e-Top Up is an innovative way to recharge prepaid currency that provides mobile subscribers convenience and security. The e-Top Up solution is implemented using the Electronic Draft Capture (EDC) terminals installed at the retail establishments.

e-Top Up overcomes the disadvantage currently faced by the service providers, of not having up-to-date sales information on currency sold through conventional methods. To the subscribers, e-Top Up provides a hassle-free and secure means of reloading currency. The retail merchants get the benefit of more efficient inventory management.

 

e-Top Up Components:

 

•  e-Top Up Host

•  The e-Top Up host is a Windows 2000 based centralized host built on a scalable, robust and web-enabled enterprise architecture, powered by Oracle 8i database

•  EDC Terminal

•  EDC terminals need to be located at the Retail establishments where customers can purchase currency

•  Middleware

•  A middleware module (running on PC), attached with an nPort Server device card would convert the incoming asynchronous packets from the terminal to IP Packets and send the same to the Host

•  Communication Interface

•  The communication between the terminal and host is through PSTN. The middleware module converts the incoming asynchronous packets to TCP/IP packets and sends to the application server. During a Sale transaction, the Host application validates the incoming packet, picks up the required PIN from the database, encrypts the PIN (using a proprietary non-key based algorithm) and sends it back to the terminal. During a reconciliation transaction, the Host application validates the totals of that terminal with its own, and on successful match, sends an approval to the terminal application. If the totals do not match, the terminal would need to upload the day's transaction again to the host, and then carry out the reconciliation

  How e-Top Up Works?

•  PINs are downloaded onto the e Top Up Server

•  Subscriber approaches the Retailer for currency

•  Retailer connects the Terminal to the e Top Up Host, and keys in the required currency details (type and quantity) on the terminal

•  Relevant PIN is then sent by the e Top Up host to the terminal

•  The PIN is printed as a charge slip and is given to the subscriber

•  Subscriber dials the IVR of the Prepaid Currency Provider and updates his/her pre paid account using the PIN

e-Top Up Functionality:

 

The e-Top Up solution automates the sale of pre-paid recharge currency. e-Top Up functionality can be broadly classified under the following heads:

 

•  Configuration Module

 

•  Transaction Module

 

•  Reports Module

 

 

 

Features of e-Top Up:

 

User Friendliness:

•  e-Top Up solution provides interactive GUI to administer and view reports relevant to the Prepaid currency provider. The terminal based modules are designed to ensure ease-of-use

Security:

•  As the solution is enabled for a PSTN infrastructure, all aspects of security have been addressed in the solution. The security features include:

•  Usage of ISO 8583 message formats

•  Encryption and Decryption of PINs throughout the system to prevent tampering

•  Data and Functional access based on roles and privileges

Scalability:

•  e-Top Up system has been designed to ensure high scalability with the least requirement to enhance the hardware and the systems software, in the event of the transaction load going up over a period of time, hence protecting the investment and ensuring a constant and conducive environment for managing transactions