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PortaBilling: Telecom Billing & Charging Platform for Telcos and MVNOs
A comprehensive billing and charging platform for telcos and communication service providers. Launch, price, provision, and manage the complete range of telecommunication services.
Today’s telecom billing solutions are a complicated jumble of multi-platform products that require complex third-party API integrations.
If you are spending a lot of time and resources worrying about billing then you’re probably also experiencing…
- Stress from the loss of valuable time caused by downtime for deployments and maintenance
- Headaches from frequent hosting outages
- Frustration from unnecessarily complex and complicated billing systems
Discover a better way with a fully integrated telecom billing platform
Simplify your business processes with an all-in-one, comprehensive billing solution for voice and video calls, IP Centrex/Hosted IP PBX, IPTV and VoD, residential VoIP, CLEC type services, WiFi, LTE, M2M/IoT, and much more.
Reduced deployment time
Get access to your billing in the cloud within a day rather than weeks
Enormous savings
We maintain the platform, so you save on hardware purchasing, hosting, provisioning, and maintenance
Flexible scalability
Choose your ideal processing capacity and increase it on demand at any time
Zero downtime
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 number of billable events
PortaBilling is deployed by over 500 customers worldwide
Monetize these services with PortaBilling
Wholesale
- Termination & Origination
- SIP Trunking
- Routing
- Reporting
- Exchange
Retail & SMB
- OTT Mobile Apps
- WebRTC
- Hosted IP PBX
- IP Centrex
- DID Management
Wireless
- Mobile
- MVNO / MVNE
- LTE / VoLTE
- WiFi
- WiMax
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
Learn how PortaOne can help you monetize your ideas
What makes PortaOne a preferred telecom billing solution?
For over 20 years we have grown to provide services for some of the biggest telcos in the world – while maintaining our key principles of being fair, honest, and invested in our customers and their success through transparent pricing and flexible services.
Open architecture
PortaOne provides both APIs and source code for PortaSwitch to allow for easy integration
Scalability for growth
Our platforms can easily scale up by adding more servers to match your project’s success
Reliability and redundancy
Clustering and geo‑redundancy provide high-availability configuration and zero downtime for updates
Agile development
PortaOne delivers more than 20 software builds per year – new features are available every 7 weeks
24/7 technical support
Our technical support is praised as best-in-industry, with 180 engineers ready to help whenever you need it
Deploy and pay exactly the way you want
How you run your operations is totally up to you. PortaOne guarantees the best value for any option you choose.
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 license
A one-time payment gets you an unlimited and perpetual license for installation of a specified number of servers.
Monthly SaaS subscription
Based on a single value metric with an initial setup charge. Always includes hosting and support.
All options include:
Dual Version
Our solution for smooth and painless updates across multiple major releases of PortaOne software: download the white paper
Configurator
A tool to automate server installations and update processes, enabling secure testing and rollback to a previous version if necessary.
How PortaOne onboards our customers
Download ›
Sign up & pay; download or get the system in the cloud
2 business days
Install › Installation for on-premise is done in-house by client
1-3 business days
Systems check › Support teams verify and test protocols remotely
2-3 business days
Learn ›Training sessions are held for relevant customer employees
2 business days
FAQ
Deployment and Infrastructure
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 a Wi-Fi router plus a $55 installation fee.
- Overage charges, applied once a bundle’s included usage runs out. You can also choose to block the service or throttle its speed. For example, once 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.
You can combine these billing models for the same customer. For example, a hosted PBX customer can pay a $50/month recurring fee for a service package that includes unlimited internal calls and 500 minutes of calls to Europe, plus usage-based charges for overages.
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 quota 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 redirecting a subscriber’s traffic to a specific page on command.
Does PortaBilling support both prepaid and postpaid real-time billing with instant balance updates?
Yes. PortaBilling updates a customer’s balance in real time, whether the customer uses prepaid or postpaid balance control.
- 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.
This ensures the customer uses only what their balance or credit limit allows.
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. It 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.
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.
- 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.
PortaBilling can process usage records imported from files, when real-time charging is not available (e.g., for roaming usage in 2.5G/3G networks).
If you run 4G and 5G simultaneously, PortaBilling supports 4G Diameter interfaces (Gy and Ro) 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.
Billing Platforms and Capabilities
What’s the best telecom billing platform?
There isn’t one best telecom billing platform for every provider. A wholesale carrier charging other operators, an MVNO charging mobile subscribers, and a cloud PBX provider charging SMEs have different billing needs. When comparing platforms, consider the following:
- If you need both billing and a softswitch, 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?
The right answer depends on which factors matter most for the services you’re running.
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:
- 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.
- When the session ends, the billing platform calculates the actual charge, applies it to the balance, and releases the temporary reserve.
The end user can check their balance, which reflects all usage charges. Each usage event is also recorded as an xDR (extended 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.
Operators with specific regulatory requirements or a preference for direct control over their infrastructure may find an on-premises deployment more suitable.
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 supports both as 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:
- 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.
What to expect from the billing vendor:
- A discovery phase before a price. The billing vendor documents your specific business requirements first, then quotes a price, not the reverse.
- 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 licence 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:
- 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.
Whichever option you choose, it is common practice to migrate customers in batches. During the migration, the legacy platform and PortaBilling run in parallel. Each batch is validated against the legacy system before the next batch starts.
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.
Before replacing a billing system, ensure the new platform reduces manual work, eliminates the need for programming, and scales as your business grows. Plan the migration too, because it affects how fast you can switch.
More about PortaBilling: your telecom billing solution platform
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