How to charge by the minute for video calls

Why charge by the minute

A fixed price per session makes a short question expensive and a long call cheap. By the minute, a client can ask one quick question or talk for an hour and pay for exactly that. It also lets newer experts start at a low rate and raise it as their ratings grow.

Prepaid credits are the safe way

Charging a card at the end of every call invites failed payments and disputes. Instead, clients buy credits in advance through your payment provider and calls are paid from those credits. The money is in before the call starts, and one purchase can cover many calls.

Bill each minute in advance

The fairest method takes payment for each minute as it starts. The client is warned before their credits run out and can top up without leaving the call. If they do not, the call ends at the last paid minute, so nobody works for free.

Dropped calls and refunds

Calls drop, and experts sometimes have to end early. Decide the rules before your first client does: a common one is that the client pays only for minutes that started, and the minute in progress is refunded if the expert ends the call. Keep a record of every minute, so a question about a bill can be answered in seconds.

Bookings and paid messages

Not every client wants to call right now. Let them book a set time with an expert, and let them send a paid message with a photo or a file when a short written answer is enough. Both bring in money while the expert is offline.

Setting rates and paying experts

Let each expert set their own rate within limits you choose, and decide what share of each minute they earn. Show them their earnings as they happen, and pay out on a fixed schedule by the methods they prefer. Clear numbers keep good experts with you.

Trust on both sides

Clients want to know the expert is real and qualified, so check experts' identity before they take paid calls, and show ratings only from clients who have paid. Experts want to know they will be paid, so make the billing rules public and stick to them.

The software you need

Look for video calls that work in the browser on a phone or a computer, per-minute billing with credits, bookings, paid messages, ratings, ID checks and payouts in one place. Our page on pay per minute video chat software shows how FluffCams does it, with a demo you can try.