Small business owners are finding the financial advantages of the flat rate conference call over per minute calling plans. In the flat rate calling plan, the participants will be billed for their long distance charges, and the host will only pay for the use of the bridge, which is the device used to connect and balance the volume of multiple phone lines electronically. The host pays for the bridge at a fixed rate per month that is arrived at by the number of participants on the conference call. However, in a per minute calling plan, the host must assume all conference call costs which includes the cost of the bridge, and the cost of the participants' 800 dial-in calls.

In order to ensure voice clarity for multiple callers during a conference, calls must be set up by a professional conferencing service using a sophisticated telecommunications device called a bridge. During the call, the bridge monitors volume levels and maintains audio integrity, so that each caller sounds like he or she would over a single line phone call. All conference calls need a bridge, and that bridge can be paid for separately or can be built into the price of the conference call. In flat rate conference calling, a company would only pay for the use of the bridge, while in per minute plan calling, the bridge plus the calls are billed to the host. Examples of competitive flat rate conferencing providers include SimplicityCall and Callworthy.com.