Dispatcher Paragon Payment System

Overview

Dispatcher Paragon Payment System is a standalone system that integrates with Dispatcher Paragon. Dispatcher Paragon Payment System contains all information about money accounts, acting as a payment gateway for Dispatcher Paragon. Dispatcher Paragon extends its functionality to charge users from credit with the help of Dispatcher Paragon Payment System.

Dispatcher Paragon Payment System can help reduce costs and increase revenue in two ways:

  • It enables users to pay for print/copy/scan services using Dispatcher Paragon Payment System.

  • It automatically blocks excessive usage using quotas.

Paying for Print/Copy/Scan Services

Support for pay-for-print services gives control for managing and recovering costs. Dispatcher Paragon Payment System enables users to purchase personal credit and use it to pay for services. Dispatcher Paragon Payment System supports two types of credit:

  • Personal credit—represents real money, which can be deposited into the system via the Dispatcher Paragon Payment System Cash Desk interface, payment gateways such as PayPal, YSoft Payment Machines or vouchers. A personal balance can also be withdrawn from the system through the Cash Desk application.

  • Virtual credit—free credit bound to a Merchant (an API user with a merchant role), which can be granted on a regular or ad-hoc basis. It cannot be withdrawn from the system.

Quotas

Quotas allow limiting a user's consumption of print and copy services. Every user has a limit, and the system prevents the user from higher-than-allowed consumption. The quota is defined for a specific period (e.g., monthly) and is then automatically refreshed. The primary benefit of Quotas is the possibility to save costs by preventing the misuse of print and copy services by employees. Consumption is limited in an understandable form—in the number of pages. Specific environments, such as Universities, benefit from the opportunity to combine the quotas and payment. Typically, employees are limited by page quotas, and students or visitors have to purchase their own credit.

How Quotas Work

The administrator defines the Quotas that have to apply for different groups of users. It is possible to define:

  • The maximum number of pages in a defined period (e.g., max 100 pages).

  • The period quota is defined (e.g., monthly). The quota is automatically refreshed after this period.

  • Specifics (e.g., applies for color pages only or applies for print services only).

The administrator assigns specific quotas to cost centers. For example:

  • The Japan HQ employees cost center is limited by the quota Color Copy and by the quota Print BW.

  • The Germany TOP management cost center is limited by a different quota, Color Print.

All users in an affected cost center are bound by the quota. If a user's action (print or copy) on an Embedded Terminal exceeds the quota, the action is rejected, and the user is informed about the reason.

It is possible to combine limiting users by quotas and by credit. For example:

  • The Professors cost center is limited by a quota.

  • The Students cost center is limited by credit and has to recharge when printing.

It is possible to have certain users limited by Quotas and others by the Dispatcher Paragon Payment System. The differentiation is done on a cost-center level.