Buy fixed denominations or custom values?
A short list of fixed amounts is easy to buy and easy for cashiers to use. Custom values can make sense when staff need different allowances or campaign rules specify exact amounts. Check that your supplier supports them, then compare what you’d save by buying exact amounts with the staff time needed to approve and check them.
| Buy fixed values when | Assess custom values when |
|---|---|
| Most recipients qualify for the same amount | The approved amount varies for a defined reason |
| Staff need a simple price and selection list | The channel can validate each requested amount |
| Stock and handover benefit from common denominations | The total saving justifies more preparation and review |
By Freepaid · Published
Compare the baskets with a real recipient list
Suppose 80 recipients need R30 and 20 need R45. A uniform R50 allowance costs R5,000. Funding the two planned values costs R3,300 in face value, comprising R2,400 plus R900. A fixed catalogue that offers R30 and R50 would cost R3,400 when the second group is rounded up. In this example, two fixed values close most of the gap with the custom basket.
Use the amounts your supplier actually sells when you run this comparison. Ask whether prices, available products or handling change at different values. When a value is unavailable, find out whether a nearby product meets the requirement. Check how any fees and funding arrangements apply before using the result in a purchase decision.
Make exceptions visible
If the buyer requests an amount outside the approved bands, ask for the use case and the person authorised to approve it. For custom orders, let the reviewer compare each row with the policy and check the sum against the approval. Keep the rounded or adjusted value visible alongside the original request. That record lets finance explain why a planned total and an actual order differ.
For fixed voucher stock, count issue and outstanding stock by denomination. A forecast can show a single total while the operator still runs out of one amount. For a direct workflow, verify what happens when the requested value is unsupported. The safe result is a reviewable error or exception before a different value is submitted.
Run a basket test
Take a small sample of the proposed allocation and calculate three totals.
- The amount people need under the policy.
- The cost of the nearest approved fixed denominations.
- The quoted cost of the supported custom values.
Then time preparation and review for each supported route and check how their results appear in the report. If two fixed values satisfy most people, use those for the standard purchase and give the exceptions a separate approval. If custom amounts save time or money, agree with finance on the acceptable range and check it on the next run.
Airtime for a till, a reward campaign and a staff allowance can use different values under the same organisation. Document the reason for each catalogue and review it when the recipient mix changes. Freepaid bulk airtime · AllNetAirtime