Billing models
Virtual receptionist plans can bill for time, calls, a fixed scope, user seats or a combination. Identify the unit first, then decide whether the service provides the attention your callers need.
Per minute: A time allowance pays for conversations of varying lengths. Ruby publishes monthly receptionist minute packages. For a live service, include the time callers need to explain an unusual request when estimating your workload.
Per call: Each handled call draws from the plan's allowance. Smith.ai publishes call packages for its human receptionist service. Count return calls as well as first inquiries when building your estimate.
Flat monthly: A fixed fee is useful only when you understand the covered work. Request a written scope for answering hours, intake, appointments and transfers before treating a quote as your whole budget.
Per seat: If a proposal charges for user seats, ask who needs one. Staff access to a phone platform and outsourced receptionist work are different purchases; clarify which the quote covers.
Hybrid billing: A subscription can include a call or minute allowance with extra usage billed separately. It can also have task add-ons. Read both the allowance and the task list to calculate the total for your calls.
Pricing models compared
| Billing model | How it bills | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Per minute | The plan measures time used by your receptionist conversations | Longer explanations can use the included time more quickly |
| Per call | The plan measures how many calls the service handles | Include callers who ring again about the same request |
| Flat monthly | A set fee buys the answering scope described in writing | Confirm covered hours, tasks and any limits on usage |
| Per seat | The quote multiplies a user rate by required seats | Ask which staff need access and what answering costs separately |
| Hybrid | A base fee includes an allowance with extra usage billed separately | Model a busy month as well as ordinary call traffic |
What affects the cost
Your virtual receptionist cost depends on the work you hand over as much as the number of calls. Write down what callers need from the first conversation before collecting quotes.
Separate brief messages from conversations that need judgment. A live receptionist can bring personal judgment to an upset caller or an unusual request. If that attention matters to your service, include it in the buying decision alongside the bill. AI answering suits a defined intake process, with your staff handling decisions outside those instructions.
Next, estimate volume and duration by call type. A hotel asking for a callback number needs less intake than a moving company collecting pickup details. Check the after-hours share too: ask each provider whether coverage hours change the quote or simply add usage.
Spam, transfers and booking tasks also belong on your checklist. Establish which calls count and which tasks carry separate fees. Do not assume two subscriptions include the same work because their allowances look similar.
With RingCorgi, you supply services, hours and urgency rules during onboarding. Your receptionist takes messages, can book into Google Calendar and sends email and app push alerts. Explore the setup and forwarding steps to decide what work you would assign it.
Price per call
Compare cost per call by dividing each quoted monthly bill by the calls that bill covers. Use matching conversation lengths so a minute package and a call package describe a comparable workload.
Take a hypothetical business receiving 25 calls lasting two minutes each. That is 50 minutes. Ruby offers 50 receptionist minutes for $250 per month, as listed on Ruby's pricing page in October 2026. Divide that monthly fee by 25 to calculate the base cost per call in this example.
For a different workload of 30 calls, Smith.ai's live Starter package includes 30 calls for $300 per month, as listed on Smith.ai's pricing page in October 2026. Divide the monthly fee by 30, then check any task charges separately. These examples illustrate billing, rather than identical service packages.
For RingCorgi, estimate the minutes for those same 30 conversations. For Starter, begin with $99 monthly and add $0.35 per minute beyond 150 AI minutes; for Pro, begin with $249 and add $0.20 per minute beyond 500. Divide your selected plan's total by the calls handled. Compare what each option accomplishes: a useful message, a booked appointment or a handoff your team can act on. The no-signup voice demo lets you test our part of that work.
Our pricing
RingCorgi AI answering offers Starter: $99 a month, 150 AI minutes, $0.35 per extra minute; or Pro: $249 a month, 500 AI minutes, $0.20 per extra minute. Free trials, when open, will last 14 days with a 100-minute cap. You need a card before forwarding goes live. We bill month to month, with online cancellation in one click.
Questions
Is a virtual receptionist a person or an AI service?
The term can describe either, so check who answers before comparing prices. A live receptionist brings a person's judgment to the conversation. RingCorgi uses an AI receptionist trained on your business instructions to ask intake questions, take messages, book appointments and route urgent requests to your people.
How do I compare a live minute package with an AI plan?
Estimate how many conversations you need handled and how long each type takes. Apply each plan's allowance and extra usage rate to that workload. Then compare the work completed during those calls, including intake and handoffs, so the lowest total does not become your only selection criterion.
Can I keep my current business number with RingCorgi?
You keep your business number and forward the calls you want your receptionist to answer. We provide a local number and a forwarding guide for your carrier or phone system. Make a test call before going live to check the greeting, intake questions and routing.
Can your receptionist transfer urgent callers to my team?
You decide what counts as urgent and who receives those calls. Your receptionist can warm transfer to your on-call person, who hears a short summary and presses 1 to accept, or page them in your chosen order. Other callers can leave the details your team needs for a callback.
What if the AI gets a caller's request wrong?
Review the call summary, transcript and recording, then correct your business instructions through the dashboard in plain words. AI can make mistakes, so keep a backup way to be reached. When free trials open, test requests specific to your trade and confirm what should reach your staff.
How will I receive messages and check what I am using?
We send an alert for each call by email and app push notification, with a summary, urgency tag, transcript and recording. You also receive a daily digest email. The dashboard holds your calls and usage, giving you a place to check the workload behind the monthly bill.
Hear the Receptionist, Then Join Early Access
Try an intake conversation in the browser demo. Then join early access; when trials open, set your answering rules and test how your receptionist handles calls for your business.