CDR
A call detail record (CDR) is the billable line for one network event, used to reconcile invoices against records.
Definitions only — a term explained here is not a service we sell.
A call detail record (CDR) is the billable line for one event: charged party, counterparty, time, duration or volume.
The network element that handled the event produces the record: an MSC for voice, an SMSC for SMS, a PGW or SMF for data. Mediation deduplicates and rates each record, then passes it to billing.
Reconciliation
An invoice is an aggregate; the CDR is the line behind it. Reconciliation matches records against receipts by message ID, session ID or timestamp, then checks the totals against the invoice. Records are usually in UTC while invoices and dashboards are often local, so normalize before comparing.
A DLR reports delivery to the sender; the network produces a CDR for billing, and the two can disagree. Ask which events generate a record, how long records are kept, their format, and whether you can receive them directly or only as a monthly file. Ask how disputes are handled. For SMS, confirm whether records are per message or per segment. For data, confirm whether volume is uplink plus downlink.