# CommonLine — Full Product Reference

> A permanent phone number and conference room for churches, families, teams, and communities. Callers dial a number and are connected automatically — no apps, no accounts, no downloads.

## The problem it solves

Communities that adopted phone conferencing during lockdown did not stop using it. CommonLine turns that into a permanent, owned resource: an organization keeps one standing phone number and one room that never changes, while the underlying carrier conferences are recreated automatically for every call. A pastor's congregation, a family, a shift team, or a community group can all meet with nothing more than a phone number.

## How it works

1. An organization signs up and is assigned a permanent US local phone number.
2. Callers dial that number from any phone — mobile or landline.
3. The first caller opens a conference; later callers join the same room.
4. When everyone hangs up, the conference closes but the number and room remain ready for the next call.
5. A host moderates from the keypad (DTMF) or a web dashboard.

Participants never create accounts. There is nothing to install.

## Core capabilities

- **Permanent CommonLine number** — one number per organization, stays assigned while the account is active.
- **Always-on room** — the room is always ready; carrier sessions are ephemeral underneath.
- **Phone-only host control (DTMF):**
  - `*1` mute/unmute self
  - `*2` raise hand · `*3` lower hand
  - `*4` open/close the CommonLine
  - `*5` hear participant count
  - `*6` mute all · `*7` lock room · `*8` start/stop recording · `*9` end conference
  - `*0` host PIN fallback for caller-ID promotion
- **Dashboard** — live participants, speaking indicators, mute/lock/record/end, usage ledger, and settings.
- **Host identity verification without SMS** — a host calls the CommonLine number and enters a code to prove the phone is theirs.
- **Greeting and closed-line behavior** — callers hear a greeting before joining; a closed CommonLine announces the closure to callers while verified hosts can reopen it.
- **Immutable usage ledger** — every participant interval is recorded and explains the bill down to the second.
- **Recording with consent announcement** — recordings only start after everyone hears "This call will now be recorded."

## Pricing

All plans include a bundle of participant-minutes per month; usage beyond the bundle is billed at the published overage rate.

| Plan | Monthly | Included participant-minutes | Concurrent callers |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Starter | $39 | 1,000 | 25 |
| Growth | $99 | 3,500 | 75 |
| Congregation | $199 | 7,000 | 150 |
| Organization (custom) | Negotiated | Custom | 150–800 |

- Overage is billed transparently and reported from the immutable ledger.
- International local-access numbers are available as an add-on.
- Number rental is included; the number stays with the organization while the account is active.

## Use cases

- **Churches and prayer lines** — a permanent prayer-line number printed in the bulletin; the pastor runs the call from the phone or dashboard.
- **Faith communities and small groups** — recurring prayer, Bible study, or support circles that meet by phone.
- **Families and reunions** — one number the whole family dials.
- **Teams and shift workers** — daily check-ins and all-hands that need a reliable dial-in.
- **Community organizations and town halls** — accessible audio for members who are not online.
- **AA and support meetings** — anonymous, low-barrier phone access.
- **Seniors and low-connectivity members** — any phone works; no data plan required.

## Who it is for and who it is not for

CommonLine is for organizations that want a permanent, owned phone meeting line their members can always reach. It is not a replacement for video meetings; it is deliberately a phone-first room for communities where a phone is the lowest common denominator.

## Competitive positioning

- **FreeConferenceCall.com and similar** — free tiers exist but offer no permanent owned number, no organizer dashboard with durable usage, and no phone-only host moderation tied to a persistent room.
- **Zoom and Teams** — require a smartphone, data, an app, and often an account; CommonLine reaches everyone with a phone, including the elderly and low-connectivity members.
- **Legacy conference bridges** — CommonLine adds a permanent number, per-organization identity, transparent usage accounting, and host controls available entirely from the keypad.

## Key pages

- [Homepage](https://commonline.app/)
- [Terms of Service](https://commonline.app/terms)
- [Privacy Policy](https://commonline.app/privacy)
- [Acceptable Use Policy](https://commonline.app/aup)
- [Recording Policy](https://commonline.app/recording)
- [Cancellation and Number Retention](https://commonline.app/cancellation)

## Contact

- Support: support@commonline.app