Mapping the eSIM Reseller Journey: API Integration & Beyond

Introduction

Welcome to this eSIM Access guide! This comprehensive guide is designed to assist resellers like you in seamlessly integrating the eSIM API and managing your eSIM operations. By following these detailed steps, you’ll be able to offer eSIM services to your customers with efficiency and security. Whether you’re new to eSIM technology or looking to enhance your existing operations, this guide will equip you with the necessary knowledge and tools to deliver reliable eSIM services. 

Part 1: Getting Started

1. Sign Up and Agreement
   • We have streamlined the contract signing process such that you can sign up and agree to the terms of the service agreement to start.  After checking our open API and eSIM data plans inside the eSIM management portal you signed up for, you can sign the agreement when clicking “I agree on terms of service and privacy policy” to become partners with us. 

Launch your eSIM business instantly, with no upfront costs and zero delays from traditional offline contract signing. Get started today!

2. Integration
   • Check our API and check the data plans and prices in the management portal. If you like the eSIM data plan and our API functionalities, book a walkthrough or a demo and ask for test credits for making test orders according to your needs.
3. Launch
   • Once you are satisfied with the test orders and you’re ready to roll, you can start by depositing a small amount and go live for your customers!
   • To ensure deposits are made automatically for a seamless business process, just enable the “auto charge” option in the management portal and let the portal do the rest by charging your credit card a specific amount, that you’ve chosen, every time the balance falls below the amount you’ve set.

• When you go over 5K USD per month or would like to deposit over 3K USD for the first time, it is recommended to do a wire transfer instead of an online payment via Stripe. Please contact sales!

4. Customer Service and Operation
   • Once you launch, and you discover that the data plan for a certain market audience is missing or you can’t find it, that was there before the launch or you thought you had seen such a plan before but can’t find it anymore on the portal (eg. data plans with voice or SMS or day pass and unlimited data plans), immediately contact sales.
   • For eSIM customer issues, contact eSIMAccess support.
5. Fraudster prevention
   • We have designed a function in the management portal called EID check showing different identicons for different devices. This is to prevent fraudsters from abnormal behaviors like using different eSIMs on one device. (identical: a visual representation of a hash value, usually of an IP address, that serves to identify a user of a computer system as a form of avatar)
6. Compliances for eKYC (electronically Know Your Customer)  
   • eKYC adds an extra layer of security. Verifying the identity of the eSIM user helps prevent fraudulent activities and ensures that the eSIM is being used by the rightful owner. 
   • Most countries, of our eSIMs, don’t have such requirements in the travel eSIM market. Only a few of them are exceptional. In those cases, it is required by either the local government, the local carriers, or sometimes both for eSIM vendors to strictly adhere to the local compliance requirements. We generally keep track of such requirements and keep our partners informed of them.
7. Data Privacy and Telco-level security
   • You must have terms and conditions and a privacy policy on your website to comply with GDPR and local data privacy laws for your business.
   • When working with eSIMAccess, you are guaranteed support from the eSIM vendor, ensuring telco-level security for provisioning eSIM.
   • We are GSMA certified and can remotely provision eSIM from our in-house SM-DP+ platform deployed in Europe with a physical data center. This process is secure and ensures the eSIM is securely installed onto your user’s device. Additionally, we have extensive knowledge about various device ends and have developed roaming service apps for most smartphone brands using our native eSIM OS.
   • Unlike most eSIM vendors, we do not rely on other RSP vendors to guarantee a secure installation, which can result in delays and lack of control in case of issues or breakdowns on the RSP’s side.

So now we are done with the first part of the journey which was about what can be expected from eSIM Access and its “eSIM Reseller Platform ”being a Partner. In the next part, we will provide you with the recommendations that you must ensure for a smooth business operation.

