General

We’re excited to introduce USD Bank Transfers as a new payment method for our users. This method offers a cost-effective and efficient way to make payments. Below are the frequently asked questions regarding USD Bank Transfers.

1. What is the USD Bank Transfer Payment Method?

The USD Bank Transfer is a new payment method that allows you to transfer funds directly to your Plivo account without incurring the 3% Payment Gateway Fee (PGF) associated with credit card payments. The transfer can be made via Domestic Wire Transfer (same-day settlement) or ACH Transfer (next-day settlement).

2. Why should I use USD Bank Transfers?

• No 3% Payment Gateway Fee: Avoid the 3% PGF that applies to credit card payments.
• Faster Settlement: Same-day settlement via Domestic Wire Transfer or next-day settlement via ACH Transfer.
• Cost-Effective: ACH transfers generally have no fee, and wire transfers have a small flat fee charged by your bank (usually around $30).

3. How do I make a payment using USD Bank Transfer?

Follow these simple steps to make a payment:

Step 1: Log in to your Plivo Console
Go to the Payment Methods section in your console.
OR
Follow this link: https://console.plivo.com/payments/bank-transfer/

Step 2: View Your Virtual Bank Details
Click on the USD Bank Transfer option to view your unique virtual bank account details (account number, routing number, and bank name).

Step 3: Initiate the Transfer

Use your bank’s online portal or mobile app to initiate the transfer.

For Domestic Wire Transfer: Select wire transfer and enter the provided bank details for same-day settlement.

For ACH Transfer: Select ACH transfer for next-day settlement.

Step 4: Confirm the Transfer

Once the transfer is completed, the payment will be automatically recorded in your Plivo account when the funds are received.
Note: ACH transfers settle in 1-2 business days while Domestic Wire Transfers settle on the same day.

4. Are there any fees for USD Bank Transfers?

• USD Bank Transfers (Wire & ACH): No additional PGF fees. However, a flat fee (typically around $30) may be charged by your bank for wire transfers. ACH transfers typically have no fee.
• Credit Card Payments: Subject to the 3% PGF fee.

5. How long does it take for my payment to settle?

• Domestic Wire Transfer: Same-day settlement (once funds are received).
• ACH Transfer: Typically settles the next business day after transfer.

6. Can I continue using my credit card for payments?
Yes, you can still use your credit card for payments, but please note that the 3% PGF will apply. If you prefer to avoid this fee, we recommend using USD Bank Transfers instead.

1. Accessing Fair Usage Report for Voice

To download the Fair Usage Report for Voice, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Plivo Console:
   
   • Go to the Plivo Voice Logs page .
2. Export the Fair Usage Report:
   
   • In the top-right corner, click on the Export button.

• A modal will appear. Select the Export Fair Usage Report option.
  
  
  
• Select the Export Logs button to download the file.
• The report will be downloaded as an XLSX file. This file will show you the total eligible calls, short duration calls, abandoned calls, and their corresponding charges.
  
  Important Note: The charges shown in the MTD report are subject to change, as the final charges will be calculated at the end of the month when the invoice is generated.

2. Accessing Fair Usage Report for Zentrunk

For Zentrunk calls, the process is similar to the Voice call logs:

1. Log in to the Plivo Console:
   
   • Go to the Zentrunk Logs page
2. Export the Fair Usage Report:

• In the top-right corner, click on the Export Fair Usage button.

3. Download the Zentrunk MTD Report:
   
   • Clicking the button will generate an XLSX report that includes details of the short duration calls and abandoned calls made through Zentrunk.
     
     

Sample MTD Report

The exported MTD report will contain details like the following:

This report will update in real-time and is subject to change at the end of the month when the invoice is generated.

Summary:

*Read below to know more about domestic routes in India
Details:

A .  For Businesses Registered in India

1. What are the requirements for sending traffic to India?

To meet traffic compliance, businesses sending SMS or making calls to India via domestic routes must meet specific requirements.

