specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Exotel
providerId: exotel
created: '2026-07-12'
modified: '2026-07-12'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Cloud Telephony
- Voice
- SMS
- CPaaS
- India
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Exotel spend. Exotel bills through a prepaid credit balance
  (1 credit = 1 INR) drawn down by per-minute voice, per-SMS, and
  conversation-based WhatsApp usage, layered on top of recurring
  virtual-number rentals, one-time number activation fees, and per-seat agent
  charges. Indian invoices add 18% GST. Cost is therefore a blend of
  subscription-style commitments (bundles, seats, number rentals) and pure
  usage (minutes and messages), which makes per-workload allocation the main
  FinOps lever.
notes: >-
  Per-unit rates are not reconciled here; verify on exotel.com/pricing. The
  shared credit balance means voice, SMS, and WhatsApp all deplete the same
  pool, so allocation requires tagging traffic (via CallerId/ExoPhone, Sender
  ID, CustomField, or campaign) back to cost centers.
sources:
- https://exotel.com/pricing/
- https://exotel.com/pricing/business-phone-system/
- https://developer.exotel.com/docs/faqs/pricing-plans
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Exotel
serviceCategory: Communications and Telephony
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Usage-Based
  billingFrequency: Prepaid
  billingCurrency: INR
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
  - Tax
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Exotel Cloud Telephony
  ServiceCategory: Communications and Telephony
  ProviderName: Exotel
  PublisherName: Exotel
  InvoiceIssuerName: Exotel
  BillingCurrency: INR
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Usage-Based
meters:
- name: voice_minutes
  description: Per-minute voice usage (outbound/inbound), rate varies by number type and destination; drawn from the credit balance.
  unit: minutes
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - caller_id
  - number_type
- name: sms_messages
  description: Per-SMS usage, rate tiered by volume; India traffic requires DLT approval.
  unit: messages
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - sender_id
  - sms_type
- name: whatsapp_conversations
  description: Conversation-based WhatsApp usage plus a per-message platform fee.
  unit: conversations
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
- name: number_rental
  description: Recurring monthly rental (and one-time activation) for virtual numbers / ExoPhones and toll-free numbers.
  unit: numbers
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - number_type
- name: agent_seats
  description: Per-seat monthly agent charge for call-center users.
  unit: seats
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track credit-balance burn split by voice minutes, SMS, and WhatsApp; monitor number rentals and seat counts separately from usage.
- name: Allocation
  description: Tag traffic by CallerId/ExoPhone, Sender ID, CustomField, or campaign so shared-credit usage maps to teams/workloads.
- name: Optimization
  description: Right-size the number of rented virtual numbers and agent seats; use call flows to shorten billable minutes; batch and template SMS to reduce failures/retries under DLT.
- name: Accountability
  description: Set owners per ExoPhone/campaign; review prepaid burn rate against bundle refills, factoring 18% GST on Indian invoices.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com