The agency pricing playbook for AI receptionists

We see a lot of agency pricing models — some thoughtful, some improvised. After working with a few hundred reseller partners, three structures stand out as durable. Here's when each one wins and what to expect from the math.

1. Flat retainer

A single monthly price per client, all inclusive. Easiest to sell, easiest to forecast, but absorbs all overage risk on your side. Best for verticals with predictable call volume — single- location dental, small law firms, niche e-commerce.

• Typical price: $400–$900/mo per location.
• Margin: 50–70% if call volume stays under 600 minutes.
• Risk: One viral campaign and you eat the overage.

2. Base + usage

A modest base ($150–$300) covers setup and seats, then per- minute or per-call usage rebills at your markup. Forces you to set markups carefully but protects you on volume swings.

• Typical structure: $200 base + $0.45/AI-minute (you pay $0.18).
• Margin: 55–65% across the book.
• Best for: Multi-location franchises, home services with peaks.

3. Outcome-based

You charge per booked appointment or per qualified lead. Highest ceiling, hardest to sell, requires conversion attribution that actually works.

The agencies billing $40 per booked dental hygiene appointment are running 80% margins. They are also doing a lot of work to earn it.

Where the upsell lives

Month one is about proving the agent works. Month two is when margin actually grows — and the levers are predictable:

• Add SMS follow-ups (rebill at $0.04, your cost ~$0.012).
• Add outbound recall campaigns (per-completed-call pricing).
• Add a custom number with branded caller ID.
• Charge for the white-labeled dashboard as “client portal.”

What kills margin

• Long onboarding calls — build vertical templates so a new client takes one hour, not eight.
• Tier-1 support burden — give clients direct dashboard access for the things they actually ask about (slot availability, transcript review).
• Custom one-off integrations — quote them, don't absorb them.

The mental model

Stop thinking of yourself as reselling minutes. You're selling a fully-managed missed-call recovery system. The minutes are a line item; the outcome is the product. Price the outcome.