CallRail Setup for Pay Per Call: Track Every Lead You Generate

2026 Update:

CallRail has changed since I first wrote this guide.

The platform now includes conversation intelligence that transcribes and analyzes every call. Transcription accuracy hits 95%+ thanks to training on over 1.1 million hours of voice data.

One change to note: CallRail is sunsetting its VoIP service on January 27, 2026. Their tracking numbers will only forward calls to external numbers. You’ll need a separate phone system if you want to handle calls directly.

For most pay-per-call operations, this doesn’t matter. You’re forwarding to clients anyway.

Quick Navigation

Why You Need Call Tracking

If you’re building a pay per call business, skipping call tracking to save $50/month will cost you clients.

Here’s what happens without it:

• Client disputes lead quality? No proof.
• Client fires you? They keep the phone number in your ads.
• Client claims they got 10 calls when you sent 50? Their word against yours.

I’ve seen all three. Call tracking eliminates these problems.

Every call recorded. Every duration logged. Every conversion attributed to the source that generated it.

Here’s what proper tracking gives your business:

• Source attribution - Know which ad, keyword, or campaign generated each call
• Call recordings - Verify quality and resolve disputes
• Conversation intelligence - Transcription and sentiment analysis
• Dynamic number insertion - Show different numbers based on traffic source
• Integration - Connect call data to your CRM and ad platforms
• IVR routing - Pre-qualify callers before they reach your client

This data is where your profits come from. Without it, you’re guessing.

CallRail Pricing in 2026

CallRail has four tiers. Here’s what each includes and what you actually need:

The Plans

What’s Included in the Starter Plan

The $50 plan includes:

• 5 local tracking numbers
• 250 local minutes
• Call recording
• Dynamic number insertion
• Text tracking
• Basic integrations

Usage Charges Beyond Included

Once you exceed your plan limits:

• $0.05 per call minute beyond included
• $0.02-0.03 per SMS
• $0.02 per form submission
• $3/month per additional local number
• $5/month per toll-free number

My Recommendation

Start with the base Call Tracking plan at $50/month.

If you’re running serious volume and want AI transcription, the $90 Conversation Intelligence tier is worth it. The AI summaries save roughly 50% of the time spent reviewing calls.

Annual billing saves 10-15% on subscription costs, but usage charges remain monthly.

Free Trial: CallRail offers a 14-day free trial without requiring a credit card. Test it before committing.

Setting Up CallRail

Here’s the exact setup process.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to CallRail’s signup page and start your free trial. You can test any plan for 14 days.

Step 2: Set Up Your First Company

After login, you’ll see an empty dashboard. Click All Companies in the top right, then Add Company.

Why companies matter: Each company represents a separate client or project. This keeps your tracking data organized as you scale. I name each company after the domain I’m running traffic to.

Fill in the company details:

• Company Name: Use the domain (e.g., LodiRoof.com)
• Time Zone: Match the city you’re generating leads for

Step 3: Create Your First Tracking Number

From your company dashboard, click Create a Phone Number.

CallRail will ask what you’re using this number for:

“Yes, I’ll use it online” - Creates a ring-pool (multiple numbers) for dynamic insertion. Better for website tracking where you want to know exactly which session generated each call.

“No, I’ll use it offline” - Creates a single number. Use this for specific ads, direct mail, or anywhere you want one dedicated number.

Start with a single offline number while you learn the system. You can add ring-pools later.

Step 4: Configure the Number

Name your number - Use something descriptive: the domain, ad campaign name, or traffic source.

Set the destination - This is where calls get forwarded. Put your client’s business number. Or use your cell phone for testing.

Select number type:

• Local number - Matches the area code of your destination or target market. Recommended for local services.
• Toll-free number - Good for national campaigns. Adds $2/month extra.

Step 5: Enable Recording and Whisper

This is what protects your business.

Whisper Message: A short audio message played to whoever answers before they hear the caller. The client hears “Call from LodiRoof.com” then gets connected to the live caller.

This accomplishes two things:

1. Your client knows the call came from your marketing
2. Potential clients who receive unexpected free leads will visit your site to see where they’re coming from

Call Recording: Record every call. Non-negotiable.

It lets you:

• Defend yourself when clients dispute lead quality
• Optimize your messaging when you hear the same questions repeatedly
• Train new clients on how to handle leads

Important: If you’re recording calls, you NEED a greeting that informs callers they’re being recorded. This is a legal requirement in many states.

