Telephone conferencing services are generally used on a per-conference basis. Most services do not require long-term agreements, and there is no need to use the same service that handles your long-distance calling. This makes trying alternate services quite easy and essentially risk-free.

Telephone conferencing calls are typically priced on a per minute per person basis, with reservationless calling being less costly than operator-assisted calls. Pricing has dropped fairly substantially in the past five years. Expect to pay about $125 for a 6-person conference that lasts 45 minutes. Flat rate monthly pricing has started to become popular and is well suited for volume users; doing the comparative math will help you determine which is a better deal.

In addition, you may encounter additional fees for services like call recording, translation, and web conferencing. Telephone conferencing services will vary greatly about which services they include free of charge or as an additional fee-based service. See what other BuyerZone users paid for their teleconferencing needs.

For high volume users, most telephone conferencing services also offer volume discounts. These are available to anyone making calls on a monthly basis, and often have no minimum spending levels. More substantial discounts require monthly minimums, with penalties for early termination. If you will be committing to a contract, play it safe by using conservative scenarios when assessing your conferencing needs. Tiered pricing based on volume can provide the flexibility you may need to ensure avoid getting bound by a contract you can not meet.