Virtual receptionist cost: key facts
- Virtual receptionist pricing is built from your calls: how many, how long, which hours and what has to happen on each one. Know those four things before asking for quotes.
- The three main pricing models are per minute, per call and monthly bundles. Many providers mix them, for example a bundle with a per-call or per-minute overage rate.
- Billing rules can change the bill as much as the rate does. Rounding each call up to a whole minute, or adding time for writing up the message, can make billed minutes far higher than talk time.
- Per call or per minute? Divide the per-call price by the per-minute price. If your average billed call is shorter than that number of minutes, per minute works out cheaper; if longer, per call does.
- Seasonal businesses should price their busiest and quietest months separately, not an average month, because unused bundle allowance and overage both cost money.
- One-off and recurring costs belong in the same total. Add any set-up fee, out-of-hours or bank holiday charges and add-ons to a year of monthly charges before comparing.
- Check whether quotes include VAT. The standard rate is 20%. VAT-registered businesses can usually reclaim it on business purchases; others pay it as a real cost.
What decides how much a virtual receptionist costs?
Six things drive the cost: how many calls the service answers, how long each one takes, which hours you want covered, what the receptionist has to do on each call, how messages reach you, and the contract terms. The pricing model then decides how those things turn into a bill.
We don't publish prices or price ranges, because they vary between providers and change often. What doesn't change is the list of things that push any quote up or down. If you understand these, you can predict which quotes will suit you before you read the figures.
| Cost driver | Why it matters | What you can control |
|---|---|---|
| Number of calls | Almost every model charges more as calls go up, either directly or by moving you to a bigger plan. | Whether the service takes every call, only overflow, or only out-of-hours calls. |
| Length of calls | Matters most on per-minute pricing, and can affect which bundle you need. | How many questions the script asks, and whether the receptionist answers simple questions or takes a message. |
| Hours covered | Evenings, weekends and bank holidays may cost extra or need a different plan. | Whether out-of-hours calls are answered live, sent to voicemail, or answered only at certain times. |
| What happens on each call | Taking a short message is quicker than booking an appointment, qualifying a new enquiry or trying to transfer a call. | Which tasks you actually need. Each extra step adds time, and some are charged as add-ons. |
| How messages reach you | Email is usually standard; texts, app notifications, CRM entries or calendar bookings may be extra. | Choose the delivery method you'll really use. |
| Contract terms | Minimum terms, notice periods and price-change clauses affect what you pay over time, not just per month. | Ask for the terms in writing and compare them alongside the price. |
A plumber who wants every call answered from 7am to 9pm, with emergency calls passed on, is buying a very different service from a consultant who only wants lunchtime overflow taken as messages. Both are "a virtual receptionist", and their costs will look nothing alike.
What are the main virtual receptionist pricing models?
Most telephone answering services charge per minute, per call or through a monthly bundle of calls or minutes, often with a per-call or per-minute rate for anything above the bundle. Some add a fixed monthly fee on top of usage. Which is cheapest depends on your own volume and call length.
The names vary, but nearly every quote is built from these pieces:
| Model | How you're charged | Tends to suit | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per minute | A rate for each minute (or part of a minute) spent on your calls. | Businesses whose calls are short and simple, like quick messages. | How time is rounded, and whether writing up the message counts as billed time. |
| Per call | A flat charge for each call answered, whatever its length. | Businesses with longer calls, such as new enquiries that need several questions. | Whether wrong numbers, sales calls, silent calls and hang-ups are charged. |
| Monthly bundle | A fixed monthly fee for an allowance of calls or minutes. | Steady volume that stays close to the allowance every month. | The overage rate above the allowance, and whether unused allowance rolls over. |
| Fixed fee plus usage | A monthly charge for the account, then per-call or per-minute charges on top. | Businesses that want low commitment and expect variable volume. | Paying the fixed fee in months when the service hardly answers anything. |
| Pay as you go | Usage charges with no monthly allowance, sometimes with a credit top-up. | Occasional cover, such as holidays or trial periods. | Higher unit rates, minimum top-ups, or credit that expires. |
The model isn't good or bad in itself. A bundle is good value if you use most of it every month; per-call pricing is good value if your calls run long; per-minute pricing is good value if they're short. The rest of this page is about working out which of those describes you.
How do rounding and wrap-up time change the bill?
On per-minute pricing, the rules for counting time can matter as much as the rate. If each call is rounded up to a whole minute, or time spent writing the message is added, billed minutes can be well above the time actually spent talking. Ask exactly how a call is measured.
