In wholesale voice, carriers send rate deck updates with an effective date for each change. Increases come with a notice period set in the agreement (7 days is common), while decreases usually apply immediately. Load every update on time and keep the history, or your costs and your invoices will not match.
Types of change in a rate deck update
| Change | What it means | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| Increase | Higher rate on a code or breakout | After the agreed notice period |
| Decrease | Lower rate | Often immediate or next day |
| New code | A prefix added to the deck | From the stated date |
| Closed code | A prefix removed or blocked | After notice, or at once when an operator closes a range |
| Increment change | For example from 1/1 to 60/60 | Treated like an increase |
A deck update can be a full deck (every code and rate) or a partial one (only changes). Ask which one your supplier sends, and whether codes missing from a full deck are considered closed. If the deck format is new to you, read how to read a VoIP rate deck.
Notice periods
The notice period for increases is written in the interconnect agreement. Many wholesale voice agreements use 7 days; some use longer for contracted volume, and some allow shorter notice when the destination operator raises its own termination fee. Decreases need no protection for the buyer, so they normally take effect at once.
SMS prices follow a similar logic, but operator fee changes can be frequent and suppliers sometimes give shorter notice. Check the clause in your own agreement (see the interconnect agreement checklist).
Agree also the time zone of the effective date. A change effective at 00:00 UTC and one effective at 00:00 local time can differ by most of a day of traffic.
What buyers should do with each update
- Confirm receipt, so the notice period clearly started.
- Compare the new deck with the current one and list increases, new codes and closed codes.
- Check the effect on your routing: a route that was cheapest may now be second. Update your least cost routing tables.
- Update the prices you charge your own customers, respecting the notice you owe them.
- Load the deck in your switch and billing system with the correct effective date.
- Archive every version with its date of receipt.
Archived decks are your evidence in a billing dispute: if a higher rate was billed before its effective date, the deck shows it.
What sellers should do
- Send updates to the agreed address or portal, never only to a sales contact.
- State the effective date and time zone on every line.
- Pass on upstream increases as fast as the agreement allows: during the notice period you carry the difference.
- Keep the deck format stable, so buyers can import it automatically.
Common problems
- Update missed: the email went to someone on holiday. Use a shared mailbox for rate notifications.
- Code splits: a breakout is split into new codes (for example, a new mobile range), and calls fall into a more expensive line. See VoIP breakouts.
- Increment change hidden in a full deck: always compare the increment column, not only the rate (see billing increments).
- Price below cost: after an increase, a margin turns negative until your own customers' prices change.
When you buy through VoIPMatcher, we source and manage the route. Read about our VoIP termination service, or request a VoIP route.
Frequently asked questions
What is a rate deck in VoIP?
A rate deck is a carrier's price list: a table of dialling codes or breakouts with the rate per minute, billing increment and effective date for each. Buyers load it into their switch and billing system to route calls and check invoices. A full deck lists every code; a partial update lists only the changes.
Can a carrier increase rates without notice?
Under most wholesale agreements, no: increases apply only after the agreed notice period, commonly 7 days. Some agreements allow shorter notice when the destination operator raises its own termination fee. Decreases usually apply at once. If a higher rate is billed before its effective date, the archived deck is your evidence in a dispute.
Is a billing increment change a rate increase?
In practice, yes. Moving a destination from 1/1 to 60/60 raises the cost of short calls even when the rate per minute stays the same, so it is normally treated like an increase and should follow the notice period. Always compare the increment column in every update, not only the rate.
Why did my rates change without me noticing?
Often the update did reach your company but went to a person who was away, or arrived as a full deck where the changes were not highlighted. Agree a shared mailbox or portal for rate notifications, confirm receipt of each update, and compare every new deck with the current one so increases and closed codes are caught.
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