---
title: "What Does an AI Phone Assistant Cost? Pricing & Models 2026"
description: "How the price of an AI phone assistant is calculated, which billing models exist, and what to watch out for when it comes to hidden costs."
type: "wissen"
product: "phone"
slug: "ai-phone-assistant-cost"
source_language: "de"
target_languages: ["de", "en", "es", "pl", "tr"]
published: "2026-06-05"
status: "publish"
faq_json: [{"q":"What does an AI phone assistant cost per month?","a":"That depends on the call volume. Common models are a base price plus a per-minute price, or purely usage-based billing. What matters is transparency – being able to see exactly what a call costs. webRichtung phone bills to the second from the Wallet, with no fixed base fee and no minimum term."}, {"q":"Is there a minimum term or setup fee?","a":"This varies by provider. With webRichtung phone there is no fixed minimum term; you pay for actual usage from your Wallet balance."}, {"q":"Do I also pay for calls that no one answers?","a":"Pay attention to the billing logic. Billing to the second prevents short calls from being rounded up to full minutes."}, {"q":"Is it worth it for small businesses?","a":"Often especially then. A single won order from an otherwise missed call clearly exceeds the monthly costs in many industries."}]
language: "en"
source_id: "wissen/ki-telefonassistent-kosten"
source_hash: "de03b0352b65a67160f52e68b7dd188c46eb23ff6c0b06c6c0f65c5d870e933c"
---

The honest answer is: it depends on how much calling takes place. That's why what matters more than the list price is understanding at a glance what you're paying for – otherwise you'll be paying for idle time.

## Two Common Billing Models

- Base price plus per-minute price: a fixed monthly fee plus a price per call minute. Predictable, but the base fee applies even in quiet months.
- Purely usage-based: you only pay for actual usage. Fair when volume fluctuates, provided it's transparent.

## What Drives the Price

- Call volume and average call duration
- Number of parallel calls
- Complexity of the workflows
- Integrations with the phone system, calendar, or CRM

## What to Watch Out for Regarding Hidden Costs

Typical traps: setup fees, long minimum terms, rounding up to full minutes, unclear pricing for add-on modules. Ask specifically: what does an average 90-second call cost – including everything?

## How webRichtung phone Bills

webRichtung phone bills to the second from your Wallet – with no fixed minimum term. You pay exactly for the seconds spent on calls, no rounding up, no base fee for quiet months.

## Does the Math Add Up?

Weigh the costs against what a missed call costs. In sales or appointment-based businesses, a single won order is often worth more than the assistant for an entire month.