Here's an illustration using only minutes, so you can see the effect without any prices. Suppose a service answers 87 calls a month for you and each call lasts 1 minute 40 seconds of talk time.
| Billing rule | Billed time per call | Billed minutes a month |
|---|---|---|
| Billed by the second, talk time only | 1 min 40 sec | about 145 |
| Each call rounded up to the next whole minute | 2 minutes | 174 |
| 30 seconds' wrap-up added, then rounded up to the next whole minute | 3 minutes (2 min 10 sec rounded up) | 261 |
Same calls, same receptionists, but the last rule bills 80% more minutes than the first. That's our arithmetic from the example, not a typical figure: your own result depends on your call lengths. The point is that you can't compare two per-minute rates until you know how each one counts time.
Questions to ask about counting
- When does the clock start? When the call connects, when the receptionist answers, or when it starts ringing?
- Is it rounded, and to what? To the second, to the next 30 seconds, or to the next whole minute?
- Is wrap-up time billed? Writing and sending the message takes time after the caller has gone. Some providers count it, others don't.
- Which calls are free? Is there a cut-off below which a very short call, a wrong number or a silent call isn't charged? Are sales calls charged?
- How are transfers counted? If the receptionist tries to put a call through and then takes a message, is that one call, two, or extra time?
Per-call pricing avoids the rounding question, but it has its own version: what counts as a call. If you get a lot of nuisance or sales calls, whether those are charged matters more than the rate.
How do I estimate how many calls a virtual receptionist would answer?
Start with the calls your business line gets in a typical week, keep only the ones the service would actually answer (overflow, lunchtimes, out of hours or all of them), then multiply by 52 and divide by 12 to get a monthly figure. Note the average call length and your busiest month too.
The figure that drives every quote isn't how many calls your business gets. It's how many calls the service would answer, which may be much smaller if you only want overflow or out-of-hours cover. Our guide on how to choose a call answering service explains where to find your call log. Once you have it, work through these steps:
- Total weekly calls. Count incoming calls over two ordinary weeks and take the average.
- Calls the service would take. Keep only the calls that fall into the cover you want: calls you currently miss or send to voicemail (for overflow), calls at lunchtime, calls after closing, or all of them.
- Convert to a month. Weekly figure × 52 ÷ 12. A month averages about 4.33 weeks, so don't just multiply by 4.
- Average length. Note the typical talk time. If your log doesn't show it, time a dozen calls yourself.
- Busiest and quietest month. Note any seasonal peaks or quiet spells, for example tax deadlines, summer lettings or winter breakdowns.
- Room to grow. If you expect more calls, perhaps after a marketing push, say so, so quotes can show what a bigger month would cost.
A worked example
A small practice gets about 60 calls a week. The team answers most of them, but about 15 a week ring out while everyone is busy, and about 5 a week come in after closing. They want overflow and out-of-hours cover.
- Calls the service would take: 15 + 5 = 20 a week
- Monthly: 20 × 52 ÷ 12 = about 87 calls a month
- Average talk time from their phone log: 1 minute 40 seconds, which is the figure used in the rounding table above
Those three numbers, plus the hours to cover and what should happen on each call, are enough for any provider to give a written quote you can compare. If you're also weighing up whether to employ someone instead, our receptionist cost calculator works out the other side of that comparison.
Is per-call or per-minute pricing cheaper?
It depends on your average billed call length. Divide a per-call price by a per-minute price to get a break-even number of minutes. If your average billed call is shorter than that, per-minute pricing costs less; if it's longer, per-call pricing costs less.
You don't need a spreadsheet for this. Take the two quotes and do one division:
If your average billed call (after rounding and any wrap-up time) is below this number, per minute is cheaper. If it's above, per call is cheaper.
For example, if a per-call price is the same as two and a half minutes at the per-minute rate, the break-even is 2.5 minutes. In the worked example above, calls billed at 2 minutes would favour per-minute pricing; the same calls billed at 3 minutes, with wrap-up added, would favour per-call pricing. That's why the counting rules in the earlier section matter so much.
Three things can tip the balance either way:
- Call mix. If most calls are quick messages but a few are long new enquiries, per-minute pricing charges the long ones heavily while per-call pricing charges the short ones heavily. Use your real average, not your typical call.
- Nuisance calls. If per-call pricing charges for every sales call and wrong number, a business that gets many of them may find per-minute cheaper, since those calls are short.
- Your script. Asking more questions makes calls longer. That pushes per-minute bills up but doesn't change a per-call bill. If you need detailed intake on every call, per call may suit you better.
How do I choose the right bundle size and avoid overage charges?
Price a bundle against your quietest and busiest months, not your average. A bundle sized for your peak means paying for unused allowance most of the year; one sized for your quiet months means overage at busy times. The cheapest choice depends on the overage rate, whether allowance rolls over, and whether you can change plan.
Bundles look simple, but they reward businesses whose calls are steady. If your calls are seasonal, run the numbers for each kind of month.
