The calls are carried from the home telephone of the customer to the network of the Interexchange Carrier - IXC (Long Distance Company) by the local carrier. Once in the network of the IXC, the call is carried at a 'postalized' or flat rate to the network of the service bureau. MCI charges $.31/min for this transport, coupled with billing and collection at the rate of 12.5% of the gross sale.

MCI Billing and collection, tied to their transport service, remains offered at the flat rate of 12.5% of the gross sales price. Some information providers may choose to arrange for separate billing and collection.

While the billing and collection fee for calls collected by a separate agency may be less than the 'bundled' rate offered by MCI, there are some other charges to consider. By using a separate biller, without the long distance volume rates negotiated by MCI, there are charges for placing the charge on the local telephone bill that vary according to local jurisdiction. As a general rule, calls costing over $10 are more favorably priced under the separate billing scenario, while calls under $10 in cost are more economical to process using the MCI 'bundled' service.

• Typical Billing Coverage Map
• Sample Local Billing Rates
• Billing Rate Calculator