Collect Calls vs. ConCall Connect: A More Affordable Way for Families to Stay Connected
When someone you love is incarcerated, every phone call matters.
A call may be an opportunity for a parent to hear about their child’s day, for partners to maintain their relationship, or simply for someone who is incarcerated to hear a familiar voice and know they have not been forgotten.
But staying connected can become expensive.
For families receiving frequent calls, the cost can add up month after month. That’s why it is important to understand what you are paying—and whether a more economical alternative is available.
ConCall Connect was created to help make staying connected more affordable and predictable.
The Problem With Expensive Calls
It is easy to look at the cost of a single telephone call and think that the difference between one service and another isn’t significant.
But don’t calculate the cost of just one call.
Calculate a month of calls.
Then calculate a year.
If one calling option costs 20¢ more per minute than another, a family talking for 600 minutes per month could be spending an additional $120 every month in usage charges.
Over a year, that difference reaches $1,440.
For families already dealing with the financial consequences of incarceration, those dollars matter.
ConCall Connect: 10¢ Per Minute
ConCall Connect offers a straightforward pricing structure designed to help families control the cost of staying in touch:
- One-time setup fee: $20 + HST
- Monthly system access: $20 + HST
- Calling minutes: 10¢ per minute
- Unused purchased minutes: Roll over to the next month
The 10¢-per-minute rate means that the more a family communicates, the more important the difference in per-minute pricing can become.
Consider a family using 600 minutes per month—approximately 20 minutes per day.
At 10¢ per minute, those minutes cost just $60, plus the $20 monthly system access fee and applicable HST.
That’s $80 before tax.
If an alternative costs 30¢ per minute, 600 minutes alone would cost $180.
That’s a difference of approximately $100 in one month, before considering any other fees or taxes charged by the alternative provider.
Over 12 months, that difference could amount to approximately $1,200.
The More You Talk, the More the Difference Matters
Consider 30 minutes of conversation per day.
That’s approximately 900 minutes per month.
With ConCall Connect, 900 minutes at 10¢ per minute costs $90, plus the $20 monthly system access fee—a total of $110 before HST.
At an illustrative rate of 30¢ per minute, 900 minutes would cost $270.
The difference?
$160 per month—or approximately $1,920 over a year.
For a family maintaining contact throughout a lengthy period of incarceration, those potential savings can become substantial.
Predictability Makes Budgeting Easier
Affordability isn’t only about paying less. It is also about understanding what you are paying.
Families affected by incarceration may already be dealing with reduced household income, legal expenses, transportation for visits and financial support for their loved one.
Unexpected telephone expenses only add to that pressure.
ConCall Connect’s straightforward structure allows families to understand the basic cost: a $20 monthly system access fee plus minutes at 10¢ each, along with applicable HST.
Unused purchased minutes also roll over to the following month, helping families get the benefit of the minutes they have already purchased.
Compare Before You Decide
Not every calling solution is suitable for every correctional situation, so families should confirm that an alternative service is compatible with the institution and circumstances involved.
But when comparing options, don’t simply ask:
“How much does one call cost?”
Instead ask:
“How much will our family spend staying connected every month?”
If your family uses 300, 600, 900 or even more minutes each month, calculate the complete cost of your current calling arrangement. Include per-minute charges, connection charges, monthly fees and other applicable costs.
Then compare that total with ConCall Connect.
Even a difference of 10¢ or 20¢ per minute can translate into hundreds—or potentially thousands—of dollars over time.
Save Money Without Sacrificing Connection
Families should not have to reduce meaningful conversations simply because telephone costs are too high.
A mother shouldn’t have to rush through a conversation with her son. A child shouldn’t hear, “We have to hang up because this is getting too expensive.” Partners shouldn’t have to decide which days of the week they can afford to talk.
Communication during incarceration is too important.
ConCall Connect offers families a more economical way to maintain that connection—with calling minutes at just 10¢ per minute, predictable monthly costs and unused purchased minutes that roll over.
Because saving money shouldn’t mean talking less.
ConCall Connect — helping families stay connected for less.
