Do you pay for unanswered AI calls? Only connected minutes count.
A connected minute starts when someone picks up and ends when the call finishes. If nobody answers, the call costs nothing. Here is exactly how the billing works.
What counts as a connected minute
A connected minute is a minute where someone has actually picked up the phone and a conversation is happening. The clock starts when the recipient answers and stops when either side hangs up.
If the phone rings out, goes to voicemail, or hits a busy signal, that is not a connected minute and you are not charged for it. You only pay for time where a real conversation took place.
How FoxEra bills AI calls
FoxEra charges from 12p per connected minute. There is no subscription, no monthly fee, no per-call charge and no setup cost. You buy calling credit, your AI agent (Cass, Alex or Andrea) phones your list, and connected minutes are deducted from your balance.
New accounts start with £7 of free calling credit. That is enough for a short test campaign so you can see how the billing works before spending anything of your own.
For a full breakdown see AI cold calling pricing or use the cost calculator to estimate a campaign.
What happens when nobody answers
When the AI agent dials a number and nobody picks up, the call is logged as unanswered. No credit is deducted. The same applies if the line is busy or if the number is out of service.
In a typical B2B campaign, a proportion of calls will go unanswered — the person is in a meeting, the office is closed, or the number is wrong. None of those cost you anything. You can see every call attempt and its outcome in your dashboard or through your AI assistant connector.
How the campaign preview shows the cost
Before any calls go out, FoxEra shows you a campaign preview. The preview tells you how many leads will be called and gives you a cost estimate based on connected minutes. You review it and approve before the first call is dialled.
If you connect your AI assistant (ChatGPT, Claude or another tool), the assistant shows you the same preview and waits for your approval. Nobody is phoned without your explicit go-ahead, and every action is logged. Learn how to connect ChatGPT to cold calling.
Keeping your costs low
The biggest factor in cost control is the quality of your calling list. A clean list with valid, targeted numbers means more conversations per pound of credit and fewer wasted dials.
- Check your numbers are current — old directories carry disconnected lines that waste dial time even though they cost nothing in credit.
- Target the right businesses — a focused list of 50 well-chosen prospects typically outperforms a bulk list of 500.
- Read the transcripts — they tell you which leads are worth following up and which script adjustments will improve the next campaign. See the guide on how to read a cold call transcript.
For more on building a strong list, read how to build a UK cold calling list.
Frequently asked questions
Am I charged if the call goes to voicemail?
No. Voicemails, busy signals and unanswered rings are not connected minutes and are not charged. You only pay when someone picks up.
How much does a connected minute cost?
From 12p per connected minute. There is no subscription or per-call fee. New accounts start with £7 of free calling credit.
Can I see which calls were answered and which were not?
Yes. Every call is logged with its outcome — answered, unanswered, busy or failed — along with the duration and a transcript for answered calls.
Is there a minimum spend?
No. You start with £7 of free credit and top up when you choose. There is no contract, no minimum and no monthly fee.