# Which AI receptionists bill per call?

5 of 24 tracked AI receptionists bill per call: a base fee covers a set number of calls, then each extra call is charged at a published per-call rate. They are AIRA, Upfirst, ReceptionHQ, Smith.ai, Simple Phones, entry pricing from $24.95/mo (AIRA). Per-call billing is predictable when call length is short, but a long call costs the same as a short one — minute-based plans can be cheaper for lengthy calls.

## The data behind this answer

| Vendor | Entry price | Source | Verified |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AIRA | $24.95/mo (30 calls incl., then $1.50/call) | getaira.io | 2026-06-27 |
| Upfirst | $24.95/mo (30 calls incl., then $1.50/call) | upfirst.ai | 2026-06-27 |
| ReceptionHQ | $25/mo (calls metered, then $1.99/call) | receptionhq.com | 2026-06-27 |
| Smith.ai | $95/mo (30 calls incl., then $2.40/call) | smith.ai | 2026-06-27 |
| Simple Phones | $97/mo (100 calls incl., overage not published) | simplephones.ai | 2026-06-27 |

## Related questions

### Is per-call billing cheaper than per-minute?

It depends on call length. Per-call billing charges a flat amount per call regardless of duration, so it is cheaper for long calls and pricier for very short ones. Per-minute billing is the reverse. Match the model to your typical call length.

### What happens when I exceed my included calls?

Each vendor here includes a set number of calls, then bills extra calls at a published per-call overage (for example AIRA at $1.50/call). Where a vendor does not publish an overage rate, we say so rather than estimate it.

### Do per-call plans count missed or spam calls?

Policies vary — some count only answered or qualified calls, others count every connection. This materially changes the bill and is often not on the pricing page, so confirm exactly what counts as a billable call before committing.

Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/ai-receptionists/answers/per-call-billing-ai-receptionists/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, "Per-call billing" — https://frontdeskreview.com/ai-receptionists/answers/per-call-billing-ai-receptionists/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl