Short duration calls, and when carriers charge for them.
A short duration call is an outbound call that connects and ends within 6 seconds. Here's how we measure them, when a carrier surcharge applies, and how to keep your calling well clear of it.
What counts as a short duration call
Any outbound call from your account that connects and lasts 6 seconds or less. A call connects when someone, or something, picks up. That includes voicemail.
- Outbound calls that connect and last 6 seconds or less
- A call answered by voicemail counts as connected
- Inbound calls, busy signals and unanswered calls never count
A monthly ratio with a 15 percent line
At the end of each billing month, we divide your short duration calls by all of your outbound calls that connected. At 15 percent or less, nothing changes. Above 15 percent, every short duration call that month carries the carrier surcharge, not only the ones over the line.
- Measured once per billing month
- 2,000 connected calls leave room for 300 short ones
- Past the line, every short call that month is charged
Passed through at cost, with no markup
The surcharge is what our carriers bill us for each of those calls. We don't set our own rate or add a margin. It shows up as its own usage line on the invoice after the billing month closes, and unlimited calling doesn't cover it.
See example costs- The carrier's charge, passed through at cost
- A separate usage line on the next invoice
- Separate from your unlimited US calling
Why it matters most for outbound teams
Short duration calls only come from outbound calling, so they matter most to teams using local presence dialing or the outbound dialer. A local number gets more people to pick up. What happens in the first few seconds after they do decides whether the call counts as short, and how the call analytics engines score your numbers.
How local presence dialing works- Local numbers help with answer rates, not call length
- Fewer short calls help protect your numbers' reputation
Keep your calls past 6 seconds.
Everyday business calling rarely comes close to 15 percent. When an account does, one of these is usually the cause.
A short voicemail keeps the call past 6 seconds and gives people a reason to call back.
If campaigns hang up the moment voicemail answers, ask our support team before you change the detection timing.
Remove numbers that bounced, reached the wrong person or asked not to be called.
Scripts that dial a number just to see whether it rings produce nothing but short calls.
Export a month of call history and count the connected outbound calls of 6 seconds or less.
If you're near 15 percent, look at which users, campaigns or numbers the short calls came from.
Short duration calls, answered.
- Do calls to my menu or voicemail count?
- No. Only outbound calls placed from your account are measured. A caller who hangs up on your menu or your voicemail never counts against you.
- Why do carriers charge for short calls at all?
- Every call takes work to set up, no matter how short it is, and a high share of calls that end within seconds is a common sign of robocalling. Carriers use the surcharge to discourage that traffic.
- Does unlimited calling cover the surcharge?
- No. Unlimited calling covers your minutes. The surcharge is a per-call carrier charge that applies only when more than 15 percent of your connected outbound calls in a month last 6 seconds or less.
- What if I see a short duration charge I don't expect?
- Contact our support team. We'll go through the calls behind it with you and help find where they came from. Contact support
Questions about your outbound calling?
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