If you’re thinking about an AI receptionist for your business, the first question is usually: what will the AI receptionist cost? This guide explains how AI receptionists are priced in Australia, what drives the cost up or down, and how to compare quotes properly.
The short answer
Most Australian AI receptionist services charge a one-off set-up fee plus a monthly fee. Published plans in the Australian market range from roughly $99 to $1,300+ per month, with set-up fees often starting around $500 to $1,000 (market example). Voice plans usually include a set number of call minutes, with extra minutes charged per minute.
What you’re paying for
- Set-up: training the AI on your hours, services, FAQs and booking rules, connecting your phone number, WhatsApp or website, and testing before launch.
- Monthly service: the AI platform, phone number and call minutes, message volume, hosting, monitoring and ongoing improvements.
- Usage: voice calls cost more to run than text chat, so most voice plans include a minute allowance.
- Third-party fees: for example, Meta charges for some WhatsApp template messages. Replies inside WhatsApp’s 24-hour customer-service window are free (Meta pricing).
What makes an AI receptionist cost more
- Call volume: more minutes means a bigger plan or more overage.
- Channels: phone, WhatsApp and website chat together cost more than one channel.
- Integrations: booking directly into a reservation system, calendar or CRM takes more set-up than sending booking requests by SMS or email.
- Multiple locations or complex rules, such as different hours per site or on-call rosters.
Perfect Web Designer pricing (AUD, ex GST)
| Plan | Set-up | Monthly | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website AI Chat | $490 | from $149 | AI chat on your FAQs, lead capture, email alerts |
| WhatsApp AI Agent | $790 | from $249 | Official WhatsApp Business Platform, lead qualification, human handoff |
| AI Receptionist (voice) | $990 | from $349 | 250 voice minutes, call summaries, extra minutes $0.60 |
| Restaurant AI Bundle | $1,190 | from $449 | Phone + WhatsApp + web chat, 400 minutes, booking requests |
See the full details on our pricing page.
Worked example: first-year AI receptionist cost
Using our AI Receptionist (voice) plan as an example, the first-year AI receptionist cost is the $990 set-up fee plus 12 months at $349, which comes to $5,178 ex GST, or $5,695.80 including GST. That covers 250 voice minutes a month. If you regularly go over, extra minutes are $0.60 each, so 100 extra minutes a month would add $720 over the year (ex GST).
Every call the AI answers produces a summary like the one above, so you can check exactly what you’re getting for the money.
AI receptionist vs a human receptionist or answering service
A part-time receptionist or a traditional answering service covers limited hours, and answering services usually follow a fixed script. An AI receptionist can answer at any hour and handle several calls at once, and it gives consistent answers from your approved information. It’s best for routine enquiries. Complex or sensitive calls should still go to a person, and a good set-up makes that handover easy.
How to compare quotes
- Ask for the total first-year cost: set-up plus 12 months, in AUD, including GST.
- Check what’s included: minutes, messages, channels and support.
- Ask what happens when the AI doesn’t know an answer. It should never make up prices or confirm bookings it can’t confirm.
- Check contract terms and notice periods.
- Ask for a demo using your own business details before you sign.
See it before you decide
You can try our interactive AI demo now, or book a free AI demo built around your business. We’ll give you a fixed quote before you commit to anything. Call or WhatsApp 0494 358 000.