Part 2: Operational Recommendations

8. Marketing and Promotion
   • Customer acquisition costs for transitioning old customers to new customers and attracting new customers might be different. Similarly, different social channels may need different strategies. We assume you know your audience and market well to fully leverage our B2B2C business model (fully white-labeled, we support behind and we support you and your customers as an “eSIM aggregator service provider”).
9. Payment Processing
   • Ensure a smooth payment processing experience with multiple options for your customers. Start with one and add more as needed for a better user experience.
10. Constant value proposition and branding building
    • It is important to note that conducting market research for your target audience (whether retaining your existing customers or onboarding new ones) and being well-prepared for the necessary promotion, always boosts your business.
    • Building your business is one thing, but promoting it effectively is another. But if you went through all the checklists and done your market research to target an audience segment you are all set to transition into eSIM sales, we’d be here for support along the journey!

Hope you would like our underlying eSIM technology to cover the full lifecycle of eSIM delivery from the European RSP platform to the hands of your customer’s devices, and our product and services down the line.

Tips & Tricks

For Your End-Users: When using an eSIM, there are several things to take into account regarding data usage. Generally speaking, common practices like social media, email, and usual online browsing can be regarded as rather low use.

Here are a few things to think about to make sure the data is as useful as possible to your end users.

• Streaming Videos: When using streaming services, end-users should be advised to use a lower definition as this will use bandwidth more slowly. Most internet streaming services let the user adjust the image quality and/or definition to a lesser setting. For instance, 480p is regarded as the Standard Definition (SD) or its equivalent.
• Examine social media software updates data usage: Examine the services that are operating on the user’s device to further cut down on usage. It is advisable to disable automatic updates before using the mobile connection because operating system updates for devices can consume significant amounts of data without the user’s knowledge.
• Turn on Low Data Mode: To help you use less mobile data, we also advise going into the settings and turning on “Low Data Mode,” which pauses background processes and automatic updates.
  • Using an iPhone, to accomplish this, enter Settings > Cellular Data. Select Low Data Mode by clicking on the eSIM > Data Mode. 

• To carry out this action on an Android device, navigate to Settings > Update System Apps. Click the three dots > Settings > Auto updates in the upper right corner. Don’t update the status.

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Considerations

For our Partners: Package price or pay-as-you-go per GB price?

1. Package price to Kick-start the Business: Since we don’t have prior knowledge about your end-users behavior, we have relied on our experiences to determine the average utility ratio of an eSIM in various countries or regions. This information has helped us define the price. In some cases, we may even offer subsidies based on our costs. However, our main goal is to assist our partners in launching as soon as possible and achieving a sufficient profit margin while also offering competitive rates.

We aim to support the growth of our partners by leveraging our competitive wholesale price to help them determine their retail price for their target market. Therefore, we have worked out a solution that we will share in the next section. Meanwhile, if you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to contact us at alliance@esimaccess.com.

2. What is a possible future for a successful business: Pay-as-you-GO per GB price? Once your website or APP starts receiving a consistent influx of 5-10K daily eSIM orders, that is what we consider a successful penetration of the market, we will assess the average usage of these orders together. This analysis will help us select the most suitable carriers from our pool of multiple Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). Additionally, we will sit together and conduct monthly assessments to forecast the demand for the upcoming month and determine the carrier price accordingly.

We will also consider the utility ratio of your audience behavior and your target retail price to ensure fair pricing. Depending on the carrier’s cost structure and your end-user behaviors, it may be more beneficial for both parties to adopt a per GB charging model in the future. However, for now, offering package prices will help avoid potential losses on both sides.

Friendly Reminders

1. For deposits over $3K, contact us at alliance@esimaccess.com.
2. Enable “auto charge” on our portal for seamless business operations without worrying about low balances.

Conclusion

With this guide, you’re now empowered to seamlessly integrate the eSIM API and optimize your eSIM operations. eSIM Access is committed to your success, providing cutting-edge technology and expert resources to drive your eSIM business forward. As you grow and evolve, our team is always available to support and guide you. Contact us to unlock new possibilities. Welcome to the forefront of mobile connectivity with eSIM Access!