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Answering service pricing calculator (per-minute vs dedicated)
This free answering service cost calculator compares what per-minute and per-call answering plans would cost for your monthly call volume with the hours a dedicated receptionist would need for the same calls, using published 2026 plan tiers. Estimates are for orientation, not an AssistBPO price. Plans depend on hours, desks and coverage.
· Reviewed by Nimra Khalid
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Answering service pricing calculator (per-minute vs dedicated)
Change a number and the result updates as you type. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Billable minutes a month
900 minutes a month
Per-minute plans, published range
$2,275 to $2,975
Per-call plan, published rate
$2,925
Dedicated receptionist hours needed
23 hours a month
Model that fitsShared front desk, per call
How does the calculator work?
Billable minutes equal calls times average minutes. Per-minute plans follow the published tiers: about $235 a month for 50 minutes, about $1,095 for 500 minutes, and $2.95 to $4.70 for each minute over the tier. The per-call line uses a published $9.75 per call rate. Dedicated receptionist hours equal billable minutes times 1.5 to allow for wrap-up, messages and bookings, rounded up to whole hours; the model follows the hours.
What is it based on?
- Per-minute tiers and overage from the September 2026 OnceHub, NextPhone and AIRA receptionist pricing roundups: Ruby about $235 for 50 minutes to $1,095 for 500 minutes at $4.70 a minute overage; AnswerConnect about $325 for 100 minutes at $2.95 a minute.
- Per-call rate from Smith.ai's published Live plan overage of $9.75 a call (2026).
- Wrap-up allowance of 50 percent on talk time is an operational rule of thumb for bookings, messages and CRM notes.
- AI receptionists are published at $25 to $300 a month flat and are not modelled here.
- AssistBPO prices a dedicated receptionist per person for a block of hours, not per minute; no figure is shown because plans depend on hours, desks and coverage.
What should you do with your result?
If your minutes sit above the 500-minute tier, per-minute plans climb fast and a dedicated receptionist usually fits. If they sit well under 100 minutes, a shared front desk priced per call is the honest answer, and we will say so. Either way, request a demo call to hear the difference, then get a staffing plan for the hours the calculator shows.
Frequently asked questions
How does AssistBPO price a receptionist?
Plans depend on hours, desks and coverage. Get a staffing plan within 1 business day. We price per person for a block of hours (80 or 160 a month for a dedicated receptionist) rather than per minute, so a busy month does not produce a surprise bill.
Why do per-minute plans get expensive?
Because overage minutes at $2.95 to $4.70 add up quickly once you pass the tier, and long calls (intake, bookings, upset callers) are exactly the ones you want handled well. The tiers published in 2026 make per-minute plans cheapest for low volumes and dearest for busy front desks.
Does the dedicated receptionist handle anything else?
Yes. Between calls a dedicated receptionist does admin: messages, bookings, callbacks, CRM updates, voicemail sweeps and the end-of-day report. Per-minute plans bill talk time only and stop there.
What about after-hours calls?
Run the calculator for daytime and after-hours separately. Evenings and weekends usually fit a shared after-hours desk or a 24/7 pod rather than a dedicated person; the staffing plan combines both.
Are the published rates current?
They are the September 2026 figures from the roundups named in the assumptions. Providers change plans often; treat the outputs as orientation and check the provider pages if you are comparing a live quote.
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