How Much Does a Virtual Receptionist Cost in the UK?
By Tony Dalton, founder of AI Answerphone · Published
A staffed virtual receptionist in the UK usually costs 60p to £1.50 a minute or 99p to £2.50 a call, which comes to roughly £100 to £375 a month for 100 calls. An AI receptionist charges a flat monthly fee instead: AI Answerphone costs £47 to £97 a month with call minutes included. Employing a receptionist costs about £2,130 a month in salary alone.
The three ways to pay for a receptionist
Staffed answering service, per minute. You pay for the time an operator spends on your calls. Moneypenny puts typical UK rates at around 60p to £1.50 a minute, with packages starting from about £20 to £50 a month.
Staffed answering service, per call. You pay a fixed amount for each call answered. ReceptionHQ quotes £0.99 to £2.50 a call across the market, and adds that out-of-hours cover is often an extra £25 to £75 or more a month.
AI receptionist, flat monthly fee. An AI answers every call, day and night, for one monthly price that includes a set number of minutes. There is no charge per call or per minute, and evenings and weekends cost the same as office hours.
Worked example: 100 calls a month
Assuming 100 calls a month at an average of 2.5 minutes each (250 minutes in total):
| Option | How it's charged | Estimated monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Staffed service, per minute | 60p–£1.50 × 250 minutes | £150–£375, plus any package fee |
| Staffed service, per call | £0.99–£2.50 × 100 calls | £99–£250, plus any out-of-hours add-on |
| In-house receptionist | £25,564 a year (UK average) | About £2,130 before NI, pension and cover |
| AI Answerphone Starter | Flat fee, 350 minutes included | £47 |
Staffed-service figures are the ranges published by Moneypenny (March 2026) and ReceptionHQ (February 2026); salary from Indeed (September 2026). Providers' prices change and many quote excluding VAT, so check current rates. AI Answerphone prices include VAT where applicable.
AI Answerphone plans
| Plan | Monthly price | Minutes included | Roughly how many calls* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | £47 | 350 | ~140 |
| Growth | £77 | 750 | ~300 |
| Pro | £97 | 1,250 | ~500 |
* At 2.5 minutes a call. There are no per-minute charges: we email you at 90% of your minutes, and if you reach 110% calls pause until the 1st of the month unless you upgrade.
What the price doesn't tell you
Cost isn't the only difference. A staffed service can put a caller through to you or book them straight into your diary; AI Answerphone doesn't do either. It takes the caller's details and enquiry and sends them to you by email, WhatsApp or SMS, so you ring back. If most of your calls are new enquiries, quotes and messages, that is usually all you need. If callers regularly need to be transferred or booked in there and then, a staffed service may suit you better.
Things to check before you sign up with any provider:
- Is out-of-hours and weekend cover included, or an extra charge?
- Are calls billed per second, rounded up to the minute, or per call?
- What happens when you go over your allowance?
- Is there a contract or set-up fee?
- Are prices quoted with or without VAT?
Frequently asked questions
How much does a virtual receptionist cost per month in the UK?
Staffed services usually charge by the minute (around 60p to £1.50) or by the call (around 99p to £2.50), often on top of a monthly package. For 100 calls a month that typically works out at roughly £100 to £375. AI services charge a flat monthly fee: AI Answerphone starts at £47 a month with 350 minutes included.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a human answering service?
For most small businesses, yes, because there is no per-minute or per-call charge and evening and weekend cover is included. A staffed service can do things AI Answerphone can't, such as putting callers through or booking appointments into your diary, so compare what you need as well as the price.
How much does it cost to employ a receptionist in the UK?
Indeed puts the average UK receptionist salary at £25,564 a year (September 2026), about £2,130 a month before employer National Insurance, pension and holiday cover.
Do prices include VAT?
AI Answerphone prices include VAT where applicable. Other providers often quote prices excluding VAT, so check before comparing.
See it for yourself
Ring 01473 487084: it's answered by AI Answerphone. Then compare the virtual receptionist and telephone answering service pages, or see the full AI vs human cost comparison.
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