Step 6: Verify Your Setup

Call your new tracking number from your cell phone. Verify:

• The call forwards correctly
• You hear the whisper message (if enabled)
• The call appears in your dashboard
• The recording works

Your dashboard will show the caller’s name, phone number, city, and call duration.

Call Flows: The Power Feature

Basic call forwarding works for simple setups. Call Flows unlock the real value.

Think of Call Flows as programmable phone logic. You build routing without writing code.

What You Can Do With Call Flows

• Greeting: Play a message before connecting
• Menu (IVR): “Press 1 for emergency service, Press 2 for scheduling…”
• Simulcall: Ring multiple phones at once
• Round Robin: Distribute calls evenly across numbers
• Schedule: Route differently based on time of day
• Geo-Routing: Route based on caller’s location or zip code
• Tagging: Automatically tag calls based on selections
• Voicemail: Send to voicemail when no answer

Building Your First Call Flow

Navigate to Numbers > Call Flows > Create a Call Flow.

Name your flow after the campaign or site it’s for.

A solid basic flow:

1. Greeting - “Thanks for calling [Business Name]. This call may be recorded for quality purposes.”

2. Menu - “Press 1 for [Service A]. Press 2 for [Service B]. Press 3 for general questions.”

3. Tag - Apply tags based on menu selection

4. Dial - Forward to appropriate destination

The Geo-Routing Play

This is where pay-per-call gets profitable.

Geo-Routing asks callers to enter their zip code. If they’re in your client’s service area, route them to the client. If they’re outside, route them to a failover.

What’s a failover?

When a caller isn’t in your client’s service area, you can:

• Send them to an affiliate offer in their area
• Sell the lead to another operator who covers that market
• Route to a national network that buys calls everywhere

You never lose revenue on an out-of-area call.

To set this up:

1. Add Geo-Routing to your call flow
2. Have caller enter zip code
3. Define zip codes that go to your client
4. Set a default destination for everything else

Pre-Qualification

Use menu options to pre-qualify callers.

“Press 1 if you’re a homeowner. Press 2 if you’re a renter.”

Then only route homeowner calls to your client (if they only want homeowners). Tag the renter calls and send them elsewhere.

Clients love this. You’re sending them better leads while monetizing the ones they can’t use.

Conversation Intelligence (AI Features)

CallRail’s biggest change. Transcription and analysis of every call.

What Conversation Intelligence Does

• Automatic transcription - Every call converted to text
• Call summaries - AI-generated summaries of each conversation
• Keyword spotting - Highlight important terms and phrases
• Sentiment analysis - Detect positive, neutral, or negative sentiment
• Self-reported attribution - Capture when callers say how they found you

Transcription Quality

CallRail’s transcription achieves 95%+ accuracy, trained on over 1.1 million hours of voice data.

Requirements:

• Call recording must be enabled
• Works only for English conversations
• Accuracy depends on call quality

Setting Up Conversation Intelligence

If you’re on a plan that includes it:

1. Go to Settings > Conversation Intelligence
2. Enable for specific tracking numbers
3. Set up automation rules for keyword highlighting

Automation Rules

Create rules that automatically:

• Tag calls when specific keywords are mentioned
• Score leads based on conversation content
• Alert you when certain phrases appear
• Categorize calls by topic

Example: Create a rule that tags any call mentioning “emergency” or “leak” as high-priority, and sends you an immediate notification.

Premium Features

The upgraded Conversation Intelligence tier adds:

• Self-reported attribution - AI detects when callers mention how they found you
• PII redaction - Automatically remove sensitive info from recordings/transcripts
• HIPAA compliance - Required for healthcare verticals

Using AI to Analyze Call Data

CallRail gives you the data. Claude or ChatGPT helps you extract insights.

Export and Analyze

Download your call data as CSV, then feed it to Claude:

Analyze this call tracking data:
- Which traffic sources generate the highest quality calls (longest duration)?
- What times/days get the most calls?
- Which campaigns have the best answer rates?
- What patterns do you see in calls that don't convert?
- What recommendations do you have for optimization?

