Pricing
What Surfio's Cantonese answering service costs in 2026
TL;DR: Surfio costs USD 380 for a 30-day pilot on one line with up to 50 answered calls. After that the retainer is USD 590 a month including 300 answered minutes, with USD 1.20 per extra minute. There is no setup, activation or early-termination fee, and every market pays in USD.
Surfio's published prices
| Plan | Price | Term | Included | Fees not charged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | USD 380, one-off | 30 days, ends by itself | One line, up to 50 answered calls | No setup, activation or early-termination fee |
| Retainer | USD 590 a month | Monthly | 300 answered minutes | No setup, activation or early-termination fee |
| Overage | USD 1.20 a minute | Per month, on the retainer | Each answered minute beyond 300 | Not applicable |
Surfio quotes USD in every market. The prices are not converted, discounted or given as a range.
The pilot is paid. It is the first step, not a sample.
What does each included call or minute work out to?
At full use, a Surfio pilot works out to USD 7.60 per answered call, because USD 380 covers up to 50 answered calls. The retainer works out to about USD 1.97 per included minute, because USD 590 covers 300 answered minutes. Minutes beyond 300 cost USD 1.20 each.
| Scenario | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot, all 50 calls answered | USD 380 ÷ 50 | USD 7.60 per answered call |
| Pilot, 25 calls answered | USD 380 ÷ 25 | USD 15.20 per answered call |
| Retainer, all 300 minutes used | USD 590 ÷ 300 | USD 1.97 per minute, rounded |
| Retainer month with 350 answered minutes | USD 590 + (50 × USD 1.20) | USD 650 for that month |
These are worked examples, not extra price points. A business that expects more than 300 minutes every month gets a written price from Acesley instead.
Published prices from Cantonese-capable services
The table copies each provider's public price as recorded on 14 September 2026. Surfio computed the unit figure from those prices. Currencies are left as published.
| Service | Published price | Computed unit cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| AllCall.ai Phone Plan | US$348 a month, 1,000 minutes | About US$0.35 a minute | allcall.ai |
| AllCall.ai WhatsApp Plan | US$228 a month, 600 minutes | US$0.38 a minute | allcall.ai |
| TalkyBuddy entry | HK$618 a month, 150 minutes | HK$4.12 a minute | talkybuddy.com |
| Cenvoi | HK$688 a month plus HK$8 per call; setup HK$4,800 | HK$1,088 in a month with 50 calls, before setup | cenvoi.com |
| GetFavours with Language Pack | CAD$99 plus CAD$49 a month, 250 minutes; CAD$149 setup | About CAD$0.59 a minute, before setup, assuming the Language Pack uses the same 250 minutes | getfavours.com |
| Waboom inbound receptionist | $1 a minute with auto top-up | $1 a minute | waboom.ai |
| Voksha | From $14 a month | Not computable from the snippet | voksha.com |
| Ruby (Cantonese not confirmed) | $250 a month for 50 minutes, as reported by TRTC | $5.00 a minute | trtc.io |
Why Surfio costs more per minute than self-serve AI plans
Surfio's included minute costs about USD 1.97. AllCall's Phone Plan works out to about US$0.35. That gap is real.
The per-minute rate buys different things. Surfio's price covers four outputs after every call: an English summary by email, the recording and transcript, a booking made during the call, and the enquiry written into the client's CRM.
Surfio also charges no setup fee. Cenvoi lists HK$4,800 for omnichannel setup and GetFavours lists CAD$149 for its Language Pack.
Surfio's stance: compare what reaches the team after a Cantonese call, then compare the price.
How much does an answering service cost per month?
Published 2026 guides give wide ranges. Wishup puts virtual receptionists at $29 a month for AI tools up to $5,000 a month for premium human services. Ringly compares answering services from $49 a month for AI to $1,640 a month for live receptionists. Surfio's retainer is USD 590 a month.
Vida says human receptionists typically begin at $95 to $250 for 50 to 150 minutes of coverage.
Most of these ranges refer to English or English-Spanish services. Few name Cantonese. The comparison page lists only services that do.
What the price does not settle
The published price does not answer every commercial question. Surfio settles the following in writing before a pilot starts:
- a price for regular volume above 300 minutes a month
- how partial minutes are counted
- hours covered and whether a person or software answers
- CRM, country and language coverage
- recording retention, notice terms and compliance needs
- whether any part of a paid fee is ever returned; Surfio publishes no such term
The contract boundary is summarised on the service terms page. How a call runs is on the service page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average cost for an answering service?
There is no single average. Wishup's 2026 guide runs from $29 a month for AI tools to $5,000 a month for premium human services. Surfio charges USD 590 a month with 300 answered minutes.
How much do people charge for AI receptionists?
Among services that name Cantonese, published AI plans include TalkyBuddy at HK$618 a month, AllCall at US$228 and US$348 a month, and GetFavours at CAD$99 a month plus a Language Pack.
Is there a surcharge for Cantonese?
Surfio has no language surcharge because Cantonese is the service. GetFavours lists a CAD$49 monthly Language Pack plus CAD$149 setup.
Are there setup fees or long contracts?
Surfio charges no setup, activation or early-termination fee. The pilot runs 30 days and ends by itself. The retainer is monthly.
What happens to the bill when call volume spikes?
On the retainer, each answered minute beyond the included 300 costs USD 1.20. A business expecting that every month gets a written price from Acesley.
Sources
- AllCall.ai: Hong Kong plans, accessed 14 September 2026
- TalkyBuddy pricing, accessed 14 September 2026
- Cenvoi: AI receptionist for clinics, accessed 14 September 2026
- GetFavours: Cantonese, accessed 14 September 2026
- Waboom AI: Multilingual voice agents, accessed 14 September 2026
- Voksha (Google snippet), accessed 14 September 2026
- TRTC: Best bilingual answering service, accessed 14 September 2026
- Wishup: Virtual receptionist pricing 2026, accessed 14 September 2026
- Ringly: 8 best answering services in 2026, accessed 14 September 2026
- Vida: Virtual receptionist cost, accessed 14 September 2026
Want this pricing as a PDF?
Leave an email and we send it straight away.