Setting up a one time conference call should be quick, easy and free. Maybe you’re responding to an unexpected turn of events. Maybe you need to conduct a telephone interview, but want to respect social distancing. There are lots of reasons why you might want a one off conference call. And if you do, there are probably a few different criteria you want from your conference call provider. To help you on your search, we’ll tackle some of the main points to look for:

1. Avoiding subscriptions
2. Prioritising security
3. Easy set-up
4. Ease of use
5. Free one time conference calls
6. Free teleconference dial-in
7. On demand conference calls

You get all of these in one simple package by signing up to a free WHYPAY? account! Try it out for free right now by clicking here:

Of course, for some people, conference calling is part and parcel of daily life. That’s perhaps truer now than ever, as people have been finding ways to work successfully from home during lockdown. Others have been conference calling with friends and family to stave off boredom and loneliness. And even in the pre-pandemic world, conference calling was a great business tool.

But not everybody needs to teleconference regularly. In fact, some of us might need a one off conference call. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide for the one off conference caller.

Don’t subscribe for a one time conference call

The main point for anyone looking for a one time conference call bridge is most likely going to be avoiding lengthy subscriptions. It doesn’t make sense to enter an annual contract for a one off conference call! Clearly, the biggest downside to that would be paying for something you simply won’t be using.

Instead, look for services which allow single use conference calls. Some providers might be suited to this kind of use, without directly advertising themselves as one off conference call providers. For example, WHYPAY? doesn’t specifically provide one off conference calls, but there’s no reason why it couldn’t be used that way. With our free plan, there’s no contract and no subscription fees or sign-up charges. Once you’ve made the account, the conference room details will be yours to use as you wish. If your wish is to just use these details once, then so be it!

One off conference calls for privacy and security

Perhaps you want a one time conference call because you don’t want to reuse the same access details for different calls. It might be that you work in a legal setting, or are meeting with different patients, clients, customers. Whatever the reason, if you’re conference calling with different groups, and discussing confidential information, you might be wary of reusing access details.

There are ways around this, though. You don’t necessarily need to find a service that lets you buy a one off conference call room. Instead, you could look for a provider that lets you change your PIN between calls.

That’s what WHYPAY? offers. While you get to keep one account, and one dial-in number and room number, you can change your PIN on demand. That helps keep things simple and cohesive, without compromising on your security.

If you sign up to a Plus or Pro plan, you also get added security features. These accounts include Moderator Controls, which allow you to look rooms, kick out guests, hear how many people are on the call, and more! Here’s an overview of what you’ll get:

• Moderator PINs: anyone who needs to use the Moderator Controls joins the call using a special Moderator PIN.
• Moderator required: the call can’t start until somebody with a Moderator PIN joins.
• Keypad controls: carry out actions like muting and unmuting guests, locking the room, removing all guests.
• Advanced muting modes: decide before the call begins who will be able to speak, and whether guests can unmute or unmute themselves.

And if security is a pressing concern, you can read up on tips to make your conference calls as secure as possible.

To read about how WHYPAY? ensures its service is totally secure, click here.

Find a conference call that’s easy to set up

If you’re looking for a one time conference call, perhaps you’re not a regular conference caller. That means you might want to find a teleconferencing provider that’s really easy to use.

It might be that you do conference call a lot, but don’t usually set up your own calls. If that’s the case, you still won’t want to go through a long-winded, complicated set-up just for one conference call.

There’s also a chance that you need a one time conference call because something unexpected has happened. Maybe a crisis has arisen or there’s been a new development. You need the whole team on the phone ASAP to discuss next steps. You don’t want to be struggling with a tricky set-up slowing you down!

Look for a teleconference provider that makes getting started really easy. This will save you precious time. Plus, it bodes well for using the service itself when it comes to making the call.

One time conference call providers should be easy to use

As well as being simple to set up, the conference call service itself should be easy to use. If you or your guests aren’t frequent conference callers, you don’t want to be fiddling around with tricky systems. Even if you do conference call a lot, if you’re all used to a different conferencing service, you don’t want to spend time having to get to grips with a new one.

