Pay Per Call Software for Lead Sellers and Call Networks

Pay per call software manages the end-to-end process of routing inbound calls to buyers, tracking call duration and disposition, and calculating payouts per qualified call. Lead Distro AI is purpose-built for PPL agencies and call networks who run pay per call campaigns at scale. According to BIA Advisory Services, businesses earn an average of $10-15 more revenue per call than per lead form submission, making pay per call the highest-margin channel in performance marketing.

Start your free trial of Lead Distro AI and manage your entire pay per call network in one platform.

Key Takeaways

• Route inbound calls to buyers using the same routing engine as lead distribution: round robin, weighted, waterfall, exclusive
• Set qualified call criteria per campaign: minimum duration, IVR completion, geographic match
• Real-time payout tracking shows revenue, cost, and margin per call and per campaign
• Buyer portals give each buyer visibility into their calls, recordings, and invoices
• Lead Distro AI handles both pay per call and pay per lead in a single platform

How Pay Per Call Works

Pay per call is a performance marketing model where publishers (traffic sources) drive inbound phone calls to a campaign number, and buyers pay a fixed rate per qualified call. A "qualified call" is defined by campaign-level criteria: minimum call duration, completion of IVR questions, geographic match, or other buyer-defined criteria.

Lead Distro AI manages the full stack:

• Tracking numbers — Assign unique numbers per publisher, campaign, and traffic source
• IVR pre-screening — Verify caller intent before routing to a buyer
• Dynamic routing — Send each call to the right buyer based on vertical, availability, and caps
• Duration billing — Only charge buyers for calls that meet minimum duration thresholds
• Payout automation — Calculate publisher payouts and buyer invoices automatically

Core Features

Tracking Number Management

Assign unique tracking numbers to each publisher, ad campaign, or traffic source. All calls to those numbers route through Lead Distro AI's system, and every call is attributed back to its source. This gives you full visibility into which publishers drive qualified calls and which drive short, unqualified traffic.

IVR Pre-Screening and Call Qualification

Set up an IVR flow that screens callers before routing to buyers. Define what makes a call qualified: minimum call duration (e.g., 90 seconds), IVR answer completion, caller location match, or custom criteria. Unqualified calls are not billed to buyers.

Dynamic Call Routing

Every inbound call is routed using the same engine that powers lead distribution. Route calls by:

• Vertical and campaign — Legal calls go to legal buyers, insurance calls go to insurance buyers
• Geography — Route California callers to California-licensed buyers
• Availability — Skip buyers who are at capacity or outside business hours
• Priority — Waterfall or weighted routing to maximize payout per call

Learn more about the routing engine.

Real-Time Call Analytics

Track every call from ring to disposition in real time. The analytics dashboard shows:

• Total calls, qualified calls, and disqualified calls
• Average call duration by publisher and buyer
• Payout per call and total revenue per campaign
• Publisher performance rankings
• Buyer acceptance rate and cap utilization

Buyer and Publisher Portals

Each buyer and publisher gets their own portal within Lead Distro AI. Buyers see their calls, recordings, and invoices. Publishers see their call volume, qualification rate, and earnings. No more manual reporting spreadsheets.

Pay Per Call by Vertical

Legal and Personal Injury

PI pay per call commands the highest rates in performance marketing — $200-500 per qualified call is standard for MVA. Calls are pre-screened by IVR to confirm the caller was recently in an accident, is the injured party, and has not yet hired an attorney. Learn more about legal lead distribution.

Insurance

Health, auto, life, and home insurance companies buy inbound calls from consumers actively shopping for coverage. Qualified call criteria typically include minimum 90-second duration and confirmation of coverage need. See insurance vertical details.

Home Services

HVAC, roofing, plumbing, and solar companies pay per inbound call from homeowners with immediate service needs. Geographic targeting ensures calls route to contractors licensed to operate in the caller's area. Learn more about home services lead generation.

Pay Per Call vs. Pay Per Lead

Many agencies run both. Pay per call captures premium-priced, high-intent traffic. Pay per lead captures volume at lower margin. Lead Distro AI handles both in one platform.

How Lead Distro AI Compares

Legacy call tracking platforms like Ringba and Retreaver were built primarily for call tracking, not for agencies running both leads and calls. Lead Distro AI unifies pay per call and pay per lead in a single system, so you manage one buyer network, one reporting dashboard, and one invoicing workflow.

For a full breakdown of the top platforms, read our best pay per call platforms guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is pay per call software?

Pay per call software manages inbound call campaigns where publishers drive phone traffic and buyers pay per qualified call. It handles tracking number assignment, IVR screening, call routing, duration billing, and payout calculation.

How is a "qualified call" defined in pay per call?

A qualified call meets the criteria set by the buyer or campaign: typically a minimum call duration (60-120 seconds), completion of IVR questions, and confirmation that the caller's geography and intent match the buyer's requirements. Calls that do not meet these criteria are not billed.

Can I run pay per call and pay per lead in the same platform?

Yes. Lead Distro AI handles both pay per call campaigns (inbound calls) and pay per lead campaigns (form submissions and data leads) in a single platform with unified reporting, buyer management, and payout tracking.

What call tracking features are included?

Lead Distro AI includes tracking number assignment per publisher, dynamic number insertion for web traffic, call recording, IVR pre-screening, call duration logging, disposition tracking, and attribution reporting. Everything you need to manage a pay per call network.

Does Lead Distro AI integrate with ad platforms for call tracking?

Yes. Lead Distro AI integrates with Google Ads, Facebook, and other ad platforms via tracking numbers and UTM parameters. Call data flows back to your analytics so you can optimize media spend based on qualified call rate and payout.

The Bottom Line

Pay per call is the highest-margin channel in performance marketing. The right software makes the difference between a scalable call network and a manual headache. Lead Distro AI gives you the routing, tracking, compliance, and analytics infrastructure to run pay per call at scale.