorized and billed.
If you run 4G and 5G simultaneously, PortaBilling supports 4G Diameter Gy and Ro interfaces alongside the native 5G interfaces.
Does PortaBilling integrate with CRMs and automate SIM provisioning?
Yes. You can connect PortaBilling to CRM systems and automate SIM provisioning through PortaFlow. PortaFlow is a managed integration service that connects PortaBilling to other systems through their APIs, so events in PortaBilling can trigger actions in your CRM or network systems, and the other way around.
Its use cases range from simple provisioning tasks to complex business scenarios. For example, PortaFlow can automatically create and sync customer records between your CRM (such as HubSpot) and PortaBilling, reconcile financial data between PortaBilling and your accounting systems, provision SIM cards, and handle eSIM ordering and activation.
PortaOne designs, builds, and supports each workflow for you. Alternatively, your own team can build workflows using PortaFlow's SDK and CLI.
Its use cases range from simple provisioning tasks to complex business scenarios. For example, PortaFlow can automatically create and sync customer records between your CRM (such as HubSpot) and PortaBilling, reconcile financial data between PortaBilling and your accounting systems, provision SIM cards, and handle eSIM ordering and activation.
PortaOne designs, builds, and supports each workflow for you. Alternatively, your own team can build workflows using PortaFlow's SDK and CLI.
What's the best telecom billing platform?
The best platform is the one built for the services you bill. A wholesale carrier charging other operators, an MVNO charging mobile subscribers, and a cloud PBX provider charging SMEs all have different billing needs, so consider the following when comparing platforms:
- Do you need both billing and a softswitch, and are they both included in the platform, or will you need to integrate a separate system?
- Can you deploy the platform on your own hardware or in the cloud?
- Does the billing vendor release new features on a fixed schedule, or only upon request?
- How many operators currently run production traffic on the platform today?
What features should telecom billing tools have?
Look for the following when evaluating a telecom billing platform:
- Real-time billing across services: charge prepaid and postpaid customers for services such as voice, messaging, and data, with pay-as-you-go or recurring fees.
- Compatibility with equipment and networks: connect to equipment from multiple vendors and network generations spanning 3G, 4G, and 5G mobile networks.
- Device provisioning: automatically configure batches of IP phones with the settings required to use the service.
- SIM provisioning: assign and configure SIM cards and activate the required mobile services.
- Open integration: connect via APIs to CRM, ERP, and other systems, so the billing platform works with the tools you already use.
- Reliability at scale: deploy in a redundant, clustered setup that keeps billing running without interruption.
- Self-service and partner management: give customers a portal to check usage and top up, and partners a separate interface to manage their subscribers.
How is real-time usage tracked in telecom billing software?
Real-time usage tracking works through a continuous check-and-reserve cycle:
The end user can check their balance, which reflects all usage charges. Each usage event is also recorded as a CDR (call detail record), the record used for invoicing, reporting, and dispute resolution.
- Before a session starts, the billing platform checks whether the customer has enough funds, bundle allowance, or credit and reserves a portion to cover the session. If there isn't enough, the session is not authorized.
- As the session continues, the billing platform reserves additional funds at intervals to cover ongoing usage.
- If the funds, bundle allowance, or credit cannot cover the next reserve, the billing platform ends the session. For data sessions, the billing platform can also instruct the network to slow (throttle) the connection or redirect the customer to a top-up page.
The end user can check their balance, which reflects all usage charges. Each usage event is also recorded as a CDR (call detail record), the record used for invoicing, reporting, and dispute resolution.
What are the benefits of a cloud telecom billing solution for service providers?
A vendor-managed cloud billing solution runs on infrastructure maintained by the billing vendor, offering several practical benefits:
- Faster access: a cloud deployment can go live sooner than provisioning your own servers.
- No hardware to buy or host: the billing vendor maintains the platform, so there's no server purchase or data center contract.
- Capacity that scales with demand: add processing capacity as your subscriber base grows, without purchasing new hardware.
- Operating cost, not capital cost: OPEX grows as your business grows, instead of a large upfront CAPEX investment.
How can an MVNO find the best billing platform for its launch?
Start with your MVNO model, as that shapes your platform requirements and budget. A thin (reseller) MVNO rents the host operator's network core and owns a billing platform. A full MVNO runs its own network core with its subscriber data and owns a billing platform. PortaBilling works as both a BSS and online charging system (OCS).
Before comparing platforms, consider both the capabilities you need and the support you expect from the billing vendor.
What the platform must do:
Before comparing platforms, consider both the capabilities you need and the support you expect from the billing vendor.
What the platform must do:
- Billing (BSS) and online charging (OCS). The platform maintains your customer base, along with the service packages assigned to each customer. When the network reports usage in real time, the platform applies charges and updates customer data right away.
- Integration with the host network and your existing tools. The platform must connect to the host operator's HLR/HSS (and other network components), and optionally to your CRM and/or accounting systems.
