How
does this work?
ImpulsePay is a major improvement
on existing premium rate technologies. The key component leverages "Direct
to Bill" technology which allows us to apply a charge directly to the consumer’s
mobile phone bill or credit within the network operators accounting systems.
This means we do not need to send premium rate text messages, rely on delivery
reports or use a cumbersome process for authorisation.
Once a consumer hits our payment gateway, they authorise the purchase by
a sending or receiving a pin code (you can choose which method to allow)
and that’s it. If they have sufficient PAYG credit or their contract is
in good standing, then the charge is applied and they get sent to the success
page you specified.
ImpulsePay became available after the launch of the Payforit 2.0 framework
by the UK network operators. This aims to give greater online payment transparency
and consumer protection, whilst opening up the online world to an easier
way to accept high volumes of small payments at a much wider range of tariffs
under £10.
Payouts
& Charges
When will I get paid?
Payouts usually clear your bank account by the 10th day of the following
month. For the slower payment service funds are dispatched the last day
of the month following.
Can you give me a payment example?
For January transactions: faster service payment should clear your account
by Feb 10th & slow service payments are made on March 31st & clears a few
days after.
Why do the rates vary across different networks?
Each network operators has different charges, meaning payouts vary. Virgin
uses T-Mobile’s infrastructure and take their fees from T-Mobile's payout.
Can I get a different tariff to the ones shown?
As Payforit is a cross network agreement, only the advertised tariffs are
currently available. As more become available, we’ll be adding them on.
Do I need to do anything to get paid?
Before your first payment we’ll need to verify your bank & VAT status.
This simple procedure won’t take long, after which you’ll automatically
get paid every month.
I'm a charity, do I get a better rate?
Registered charities receive our highest band of payouts & may reclaim
VAT in the usual way. Sadly this is the best we can do, as operators do
not adjust their fees.
What is the pin message I could pay for?
This is a standard rate message sent to authorise a purchase. If you elect
to pay this, then the consumer would not have any additional charges to
pay.
What about other
networks like Tesco mobile?
Virtual network operators like Tesco & Asda mobile use other infrastructure
providers. This means our service works fine & you receive their provider’s
payout rates.
Does this service work outside the UK?
Currently this service only works with UK network operators. We’re working
to enable other countries around the world, however this is a slow process.
Can I run a subscription service?
Not at this time. We will be introducing a range of subscription options
once the regulatory requirements become more transparent.
What if a consumer doesn't pay their phone bill?
The network operators allocated money from their fees to cover bad debts.
Therefore, every successfully billed transaction we tell you about, you
get paid for.
What if you go bust before I get paid?
The mechanics of our payout service is set up as a standalone company specifically
for making your payment, covering you if anything happened to us.
Why are operator fees so high?
Several reasons, including covering non-paying customers, cost of maintaining
the technical infrastructure and a lack of competition.
What's the cost to pay the pin code text?
If you pay the pin code message instead of your customer, we charge 3.2p
per transaction. This is also charged when a transaction fails (eg insufficient
credit).
Technical
Questions
Do I have to use your script?
No. We provide an easy to use Javascript widget to get up and running
quickly, but you can use the raw HTML coding instead, or improvise however
you like.
Do payment details travel over the internet?
No. Payforit bills directly to the consumers phone bill. This means sensitive
information never leaves the security of the mobile operators billing
systems.
Can you brand the payment pages?
No. Payment pages are hardcoded by each network operator to address their
specific customer care and transparency concerns. Hopefully this will
change soon!
Can you help me?
Although we don’t offer specific development services, we try to help
out when possible. Check the Enterprise FAQs (below) or contact us &
we’ll see what we can do.
Is there an
SLA? We try our best to keep our services running all the time;
however we can’t issue a service level agreement, as the mobile networks
will not provide us with one.
How reliable is your mobile infrastructure?
Ericsson provides
core network integration components for us, allowing us to leverage their
expertise and vast experience in this area, at minimal costs.
Is there a limit to the number of connections?
No. Our service can handle 10,000s of transactions a second. If you think
you need more than this
talk to us and we can increase
the throughput for your service.
Who manages your data centre?
Rackspace maintain
our infrastructure. They are world leaders in managed hosting, supporting
a wide and diverse range of clients.
Company
Questions
How long have you been around?
