Your monthly Qwest bill includes recurring monthly charges which are billed one month in advance, such as calling plans, local calling services and custom calling features. It also includes usage charges that are billed after they are used, such as pay-per-use calling features and long-distance calls.

	Previous Balance There are a few reasons why you may see a Previous Balance: If you sent a payment and it was not received by the bill due date, you will see a previous balance on your next bill. In this case, you need only pay the new charges by the bill due date. You paid an amount less than the Total Amount Due on a prior bill. The unpaid balance will carry forward to the next month. You will need to pay the Total Amount Due to avoid potential late fees.
	The Total Amount Due shown on your bill is the amount that must be paid by the bill due date. This includes new charges for the month as well as any unpaid previous balance, if applicable. If your payment is not received by the due date, you may see a previous balance due. If this is the case, you need only pay the new charges.
	The Due Date for New Charges is shown at the top of your bill. Your payment must be received by this date to avoid late fees and potential disruption in your service. Your bill due date is based on a 30 day period and is not based on a calendar month, (i.e., your billing cycle may be from the 10th of one month to the 10th of the next month).

Federal, state and local governments assess a variety of taxes and surcharges. Qwest collects required taxes as part of your phone bill and sends the appropriate amounts to the taxing agency.

The most common federal charges include:

Federal Access Charge
The Federal Access Charge is authorized by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for providing access to and maintaining the local phone network.

Federal Excise Tax
A tax assessed by the federal government for telephone services.

Federal Universal Service Fund
The Federal Universal Service Fund Charge supports the telecommunications needs of consumers living in high-cost service areas, low-income households, schools, libraries and rural healthcare providers. The charge is set by the FCC and is adjusted on your Qwest bill quarterly as the costs charged by the fund change.

State and local charges vary depending on where you live. Some of the more common include (these may or may not appear on your specific bill):

Sales Tax
Taxes assessed by state, county or city governments on telephone services.

911 or E911 Charge
A dedicated tax that provides funds for the communications systems that support emergency and quick response police, fire and ambulance services with identification of phone number and location.

Special District Sales Tax
These taxes are assessed outside the scope of states, counties or cities and are used for transit districts, stadium districts and other special purpose tax districts.

State Universal Service Fund Surcharge
This charge helps to keep basic exchange rates affordable to all customers who live in the state. The funds collected are remitted to the state utility commission.

Telecommunications Relay Service Fund
This surcharge helps to fund relay centers that assist hearing and speech impaired individuals make and receive phone calls.

Telephone Assistance Program
These are dedicated monies used to provide telephone subsidies to low-income, elderly or disabled customers who could not otherwise afford phone service.

A Qwest Service Representative is happy to discuss payment arrangements with you—just call us at 1 800-244-1111, 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Calling promptly to discuss payment arrangements may prevent a disruption in your service.