Cost Recovery Fee Overview

A Cost Recovery Fee (“CRF”) equal to 4% of billed regulated charges (excluding taxes) will apply to services subject to direct regulation by the FCC.  

This charge is imposed to recover costs incurred by CallTrackingMetrics ("CTM") for property taxes, fees, contributions, and/or charges associated with telecommunications services for the sight and hearing impaired, local number portability, North American Numbering Plan Administration, and administrative costs, fees and expenditures related to compliance with Federal regulatory programs and annual FCC regulatory fee obligations, along with other administrative expenses 

This is a permissible fee but is not a tax or charge mandated by the government.  For more information on programs supported by the CRF, please see below.

Federal Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund. The TRS Fund was established by the FCC in 1993 to reimburse TRS providers for the cost of providing interstate TRS services.  TRS services are telephone transmission services that provide hearing or speech-challenged individuals with the ability to use a traditional telephone.

Under the FCC’s rules, CTM must contribute a percentage of its intrastate, interstate, and international end-user communications revenues to the TRS Fund. The contribution percentage varies annually.

Local Number Portability Administration (LNPA). Local Number Portability (“LNP”) is a customer’s ability to keep existing phone numbers when switching to another service provider.  CTM must provide LNP, as well as contribute to the FCC’s LNPA program, designed to diffuse the costs of administering LNP.  CTM pays a proportionate share of the LNP costs in each region in which it operates and has customers. This fee varies frequently by region.  

North American Numbering Program Administration (NANPA). The North American Numbering Plan (“NANP”) is an integrated telephone numbering plan for the Public Switched Telephone Network (“PSTN”) serving multiple countries including the United States and its territories.  It is administered by the North American Numbering Plan Administration (“NANPA”). 

Under the FCC’s rules, CTM must contribute to the costs of numbering administration.  Contributions are based on a percentage of CTM’s revenues from customers using international, intrastate, and interstate communications services. The percentage varies annually.

Annual Regulatory Fee. CTM, as an interstate service provider, must pay an annual regulatory fee to the FCC. This fee varies annually.

Which services are subject to CRF?

CRF will be applied to telecom and/or VoIP consumption of interstate, international, and toll free minutes at a bifurcation rate of 90% software / 10% IVoIP

How is CRF calculated?

Here’s how to calculate CRF:

CRF Fee = US Minutes Usage in $$  * IVoIP revenue bifurcation (see above) * CRF %  

For example, if you have $100 in minutes usage fees, your CRF would be $100 x 10% x 4% = $.40 

Notice: Bifurcation rates and CRF rates are subject to change. 

Where can I see the CRF charged in my billing?

Similar to the way we bill for FUSF and sales and use tax, you will see the CRF (if applicable) charged to your account on the 1st of the month for any relevant usage occurring in the prior month.

You will see the CRF charges within the “Taxes and Fees” area of the billing setting page.