# What is TAP (Transferred Account Procedure)?

> TAP (Transferred Account Procedure) is the GSMA standard file format — TAP3, defined in GSMA TD.57 — that a visited operator uses to send records of a roamer's calls, messages, and data usage back to their home operator for inter-operator billing settlement. TAP files are exchanged through data clearing houses, usually daily. Its near-real-time companion, NRTRDE, exists to catch roaming fraud faster than a daily TAP cycle allows. See /answers/what-is-nrtrde and /answers/edr-vs-cdr.

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- Language: en
- Last reviewed: 2026-07-22
- Publisher: BroadNet (https://www.broadnet.me)

## Related

- [All answers](https://www.broadnet.me/answers)
- [Glossary](https://www.broadnet.me/answers)
- [What is NRTRDE (Near Real Time Roaming Data Exchange)?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-nrtrde)
- [EDR vs CDR — what's the difference?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/edr-vs-cdr)
- [How does telecom fraud prevention work?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/telecom-fraud-prevention)
- [Signaling & CDR Intelligence](https://www.broadnet.me/platforms/signaling-cdr)