Value Added Services (VAS) - Frequently Asked Questions
Guide to Velocity Shipping's Value Added Services pricing, billing, and service descriptions
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Important Billing Information
- Service Descriptions & Pricing
- Free Trial & Credits
- Billing Details
- Troubleshooting
1. Overview
Q: What are Value Added Services (VAS)?
A: VAS are additional services that help you reduce RTO, improve delivery success, and enhance customer communication. They include:
| Service | Description | Billing Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Order & Address Confirmation | Automated confirmation via WhatsApp & AI calls | Per message + Per minute |
| NDR Management | Automated handling of failed deliveries | Per message + Per minute |
| WhatsApp Communications | Automated messages at key milestones | Per message sent |
| AI Calling | AI-powered calls to customers | Per minute (pulse-based) |
| RTO Risk Score | Prediction of return likelihood | Per API call |
| Early COD | Faster COD remittance | % of settlement |
Q: How do I enable VAS for my account?
A: Contact your account manager or reach out to support@velocity.in to enable VAS services. Each service can be enabled independently.
2. Important Billing Information
Critical: How Pricing Works
Q: When is the price of a service (WhatsApp, AI Call) calculated?
A: The price is calculated when the automation is triggered, NOT when the service is actually executed.
This means:
- When an order is created and triggers an automation, the price at that moment is locked in
- Even if the WhatsApp message or AI call happens hours later, the original price applies
- This ensures consistent billing regardless of processing delays
Q: What happens when prices are updated?
A: Price changes only apply to future orders, not retrospectively.
- If your WhatsApp price changes from Rs. 1.50 to Rs. 2.00
- Orders already in the automation pipeline will be charged at Rs. 1.50
- Only new orders (triggered after the price change) will be charged Rs. 2.00
- This applies to all VAS services: WhatsApp, AI Calls, RTO Risk, etc.
Critical: Wallet Balance Requirement
Q: What happens if I don't have enough balance when automation triggers?
A: If your wallet balance is insufficient at the time of automation trigger:
- The automation fails immediately
- It cannot be retried for that order
- The order will not receive automated confirmation calls or messages
- You'll need to handle such orders manually
Best Practice: Always maintain sufficient wallet balance to avoid automation failures. Set up low-balance alerts to get notified before running out of credits.
3. Service Descriptions & Pricing
WhatsApp Communications
Q: What WhatsApp messages does Velocity Shipping send? A: Various templates based on shipment status:
| Template | When Sent |
|---|---|
| Order Confirmation | When order is created (if automation enabled) |
| Order Placed | Order acknowledgment |
| Shipment Shipped | When shipment is created |
| Picked Up | When carrier picks up |
| Out for Delivery | On delivery day |
| Delivered | Successful delivery |
| Undelivered (NDR) | Failed delivery attempt |
| COD to Prepaid Link | Payment link for COD conversion |
Q: When am I charged for WhatsApp messages? A: You're charged only when the message is successfully sent (sent_at timestamp received from WhatsApp/Meta). Failed messages are not charged.
AI Calling
Q: How is AI Call pricing calculated? A: AI calls are charged per minute using pulse-based billing:
- Pulse: Billing increment (e.g., 30 seconds)
- Price per minute: Your contracted rate
- Total charge: (Call duration rounded up to next pulse) x (Price per minute / 60 x Pulse)
Example: 45-second call with 30-second pulse at Rs. 2/minute:
- Charged seconds: 60 (rounded up to next pulse)
- Charge: Rs. 2.00
Q: Am I charged for failed/rejected calls? A: No. You're only charged for completed calls with a recorded duration.
RTO Risk Score
Q: What is RTO Risk Score? A: A prediction of how likely an order is to be returned to origin (RTO). Orders are classified as:
- Low Risk - Likely to be delivered successfully
- Medium Risk - Some chance of RTO
- High Risk - High likelihood of RTO
Q: How is RTO Risk calculated? A: Using multiple signals:
- Address validity - Is the address complete and valid?
- Clean address - Standardized/corrected address
- Historical data - Customer's past order behavior
- Pin code patterns - Delivery success rates in the area
Q: When am I charged for RTO Risk? A: You're charged when the RTO Risk API successfully returns a score. If the API call fails, you're not charged.
