Before we find out the entire process required to setup an International Calling Card Business, first let’s try to understand the meaning of Calling Card Business.
What is a Calling Card Business?
The concept of calling cards in VoIP arena is more or less similar to our regular calling cards used for making calls over long distances. Calling card business is a regular activity in VoIP arena that allows you to provide subscribers with long distance or international calls via a VoIP network.
Though there are various telephony applications available for your smartphones to make VoIP calls over the internet, still the demand for calling cards is undiminishing. This is because calling cards don’t necessitate the use of internet to make long distance calls.
How does it work?
Generally, calling cards are of two types namely PIN based calling cards and PIN less calling cards. It’s up to the subscriber to pick up any type of his choice. In both the cases, a subscriber has to dial in an access number (shown on calling card) better referred to as DID number from his smartphone and follow the IVR.
In the case of a PIN based calling card, a subscriber has to enter the PIN that is shown on the card itself. If the authentication is successful, the system announces the current balance after which he can dial the desired destination number. On the other hand, a PIN less calling card allows the subscriber to directly dial the destination number via ANI authorization after dialing the access number.
Prerequisites for setting up a Calling Card Business:
They are: Hardware Equipment, Software, and International Gateway Providers.
Hardware Equipment:
First, you need to secure a server where the calling card platform has to be set up. The number of servers depends upon the traffic you’re handling. More the traffic, more the servers are required to ensure stability. These servers need a stable internet connection with ample bandwidth.
Secondly, you need a PC or other internet enabled devices to manage calling card platform via a web interface.
Most calling card platforms support DID technology that uses a DID number, so there is no need to have separate gateways to bridge PSTN networks and VoIP networks. To start with DID numbers, you need to select a DID provider.
Software Requirements:
A Softswitch or simply a calling card platform is the key element of your network. It is important that you find out what kind of calling cards are being supported by your softswitch as there are different types of authorization for them. For instance, a PIN based calling card requires a PIN for authorization whereas ANI authorization is required for PIN less calling cards. In view of this, it is better to have a softswitch that supports both types of authorization.
Next, you need integrated billing software to collect information about calls and use it for charging clients. Selecting of VoIP billing software is crucial as all calls have to be thoroughly processed without data losses.
Certain softswitches have inbuilt features that addresses all software requirements of your network. They are usually offered by leading VoIP Solution Providers.
International Gateway Providers
You need to find out the best international gateway providers to buy airtime for destinations all over the world. Some offer only specific destinations, while others offer many destinations. It is good to stick to the provider that offer many destinations, but go with the specific destination provider if he offers good rates for the destinations you are interested in. Quality of the gateways provided has to be free from echoing, jitter, and delay. It’s always safe to check the gateways before you endorse them.
Start the Calling Card Business:
Before starting your calling card business you need to decide on the pricing list. Various factors have to be included while deciding on price list for each destination. As a newbie in the market, it is wise to offer special rates to build your user base. Also, the look and feel of calling cards should be appealing.
Once your price list and calling cards are ready you can start selling them through the internet, retail stores, distributors, restaurants, hotspots, etc. Otherwise you can make use of special software for PIN code distribution. This avoids printing of calling cards while ensuring more safety and reliability. Also, you can make additional revenue from reselling other PIN code services from the same terminal.
In this business, profits are made from the margin between buying and selling prices. That’s not all, you can gain more from setting different billing types and subscriber fees such as activation fees, connection fees, maintenance fees, etc.
What is a Calling Card Business?
The concept of calling cards in VoIP arena is more or less similar to our regular calling cards used for making calls over long distances. Calling card business is a regular activity in VoIP arena that allows you to provide subscribers with long distance or international calls via a VoIP network.
Though there are various telephony applications available for your smartphones to make VoIP calls over the internet, still the demand for calling cards is undiminishing. This is because calling cards don’t necessitate the use of internet to make long distance calls.
How does it work?
Generally, calling cards are of two types namely PIN based calling cards and PIN less calling cards. It’s up to the subscriber to pick up any type of his choice. In both the cases, a subscriber has to dial in an access number (shown on calling card) better referred to as DID number from his smartphone and follow the IVR.
In the case of a PIN based calling card, a subscriber has to enter the PIN that is shown on the card itself. If the authentication is successful, the system announces the current balance after which he can dial the desired destination number. On the other hand, a PIN less calling card allows the subscriber to directly dial the destination number via ANI authorization after dialing the access number.
Prerequisites for setting up a Calling Card Business:
They are: Hardware Equipment, Software, and International Gateway Providers.
Hardware Equipment:
First, you need to secure a server where the calling card platform has to be set up. The number of servers depends upon the traffic you’re handling. More the traffic, more the servers are required to ensure stability. These servers need a stable internet connection with ample bandwidth.
Secondly, you need a PC or other internet enabled devices to manage calling card platform via a web interface.
Most calling card platforms support DID technology that uses a DID number, so there is no need to have separate gateways to bridge PSTN networks and VoIP networks. To start with DID numbers, you need to select a DID provider.
Software Requirements:
A Softswitch or simply a calling card platform is the key element of your network. It is important that you find out what kind of calling cards are being supported by your softswitch as there are different types of authorization for them. For instance, a PIN based calling card requires a PIN for authorization whereas ANI authorization is required for PIN less calling cards. In view of this, it is better to have a softswitch that supports both types of authorization.
Next, you need integrated billing software to collect information about calls and use it for charging clients. Selecting of VoIP billing software is crucial as all calls have to be thoroughly processed without data losses.
Certain softswitches have inbuilt features that addresses all software requirements of your network. They are usually offered by leading VoIP Solution Providers.
International Gateway Providers
You need to find out the best international gateway providers to buy airtime for destinations all over the world. Some offer only specific destinations, while others offer many destinations. It is good to stick to the provider that offer many destinations, but go with the specific destination provider if he offers good rates for the destinations you are interested in. Quality of the gateways provided has to be free from echoing, jitter, and delay. It’s always safe to check the gateways before you endorse them.
Start the Calling Card Business:
Before starting your calling card business you need to decide on the pricing list. Various factors have to be included while deciding on price list for each destination. As a newbie in the market, it is wise to offer special rates to build your user base. Also, the look and feel of calling cards should be appealing.
Once your price list and calling cards are ready you can start selling them through the internet, retail stores, distributors, restaurants, hotspots, etc. Otherwise you can make use of special software for PIN code distribution. This avoids printing of calling cards while ensuring more safety and reliability. Also, you can make additional revenue from reselling other PIN code services from the same terminal.
In this business, profits are made from the margin between buying and selling prices. That’s not all, you can gain more from setting different billing types and subscriber fees such as activation fees, connection fees, maintenance fees, etc.
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