- 24/7 Coverage
- Call Transfers
- Email Relays
- SMS Relays
- Custom Hold Music
- Personalized Greetings
- Secure Notifications
- One Phone Number
- Disaster Recovery
- Online Client Portal
- Usage Reporting
- ASC Mobile App
24/7 Answering Service Plans and Pricing
US-Based. Real People and AI. 24/7. Plans start at $25 a month for AI and $40 for live agents. Per-minute pricing, 80+ languages, and card or ACH payments on the call. Live Answering Service
AI Answering Service
Live Chat
Outbound Calling
PAY MONTHLY MONTHLY
PAY UPFRONT ANNUAL
Save up to 10% on all annual plans.
Starter Plan
$40/ Monthly
Pay as you go
Billed Monthly
$1.75 Per Add'l Min
What's Included
Small Business Plan
$179/ Monthly
100 Minutes
Billed Monthly
$1.70 Per Add'l Min
What's Included
Pro Plan
$329/ Monthly
250 Minutes
Billed Monthly
$1.60 Per Add'l Min
What's Included
Enterprise Plan
$639/ Monthly
500 Minutes
Billed Monthly
$1.35 Per Add'l Min
What's Included
Need a Custom Plan?
We are here to help you choose the best plan for you. We can also build a custom plan to fit your business needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
What happens if I go over my plan's included monthly minutes?
If you exceed your plan’s included minutes, additional usage is billed at the flat overage rate for your tier, with no surprise penalties. Live answering plans: $1.35 to $1.75 per additional live minute. AI answering plans: $0.65 to $0.80 per additional AI minute, and any calls escalated to a live agent are billed at your tier’s live rate of $1.35 to $1.75 per live minute.
Is there an activation or setup fee?
Yes, there is a one-time setup fee: $50 for live answering plans and $100 for AI answering plans. It covers customizing your account, building your initial scripts, and configuring your routing. After that, you only pay your regular monthly or annual plan rate.
Can I change or cancel my plan?
Absolutely. There are no long-term contracts, and you can upgrade or downgrade anytime as your call volume changes. To cancel, simply give us written notice at least one full billing period in advance. For full details, see our Terms and Conditions.
How is answering service call usage calculated?
Usage is billed from cradle to grave: from the moment a call enters our system through its completion, including any post-call work related to that call. It is calculated in whole minutes, with any partial minute rounded up to the next whole minute. AI minutes and live-agent minutes are tracked and billed separately, each at your plan’s rate. See our Terms and Conditions for details.
What is required to get started with an answering service?
There is a one-time setup fee of $50 for live answering plans or $100 for AI answering plans to configure your custom scripts, integrations, and account routing. After that, you only pay your regular plan base rate. There are no hidden costs or surprise activation penalties; account terms such as the annual maintenance fee are listed in our Terms and Conditions.
How do I receive my messages from the answering service?
You can receive and acknowledge your messages on our mobile app, online web portal, SMS, email, fax, or through a phone call. However, outbound calls count towards your usage.
Do I need to change my business phone number when I sign up for an answering service?
No, you do not need to change your business phone number at all. We will provide you with a unique, dedicated forwarding number. You can simply set up call forwarding from your existing business line to that number whenever you want us to handle your calls, such as after hours, 24/7, or just when your lines are busy
How Are Answering Services Priced?
Most answering services offer a range of pricing options to suit businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises to larger organizations with high call volumes. Our pricing, in particular, is based on your needs, with flexible plans catering to your unique workflow.
Here’s a breakdown of how telephone answering service pricing works:
- Overall Price of an Answering Service
An answering service typically costs between $1 and $2 per minute, depending on the services you need. For businesses with typical call volumes, this could mean monthly costs of around $300. Larger companies or those requiring additional features may increase monthly expenses to $600 or more.
- Estimating the Cost of an Answering Service
To estimate the cost of your answering service, start by considering how many calls you expect to receive per month and how long each call typically lasts. On average, answering service calls last roughly three minutes. Generally, businesses with moderate call volume (around 250 minutes per month) may pay between $250 and $500, depending on features like our 7000+ integrations with apps (like HubSpot and Zapier), appointment scheduling, customized scripts, or live multilingual translation. Additional services like live chat, live SMS answering, and inbound email monitoring can also impact pricing.
- Answering Service Pricing vs. Hiring In-House
Outsourcing your answering service is often more cost-effective than hiring an in-house receptionist. While hiring a full-time receptionist can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $4,000 per month (plus benefits and training), an answering service can offer similar benefits for a fraction of the price—typically starting around $250 to $500 per month, depending on your needs. The service is available 24/7, including holidays, weekends, and overnight. This approach can bring significant savings for small to mid-sized businesses and ensure your businesses never miss calls.
By focusing on flexible, scalable pricing, our answering service allows businesses to streamline communication without the overhead of an in-house team. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, our solutions are tailored to meet your specific requirements at an affordable cost.
Included Features
What Is the Average Price for Using an Answering Service?
