Moneypenny Pricing: What Does It Actually Cost in 2026?
The short answer: Moneypenny doesn't publish a price list. Their plans are custom-quoted after a sales conversation, with UK businesses typically reporting starting costs from around £100 per month for basic call answering — rising with call volume, and with 24/7 cover available as a paid extra (from an additional £35/month on their message-taking service). Billing is per minute of receptionist time.
If you just want a straight number before talking to a salesperson, this page pulls together what Moneypenny publishes, what's independently reported, and how it compares with an AI receptionist you can try today with £100 of free credit.
How Moneypenny's pricing works
Moneypenny is the UK's biggest telephone answering service — a genuinely well-regarded, 25-year-old company whose receptionists answer in your business name. Their pricing has three characteristics to understand before you get a quote:
- It's quote-based, not published. You won't find a rate card on their site. Pricing depends on your call volume, complexity, and hours of cover, confirmed "following a brief conversation." That's normal for premium human services — but it makes comparison shopping hard, which is why you're here.
- You pay per minute of receptionist time. Moneypenny bills for the actual time a PA spends on each call. Longer calls cost more. Their own material argues this is fairer than per-call billing — which is true, but it also means your bill moves with how chatty your callers are.
- Hours of cover cost extra. Standard message-taking cover runs 9am–5pm, Monday to Friday, with out-of-hours calls going to voicemail. Around-the-clock answering is an add-on (from ~£35/month extra depending on plan). If evenings and weekends are when your customers call — true for most salons, clinics and gyms — factor that in.
What businesses report paying: independent UK comparisons put typical Moneypenny spend at roughly £100–£400+ per month once realistic call volumes and 24/7 cover are counted, with third-party analyses reporting plans equivalent to ~£140/month for ~30 calls and ~£260/month for ~90 calls. Treat those as ballpark, not gospel — your quote is your quote. All prices exclude VAT (add 20%).
What about Moneypenny's AI receptionist pricing?
Moneypenny launched an AI Voice Agent in 2025. According to third-party breakdowns of their documentation, the AI service isn't sold standalone — it reportedly requires an existing Moneypenny telephone answering subscription (reported from ~£160/month), with additional calls charged per call. If you're pricing them for AI specifically, ask their sales team two questions: "Can I buy the AI agent without a live-answering subscription?" and "What does a call that transfers from AI to a human cost me?"
Moneypenny vs AgentClara: honest comparison
They're different products for different needs. Moneypenny's core offer is trained human receptionists — if your callers must always reach a person and budget is secondary, they're excellent at it. AgentClara is an AI receptionist: software that answers every call instantly, 24/7, at a flat monthly price.
| Moneypenny | AgentClara | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Human PAs (AI available as add-on) | Clara — AI receptionist |
| Pricing | Custom quote, per-minute billing | £100 free credit to start — no sales call needed |
| 24/7 cover | Paid extra (from ~£35/mo on some plans) | Included |
| Answers on the first ring, every time | Depends on team availability | Always |
| Books appointments into your calendar | Yes (per your setup) | Yes — booked directly, confirmed by text/email |
| Follow-ups, missed-enquiry chasing | Message-taking focus | Included — Clara follows up automatically |
| Web chat, SMS, social media & email | Phone-focused | Free AI agents included — website chat, SMS, social inbox and email, all handled by Clara |
| Getting started | Sales call → quote → onboarding | Self-serve — set up with a free number in minutes |
Comparison compiled August 2026 from Moneypenny's published pages and independent UK reviews; prices last checked August 2026. Moneypenny prices are theirs to change — always confirm with a current quote.
Which should you choose?
Choose Moneypenny if: your brand depends on a human voice, your call volume is low and predictable, and a premium quote-based service suits you. They've earned their reputation.
Choose AgentClara if: you're a service business losing bookings to missed calls — especially outside office hours — and you want every call answered instantly and appointments booked automatically. And it's not just the phone: free AI agents for your website chat, SMS, social media inbox and email are included, so every enquiry channel gets answered. There's no sales call and no quote to wait for: you set yourself up online, get a free number, and Clara is answering within minutes — with £100 of free credit to start.
FAQ
How much does Moneypenny cost per month?
Moneypenny doesn't publish prices; quotes are tailored per business. Independent UK comparisons report typical spend from around £100/month for basic answering to £400+/month with higher volumes and 24/7 cover, billed per minute, excluding VAT.
Does Moneypenny charge per call or per minute?
Per minute — you pay for the time a receptionist spends on each call. Their AI product is reported to bill per call.
Is Moneypenny's 24/7 answering included?
No — standard cover on their message-taking service is 9am–5pm weekdays, with 24/7 available as a paid add-on from around £35/month extra depending on plan.
Does Moneypenny have a free trial?
Yes — one week free, with no setup costs.
What's the difference between Moneypenny and an AI receptionist like AgentClara?
Moneypenny is primarily a human answering service with custom, quote-based pricing agreed through a sales conversation. AgentClara is an AI receptionist that answers every call instantly 24/7, books appointments and handles follow-ups — with free AI agents for website chat, SMS, social media and email included. You set it up yourself online with a free number in minutes, starting with £100 of free credit.