What an answering service costs in Australia
A person answers your phone and passes on the message, and you pay by the call. Here’s what three Australian services charge, from their own price lists, and the extras that turn up on the bill.
The short answer
For message taking, expect a small monthly fee plus A$2.50 to A$3.90 a call, or a plan with a set number of calls. OfficeHQ’s cheapest is A$25 a month plus A$2.50 a call. Dream Admin’s is A$28 a month plus A$2.95 a call. Both are before GST.
If you want the person to transfer calls, quote your fees or book jobs, it costs more. Dream Admin’s Gold and Platinum plans charge A$2.99 a minute on a A$52 monthly fee.
Nights and weekends can cost extra. OfficeHQ adds A$0.60 to A$1.00 a call outside 8am to 6pm on weekdays and on national public holidays.
Prices from their own pages
| Price, before GST | What you get | After hours | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OfficeHQ MessageExpress, pay as you go | A$25 a month plus A$2.50 a call | A message by email or text, for one person or team. No transfers | A$0.60 a call extra outside 8am to 6pm weekdays, and on national public holidays |
| OfficeHQ MessageExpress 50 | A$115 a month for 50 calls, then A$2.45 a call | The same, and unused calls expire each month | The same A$0.60 a call |
| OfficeHQ MyReceptionist, pay as you go | A$33 a month plus A$3.89 a call | Messages, call transfers and basic questions about your business | A$1.00 a call extra |
| Dream Admin VR Assistant Bronze | A$28 a month plus A$2.95 a call | Three details taken, message to one person or team | Not stated on their page |
| Dream Admin VR Assistant Silver | A$35 a month plus A$3.90 a call | Five details, basic questions, your hours and location | Not stated on their page |
| Dream Admin VR Assistant Platinum | A$52 a month plus A$2.99 a minute | Transfers, quoting fees, taking payments and booking appointments | Not stated on their page |
| Your Phones Covered Essential, Solo | A$23 a week for 25 calls a month, then A$4.90 a call | Their Australian team. Calls aren’t timed | An add-on. Ask them |
| Your Phones Covered Value, Solo | A$9 a week for 20 calls a month, then A$2.90 a call | Their Manila team. Calls aren’t timed | An add-on. Ask them |
Prices from OfficeHQ’s pricing, plan and terms pages, Dream Admin’s virtual reception page and Your Phones Covered’s pricing page, all read on 12 October 2026. All three list prices before GST. Theirs change, so check before you sign.
How they charge
A monthly fee plus a fee per call. You pay a small base, then for every call answered. Fine for a phone that rings now and then.
A plan with calls included. A bigger monthly fee covers a set number of calls, then you pay per call over that. On OfficeHQ’s plans, calls you don’t use expire at the end of the month.
By the minute. Dream Admin’s top two plans charge A$2.99 for every minute a receptionist spends on your call, so a chatty customer costs more than a quick one.
Your Phones Covered prices by the week. A$23 a week works out at about A$100 a month.
Extras that turn up on the bill
- OfficeHQ adds A$0.60 a call on MessageExpress and A$1.00 on MyReceptionist for calls outside 8am to 6pm weekdays and on national public holidays
- OfficeHQ charges A$0.10 for each message it texts to each mobile on your list. On MessageExpress the first mobile is free
- Transferring a call costs A$0.40 on OfficeHQ’s MyReceptionist plans
- Calls you don’t use on an OfficeHQ plan expire at the end of the month
- Your Phones Covered doesn’t charge for sales calls, wrong numbers or hang-ups. Ask anyone else whether they do
- All three price lists are before GST
Fifty calls a month, priced
Take 50 calls a month, the size of OfficeHQ’s MessageExpress 50 plan. Before GST and any after-hours extras, that’s A$115 on MessageExpress 50 and A$150 on OfficeHQ’s pay as you go.
At Dream Admin it’s A$175.50 on Bronze and A$230 on Silver. Your Phones Covered’s Essential Professional plan includes 55 calls for A$49 a week, about A$212 a month.
Ours is A$299 a month for a sole trader, with 100 minutes and 150 texts included. Whether 50 calls fit in 100 minutes depends on how long your calls run.
So for plain message taking at that volume, a human service costs less than us. It also leaves you ringing every caller back. If you want a person on every call, one of these is the way to go.
Answering service cost questions
How much does a phone answering service cost in Australia?
For message taking, from A$25 a month plus A$2.50 a call at OfficeHQ, or A$28 a month plus A$2.95 a call at Dream Admin, both before GST and checked October 2026. OfficeHQ’s message plans with calls included start at A$70 a month for 25 calls.
Do answering services charge more after hours?
Some do. OfficeHQ adds A$0.60 to A$1.00 a call outside 8am to 6pm weekdays and on national public holidays. Your Phones Covered sells after-hours cover as an add-on. Ask before you sign.
Are Australian answering services answered in Australia?
Depends on the service and the plan. Dream Admin says its team is 100% Australian-based. Your Phones Covered’s Value plans use its Manila team. OfficeHQ answers most calls in Australia, with overflow from its offices in places like New Zealand, the UK and the US when it’s busy.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than an answering service?
Not always. At low call numbers, a human message service can cost less than ours. What differs is the call itself: a message service passes on a message, and ours books the job.
This phone is answered.
Ring us on the number below, or email. Either way, a human gets back to you.
0468 075 000Or email hello@offsitemate.com.au