Per-minute or per-call virtual receptionist pricing: Which is the better fit for your business and budget?
Before we can answer that question, we should back up a bit. Virtual receptionist pricing can be a complex and even confusing topic, so let’s understand the reasons behind that and why per-minute versus per-call pricing is such an important distinction.
How virtual receptionist pricing works
As is the case for many business services, virtual receptionist pricing can vary significantly across providers.
We’re not just talking about how much a virtual receptionist service can cost, but the way pricing is set up and calculated:
- Some companies charge by the second.
- Some companies charge by the minute.
- Many companies sell monthly bundles of receptionist time—for example, 200 receptionist minutes per month.
- Sometimes, instead of paying upfront, you can pay as you go.
What are you really paying for?
That’s just the beginning. Plenty of companies layer different kinds of pricing over each other. Maybe you pay for a monthly plan but are charged by the minute on top of that.
And then there may be overages, weekend fees, holiday fees, fees for additional lines, fees for access to certain features like scheduling and bilingual answering, payment processing fees… The charges can seriously add up.
This brings us back to the initial topic: per-minute versus per-call pricing. The difference may sound straightforward, but some virtual receptionist providers use broad terminology to hide extra fees.
Ruby has been an active member of the virtual receptionist industry for over 20 years (fun fact: we popularized the term “virtual receptionists”) and we’ve unfortunately seen countless businesses fall prey to deceptive pricing structures and end up paying much more than they expected to. So, in the interest of transparency and helping you make an informed decision, let’s untangle the marketing terms and clarify what you’re really buying.
Per-minute pricing tends to be inclusive. Providers who charge by the minute are usually using the model to cover the features most of their customers use. In other words, you’re paying for time using the service, not individual aspects of the service.
Per-call pricing tends to be misleading. This is the “too good to be true” option. It might sound like you’re paying for everything involved in a call, but in reality, you’re often paying for just the call and nothing else. Services such as intake, call routing, number hosting, and integrations likely come with additional charges.
Per-minute vs. per-call: a quick comparison
What does this all mean in practice? Take a look at the table below to find out. While we can’t speak to how every virtual receptionist provider charges, we can at least show you how Ruby’s per-minute pricing compares to other companies who charge per call.
Ruby
Others
Pricing
Per minute
(rounded up in 30-second increments)
Per call
24/7 answering
Free
Closed after-hours and holidays
Appointment scheduling
Free
$1.50-$2.50 per call
Bilingual answering
Free
$1.00 per call
Payment collection
Free
$1.00 per call
Basic intake
Free
3 simple questions for free
Extended intake
Free
$1.50 for an additional 6 questions
$0.25 for each additional question
Web form intake
Free
$1 for one minute of questions
Call routing
Free
1 transfer destination
$1.50 per call
Transfer lines
Free
$15 per line per month
CRM integrations
All for free
First free
$0.50 per call per integration
Local or toll-free number
Free
No porting fees
$30 per month
$275 porting fee
Ad tracking lines
Free
$5 per line per month
The bottom line
Ruby doesn’t put limitations on call handling.
Limited support is provided for the advertised price before charging add-on fees.
Pricing
Ruby:
Per minute (rounded up in 30-second increments )
Others:
Per call
24/7 answering
Ruby:
Free
Others:
Closed after-hours and holidays
Appointment scheduling
Ruby:
Free
Others:
$1.50–$2.50 per call
Bilingual answering
Ruby:
Free
Others:
$1.00 per call
Payment collection
Ruby:
Free
Others:
$1.00 per call
Basic intake
Ruby:
Free
Others:
3 simple questions for free
Extended intake
Ruby:
Free
Others:
$1.50 for an additional 6 questions
$0.25 for each additional question
Webform intake
Ruby:
Free
Others:
$1 for one minute of questions
Call routing
Ruby:
Free
Others:
1 transfer destination
$1.50 per call
Transfer lines
Ruby:
Free
Others:
$15 per line per month
CRM integrations
Ruby:
All for free
Others:
First free
$0.50 per call per integration
Local or toll-free number
Ruby:
Free
No porting fees
Others:
$30 per month
$275 porting fee
Ad tracking lines
Ruby:
Free
Others:
$5 per line per month
The bottom line
Ruby:
Ruby doesn’t put limitations on call handling.
Others:
Limited support is provided for the advertised price before charging add-on fees.
For more information about virtual receptionist pricing, check out our previous article on the topic.
Ruby has plans built for businesses of all kinds and sizes, as well as various virtual receptionist needs. Whether you’re looking for a full-time, part-time, or backup solution, we’ve got you covered.