Early COD
Q: What is Early COD? A: A service that provides faster COD remittance. Instead of waiting for the standard remittance cycle, you receive your COD funds earlier for a small fee.
Q: How is Early COD charged? A: As a percentage of the settlement amount:
- Your contracted fee percentage (e.g., 1.5%)
- Applied when COD settlement is processed
- Deducted from the settlement amount
4. Free Trial & Credits
Q: Do I get charged during free trial?
A: No, during free trial:
- Services are free up to the trial limits
- Free credits are deducted instead of wallet balance
- Once trial ends or credits exhausted, regular billing applies
Q: What happens when free credits run out?
A:
- Services stop unless you explicitly opted in
- Regular pricing applies after free credits are exhausted
- Top up your wallet to avoid service interruption
Q: How do I check my remaining free credits?
A: View your free credit balance in the VAS settings section of your dashboard, or contact your account manager.
5. Billing Details
Q: How do I check my VAS charges?
A:
- Go to Payments - Invoices in your dashboard
- View itemized VAS charges
- Download detailed billing reports
Q: What's included in the VAS itemized bill?
A:
- Order/Shipment ID
- Service type (WhatsApp, AI Call, RTO Risk, etc.)
- Charge amount
- Timestamp
- Status (success/failed)
Key Billing Rules Summary
| Rule | Details |
|---|---|
| Price lock-in | At automation trigger time |
| Price updates | Future orders only, not retrospective |
| Balance check | At automation trigger, fails if insufficient |
| Retry billing | Each retry is a separate charge |
| Failed services | Not charged (WA not sent, API failed, call not answered) |
Ledger Event Types
| Service | Event Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| RTO Risk | rto_risk_service_charge | Per successful API call |
| AI Call | ai_call_service_charge | Standalone AI call charges |
| OC Automation (WA) | oc_automation_wa_service_charge | WhatsApp in Order Confirmation |
| OC Automation (AI) | oc_automation_ai_call_service_charge | AI call in Order Confirmation |
| NDR Automation (WA) | ndr_automation_wa_service_charge | WhatsApp in NDR Management |
| NDR Automation (AI) | ndr_automation_ai_call_service_charge | AI call in NDR Management |
| General WhatsApp | wa_communication_service_charge | Other WhatsApp messages |
| Early COD | early_cod_charge | % of COD settlement |
6. Troubleshooting
Q: Why wasn't I charged for a service?
A: Services are not charged when:
- WhatsApp message failed to send
- AI call was not answered or rejected
- RTO Risk API call failed
- You're still in free trial with credits remaining
Q: Why was I charged more than expected for AI calls?
A: Remember pulse-based billing:
- A 31-second call with 30-second pulse is charged for 60 seconds
- Each retry call is charged separately
- Check your pulse setting in VAS configuration
Q: My balance was deducted but service didn't work?
A: Contact support with:
- Order/Shipment ID
- Service type
- Timestamp Our team will investigate and refund if service failed.
Quick Reference
VAS Services Summary
| Service | Trigger | Billing Basis | Charged When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order Confirmation (WA) | Order created | Per message | Message sent successfully |
| Order Confirmation (AI) | After WA wait time | Per minute (pulse-based) | Call completed |
| NDR Management (WA) | Delivery failed | Per message | Message sent successfully |
| NDR Management (AI) | After WA wait time | Per minute (pulse-based) | Call completed |
| Standalone AI Call | Manual trigger | Per minute (pulse-based) | Call completed |
| RTO Risk Score | Order created | Per API call | API returns score |
| Early COD | Settlement processed | % of settlement | Settlement completed |
| General WhatsApp | Various events | Per message | Message sent successfully |
Need More Help?
If you couldn't find your answer here:
- Email: support@velocity.in
- Chat: Use the chat widget in your Velocity Shipping dashboard
- Account Manager: Contact your dedicated account manager for VAS configuration
Related FAQs:
- For automation flow details (retry logic, calling hours, etc.), see the Automations FAQ
Our support team is happy to help!