Cost and ROI
AI calling cost and ROI, explained simply
How AI calling is usually priced and how to judge the return, without made-up numbers. Use the calculator with your own figures.
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What you pay for
- Talk time: usually billed per minute or per second of connected calls. Check the billing unit.
- Setup: writing the script, configuring the campaign and testing. Some providers charge for it, some do not.
- Phone numbers and telecom: sometimes included, sometimes separate.
- Add-ons: such as live transfers, extra languages, recordings or connections to your software.
- Validity and minimums: whether credits expire, and whether there is a monthly minimum.
What changes your cost
- Call length: longer scripts mean more billed time.
- Answered calls: unanswered calls may or may not be billed.
- Retries: each retry is another attempt.
- The billing unit: per-second billing charges a 25-second call for 25 seconds, while per-minute billing may round it up to a full minute.
How to work out ROI
ROI compares what you gain from the calls with what they cost. A simple way to look at it:
Monthly cost = talk minutes × price per minute + fixed charges
Cost per qualified lead = monthly cost ÷ qualified leads
Monthly value = qualified leads × share that buy × average value of a sale
Compare the cost per qualified lead with what the same work costs today: the salaries, training and phone bills of a telecalling team, and the leads that go cold because nobody called them in time.
Work it out with your own numbers
Run a fair test
- Start with a small batch of real leads
- Measure answered calls, qualified leads and sales, not just calls made
- Compare with the same kind of list handled by your team
- Review recordings and improve the script before you scale
Questions to ask a provider
- Per minute or per second, and what counts as a billed second?
- Are unanswered or failed calls billed?
- Is there a setup fee or a monthly minimum?
- Do unused credits expire, and when?
- Are live transfers, recordings and extra languages included?
- How long are recordings kept, and who can access them?
Questions people ask
Is per-second billing cheaper than per-minute billing?
Often, for short calls, because you pay only for the seconds used instead of rounding up to a full minute. Compare the price per unit and the billing unit together.
Are unanswered calls charged?
It depends on the provider. Some charge only for connected talk time; check how failed, busy and voicemail calls are treated.
How soon can AI calling pay for itself?
It depends on your lead value, answer rate and conversion. Run a small test and use the calculator above with your real numbers, rather than relying on general claims.
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