# Rate Parameters

Rate entries tell Cloud Voice how much a call costs. Instead of editing rates one at a time in the web interface, you can manage many of them at once through a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file: export the current rates, edit them in a spreadsheet, then import the file back in. Each column in that file maps to one of the fields below.

Use this reference to build an import file correctly, or to read the values in an exported one.

:::tip
Export your existing rates first, even if the list is empty. The exported file gives you a correctly formatted template with the right column headers, so you only have to fill in or change the values instead of building the file from scratch.
:::

## What each field controls

- **Name**: A label that identifies the rate entry.
- **Match Prefix**: The leading digits a dialed number must begin with for this rate to apply.
- **Number Length**: The number of digits in the dialed number, used alongside Match Prefix to decide which calls this rate covers.
- **Rate**: The amount charged per billable unit.
- **Billable Unit(s)**: The block of seconds that call time is counted in. The default, 60, bills per minute.
- **Initial Time(s)**: A starting block of call time that the initial cost covers.
- **Initial Cost**: A charge applied at the start of a call.

## Field reference

The table below lists whether each field must be present, the values it accepts, and the value Cloud Voice applies when the field is left blank.

| Field | Required | Accepted values | Default |
|-------|----------|-----------------|---------|
| Name | Yes | Up to 127 characters. | None |
| Match Prefix | No | Up to 31 characters. May contain numbers, letters, and the symbols `[` `]` `*` `#` `(` `)` `.` `-` `+` `!`. | None |
| Number Length | No | Up to 2 characters. Digits only. | None |
| Rate | Yes | Up to 7 characters. Digits and the period (`.`) only. | 0 |
| Billable Unit(s) | Yes | Up to 3 characters. Digits only. | 60 |
| Initial Time(s) | Yes | Up to 3 characters. Digits only. | 0 |
| Initial Cost | Yes | Up to 7 characters. Digits and the period (`.`) only. | 0 |

:::caution
Stay within the character limits and use only the allowed characters for each field. A value that is too long, or one that contains a character the field does not accept (for example a letter in a digits-only field), can cause that row, or the whole import, to be rejected.
:::

:::note
A field marked Required must contain a value in every row of the import file. Where a numeric field is left empty and a default is listed above, Cloud Voice fills in that default. Fields with no default (Name, Match Prefix, Number Length) stay blank if you leave them empty.
:::