TransferDesk · guide
What a Buffer Is in Pay-Per-Call — and Why It's the Real Price
If you buy live transfers, the buffer is the setting that quietly sets your real cost per conversation. Most agents never see the number.
What is a buffer in pay-per-call?
A buffer is the number of seconds a call must stay connected before the vendor is allowed to bill you for it. A 30-second buffer means the call becomes billable once it crosses 30 seconds — whether or not the person on the other end is a real prospect.
The buffer is set by the vendor, not by you, and it is often not printed on the invoice.
Why does the buffer decide your real price?
The shorter the buffer, the more junk clears it. A wrong number, a confused caller, or someone who hangs up at 12 seconds does not bill on an 85-second buffer, but it does on a 10-second one.
So two vendors can advertise very different sticker prices and end up costing the same — or the cheaper sticker can cost more per real conversation once the junk is counted.
How do I compare vendors with different buffers?
Divide the price per call by the share of billed calls that are actually worth having. That gives you a true cost per qualified conversation, which is the only number worth comparing.
The true-cost calculator on this site does exactly that, in your browser, with no email required.
Common questions
Is a longer buffer always better?
A longer buffer usually filters more junk, so it can be cheaper per qualified conversation even at a higher sticker price. Run your own numbers rather than assuming.
Can I ask a vendor what their buffer is?
Yes — and you should. If a vendor won't tell you the buffer in writing, you can't compute your real cost per conversation.
TransferDesk publishes the qualification bar in writing and hands qualified callers to a licensed agent — it never sells, quotes, or closes. Founding agents are signing up now.