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Home  Money Business Is There Money To Be Made In The 900 Business?
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Is There Money To Be Made In The 900 Business? |
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Page 5 of 8
SET-UP FEE.
A one-time fee for having you as a client. This may or may not include the cost of acquiring and activating your 900#.
PROGRAMMING FEE.
A charge for programming your 900 Number in their system. Interactive or multi-
menu application are usually more expensive than live programs. Average rate can range
$200 to $1,500.
VOICE CAPTURE.
If you want to "capture" your callers' messages (name, address, etc.), this feature can cost
from $50 to $150 or more.
LIVE TRANSFER.
This may or may not be included in the programming fee. If a live
transfer is optional for the caller (must press a number to activate
live transfer), then this feature is made available to you at extra
charge. SBs will also require you to get your own 1-800 through which
the call will be transferred to your live operator.
BUREAU ACTIVITY CHARGES.
These charges are usually determined by the actual performance of your 900#, based on the volume of calls it generates.
MONTHLY SERVICE FEE.
Same as Maintenance Fee. This is a fixed cost regardless of your
actual call traffic. Can cost from $10 a month to $500 a month.
CALL QUOTAS.
A minimum call volume you must produce on your 900 Number to avoid any penalty.
ACTIVITY CHARGE.
A fixed amount (usually from 10Cents to 75Cents). charged on a
per-minute or a per-completed cal I basis, depending on the SB's
accounting system.
SERVICE COMMISSION.
In lieu of a Service Fee, Call Quota, and Activity Charge, some SB's
charge a percentage rate contingent on the Gross Value of all calls
your 900# generates.
Types Of Pay-Per-Call Programs
The following are some of the most popular pay-per-call programs, as well as some of the
most popular services that are being offered using 'regular phone numbers and pay-per-call numbers.
DATELINE
Millions of men and women of all ages and lifestyles place personal
ads, and millions more answer them nationwide by area code and sexual
orientation.
Telephone dating offers everyone a convenient and immediate means of
contact. There are no delays, no questionnaires to complete, no
personal interviews, and no long winded correspondence while you wait
to arrange your first meeting.
The central database has the capability of storing all personal data and matching them with
others in the network, while notifying them of messages and matches. A caller may first
go through messages left by others and respond to any or all of them.
The caller may also record their own personals ad for others to respond
to.
All callers are required to call back each time they want to retrieve
their messages. This feature of Dateline programs generate profitable
call minutes. The Dateline is a favorite of all ages and lifestyles,
making it a top dollar producer in the pay-per-call business, with
calls running an average 8 minutes each.
PARTY LINE / CHAT LINES
Most Live Party Lines can accommodate 12 to 24 simultaneous callers who
talk to each other all at once. Successful chat lines always have a
live host (called monitor) on the fine to keep the conversation clean
and flowing.
Vulgarity and explicit sexual language is never allowed. The live
monitor makes sure there is never a dull moment. While Party Lines are
meant for younger audiences, callers under 18 are not allowed.
With most Chat Lines additional privacy is offered to callers who wish
to speak to each other "privately". Most callers may choose to leave
the party and go into a private conversation with another caller.
Terms Of The Trade
Glossary of Pay-Per-Call Jargon
Every industry has its own jargon, its own collection of terms and
expressions that have become standard lingo of the trade. The 900
business is no different. Therefore, I recommend that you become
familiar with these 'Terms of the trade"
APPLICATION
May be interchanged with the word, "program", referring to the
application for which a 900# is to be used. (Examples: Dateline,
Psychic, Sports, One-On-One, etc.)
AUDIOTEXT
Refers to any information program delivered in "audio" form as opposed
to videotext or "visual" programs. It is common among trade
professionals to refer to the pay-per-call business as the "audiotext
industry".
BLOCKED CALLS
Phone customers have the option to disable his/her line so that all 900 or 976 calls may be dialed from his/her telephone.
CALLCHARGE
A per-minute or per-call rate the person who owns the 900 line wants to charge people who call his 900#. (See Gross Call Value)
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