How much does 1 AI call cost? Real breakdown of 6 factors
In marketing we say ~50 credits ≈ 1 call. That's the average. In reality a single call can cost 30 to 90 credits. We show 6 factors driving price, how to control them, and when to consciously accept a more expensive call.
AI call cost is the sum of 6 dynamic per-second components. Average ~50 credits for a 113-second confirmation call with standard model. Cheap profile: 30 cr (short call, basic model, no add-ons). Expensive profile: 90 cr (long call, premium model, KB + transcription). No hidden mark-up, no rounding-up.
- ~50 credits ≈ 1 call is average, not literal fixed rate.
- Real spread: 30-90 credits depending on 6 factors.
- We bill per-second, no rounding-up like competitors.
- Full breakdown in Pricing Calculator + 20-min call option.
What drives cost: 6 dynamic levers
Billing model is per-second usage. Each second has a variable price depending on call profile. Mathematically simple, but requires understanding profile composition.
Six cost levers: (1) chosen LLM model, (2) knowledge base length attached to script, (3) script length itself, (4) TTS engine (text-to-speech), (5) add-ons (PII redact, denoising, guardrails, QA), (6) actual call duration in seconds.
- 1LLM model (GPT 4.1 / GPT 5 / Claude 4.5 / Gemini). Different $/min rates. Standard production mix = baseline. Premium GPT 5 = +30% cost.
- 2Connected knowledge base. Each KB attached = +$0.005/min. Store with 5 KBs pays +$0.025/min vs baseline.
- 3Script length. More tokens = more cost. 5-page script = baseline. 15-page = +20%.
- 4TTS engine. Premium ~$0.040/min vs standard ~$0.015/min. Most pilots use standard.
- 5Add-ons. PII redact +$0.01/min · denoising/guardrails +$0.005/min · QA +$0.10/min after first 100 min/mo.
- 6Actual call duration. Per-second billing means: 90-second call literally costs 90/113 less than 113-second average.
Three call profiles: 30 / 50 / 90 credits
Cheap profile (30 cr): 75-second confirmation, GPT 4.1 standard, 3-page script, standard TTS, no add-ons, no KB. Typical for small categories (single-SKU cosmetics, single-product orders).
Average profile (50 cr): 113-second call, standard model, 5-page script + 1 KB (FAQ), standard TTS, denoising. Typical for most pilots.
Expensive profile (90 cr): 145-second call (health/wellness needs longer explanations), GPT 5, 8-page script + 3 KBs (catalog + FAQ + compliance), premium TTS, PII redact + QA. Typical for Scale+ with full transcription and analytics.
Calculate for your store in the Calculator — or book 20 min
Simplest path: Pricing Calculator takes call volume × average length × chosen plan and returns monthly estimate. Linear from call count × ~50 cr/call.
If profile is unusual (long wellness calls, multilingual, full QA suite), book a 20-minute call with our team — we'll calculate custom estimate based on your script and volume. Book a call →
Per-second, no rounding-up
Most competitor voice AI providers bill per minute with rounding-up. A 65-second call costs as much as 120 seconds (rounded up to second full minute). At 1000 calls/mo that's ~12% cost difference.
We do per-second billing: 65s = 65/60 minute. No hidden mark-up. No surprise invoice. Full billing transparency in panel with per-call breakdown (Scale+) or per-day (Growth+).
If you notice calls in panel much pricier than average (above 90 cr), one click shows breakdown per factor — decide what to optimize: shorter script, fewer KBs, standard TTS instead of premium.
Five things to remember
~50 cr ≈ 1 call is average, not fixed. Spread 30-90 cr depends on 6 factors. Marketing simple, billing precise.
Per-second, no rounding-up. 65-second call = 65/60 min. With competitors it's 2 full minutes.
Biggest levers: LLM model, call length, KB. Optimization starts with shorter script (easiest win).
Add-ons are optional and visible in pricing. PII redact, denoising, QA — each separate rate. No hidden premium.
Custom estimate for unusual profiles. 20-min call with team + breakdown based on your script and volume.
Real call cost?Test 1,000 credits in 7 days.
1,000 trial credits (~20 confirmation calls) · full access to your chosen plan · cancel anytime. Card required · no charge during trial · auto-activates on day 8.