CTV calls and search-driven calls are both inbound calls on Callmart, meaning the consumer is the one who placed the call. The difference is upstream: what the consumer was doing right before they picked up the phone, and that difference is reflected in the starting price.
What a CTV call is
CTV means Connected TV, streaming television advertising. A CTV call comes from a consumer who responded to a Connected TV or streaming TV ad, for example a Final Expense CTV campaign. CTV calls start at $50 per connected call, billed the same way as any Callmart call: once connected time after your destination number answers passes the buffer you selected, minimum 10 seconds.
What a search call is
A search-driven call comes from a consumer who was actively searching for something, typed a query, and responded to a search ad or landing page by calling. These calls are typically screened upstream, through an IVR or a script confirming basic qualifying answers, and screened inbound calls start at $25 per connected call.
Why the starting prices are different
The price difference reflects the source, not a claim about which one performs better. Callmart does not claim CTV calls convert better or worse than any other source. What can be said plainly is what each source is: someone who typed a search query has already expressed active, specific intent in that moment. Someone who called in response to a CTV ad was reached through a passive, broadcast medium, an ad they may not have been actively looking for at all, which is a different kind of moment to price and to staff for.
What stays the same regardless of source
Every Callmart call, CTV or search-driven, is billed the same way: on connected time, measured after your destination number answers, once it passes the buffer you selected, with a 10 second minimum across all campaigns. Buyers see the price and the connected-time threshold for each campaign before switching buying on, whichever source it comes from.
Deciding between the two as a buyer
Neither source is guaranteed to outperform the other for your business specifically. The honest way to decide is by testing volume from each against your own team's results, since Callmart makes no performance claim for either, and by weighing whether the higher CTV starting price fits your budget for the volume it can bring.
- Both are billed on connected time after your destination answers, never on ring time.
- Both are subject to the same daily limits, availability toggle, and per-member spending controls.
- Neither source comes with a promise of conversion, quality, or volume.
| Factor | Search call | CTV call |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | An active search query and ad click | A Connected TV or streaming ad the consumer saw |
| Intent signal | Explicit, the consumer typed what they wanted | Passive, the consumer responded to a broadcast ad |
| Starting price | $25 per connected call | $50 per connected call |
| Billing method | Connected time after answer, 10 second minimum buffer | Same, connected time after answer, 10 second minimum buffer |
Common questions
01Why do CTV calls cost more than search calls?
The starting price reflects the source and the medium, not a claim about performance. CTV calls come from a broadcast ad on streaming television, while search calls come from a consumer actively typing a query, and each is priced accordingly.
02Do CTV calls convert better than search calls?
Callmart does not claim CTV calls perform better or worse than search calls or any other source. Buyers should test both against their own results rather than assume one outperforms the other.
03Are CTV and search calls billed the same way?
Yes. Both are billed once connected time, measured after your destination number answers, passes the buffer you selected for that campaign, with a minimum buffer of 10 seconds across all campaigns.
04Can I buy both CTV and search-driven calls on the same account?
Yes. Buyers choose which campaigns they want to buy from, and can run CTV and search-driven or other screened campaigns side by side under the same wallet and availability controls.