Make sure as you’re organising your one time conference call, you opt for a service which is as simple as possible.

Here, again, WHYPAY? has you covered. Joining a WHYPAY? conference call is as easy as placing any other phone call.

1. Simply dial the dial-in telephone number.
2. You’ll be prompted to enter the conference room number followed by the hash key (#).
3. You’ll then be prompted to enter the PIN followed by the hash key (#). That’s it! Once you’ve input those numbers, the call will begin and you can chat away to your heart’s content.

As if that weren’t simple enough, we even offer a speed dial function. With it, you and your guests can have all the numbers auto-filled the moment you place the call. It’s conference calling literally at the push of one button.

Don’t pay for your one time conference call service

Sometimes, people who are holding a one off conference call are desperate to get in touch fast – as we mentioned earlier. That can mean they’re willing to pay big bucks to get everyone on the line. Less seasoned teleconferencers might also simply not realise that it really is possible to conference call for free.

But it is possible, and people who are looking for a single use conference room certainly shouldn’t have to pay. Not only should you not pay a subscription fee, you shouldn’t pay for the room itself, nor for dialling into it.

It might sound too good to be true, but it isn’t. That’s exactly what you get with WHYPAY?. Our free account is completely and genuinely free. There are no hidden costs, no add-ons that aren’t as ‘additional’ as some providers claim, no need to buy minutes from us or pay extra to have more than three callers. All our conference rooms accommodate up to 50 participants as standard (with the option to Go Large).

Unless you choose to subscribe to one of our paid plans for a few extra features, using WHYPAY? is free from start to finish.

Don’t expect guests (or yourself) to pay to join the call

That leads us to a key point. Often, free plans from conference call providers offer premium-rate dial-in numbers. Providers might reason that that’s how they can still turn a profit from free accounts.

At WHYPAY?, we found a different way, and created a genuinely feasible free conference call business model. It means that neither the host nor the guests pay a penny for the conference call.

How does it work?

The thinking is deceptively simple. The magic is in our 03 numbers. All of our conference calls are accessed by dialling a dial-in number, and all of our dial-in numbers are 03 numbers. According to Ofcom rules, 03 numbers must be charged in the same way as any standard UK landline. Nowadays, most telephone network providers include calls to UK landlines in the bundled minutes included in the contract. In practice, that means calls to landlines – and therefore to 03 numbers – are free!

Find a conference call provider that offers on demand teleconferences

This links back to the idea that many people who want a one off conference call are in a rush to get talking. Choosing a conference call service that requires you to schedule your meeting ahead of time is going to be another unnecessary delay.

Instead, find a provider that offers reservationless conference calling. By creating a conference room that can be accessed on-demand, you’ll be ready to go as soon as the account is created.

Again, that’s just what WHYPAY? offers. Once your dial-in details are generated, they’re permanent and available to use 24/7. Just dial in whenever you’re ready.

Don’t limit the duration of your one off conference call

It’s possible your one time conference call hasn’t been meticulously planned. If you’re dealing with something unprecedented in some way, it might not even be possible to plan. And if you don’t teleconference lots, it might be difficult to predict how long you’ll need to be on the line.

Save yourself worry and arduous planning by choosing a conference call provider that doesn’t impose duration limits.

At WHYPAY?, we’ll never cut you short. Your conference room truly is available to you 24/7, so you can talk all day and all night if you so choose! It might be necessary to hang up and re-dial after about eight hours (if you last that long), but the conference room will still be ready and waiting as soon as you do.

Get to grips with conference calling basics

If you’re not a seasoned conference caller, you might want to take some time to learn about conference calling. Even if you do take part in lots of teleconferences, hosting one can be a bit different.

Luckily, WHYPAY? provides lots of helpful guides and advice. From conference call etiquette to ensuring your conference call isn’t a waste of time, moderating a conference call to choosing your provider, we have you covered. Our helpdesk is also a great resource!

And if you have any other questions, our friendly team is always on-hand to help. You can reach out via Livechat on the bottom right corner of our website, email to [email protected]or call 033 3443 3366.

Don’t delay on making your one time conference call!

Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash