Call buffer (minimum call duration): what it means in pay per call

Call buffer (minimum call duration): The minimum number of seconds a call must last before the buyer pays for it, for example 90 or 120 seconds.

How it works in pay per call

The buffer is the single most important term in a pay-per-call offer. A call that hangs up before the buffer is not billable, so the publisher earns nothing for it. Buyers set longer buffers in verticals where a real conversation takes time, and shorter buffers where intent is obvious.

Call tracking platforms let you set a buffer per buyer or per campaign, and usually decide when the timer starts: at connect, or after an IVR. Check whether the time spent in an IVR or on hold counts toward the buffer, because that changes how many calls convert.

When you compare offers, compare payout × the share of calls that pass the buffer, not the headline payout alone. That is your real revenue per call.

Example

Example: with a 90-second buffer, a 75-second call pays $0 and a 91-second call pays the full payout. If 100 calls come in and 45 pass the buffer at a $40 payout, revenue is $1,800, or $18 per call.