As mentioned above, the average price for an answering service typically falls between $1 to $2 per minute, depending on various factors such as call volume, complexity, and the specific services you require. Here’s a look at the answering service pricing you can expect:
- Startup businesses with low call volumes can expect to pay anywhere from $75 to $200 monthly. This plan is ideal for companies that need basic coverage with few incoming calls. With Answering Service Care, plans start at $25 a month for AI and $40 for live agents. Our live Starter Plan is $40 a month plus $1.75 per additional minute, and our Small Business Plan is $179 a month with 100 minutes included.
- Medium-sized businesses with moderate call volumes may see monthly costs ranging between $200 and $500. These plans generally cover more minutes and include extra features like call recording for quality assurance. At Answering Service Care, our Pro Plan with 250 minutes is $329 a month.
- Larger businesses or those with high call volumes may cost $600 to $1,000 per month, depending on the required minutes and additional features like appointment scheduling and integrations. At Answering Service Care, our Enterprise plan is $639 monthly for 500 minutes.
Each answering service provider has different pricing models. Some offer fixed monthly packages, while others use a pay-as-you-go system or charge per minute. It’s also important to account for potential setup fees and additional charges for features like after-hours support or special holiday rates. With Answering Service Care, we ask for a one-time setup fee of $50 for live answering plans or $100 for AI answering plans, but all of our features, including 24/7 support and SMS and email relays (plus many more!), are included in all plans. Live multilingual translation is available for $1 per minute, billed in addition to your regular live minutes. For example, a 5-minute live call that uses translation for 3 minutes is billed as 5 live minutes plus 3 translation minutes.
Let’s break each pricing model to help you decide which will work best for your business:
- Flat Rate (One Monthly Fee): The flat rate pricing model offers predictable monthly costs, making it easy for businesses to budget since the monthly fee remains consistent regardless of call volume or duration. Additionally, this model eliminates overage charges, providing peace of mind for companies that want to avoid unexpected costs. It’s especially beneficial for businesses with low, consistent call volumes. However, a significant drawback is the lack of incentive for the provider to ensure all calls are answered promptly or in great detail, as their revenue remains fixed. This model may also lead to inefficiencies, as businesses might pay for unused capacity if their call volume is lower than anticipated. Providers could also prioritize higher-margin clients over flat-rate users, which, unfortunately, can impact customer service quality.
- Pay-Per-Call: Pay-per-call pricing is straightforward. Providers charge businesses the same rate for every call, regardless of its length. This simplicity makes it easy to understand and provides a scalable service, particularly for businesses with high call volumes and shorter-than-average call durations. Providers are incentivized to handle calls quickly, which can lead to greater efficiency overall. However, this model can become costly for businesses that frequently handle short, unproductive calls, such as wrong numbers or hang-ups, as these count the same as longer calls. Additionally, there is a risk of rushed service, where the focus on speed might compromise the quality of the call handling.
- Pay-Per-Minute: Pay-per-minute pricing offers a fair and transparent billing structure, as businesses are charged based on the time spent handling calls. This model is ideal for companies with varying call lengths, as it accommodates fluctuations without penalizing them for more extended conversations. It also encourages providers to focus on delivering quality service since longer calls generate more revenue. However, the flexibility of this model comes with potential unpredictability in monthly costs since bills can fluctuate based on call volume and duration. Businesses may also face higher costs if call handling could be more efficient or if they exceed their allocated minutes, resulting in overage charges.
When all is said and done, you should request quotes based on your specific needs and expected call volume to get the most accurate estimate for your business.
97.6 Client Satisfaction 
“Great Customer Service”
They represent my company in a professional manner to all of my customers. They follow up to make sure I have received the information. This helps to ensure customers do not slip through the cracks during a busy week. Best service I have added to my business to date. Thank You!!
Shawn Brandt Optima Imaging, LLC
“Great Service for any Small Business”
I have been with Answering Service Care for the entire 15 years I have been in business. What a great choice to choose them to be my call center representation. The professionalism has been outstanding and if there are any issues, they are quick to resolve them. What a dynamite team.
Robert Strickland Strickland Security
“Save your stress and clock-off!”
We love being able to clock-off and know that our calls will be answered! we appreciate the time and effort saved by using this service! fair prices for an endless amount of growth, definitely worth it!
Sidney Phillips CBRE
“Answering Service Care has saved me time & hassle”
Answering Service Care has saved me tons of time and hassle by answering incoming calls, scheduling clients, and handling messages. Knowing that calls will be answered by a live agent 24/7, in English and Spanish, gives me peace of mind. Additionally, when there have been mistakes or service issues, ASC has responded promptly!
Jennifer Schrappe Chrysalis Enterprises
“Reliable and Dependable Always!”
It is nice to be able to leave the office everyday at 5pm and not have to worry about your customer's being taken care of. The Answering Service staff are professional and they truly are the best ones we have ever had!
Lee Ann Morris Morris Mechanical Inc
“Answering Service Care representatives are professional and caring.”
Answering Service Care representatives are very professional when answering our calls. It is the first and most important contact to the foundation. The ASC representative represents our foundation. It's important that a cancer patient receives care when calling CMC when trying to reach Cancer of Many Colors staff for assistance. Thanks Answering Service Care.
Paulette Criscione Cancer of Many Colors