Telecom management pricing models compared
Per-line, percentage-of-spend and subscription fees are owed whether or not your bill comes down, while our fee comes out of the savings we secure.
No cost or obligation, and nothing changes without your written approval.
If your bill doesn't come down: three years of fees on an assumed 4,000-line account
- Published market figures
- Telpro Management audit fee
An illustration, not a forecast: 4,000 lines at $50 a line a month, so a $200,000 monthly bill, adding 400 lines a year at the same rate, priced at published market ranges checked October 1, 2026. Share-of-savings rows assume nothing is owed without savings, as three of the five firms we checked state.
How TEM providers are paid
Telecom expense management (TEM) is priced in five common ways: per line or device, as a percentage of total spend, as a flat subscription or retainer, through a carrier commission paid to a broker, or as a share of the savings secured. Ours is a share of savings: 30% of the savings we secure, for up to 24 months, with nothing owed for the audit if we find no savings. Ongoing account management is optional, with a separate fee priced to your accounts.
| How the provider is paid | Published market range | Who does the work | What you pay if nothing is saved | Who pays the provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per line, device or user (TEM software, managed mobility) | $2 to $6 a line a month for managed TEM at large enterprises. About $2 to $8 a device a month for managed mobility | Your staff, or the provider's staff in a managed package | The full fee, which rises with every line you add | You |
| Percentage of spend | 1% to 5% of the spend it manages | The provider's analysts | The full percentage of your bill | You |
| Flat subscription or retainer | $2,000 to $25,000 or more a month for a retainer. Subscriptions priced by spend band can cost less | Your staff, or the provider's analysts | The full subscription or retainer | You |
| Carrier-paid broker | No fee invoiced to you | The broker places the services | Nothing invoiced to you | The carrier, as a commission |
| Contingency audit firm (share of savings) | 15% to 50% of the savings secured, on terms of 12 to 60 months | The firm audits and negotiates | Nothing, where the firm's terms say so | You, out of the savings |
| Telpro Management | 30% of the savings for up to 24 months | Our analysts, with your written approval | Nothing for the audit | You, out of the savings. No payouts from carriers or vendors |
Rows describe models across the market and name no firm. Ranges come from published pricing guides and terms, last reviewed October 1, 2026, and aren't any one firm's price.
Compare share-of-savings fees in months of savings
A share-of-savings fee is the rate times the months it runs. Our 30% for up to 24 months is at most 7.2 months of savings, and a 50% share for 36 months is 18. Ask any firm paid from savings for both numbers, and you can compare them on one line.
The total fee in months of savings, for firms paid from savings: the rate times the months the fee runs
- Published market ranges and terms
- Telpro Management audit fee
Source: published pricing guides and terms from firms paid out of savings, checked October 1, 2026, and our published fee. A 30% share for up to 24 months is at most 0.3 x 24 = 7.2 months of savings.
Why we're paid from your savings
We charge a share of savings because it ties what we earn to how far your bills come down. Each dollar we take off your monthly bill adds 30 cents a month to our fee for up to 24 months, which gives us a reason to press your carriers for the lowest bill they'll agree to.
We don't charge per line, per device or per user. Our clients pay us, and we take no payouts from carriers or vendors. Account management, if you take it, is billed as a separate fee, priced to your accounts.
Compare our fee with a quote you already have
Multiply a per-line or percentage-of-spend quote over its contract and set it beside 30% of the monthly savings for up to 24 months. A free bill review gives you that savings figure.
No cost or obligation, and nothing changes without your written approval.
Sources: two TEM providers' published pricing guides, two firms' published terms and one published price list, checked October 1, 2026.