What should count as a qualified lead, meeting or reply?

When you pay per lead, per meeting or per reply, the written definition of what counts decides your bill. A fair definition says what triggers the fee, who the person has to be, what is excluded, and how long you have to object. Defrost counts a new company only when someone there asks to meet, asks for a price, or asks you to take a look at something.

What triggers the fee?

Providers paid per meeting bill at one of three moments. The difference shows when someone doesn’t turn up.

The fee is due when	If the person doesn’t show up	A published example
A meeting is scheduled	You can still owe the fee, unless the provider replaces the meeting.	VA Horizon bills a booked, double-confirmed meeting at $200 to $600 and replaces a no-show free.
A meeting is held	Nothing is owed, since no meeting took place.	FunnL charges $300 for each completed meeting, on top of a retainer from $2,000 a month.
A meeting is held and meets written criteria	Nothing is owed, and you can reject a meeting that misses the criteria.	ROI Maximizer charges $200 to $500 only for meetings that took place and that the client approved against six written criteria.

Examples are from each provider’s own published prices, read on November 9, 2026. Links are under Sources.

Each of these three also charges a setup fee or a monthly retainer, so read the whole price. There is more in pay-per-meeting lead generation: how it works and what to check.

How do providers define “qualified”?

Guides written by providers of these services describe a qualified meeting in much the same way:

The person attended.
Their job title and seniority match the profile you agreed.
The company’s size and industry are in the agreed range.
The person has authority or influence over the decision, and knows why the meeting is happening.
Some definitions add budget and timing.

The better contracts also name what is excluded, such as the wrong job title, an existing customer or a meeting booked under false pretenses, and give you a set time in which to reject a meeting.

Where do disputes start?

No-shows. Where the fee is due at scheduling, you can pay for a meeting that never happened.
A vague profile. If the description of a good company is loose, you and the provider will read it differently.
The letter of the criteria. A meeting can match every written point and still be with someone who has little interest. The fee rewards the booking, which is why the wording matters.
Silence counted as yes. Check whether a meeting is treated as held if you don’t report on it in time.

What counts with Defrost?

Defrost charges for a reply, not a meeting, so its definition is about what the reply says. A new company counts when someone there asks to meet, asks for a price, or asks you to take a look at something. What counts for your offer is agreed before anything is sent. These six made-up replies show where the line falls.

The reply	Does it count?	Why
“We’re still planning the layout. Could you take a look with us next week?”	Counts	A new company wants to talk about what you do.
“Thanks, but we’re all set for now.”	Doesn’t count	A polite no costs nothing.
“Can you send over the free checklist?”	Doesn’t count	They want the checklist, not what you sell.
“You want Priya, she runs this.”	Not yet	It counts if Priya answers and wants to talk.
“I’m out of the office until Monday.”	Doesn’t count	Auto-replies never do.
“Good to hear from you again. How’s the family?”	Doesn’t count	You knew them before Defrost.

The replies are fictional examples, taken from Defrost’s pricing page.

A polite no, a request for a free checklist alone, a referral to someone else, an out-of-office, and a reply from someone you already know all cost nothing.

What keeps the bill fair?

One company, one fee. More replies, more people at that company and anything they hire you for later cost nothing more. People you already know never count.
A monthly limit you set. It is the most you’ll pay in a month. It starts at ten new companies, or $3,000 plus any tax, and you can change it. A reply that would go over the limit is free.
48 hours to look it over. You see each reply that counts, and why, 48 hours before it’s charged. If you see it differently, tell us, and the fee waits while we look. If it’s unclear, it goes your way.

The fee is $300 plus any tax. It is for a new company that wants to talk: a reply doesn’t guarantee a meeting, and winning the client is up to you. Defrost compared with pay-per-meeting agencies sets the two ways of paying side by side.

Questions people ask

What is a qualified lead?

A lead is “qualified” when it meets criteria agreed in advance. “Lead” itself can mean a name on a list, a form someone filled in, a reply or a booked meeting, so before you pay per lead, ask for both words in writing, along with what is excluded.

Do I pay for a meeting if the person doesn’t show up?

It depends on what triggers the fee. If the fee is due when a meeting is scheduled, a no-show can still cost you unless the provider replaces it. If it is due only when a meeting is held, it doesn’t. ROI Maximizer, for example, says no-shows cost nothing, and VA Horizon replaces a no-show free.

What if I disagree that a reply counts?

With Defrost, you see each reply that counts, and why, 48 hours before it’s charged. If you see it differently, you tell us and the fee waits while we look. If it’s unclear, it goes your way.

Does a reply that counts mean I’ve won a client?

No. With Defrost, the $300 fee is for a new company that wants to talk. A reply doesn’t guarantee a meeting, and winning the client is up to you.

Sources

VA Horizon, appointment setting cost, July 2026, read November 9, 2026.
FunnL pricing, read November 9, 2026.
ROI Maximizer, pay-per-meeting pricing, October 2026, read November 9, 2026.
Cleverly, pay-per-appointment lead generation (a provider’s guide), read November 9, 2026.
Belkins, pay-per-appointment lead generation (a provider’s guide), read November 9, 2026.
SalesHive, pay-per-meeting models (a provider’s guide), read November 9, 2026.