Domestic routes are defined as follows:

• SMS: If you have completed your DLT registration (Distributed Ledger Technology).
• Voice/SIP Trunking: When using Plivo India’s rented numbers to make or receive calls within India. Read more about the process and KYC details required to rent an India number here.

The following additional details are required for invoice and taxation purposes:

GST:
If your business is registered for GST, you need to provide your GST details to Plivo.
If your business is not registered for GST, you must self-declare your status as GST Unregistered on the Plivo console.
Payment in INR:
All payments for domestic SMS and Voice services must be made to Plivo’s India entity and must be in Indian Rupees (INR)

Note: The currency and payment to the specific entity are auto-handled when you make Credit Card payments by Plivo on your console.

2. Can a business registered in India send traffic internationally?

Yes, businesses registered in India can send traffic to both Indian and international destinations. However, this requires the creation of two separate accounts. This is how you can create these accounts and the options you should choose depending on your needs while adding your card for the first time - please note that these can’t be changed later: 

• To send Traffic within India via domestic routes:
  1. Create an account
  2. When entering your Indian billing address, select "India only" when prompted.

3. Provide your GST details.

4. All payments will be in INR (Indian Rupees), 
5. All invoices will be in INR, billed by the Indian service provider, with GST applied to your invoice.

• To send Traffic outside India: For sending international traffic:
  
  
  1. Create a new account
  2. When entering your billing address here, select "Outside India" when prompted.

3. No GST details are required.
4. All payments will be in USD (U.S. Dollars), with no GST, but applicable international taxes may apply.
   
   

B. For Businesses Registered outside India

Businesses not registered in India can still send traffic to India, but the process differs:

• These businesses can send traffic to India using international routes only. Check pricing for international routes (Voice & SMS).
• Select your registration country - as per your registration details - while entering your billing address. 

If a business wants to send traffic to India via domestic routes, it must have a business entity registered in India, and traffic must be sent by said entity.

US customers can now recharge their accounts using the bank direct debits option in the billing section.

Please note that ACH debit is only available if there is at least one credit card on file. 

How does Plivo verify my bank account for ACH debit?

Plivo performs a verification check by sending a micro-deposit of $0.01 to the customer’s bank account. The micro-deposit should be deposited to the account in 2-3 days. In case it does not happen, the customer can delete their account and re-attempt to add it.

The deposit includes a code that starts with “SM” (for example, SMXXXX). To complete verification, the user will need to enter the four digits following “SM” in the Plivo console. 

What happens if the verification attempts are unsuccessful?

We limit verification attempts to a maximum of five. Users can track their remaining attempts through a counter displayed on the interface.

If the final verification attempt is unsuccessful, the system will automatically remove the bank configuration from both the backend and the payment gateway.

How do I know when my account is verified?

On successful verification, the status flag is updated to VERIFIED and the scheduled bank direct debits option is available to the user instantly.

Does Plivo store my bank details when I configure ACH debit?

No, Plivo does not store your bank details. Only the last four digits of your account number are retained so users can identify the bank account.

How many ACH bank accounts can I configure in my Plivo account?

Plivo allows only one ACH bank account per Plivo account. If you wish to add a different account, you can click “Edit” and provide details for the new bank account.

What is the processing time for ACH debit payments?

The processing time for an ACH debit payment request is three to five business days. 

How does a scheduled auto-debit work?

Scheduled auto-debit allows you to make recurring ACH debit payments. Configure the settings in your Plivo console to give permission for a fixed amount to be automatically withdrawn from your bank account on a chosen date each month. Our system checks each day for scheduled payments; if it finds one, the payment is initiated.

How many auto-debit schedules can I configure?

You can configure up to five scheduled automatic payments for ACH bank debits.

How can I skip a specific scheduled payment?

Select “Skip next payment” to skip a specific, scheduled payment.” When the system detects that a scheduled debit is skipped, it will not process the auto-debit on the selected date. Please make note of  the date mentioned when you decide to skip the payment.