Transcript Analysis at Scale

If you have Conversation Intelligence, export transcripts and run deeper analysis:

Review these call transcripts from my [VERTICAL] business:
- What questions do callers ask most frequently?
- What objections or hesitations appear?
- What phrases indicate high buying intent?
- What information should be on my landing page based on these questions?
- How can I improve my IVR menu based on what callers are asking for?

This is where the AI work pays off. You’re extracting patterns from hundreds of calls in minutes.

Competitive Intelligence

Listen to how callers describe their search process:

Analyze these call transcripts for competitive intelligence:
- How do callers describe finding us?
- What competitors do they mention?
- What comparison factors do they bring up?
- What made them choose to call us vs others?

Monthly Optimization Workflow

1. Export last 30 days of call data
2. Analyze patterns with AI
3. Identify underperforming campaigns
4. Find optimization opportunities
5. Implement changes
6. Repeat

This is the AI-powered campaign optimization loop applied to phone leads.

CallRail Integrations

CallRail connects to most platforms you’re already using.

Google Ads Integration

Connect CallRail to Google Ads and you can:

• Track phone calls as conversions
• See which keywords generate calls
• Optimize campaigns for call volume
• Include calls in Smart Bidding

Without this integration, Google’s algorithm only sees online form submissions. You’re telling it that valuable phone calls are worthless. That’s a major attribution problem.

CRM Integrations

CallRail integrates with:

• Salesforce
• HubSpot
• Zoho
• Pipedrive
• Most major CRMs

When a call comes in, lead data flows automatically to your CRM. No manual entry.

Zapier Integration

For anything that doesn’t have native integration, use Zapier.

Examples:

• Send Slack notification when a call exceeds 2 minutes
• Add caller to email list after call
• Create task in project management tool
• Log call data to Google Sheets

CallRail Alternatives

CallRail isn’t the only option. Here’s when something else fits better:

For Pay-Per-Call Affiliates: Ringba

Ringba is built for pay-per-call affiliates. If you’re routing calls to networks or running high-volume campaigns across multiple buyers, Ringba is the industry standard.

Better for: Affiliate marketers, network operators, high volume

For Enterprise: Invoca

Invoca is enterprise-grade with advanced AI analytics. More expensive, more powerful.

Better for: Large brands, enterprise call centers

For Budget-Conscious: Nimbata

Nimbata starts at $35/month with pay-per-answered-call pricing. User-friendly and affordable.

Better for: Testing, low volume, budget-conscious operators

For All-In-One: CallTrackingMetrics

CallTrackingMetrics combines call tracking with CRM-style automation. More features than CallRail but higher price point.

Better for: Teams needing queue management and advanced automation

For DIY: OpenVBX

If you want free and self-hosted, check out our OpenVBX guide. You’ll pay only Twilio usage costs ($1.15/month per number plus minutes).

Better for: Technical users, testing, ultra-low-budget

Quick Comparison

Common CallRail Questions

Can I record calls in all states?

Recording laws vary by state. Some require one-party consent (you or your client knowing is enough). Others require two-party consent (caller must be informed). CallRail’s greeting feature handles this. Inform callers the call may be recorded.

How many numbers do I need?

Depends on tracking granularity. One number per traffic source is common. For website visitors, use dynamic number insertion with a pool of numbers.

What happens if I exceed my minutes?

You pay overage rates ($0.05/minute for local). Monitor usage to avoid surprises.

Can I port my existing numbers to CallRail?

Yes. You can port toll-free and local numbers to CallRail. There’s usually a one-time porting fee.

Does CallRail work internationally?

Yes, but primarily optimized for US and Canada. International numbers available but check coverage for your markets.

Your Next Step

Call tracking isn’t optional for pay per call businesses.

Every call you don’t track is data you can’t use. Disputes you can’t prove cost you clients. Missing optimizations because you didn’t have data leaves profit on the table.

Do this today:

1. Start CallRail’s free trial
2. Create your first company
3. Set up one tracking number
4. Enable recording and whisper
5. Test with your own phone
6. Build your first call flow

Once you have call data flowing, use Claude to analyze patterns and optimize. That’s the leverage that separates professionals from amateurs.

Related Guides:

• Pay Per Call with AI - The complete business model
• Google Ads with AI - Drive call traffic from search
• AI Campaign Optimization - Optimize your call campaigns

Questions?

Contact me. I keep this guide updated based on what you’re running into.

Need Help With Call Tracking Setup? Book a Coaching Call