ImpulsePay was launched by Interlinked Media in July 2009. Interlinked
Media was established in July 2002 and opened another office in the USA
in August 2006.
Are you regulated?
No. As we are a service provider we do not need to be regulated by
PhonePayPlus.
However, we are registered with the ICO for the data protection act.
Do I need to be regulated?
It depends on your service. We recommend our clients talk to
PhonePayPlus
to ensure their service confirms to all the necessary requirements.
Where do you operate?
ImpulsePay only works with the UK carriers at present. Interlinked have
offices in the USA & hope to one day to bring this service to other
countries around the world.
Do you do custom work?
We don’t offer specific development services, but do talk to us and we’ll
see how we can help you. Also, check out the Enterprise FAQs below.
Are my payouts
safe?
Yes. We set up ImpulsePay Ltd just for client payments. All operational
& business costs go to Interlinked Media Ltd, keeping your payments
separate & safe.
Which bank will money be sent from?
Payments are sent by BACs 3 working days before the 10th from Lloyds TSB.
Once you signup, we pre-register your bank details to ensure payments
are made ontime.
How do you payout automatically?
We use
VAT
Self Billing to reduce the red tape of statements, purchase orders
& invoices to a minimum. This allows us to send out payments on time,
every time.
Who provides you with operator connections?
Ericsson do. In addition to their handset division, they provide wide
ranging telecoms expertise to operators and clients like us.
Can we meet up?
Sure. Give us a bit of notice to tidy the office up! We’re based in London,
however we would prefer to discuss your ideas over the phone first so
are better prepared.
Enterprise
Services
Can I use this without the ImpulsePay Branding?
Yes! We will white label our platform to display all your company branding
and domain name. This will take 14 days to set up & cost £175/month (3
months min).
We’re a big company, can you help us?
Yes. We can work with you to bring our services to your customers. Please
call us to discuss your company and how we can help
you.
Will you work with me to develop my idea?
We’re happy to bounce ideas around and help keep it legal, but we’re no
substitute for old fashion market research or the
Phone
Pay Plus regulators.
I have a specific idea will you develop it for me?
First, let’s discuss your idea.
Call us and we’ll
determine if we can help. If we are not suitable, we’ll tell you straightaway
and try to point you in the right direction.
Do you have a
partner/reseller program?
Yes! We pay a fixed fee per transaction dependent on the tariff. When
you log in you can view all tariffs and associated fees. For more info
please
click here.
How can I get a proposal?
We try to keep everything simple, but it you really need a proposal or
estimate, drop us
a line with your requirements
and we’ll get one put together for you.
What is your hourly rate?
Hourly rates only apply to projects which we agree in advance, outside
of normal online account signup. Rates start at £50/hr + VAT depending
on skill requirements.
Can you provide me with a support package?
Yes and no. We can provide a higher level of support and maintenance,
but cannot provide a service level agreement.
Call us
to discuss this further.
Consumer
Questions
What does ImpulsePay mean for consumers?
Find out more info here. Our aim is to have
as many online retailers as possible providing ImpulsePay as soon as possible.
How secure is it?
Very. All you give is your mobile phone number, which is then sent a pin
code. You enter this pin to verify your transaction and your purchase
is made.
What happens to my mobile number?
Your mobile number is safe and will not be passed on to anyone else. You
may be asked if you'd like to recieve marketing from the retailer you
are purchasing from.
Can i use a pay-as-you-go mobile?
Yes. Providing you have sufficient credit you can use a pay-as-you-go
mobile phone. Remember that the credit will be deducted immediately.
Can I see my ImpulsePay payment history?
Not just yet, but we're building ImpulsePay Payment history facility soon!.
I'm under 18,
can I use the service?
Yes. ImpulsePay was designed to be used by all ages. Provided you have
a valid UK mobile phone number, you can use ImpulsePay.
How can I claim a refund?
ImpulsePay cannot issue refunds for products or services, you'll need
to contact the retailer in order to claim a refund.
Which networks support the service?
All UK networks support the service: T-mobile, Orange, O2, Three and Vodafone.
All virtual operators like Tesco Mobile and Virgin are supported too.
When is the money deducted from my bill?
If you are on a prepay contract, the transaction will be added to your
bill which will then be deducted from your bank account by your network
on the ususal date.
Who runs ImpulsePay?
ImpulsePay is run by
Interlinked
Media.