What if I want to skip a schedule on the same date as the scheduled  payment? 

If you wish to skip a schedule on the same date as the scheduled payment, it's recommended to cancel the payment request from the payment receipt page.

Can I cancel an ACH payment while it's being processed?

Yes, you have the option to cancel an ACH payment from the payment receipt page while it's being processed. 

Can I request a refund for ACH payments?

Yes, ACH payments can be refunded. Customers need to contact the Plivo support team with a legitimate cause to process the refund request.

Can I dispute an ACH payment? 

Yes, ACH payments can be disputed. In the event of a dispute, Plivo will automatically block your account and disallow any further payment attempts or usage of your account.  

If I close my account and my remaining balance was originally paid by ACH, how will this be refunded?

The pending balance will be refunded by the methods that are available in the system. Here’s an example: an account has a remaining balance of $200. The last ACH payment was $100, and the last credit card payment was $150 of which $50 was used up. Plivo will refund the full ACH amount and the remaining $100 to the credit card. 

Is there a limit for ACH?

Yes, ACH scheduled payments are limited to a minimum of $50 US and a maximum of $50,000 US for prepaid customers. As for postpaid customers, there’s a lower limit for $50 US and an upper limit of $999,999.99 US.

Are there any fees or charges for ACH debit?

No, there are no additional fees or charges for payments via ACH debit. 

What happens if my balance is low but I don’t have an ACH debit scheduled soon?

ACH debit is only available if there is at least one credit card on file. If the account does not have sufficient funds and auto-recharge is enabled for the card on file, an auto-recharge will be triggered using the credit card. More details about auto recharges can be found here. If auto recharge is not enabled and your balance reaches zero then your services will be disrupted.

We provide an auto recharge feature to help you avoid service disruption because of a low account balance. Auto recharge uses your credit card to top up the account balance when it detects the balance going below a certain threshold amount. 

You can control the spending on your credit cards by placing limits on auto recharges. You can configure up to three auto recharge payment limits for your preferred amounts using the Configure Auto Recharge Limits feature on the Payment Settings page.

You can add a daily, weekly and monthly limit on payments executed using your credit cards. For every auto recharge attempt, the system will check whether the attempt breaches any of the payment limits.

For instance, if the daily payment limit is $100 and the total successful payments for the day sum to $75, the next auto recharge attempt of $50 will be declined.

If an auto recharge is declined due to payment limits, we’ll notify you of the reason for the decline in our transaction alert email.

Please note: You may always make manual recharges, even above the auto recharge limit amounts. We consider both manual and auto recharge payments when we calculate whether an auto recharge attempt would breach any configured payment limits.

We accept payment via credit card, wire transfer, or ACH debit (US only). We accept all major credit cards, including American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. We don't accept any other modes of payment (such as PayPal).

Follow these instructions to add a credit card to your account.

Contact our support team to pay via wire transfer and be ready to provide the following details.

• Use case
• Company details
• Estimated monthly volume

The minimum amount for a wire transfer is $1,000.

Follow these instructions to pay by ACH debit. 

If you've enabled auto recharge and your account balance drops below the threshold value you've set, Plivo will charge to the credit card associated with your account the recharge amount you've set. If the balance is well below the threshold we may need to charge the recharge amount multiple times until the account balance is equal to or above the defined threshold value.

Here’s an example of how this works. Say you had a balance of $100, and you set the threshold value to $100 and the auto recharge amount at $20. If the account balance went down to $10 due to a one-shot spend of $90, the account would be auto-recharged $20 five times to bring the account balance above the threshold value of $100.

If the first recharge attempt fails, Plivo will wait and try to charge the card again when the balance falls to 75% of the threshold balance. If that recharge attempt fails again, we'll try again when the balance reaches 50% and 25% of the threshold value defined, and when it reaches zero. If we're still unsuccessful and you have a zero or negative balance, you will no longer be able to use any Plivo functions.