Voucher Types

Introduction

A voucher type determines the benefit and cost of a voucher for a subscriber. It is primarily a data record for defining voucher information relevant to the generation and redemption of a voucher against a wallet.

Within the voucher server, a voucher type’s data is used for:

• Information data written to the “print file” generated during voucher generation.
• Determining which lifecycle to apply to each voucher on creation.
• Voucher redemption, when a voucher is redeemed by a subscriber the value of the voucher type is committed against a wallet.

The cost of the voucher need not be used directly. Often the cost is stored in the OCS only for informational purposes.

Voucher Type Details

The voucher type details screen allows users to define the voucher name, cost and value.

Fields

Voucher Cost

The voucher cost may be left as zero if the cost of the voucher is managed outside the voucher server (often vouchers are purchased outside the voucher server and OCS via cash, POS systems or credit card payments).

However, where the purchase cost is to be paid via OCS processing (e.g. with the OCS managing the credit card purchase process), the voucher cost is used directly.

The voucher cost can be included in the voucher batch print file, if required.

Buckets to be Granted

A voucher type may have zero or more buckets to be granted on redemption of an associated voucher.

Like the voucher cost, it is possible that the voucher type is a placeholder and requires no bucket definitions - however in the usual case each bucket listed on the voucher type will become a granted bucket on an OCS wallet when an associated voucher is redeemed.

Each bucket defined on a voucher type is a template of an OCS bucket. For more information on buckets, see OCS buckets.

Voucher Lifecycle

The voucher server uses the OCS’s flexible lifecycle scripting system to define voucher lifecycles. Each voucher’s lifecycle is determined by the voucher type associated with it at voucher creation time.

The voucher lifecycle is generally used to determine whether a voucher may be redeemed, and how long a voucher may be active or marked as redeemed before being automatically removed.

For more information, see the voucher lifecycle documentation.

The Active Flag

Each voucher type may be flagged as active or inactive. An inactive voucher type may still be redeemed. The active flag is only used to determine whether a voucher type may be associated with new voucher batches.

Voucher Name

The voucher type name is a simple text string used in EDRs, the OCS GUI, logging output, and voucher batch print files to reference the voucher type.

Note that the voucher ID is used internally for cross-referencing the voucher type where required, rather than the voucher name.

Voucher Type Data Consistency

Voucher types are not versioned and any changes made to a voucher type will affect all vouchers associated with the type.

Vouchers will use the information of the voucher type they are associated with at the time of redemption, not the information as it was at the time of creation.

Note that voucher lifecycles are assigned at voucher creation, so if the voucher lifecycle for a voucher type is changed after a voucher is created then vouchers created before the change will not have their lifecycle changed (however note that as with OCS lifecycles, if the lifecycle details are changed, these changes will be applied to all vouchers).