A seasonal example
A business needs about 80 calls a month answered for eleven months of the year and about 160 in its busy month. It's looking at two bundles from the same provider: one with a 100-call allowance and one with a 160-call allowance. Unused calls don't roll over.
| Option | Unused allowance over the year | Overage calls over the year | Year's cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100-call bundle all year | 20 a month × 11 months = 220 calls paid for but not used | 60 calls in the busy month | 12 × smaller bundle fee + 60 × overage rate |
| 160-call bundle all year | 80 a month × 11 months = 880 calls paid for but not used | None | 12 × larger bundle fee |
| 100-call bundle, moving up for the busy month (if allowed) | 220 calls | None | 11 × smaller fee + 1 × larger fee |
Plug each provider's own figures into the last column. In this example the smaller bundle often wins unless the overage rate is very high, but you only know once you've done the sum.
Questions to ask about bundles
- What's the overage rate, and is it higher than the effective rate inside the bundle?
- Does unused allowance roll over to the next month, and for how long?
- Can you move up or down a plan for one month, and how much notice do you need?
- Will they tell you when you're close to your allowance, so you're not surprised by the bill?
- Is the allowance counted in calls or minutes? A minutes allowance brings back all the counting questions above.
What extra charges should I budget for besides the monthly fee?
Look for one-off set-up fees and recurring extras: out-of-hours, weekend and bank holiday cover, appointment booking, live call transfers, text or app message delivery, CRM or diary integration, extra numbers, and changes to your script. Some providers include these; others charge for them.
A quote that only shows the monthly fee isn't the whole cost. Ask every provider to list each of these as included, extra, or not offered:
| Charge | One-off or recurring | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Set-up fee | One-off | What it covers (script writing, account set-up, testing) and whether it's refunded if you leave early. |
| Out-of-hours and weekend cover | Recurring | Is it included, a higher rate per call or minute, or a separate plan? See our out of hours call answering guide for what to set up. |
| Bank holidays and Christmas | Recurring, on those days | Are these days staffed, and are they charged differently from a normal weekend? |
| Urgent escalation | Per use or recurring | Is ringing your on-call person charged as extra time or an extra call? |
| Live call transfers | Per use | Is a transfer attempt charged, and what if nobody picks up? |
| Appointment booking | Recurring or per booking | Does it need a particular diary system, and is that integration extra? |
| Message delivery | Recurring | Is email included? Are text messages, app alerts or CRM entries extra? |
| Phone number or divert | One-off or recurring | Do you need a new number, and does your own phone provider charge for diverting calls? |
| Script changes | Per change | Can you update your instructions for free, and how quickly do changes take effect? |
| Price changes | During the contract | Can prices rise mid-term, and how much notice will you get? |
The diverting charge is easy to forget because it's on your own phone bill, not the provider's. Check your phone contract or ask your phone provider.
How do I compare virtual receptionist quotes like for like?
Send every provider the same written brief, then put each quote into the same worksheet: the cost of a typical month and your busiest month under its own counting rules, plus set-up fees, extras and VAT. Compare year-one and year-two totals, then weigh them against the contract terms.
Quotes become comparable when every provider is pricing exactly the same job. Write a short brief and send it to each one:
- Calls a month the service would answer (typical month and busiest month)
- Average call length, and roughly how many are sales calls or wrong numbers
- Hours to cover, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays if needed
- What should happen on each type of call: message, booking, transfer or urgent escalation
- How you want messages delivered
Then fill in a worksheet like this for each quote:
| Line | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model (per minute, per call, bundle, mix) | |||
| What counts as a chargeable call; how time is rounded; is wrap-up billed? | |||
| Cost of a typical month, worked out from your own figures | |||
| Cost of your busiest month, including any overage | |||
| Out-of-hours, bank holiday and add-on charges you'd use | |||
| Set-up fee | |||
| VAT included or extra? | |||
| Year one total = set-up + each month's cost + extras | |||
| Year two total = the same without set-up | |||
| Minimum term, notice period and price-change terms |
The year-two line matters because a high set-up fee with low running costs can be cheaper over two years than the reverse, or more expensive if you leave after a few months.
Finally, remember that the cheapest total isn't automatically the best value. A cheaper service that takes muddled messages can cost you more in callbacks and lost enquiries. Our missed calls calculator helps you put a figure on what unanswered calls may be worth, so you can set the cost of cover against it, and the buyer's checklist covers how to test quality before you commit.
Do virtual receptionist prices include VAT?
Not always. Business services are often quoted without VAT, and the standard rate is 20%. If you're VAT-registered you can usually reclaim VAT on business purchases on your VAT return; if you're not registered, make VAT-exempt supplies, or use the Flat Rate Scheme, the VAT is likely to be a real cost.
