How to Start Your Own 900 Number or 800 Number Pay Per Call Business

Written by Lisa Mondello

You hear about it all the time. "Call this number right now to receive…" And the amazing thing is that people are doing it. Lots of them! What are they doing? They're calling 800 and 900 numbers to purchase products, services, or to get information. What is the business that runs these 800 and 900 numbers getting? In a word, PROFITS!

For the business savvy person, there is a lot of money to be made in setting up an 800 or 900 number business. If you have ever wanted to make money using a telephone number but didn't know how to get started, read on. You'll learn exactly how to make money with 800 and 900 numbers and how you can jump on the money bandwagon to make a fortune doing it.

Pay Per Call 800 and 900 numbers first came on the scene during the 1980 presidential debate between former presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. During that debate, nearly a half million people called in to participate. Two years later, NASA used a similar Pay Per Call service for its shuttle launch. It became clear to businesses that this type of interaction and communication was a goldmine.

800 and 900 number services are so popular because they give the "subscriber" instant access to information they want. Information sells and because of that, telephone commerce is thriving and businesses that would normally give away information or services for free are finding that using an 800 and 900 number Pay Per Call service generates a lucrative income.

How it Works

When you set up a Pay Per Call service, you will get a dedicated line with a unique telephone number to give your customers. This telephone number can be advertised everywhere from online to in print magazines and newspapers. You can further your efforts by including your 800 or 900 Pay Per Call numbers in your mailings to your current customers or in your direct marketing campaign.

When a caller uses 800 or 900 Pay Per Call numbers, their call is brought to an automatic system that prompts them to enter their credit card or debit card information. Funds are authorized immediately, so you won't have to worry about declined charges after the fact. Once the funds have been verified, the call is then routed to the appropriate place for the call to continue. As soon as the caller is speaking to a live operator or pre-recorded message, the clock starts and keeps track of the amount of time the caller was on the call. At the completion of the call, the minutes are tabulated and billed to the appropriate card.

However, you don't have to just bill per minute. You have a choice of whether or not you want to get paid per minute or per call. You set the amount that you want to charge for the call. Service bureaus that you work with will help you come up with a reasonable amount to charge to stay competitive with other 800 and 900 numbers.

How is the Content Delivered?

No one wants to sit by the phone and wait for it to ring. And let's face it, you don't want to lose customers by having them wait until you're available. That is why you have a choice in how you want to deliver your information.

Live recordings give real time access to customers. They can speak either to you at a designated time or they can speak to an operator. The benefit of this type of service is that they have one on one interaction with you or your operator. They can ask questions and get real time answers. You can also set a maximum time allowed for each call, so you are not hung up on the phone with any one caller.

The other way information can be delivered is through pre-recorded messages. You don't need any special recording devices to create a file and you can record your messages at your leisure, making them available to your callers when they have time to listen.

Industries that Use This Service

An 800 or 900 Pay Per Call service is lucrative for any business, but here are just a few types of industries that use the service.

• Advice lines
• Technical Support lines
• Psychic Hot Lines
• Adult Entertainment lines
• Law Information lines
• Business Consulting
• Medical Information lines
• Government Program lines
• Financial Advice lines
• Sports Lines
• Music Lines
• Stock/Investment Advice lines
• Life Coaching / Life Coach Lines
• Recipe Lines
• Weight Loss Program Advice lines
• Movie Hotline

There are so many more industries that use 800 and 900 lines for their businesses. Sales Representatives with high sell records can use Pay Per Call lines to help give specialized tips to novice sales representatives and capitalize on their experience to make more profits. Motivational speakers can enhance their presence by adding phone workshops or consultations to workshop attendees. There really is no limit to how you can use a Pay Per Call service!

What Does it Take to Set Up the Service

Setting up an 800 and 900 Pay Per Call service is simple. You need to first decide the type of service you want, whether pay per minute or flat fee per call. You then set the amount you want to charge.

To set up the service with PayPerCall.com, you'll pay a nominal $799 one time set up fee that includes the service plus the set up of a toll-free dedicated 800 number with 1 forwarding number. A monthly maintenance fee is part of the service and includes line maintenance, programming, hosting, billing, software, real-time tracking and customer support.

You will also be given the tools you need to set up a welcome message to callers. This preamble will introduce your service, advise the cost of the call, list the average length of each call, advise the caller that they must be over 18 to participate and let the caller know that within 3 seconds of the welcome message being complete, charges will begin.

How You Get Paid

When you sign up for the service, you can choose an amount that is considered industry standard or you can choose any price point you want for the service. The choice is yours. Whether you decide on a per minute or per call plan, a portion of the money received from each call will go to the call service provider, the rest is your profit, which you will receive on a monthly basis.

There will be the occasional charge back from a credit card or an amount that is in dispute. Therefore, the call service will hold back as much as 20% for a period of 180 days. After that time, the money in reserve, minus any money that was in dispute, will be released. Keep in mind though, that each month you have the service, a certain percentage will stay in reserve in case of charge backs.

The Difference Between 800 and 900 Pay Per Call Numbers

Whether you choose an 800 number or a 900 number should be based on your needs and what service you want available to your customers. With both 800 and 900 numbers, your line can handle up to 99 calls simultaneously. You can choose whether you want per call or per minute billing and the hours of operation the line is in service.

The biggest difference between 800 and 900 numbers is that the charge for an 800 number is billed directly to a credit card or debit card. The charge for a 900 number call is billed directly to the caller's phone bill. With an 800 number, a web based software program automates and tracks the process and you can have your revenues deposited directly into your account monthly. Web visitors can initiate calls from the Internet as well as check whether or not you are available to take a call from your website.

As you can see, there is a lot of potential to profit from information using an 800 or 900 number pay per call service. After the initial set up, not only will your customers have an added benefit in doing business with you, but you'll watch your business profits grow to unlimited amounts.