Import Networks and Plans Instead of Starting From Scratch

Typing in every network and every data plan by hand is slow, and one wrong digit can cost you money. The platform gives you two shortcuts: a starter catalogue, and an import from your provider's own plan list. A third tool, Import Data, brings over customers from an old site. Each saves time, but each leaves you with some work to do, so here is exactly what it does and what it does not.

Shortcut 1: The starter catalogue

In your VTU Admin, open the Networks tab and click Import Starter Catalogue. There is also an Import button in the Plans tab. You will be asked to confirm, and the message tells you that existing entries are kept and only missing ones are added. This is what it creates:

• 28 networks across six services: MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile for each of data, airtime and recharge pins; DStv, GOtv and StarTimes for cable TV; ten electricity distribution companies (Ikeja, Eko, Abuja, Kano, Ibadan, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Jos, Kaduna and Benin); and WAEC, JAMB and NECO for exam pins.
• 48 sample plans: 28 data plans (9 for MTN, 7 each for Airtel and Glo, 5 for 9mobile), 15 cable packages (5 each for DStv, GOtv and StarTimes) and 5 exam pin plans.

Anything you already have is skipped, so it is safe to click again. Data plans are sorted automatically by how long they last: a plan valid for up to 3 days goes in Daily Plans, 4 to 14 days in Weekly Plans, and anything longer, or with no stated number of days, in Monthly Plans. That keeps the list tidy for customers.

What you must still do. The sample plans are examples, not a live price list, and some of the prices are clearly placeholders. Each plan is created switched on, with a purchase price set at 95 percent of the selling price just so the margin column has something to show. Open every plan you plan to sell and set the correct provider ID, your real purchase price and your own selling price. Switch off or delete the plans you do not want to offer. Do not announce your site until you have done this, because the plans are live as soon as they are created.

Shortcut 2: Import from your provider

After you connect a provider, use Browse plans to see that provider's catalogue, tick the plans you want, and click Import selected plans. These plans arrive with the provider's own ID and network code filled in, which saves you from typing IDs and avoids the most common cause of failed purchases. A few details are worth knowing:

• Networks are matched, not duplicated. The import first looks for a network with the same code, and failing that for an existing network for the same carrier by name, choosing the one with the most plans. Only if nothing matches does it create a new network, named after the provider's code in capitals.
• Importing twice is safe. A plan that already exists for that provider and ID is not added again.
• Your selling price equals the provider's cost. That means no profit until you change it. This is the step most people forget. If you import and publish without editing prices, you will sell at cost.
• Some providers do not publish their costs. ArewaBundle is one example. Its plans import with a price of zero. A plan priced at zero cannot be bought; customers who try see an "Invalid amount" message. So if customers tell you a plan is "not working" right after an import, check whether you have set its price yet.

Shortcut 3: Bring your customers from an old site

If you are moving from another VTU website, open Customers & Payments, then Import Data. You can upload a database dump (.sql) or a JSON export from your former site. Customers are matched by email: existing ones are updated and new ones are created. Passwords from common platforms are preserved, so customers keep their existing login and do not have to reset anything. Do this before you announce the move, and check a few imported accounts by logging in as them.

Which one to use

Use the provider import when you already know which provider you will sell through, because it brings the real plan details. Use the starter catalogue to set up the structure quickly, for example if you want electricity, cable TV and exam pins listed, then fill in real details from your provider. Many people use both: the starter catalogue first, then the provider import for data plans, and then they switch off the sample plans the provider import replaces.

A sensible order of work

Illustrative example: the steps show a typical order and the numbers are made up.

1. Import the starter catalogue to get all 28 networks in place.
2. Connect your provider and import its data plans for MTN, Airtel and Glo.
3. Switch off the sample data plans you no longer need, so customers see only the real ones.
4. Set selling prices. If a plan costs you ₦270, decide your margin now, for example ₦290, and set it, rather than leaving it at cost. Our pricing guide explains how to choose.
5. Make one small purchase on each network from your own phone, and read the result in Transactions.
6. Only then switch on your payment gateway and tell people the site is open.

A checklist after importing

• Open each plan you plan to sell and check the name, size, validity and provider ID.
• Set the purchase price (what the provider charges you) and the selling price (what customers pay). The dashboard shows the margin.
• Remove or switch off plans you do not want to offer, including leftover sample plans.
• Check that no plan you plan to sell still has a price of zero.
• Make a small test purchase on each network.
• Review your plans regularly. Providers add and remove plans, and prices change.

Common problems after an import

• Customers see no plans. Check the network and the plan are switched on, and that a locked category is not hiding them (Category Lock in the Catalogue group).
• "Invalid amount" on a plan. The plan is priced at zero. Set a selling price.
• A purchase fails. The plan's provider ID or network code is wrong, or no provider is connected for that service. Compare the plan with your provider's list.
• Two copies of a network. Rename or switch off the one with fewer plans, since the import prefers the network that already has the most.

Further reading

Read how to price your data plans for margin guidance and connecting a vending API for provider routes. For the full picture of starting a site, see building a VTU website without coding.