Direct answer
Pay-per-call campaigns work by moving a consumer intent signal — usually an ad or listing — into an inbound phone call, then routing that call to an available buyer that serves the category and geography. The buyer answers, qualifies the caller, and the network attributes the result back to the affiliate.
The core loop
Traffic source → consumer call → category/ZIP evaluation → available buyer → tracked result. Each step has rules and quality controls.
Payment models
Most campaigns pay when the call meets qualification criteria (minimum call length, intent match, geography, and buyer acceptance). Details are in the partner agreement.
What controls whether a call pays
Buyer availability, campaign hours, remaining daily budget, geographic match, and category qualification all affect whether a specific call pays.
FAQs
Are all calls paid?+
No. Only calls that meet campaign requirements are payable.
What is duration?+
Duration is one common qualification signal — calls under a threshold often do not qualify.