- A discovery phase before a price. The billing vendor documents your specific business requirements first before they quote you a price.
- A proof of concept with test traffic. Roll out your platform and make your own tests.
- Clear licensing terms. Understand upfront whether you're paying a one-time license fee or a monthly subscription, and how costs scale as your subscriber base grows.
What additional features should an MVNO billing platform include?
An MVNO billing platform may also need to support:
- Direct connections to 3G, 4G, and 5G networks, including real-time usage charging while subscribers are roaming.
- Sending account changes, such as activation or suspension, to the mobile network and other connected systems.
- Content-based charging, for example, free access to a self-care portal or unlimited data for social networks/messengers.
- Bulk provisioning of eSIM and physical SIM cards.
- SIM lifecycle tracking, showing which SIM cards are in use, reserved, or available to issue to new customers.
- Number portability handling, so subscribers who port their numbers are charged correctly.
- A branded self-care app and web portal.
How do you migrate to a new telecom billing platform?
PortaOne starts every migration with an analysis phase. A business analyst documents your requirements, maps them to PortaBilling functionality, and identifies feature gaps. The analyst also reviews the systems connected to the billing platform, such as CRM systems, provisioning platforms, and self-care portals. A migration engineer analyzes the source files exported from your legacy system and maps the data to PortaBilling. You then receive a scope of work that defines what will be migrated.
You choose how to migrate:
The timeline depends on the size of the customer base, the complexity of the products, and the number of integrated systems.
You choose how to migrate:
- Migrate on your own, using the PortaBilling API or the admin interface.
- Use the default import scripts from PortaOne.
- Have PortaOne manage the project with a dedicated team. The team builds a proof of concept and end-to-end acceptance tests to confirm that the new platform works as expected. Most migrations follow this approach.
The timeline depends on the size of the customer base, the complexity of the products, and the number of integrated systems.
When should a telecom provider replace a spreadsheet or homegrown billing system?
Replace your spreadsheet or in-house billing system when manual work and system limitations slow business growth or cost you revenue. Common signs include:
- Calculating usage charges and generating invoices take days as your customer base grows.
- Customers go into overdraft because charges are calculated only after service usage, allowing them to keep using services without sufficient credit.
- Routine tasks like activating plans, applying top-ups, and suspending unpaid accounts require manual work by your team.
- Connections to other systems, such as custom scripts that link billing to your CRM or payment system, stop working after updates, forcing engineers to spend time fixing them.
- Each additional service needs a separate billing solution. When you add internet, IPTV, or IoT to your existing services, customers receive several invoices instead of one, and your costs grow.
- New services take too long to launch because every new plan or discount requires code changes instead of reconfiguration.
- Customers have no real-time view of their charges, which leads to frequent disputes.
The person who built our billing system left. What do operators replace an in-house system with?
Operators replacing an in-house billing system usually choose one of three options:
- A commercial billing platform on their own servers, maintained and updated by the vendor
- The same kind of platform as a cloud (SaaS) subscription, with no servers to run
- A billing service from an MVNE or enabler, which runs billing for them, with less control over plans and pricing
Can we move to PortaBilling without our customers losing features they use today?
Every PortaBilling migration starts with a pre-migration analysis. A PortaOne business analyst maps your current plans and features to PortaBilling and lists any gaps before you receive the scope of work, so you know in advance what changes for customers. You then migrate customers all at once or in batches, depending on your requirements. With batches, the old system and PortaBilling run in parallel, and each batch is checked against the old system before the next one proceeds. Active customers and accounts move to PortaBilling with their current balances. Charge history, invoice history, and logs normally stay in the old system, which you keep accessible for a defined period. If you need that history in PortaBilling, PortaOne scopes it during the pre-migration analysis.
Read the PortaSwitch migration guide
Read the PortaSwitch migration guide
We bill internet, voice, and TV from separate systems. Can PortaBilling replace them?
Yes. PortaBilling replaces separate billing systems for internet, voice, and TV with one platform, so each customer gets one account and one invoice. PortaBilling can combine usage charges, recurring fees, and one-time charges across those services, and package them into one bundle, for example 10 GB, 500 minutes, and 100 SMS at one price. Moving several systems onto PortaBilling starts with a pre-migration analysis: PortaOne maps each system's plans and features and lists the gaps first.
Our regulator requires subscriber data to stay in the country. Can we run PortaBilling on our own servers?
Yes. PortaBilling runs on your own servers in your own data center, physical or virtual. It also runs as PortaOne SaaS on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, or as a hybrid of the two. On your own servers, PortaBilling keeps subscriber data where those servers are. Ask PortaOne which Oracle Cloud regions fit your country.
Does PortaBilling work with AI agents?
Yes. PortaBilling has a public MCP server (github.com/portaone/mcp-portabilling) that exposes the PortaBilling API to AI agents that support the Model Context Protocol. An agent works through the same API your own systems use. To bill your own customers for AI usage, such as tokens or GPU hours, use PortaAIM, a separate product offered by PortaOne.
