How to…

“Prepaid starter packs” are often printed to distribute SIM cards. They contain a combination of a mobile number (MSISDN) and a SIM card number (IMSI). When you need to prepare data for “Prepaid starter packs,” generate a batch of mobile accounts via the Account generator. Each account in a given batch is assigned a combination of MSISDN and IMSI from the corresponding inventory. Mobile accounts are initially generated as inactive to prevent misuse of SIM cards if they are stolen or lost (and later recovered by a third party).

 You can assign a batch of accounts to a specific distributor before generation. The distributor sells SIM cards and activates the corresponding accounts via the web self-care interface. After purchase, the prepaid SIM cards can be used right away.

Let’s say distributor John Smith wants to sell SIM cards in his grocery store.  You need to provide John with 100 $10 SIM cards (“Prepaid starter packs”). To do this, create a batch of 100 inactive debit accounts with a $10 initial balance each and assign this batch to the distributor.

To generate mobile accounts, follow these steps:

1. Create a customer as an account holder to keep accounts organized in one location.
2. On the customer’s panel, go to Accounts / DIDs.
3. On the Account search panel, click Account generator.
4. In the Account generation dialog, fill in the information about accounts:

   a. General tab

   • Type – select Debit.
     Only debit accounts can be generated as inactive and assigned to a distributor.
   • Account role – select Mobile.
   • Opening balance – this is the initial balance available on the account. Type “10” here to create accounts with a $10 balance each.
   • Product – select the product for the mobile services created.
   • Quantity – set the number of accounts (SIM cards) to be generated.
   • Batch – select a batch for the accounts generated. This batch includes accounts grouped together according to some criteria. If Add a new batch is selected, the generated accounts are placed in a new batch. Otherwise, an existing batch is selected from the drop-down list.
   • New batch name – type a name for the new batch.
   • Requires manual activation – select the checkbox to create inactive accounts.
   • Activation – specify when the generated accounts become usable. Leave it as Immediately.
   • To define date after which account can no longer be used – optionally, set at least one parameter (expiration date, or availability period after first or last usage in days).

     

   b. Additional tab

   • Generation method – by default, each account in a batch is assigned a mobile number (MSISDN) and a SIM card (IMSI) from the corresponding inventory.
   • Pricing batch – select the pricing batch to take MSISDN numbers from the DID/MSISDN inventory.
   • Use MSISDN from – here define where PortaBilling retrieves the MSISDN numbers from. The MSISDN inventory option means that the accounts are generated with available MSISDNs. If there are reserved MSISDNs for the customer, select The assigned to Customers option.
   • Assign MSISDN sequentially starting with – the default option is The first one available, but choose a specific starting number for the consecutive range of MSISDN numbers assigned to accounts generated.
   • Assign IMSI sequentially starting with – the default option is The first one available, but choose a specific starting number for the consecutive range of SIM cards (IMSI) assigned to the accounts generated.
   • Service password – choose Empty for mobile accounts.
   • Distributor – assign this batch of accounts to the distributor who has been provided with SIM cards.

     

5. Click Generate.

Once the account generation task is completed, 100 inactive $10 accounts are visible in the customer’s Account list.

The new accounts are available on the distributor’s web self-care interface and are ready to be sold.

The distributor’s commission for activation and further account topup per SIM card is automatically reflected in PortaBilling. Refer to the Configuring a Distributor for Prepaid Services handbook for more details.