Mobile Crediting
Overview
Welcome to Mobile Crediting, the innovative new offering from MX Telecom.
MX Telecom's crediting solution allows partners to offer monetary credit to both pre- and post-pay users on all UK mobile networks. The amount added can be used by consumers in exactly the same way as any other form of top-up and appears as either additional pre-pay funds or on a contract user's monthly bill.
Mobile Crediting was introduced to the market with the incredibly successful Gimme Credit on-pack promotion for Coca-Cola Great Britain in summer 2009.
Gimme Credit Case Study [PDF, 948KB, 2 pages]
Since then, MX Telecom has helped marketing agencies and government departments alike to realise the potential of Mobile Credits to engage users in informational campaigns such as Drink Aware, and reward loyalty by offering Mobile Credits for points on CokeZone.co.uk.
It doesn't stop there though - the potential of crediting is as far reaching and dramatic as mobile payments, from innovative new marketing campaigns through to game-play rewards. For more information, or if you have a campaign idea you want to discuss please contact us or take a look at the frequently asked questions listed below.
Frequently asked questions
- How does it work?
- Does it work for everyone?
- How much can I credit?
- When will the credit be applied?
- What does it cost?
- Do I have to pay for credits in advance and can limits be imposed to prevent misuse?
- How will I know if the credit has successfully been applied?
- Where can I view statistics for crediting usage?
- How will this appear on a user's phone bill?
- How does the user know they have received a credit?
- How long does it take to launch a service?
How does it work?
Partners can apply credits either by integrating directly with MX Telecom's Mobile Crediting simple HTTP API, or by building crediting functionality into interactive campaigns or broadcasts managed by CMX2.
Does it work for everyone?
Credits can be applied to users on all major UK networks, regardless of handset type and for both pre- and post-pay users.
How much can I credit?
The amount you can credit varies from network to network. Longer term, crediting is likely to evolve much like mobile billing solutions such as Payforit and Premium SMS, with all values up to £10 supported initially and the potential for higher amounts further down the line.
When will the credit be applied?
Credits can be applied in real-time on most networks.
What does it cost?
Credits cost the amount credited plus a percentage handling fee. This fee varies from network to network and discounts will be available for larger volumes of credits applied.
Do I have to pay for credits in advance and can limits be imposed to prevent misuse?
All credits must be pre-paid before they can be applied to end users. Accounts can be configured with limits on a per MSISDN basis over a variety of time periods e.g. daily, weekly or monthly.
How will I know if the credit has successfully been applied?
MX Telecom notifies Partners of successful receipt of the Crediting request and the Credit outcome via an HTTP API. Please note that although a successful outcome may be provided by a network, post-pay users on certain networks will not have the credit applied until their next bill.
Where can I view statistics for crediting usage?
You can lookup your pre-paid balance at any time using the Pre-paid credit balance lookup, a simple HTTP API. We can also let you know when your pre-paid balance drops below a configurable threshold so that you can top it up. In future, the balance along with traffic logs and aggregate reporting will be available via our Partner Centre.
How will this appear on a user's phone bill?
This varies between networks. Some permit a per-Partner string but in some cases a generic value such as 'Credit' may be used.
How does the user know they have received a credit?
Best practice is to send the end user a text confirming that a credit has been applied. This may be mandated on certain networks to optimise the end user experience and can be handled by MX Telecom where necessary.
How long does it take to launch a service?
Prior approval is required for services on certain networks, with a lead time of up to four to eight weeks. Other networks can be provisioned in one week.
