Setting up voice plans

Overview

In gaiia, telephone service subscriptions are referred to as Voice Plans. A voice plan groups together all the billable components of a customer's phone service — the core recurring charge, any usage or calling add-ons, and the mandatory regulatory fees — into a single subscription on the account.

This article covers how to create a new voice plan on a customer account, how to edit an existing one, and what components a complete voice plan should include.

Setting up a voice plan

Before adding a voice plan, confirm that the customer's phone number (DID) has already been assigned as equipment on the account. If it has not, add the number under the Equipment tab first; it must be present before it can be associated with a subscription.

Voice plans are added through the Subscriptions tab on an account. Only users with the appropriate subscription permissions can create or modify subscriptions.

1. Navigate to the customer's account and open the Subscriptions tab.
2. Click the Subscriptions button to open the subscription type selector.
3. In the Select a subscription type modal, choose Voice plan.
4. (Optional) Enter an internal note if one is needed for record-keeping purposes.

5. Under Individual DIDs, locate and select the customer's phone number.

   If the phone number does not appear in the list, it has not been assigned as equipment yet. Go to the Equipment tab on the account, add the DID, then return to this step.

6. Click Next. On this step, do not:
   1. Assign the subscription as pending.
   2. Create a prorated debit (unless you are charging an activation fee mid billing period).
7. On the following step, use the provided drop-down to select the items to include in the plan (see What to include in a voice plan below).
8. Click Next to proceed to the review step.
9. Review the plan details and click Accept to save the subscription.

Editing an existing voice plan

Once a voice plan is active, it can be modified to add or remove features, calling plans, and other items at any time.

1. Navigate to the customer's account and open the Subscriptions tab.
2. Find the voice plan to modify and click its Ellipsis menu (the three-dot icon on the right side of the row).
3. Select Edit. The Edit voice plan modal will appear.
4. Use the Voice plans field to add or remove items from the plan.
5. (Optional) If the change is being made mid-billing cycle, check the provided checkbox to generate a prorated debit or discount for the difference.
6. Click Save to apply the changes.

What to include in a voice plan

A complete voice plan in gaiia is made up of three components. All three should be present each time a new plan is created.

1. Recurring plan charge

This is the base monthly charge for the telephone service (for example, a residential or business telephone service product). Select the appropriate recurring plan for the customer's service type (residential or business) from your product catalog.

For some usage-based plans, the recurring charge is built directly into the usage plan — a separate recurring charge product is not needed. Verify with your product catalog which model applies.

2. Usage and calling plans

Usage plans define how local and long-distance calls are charged. Select the items that match the customer's service agreement.

Local calling

Select the appropriate local calling plan based on the customer's location and service type. Most customers receive flat-rate local service; in rare cases where the customer pays per-minute for local calls, select the measured service equivalent instead.

Long distance (if applicable)

If the customer has signed up for a long-distance plan, select exactly one long-distance product per voice plan. Common options include flat-rate monthly plans, per-minute anytime rates, and unlimited plans. Choose the one matching the customer's selected package.

Long distance is optional. Only add a long-distance product if the customer has specifically subscribed to one.

3. Regulatory fees

Regulatory fees are mandatory charges required by law and must be added to every voice plan. They cannot be excluded. The applicable fees vary depending on the customer's location and service type (residential vs. business, single line vs. multiple lines). Typical categories include:

• E911 surcharge
• End user line charge (select the variant that matches the customer type and number of lines)
• Access recovery charge (select the variant matching the customer type and, where applicable, the service area)
• Universal service / state universal service fund charge
• Telecommunications relay service (TRS) fund charge
• Telephone assistance program charge (if applicable)

Always verify that all required regulatory fees are present before saving the plan. Missing fees can result in billing compliance issues.