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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 6 of 8
CALL COUNTS
Number of calls received by a 900il over a period of time.
CALLER-PAID SERVICE
As oppose to a toll-free service, this term is descriptive of 900#s
wherein the caller is charged a predetermined fee for calling a 900#.
CHARGEBACK
Chargeback is a 900 call for which the 900 lineholder does not get paid. There can be a
number of reasons where a call is chargedback. (1)They refuse to pay
the bill; (2) The caller is unable to pay the phone bill; (3) The
service bureau decides that your advertising is in violation of their
policy and refuses to pay you for the calls generated by
your 900 line. There can be several more reasons, making chargebacks
the most critical element of the business, an area which make or break
the profitability of your operation.
CHARGEBACK RESERVE
A portion of the lineholder's earnings that is withheld either by the
service bureau as a protection for themselves. It serves as a buffer
should your 9004 experience excessive chargebacks.
CUSTOMER
The person who called the 900 number.
DEDICATED NUMBER
A single 900# assigned exclusively to a specific program that can be
accessed by dialing 1-900 and its seven-digit number. It is the same
as a master line, except for the fact
that dedicated numbers are not subdivided into extensions. They are
used as a whole number, and do not require the caller to dial an
extension.
DETAILED CALL SUMMARY
A monthly report issued by the phone company for every Dedicated 900#
and 900 Master line. (Please note that individual Extensions do not get
a copy of this detailed report.) If you have a Master line or a
Dedicated 900#, your Service Bureau must send you a copy of this report
which shows the total calls, total minutes, and total dollars your
900# generated over a billing period which is usually a month.
EXTENSION NUMBER
This is created when a regular 9009 is subdivided into "extensions",
commonly used by Service Bureaus in order to market more lines than
they actually have. (it's like breaking
down a single phone number to have extensions in every room in your house.)
GROSS CALL VALUE (GCV)
The gross amount of one call, based on the established Call Charge. A 10-minute call with
a call charge of $2 per minute has a GCV of $20.
INFORMATION PROVILDER (IP).
Descriptive name for any business or individual who "provides"
information and entertainment programs via 900#s. (Do not confuse with
"Line holders" who have nothing to do with the content and operation of
the information or program offered via the
900 number.)
INTERACTIVE
A programming feature that allows a caller to choose information topics
from a 'Menu" by pressing designated digits on their telephone keypad.
LOCAL EXCHANGE CARRIER
The local phone company that provides telephone service to residents
and businesses. (Example, General Telephone, Centel, and Nynex, SNet,
etc.)
LONG DISTANCE COMPANY
The national long distance telephone company who owns and maintains the actual 900#s.
The two remaining LOCs are AT&T and MCI.
LOC BILLING & COLLECTION
Usually a 10% surcharge imposed by the LOC for billing & collection
services performed. This surcharge is computed and deducted from the
gross revenue of all calls generated by all 900#s during each monthly
billing cycle.
LOC RATE CAP.
The maximum amount an IP can charge on a per minute or per call basis, depending on the LOC's policy.
LOC RATES
The per-minute rate the LOC deducts from the gross revenues of each
900# as its fee for handling the call. Example: MCI 900 numbers are
subject to a rate of $0.30 per minute. This amount, among other
charges, is deducted from the gross amount or per minute charge that
your callers pay for calling your 900#.
MENU
Various choices and functions a caller is offered in an interactive 900 program.
PASSIVE
Also known as "announcement-only" lines. These 900 programs simply
provide a single straightforward, pre-recorded information piece which
the caller listens to.
(See Interactive.)
PAY-PER-CALL
Descriptive term for people who pay each time they call. It is the
correct terminology used to identify the business of charging people
for information or entertainment provided via the telephone hue.
PAYOUT
The revenue check paid to a 900 line holder.
PROGRAM
The information or entertainment material offered through the 900#. (See Application.)
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