What does an AI receptionist cost in the UK?
Prices in pounds, what is included, and how to work out whether it pays for itself for your business.
By the FoxEra Calls team. Published 4 October 2026.
Three ways to answer the calls you miss
| Option | How you pay | What to ask before you buy |
|---|---|---|
| A person (staff or a virtual receptionist service) | Hourly wages, or a monthly fee plus a charge per call or per minute | Hours covered, charge per call, minimum term, what happens at night |
| Voicemail and call back | Free | How quickly you really call back, and how many callers leave a message |
| AI receptionist | Monthly fee, sometimes plus a charge per call or minute | Allowance, extra-call charges, languages, whether you keep your number, what it does when it does not know |
What FoxEra Receptionist costs
Published on our receptionist page on 4 October 2026: the first month is free, with no card. After that, Solo £39 a month or Business £79 a month. Exact allowances and any additional-call charges are confirmed before activation. Tax may be added where applicable.
You keep your own number. Calls you do not answer are forwarded by your phone network, which is set with a code on your own phone and costs whatever your network charges for forwarding (check your tariff).
Work out your own break-even
Take the number of booking calls you miss in a month (count them: here is how) and what one booking is worth to you. If one recovered booking a month covers £39, the question is only whether the receptionist recovers it. The free month answers that with your own calls.
Costs people forget
- Forwarding charges from your own phone network.
- The time to set it up properly: your opening hours, your answers to common questions, your booking questions. A receptionist with no facts can only take messages.
- Someone checking the requests. FoxEra never confirms a booking on its own; you do.
Questions to ask any provider, in writing
- What exactly is included in the monthly fee, and what costs extra (per call, per minute, per text)?
- Do I keep my own number? What does call forwarding cost on my phone plan?
- What happens when it does not know the answer? Does it ever make things up?
- Which languages does it answer in, and can it follow a caller who switches?
- Can it book into my diary, or does it take requests for me to confirm?
- What is the minimum term, and how do I cancel?
When an AI receptionist is the wrong choice
If you miss two or three calls a week, call them back and save the money. If most of your calls need judgement (complaints, complicated quotes, upset customers), a person will do better. An AI receptionist earns its keep when many calls are the same few questions and booking requests, and they arrive when your hands are full.
What it needs from you to be useful
- Your opening hours as a weekly timetable, with closed days.
- Answers to the ten questions people ask most.
- The details you need for a booking, in the order you want them asked.
- Who should get a call put through in a real emergency, if anyone.
Frequently asked questions
How much is FoxEra Receptionist?
The first month is free with no card; then Solo £39 or Business £79 a month. Allowances and extra-call charges are confirmed before activation.
Do I need a new number for an AI receptionist?
Not with FoxEra: you keep your number and forward the calls you miss.