Check every quote for "ex VAT" or "inc VAT" and put them on the same basis before comparing. Then work out what VAT actually costs you:
- VAT-registered businesses can usually reclaim VAT on goods and services bought for use in the business, through their VAT return, as long as they hold a valid VAT invoice.
- Businesses that aren't registered can't reclaim it. A business must register once taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in a rolling 12 months; many smaller businesses are below that and haven't registered voluntarily.
- Businesses making VAT-exempt supplies can't reclaim VAT on purchases used to make them. GOV.UK gives examples of exempt supplies including financial services and insurance, and healthcare and medical treatment, so some practices in those fields may be fully or partly exempt.
- Businesses on the VAT Flat Rate Scheme can't reclaim VAT on purchases, apart from certain capital assets over £2,000.
If you're not sure which applies to you, ask your accountant. For budgeting, a business that can't reclaim VAT should compare quotes with VAT included.
How can I keep a virtual receptionist's cost down without making it worse?
Narrow the cover to the calls you genuinely miss, keep the script to the questions you really need, give the receptionist answers to common simple questions, choose the pricing model that fits your call length, and review your usage after a month or two.
Most savings come from paying for the right calls, not from squeezing the service:
- Start with overflow. If your team answers most calls, sending only unanswered calls to the service usually means far fewer chargeable calls. Our guide to call answering for small businesses explains how overflow works.
- Cover the hours you need, not every hour. If out-of-hours calls are rare and rarely urgent, a voicemail message may be enough for some periods.
- Keep the script tight. Ask the questions you'll act on: name, number, reason for calling, and anything you need to judge urgency. Every extra question adds time on per-minute pricing.
- Don't cut what makes the message useful. A shorter call that leaves you ringing back to ask what it was about saves nothing.
- Give simple answers to simple questions. Opening hours, address, parking and what you do or don't offer can be answered on the call, which may avoid a message and a callback.
- Choose the model that fits your call length, using the break-even sum above.
- Review after a month or two. Compare your bill and messages against the brief. If you're well under or over your allowance, change plan if the contract allows.
If you'd find it easier to talk your figures through, we can pass them to a provider who can suggest the plan that fits.
Related guides
Virtual receptionist cost: frequently asked questions
How much does a virtual receptionist cost?
There's no single price. Virtual receptionist cost depends on how many calls the service answers, how long they last, which hours are covered, what happens on each call and the provider's pricing rules. We don't quote prices because they vary and change, so get written quotes based on your own call figures.
What's the difference between per-call and per-minute pricing?
Per-call pricing charges a flat amount for each call, however long. Per-minute pricing charges for the time spent on your calls. Per minute usually suits short calls and per call suits longer ones. Divide the per-call price by the per-minute price to find the call length where they cost the same.
What is an overage charge?
An overage charge is what you pay for calls or minutes above the allowance in a monthly bundle. It's often charged at a per-call or per-minute rate. Ask what the rate is and whether unused allowance rolls over, especially if your calls are seasonal.
Do call answering services charge a set-up fee?
Some do and some don't. A set-up fee usually covers writing your script and setting up your account. Include it in your year-one total when comparing quotes, and check whether it's refundable if you leave early.
Does out-of-hours cover cost more?
It can. Some providers include evenings, weekends and bank holidays, others charge a higher rate or need a separate plan. Ask how each of those periods is priced and whether bank holidays and Christmas are staffed.
Am I charged for wrong numbers and sales calls?
It depends on the provider. Some charge for every call answered, some have a cut-off for very short calls, and some don't charge for nuisance calls. If you get a lot of sales calls, this can make a real difference to the bill, so ask before you sign.
How do I work out how many calls I'd need answered?
Count incoming calls for two ordinary weeks, keep only the ones the service would take (such as overflow or out-of-hours calls), then multiply the weekly figure by 52 and divide by 12. Note your average call length and your busiest month as well.
Are virtual receptionist prices quoted with or without VAT?
It varies, so check every quote. The standard VAT rate is 20%. VAT-registered businesses can usually reclaim VAT on business purchases, but businesses that aren't registered, make VAT-exempt supplies or use the Flat Rate Scheme generally can't.
Is a virtual receptionist cheaper than employing someone?
For answering calls alone it often is, because you pay for calls handled rather than every working hour. But an employee can also greet visitors and do admin. Our receptionist cost calculator and our virtual receptionist vs hiring guide help you compare the two with your own figures.
How can I compare telephone answering service quotes fairly?
Send every provider the same brief with your call volume, call length, hours and what should happen on each call. Then work out each quote's cost for a typical month and your busiest month, add set-up fees, extras and VAT, and compare year-one and year-two totals alongside the contract terms.
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources on 12 November 2026: