Set your chatbot agency pricing from the work you promise, your delivery costs, and a usage allowance you can afford. A setup fee plus a monthly service package gives a first-time seller a way to recover onboarding costs and fund ongoing support. The examples below show how to calculate both.
Key takeaways
- Divide your platform fee by paying clients, rather than every license available on your plan.
- Include setup, training updates, reporting, and support in your quote. Put limits on the work and usage included.
- Website chat, WhatsApp, and inbound voice can sit in one package, with external messaging and phone charges explained separately.
- The sample prices here are planning examples. They are not customer results or a survey of what agencies charge.
This guide uses Robofy for the platform calculations and is published by Robofy. Prices were checked on 5 October 2026. All figures are in USD.
What does one chatbot client cost your agency?
Your cost has three parts: a share of the platform subscription, any extra usage you buy, and the time you spend delivering the service. Add the other expenses your agency pays, including sales, payment processing, and third-party tools.
Robofy’s reseller subscription is billed annually. Dividing that bill by 12 gives a monthly equivalent for budgeting; it does not turn the plan into a monthly subscription.
| Reseller plan | Annual bill | Monthly equivalent | Client licenses | Platform cost per client at full license capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerator | $799 | $66.58 | 10 | $6.66/month |
| Growth | $999 | $83.25 | 15 | $5.55/month |
| Pro | $1,099 | $91.58 | 20 | $4.58/month |
| Enterprise | $1,199 | $99.92 | Unlimited | Depends on paying client count |
These figures cover the subscription allocation only. See the current reseller plan prices before you quote a client.
For a new agency, the full-capacity column can hide the cost of empty licenses. On Accelerator, one paying client carries the whole $66.58 monthly equivalent. Two clients carry $33.29 each. At ten clients, that allocation falls to $6.66 each.
Check the quote at your current client count and the number you expect to reach. Keep $799 upfront for Accelerator in your cash budget while finding your first customer.
How much do chat and voice use?
Robofy’s pricing page lists 60 credits per AI message and 600 credits per voice minute. At the published top-up rate of $1 per 10,000 credits, the planning equivalents are:
| Usage | Credits | Equivalent at the top-up rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 AI text replies | 60,000 | $6 |
| 50 voice minutes | 30,000 | $3 |
| 100 voice minutes | 60,000 | $6 |
| One credit top-up | 200,000 | $20 |
Included credits are shared across the account. You buy additional credits when account usage exceeds that allowance; avoid adding a second charge for usage already covered by the subscription. Training also uses credits, so leave space for content changes and testing.
A message allowance needs a definition. One conversation may contain several AI replies. Put “AI text replies” on your package sheet so a client does not read “1,000 messages” as “1,000 complete conversations.” Confirm usage against the account’s billing records as you run a pilot. The pricing page describes message totals as approximate, with variation by model and training resources.
What sits outside the AI allowance?
WhatsApp can involve Meta messaging charges. Meta’s rates depend on the recipient market and message category, with free categories and windows under its rules. Explain that distinction in your quote and check Meta’s WhatsApp pricing for the client’s market.
For inbound phone calls, the client connects a Twilio number. Number rental and telephony charges sit alongside Robofy’s voice AI usage. Use Twilio’s country-specific voice pricing for the relevant market; the linked page shows the US.
You can have clients pay these provider bills directly or include a stated budget and reconcile it. Choose the arrangement before launch so the invoice matches what you sold.
Which chatbot pricing model should you use?
A setup fee plus a monthly package is a practical starting point when selling your first chatbot. You get paid for onboarding, and the recurring fee covers the work that continues after launch. You can still vary the monthly package by usage and support scope.
| Model | How you charge | Useful when | What needs care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup fee plus monthly retainer | One launch fee, then an ongoing service fee | You handle configuration and maintenance | Explain what the setup fee delivers and what the retainer covers |
| Fixed packages | A published fee for defined usage and services | Buyers want an easy comparison | Put limits on updates, support, and usage |
| Usage-based service | A base service fee plus measured usage | Volume varies substantially | Define the billing unit and give clients a budget or alert threshold |
A one-off build fee can work when the client takes over management. If you keep maintaining the knowledge base and handling support, recurring billing funds that work. Recover any waived setup fee through an agreed commitment or a higher service fee, and calculate what happens if the client leaves early.
For an established agency, check whether clients already pay for support through another contract. You may be able to bundle chatbot maintenance into that service, but the hours still belong in your cost calculation.
How much should you charge different clients?
Quote against the workload. A single-location business with stable opening hours and a short FAQ needs a different service from a retailer whose products and policies change every week. A larger business may also need more approval steps, documentation, and staff training.
Published vendor advice gives context, rather than a reliable global average. Chipp’s pricing guide suggests $500–$5,000 setup fees and $200–$1,000 monthly retainers. Those are its suggested ranges, not verified Robofy customer prices. Checked 5 October 2026.
Start a discovery call by asking who will supply the content, how often it changes, which channels need connecting, and who handles escalations. Ask whether the agent must collect an enquiry or complete an action in another system. That difference can add integration and testing work.
Record your first client’s setup hours, content changes, and support requests. Use those records to price the next job.
What could your chatbot packages include?
The following packages include website chat, WhatsApp, inbound voice, initial training, chat handoff configuration, reporting, and agency support. The price differences buy more usage and more of your time. Channels still need the client’s accounts and the relevant setup.
These are illustrative agency offers, not Robofy subscription tiers or reported customer prices. Adjust them after testing one client’s workload.
| Your agency’s offer | Starter example | Growth example | Pro example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup fee | $350 | $750 | $1,500 |
| Monthly service fee | $199 | $399 | $799 |
| Channels | Website, WhatsApp, inbound voice | Website, WhatsApp, inbound voice | Website, WhatsApp, inbound voice |
| AI text replies/month | 1,000 | 2,500 | 5,000 |
| Voice minutes/month | 50 | 100 | 250 |
| Initial content scope | Up to 20 pages/files | Up to 50 pages/files | Up to 100 pages/files |
| Scheduled content update batches/month | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| Reporting | Monthly report | Monthly report and review | Monthly report and review |
| Agency maintenance/support allowance | 1 hour/month | 2 hours/month | 4 hours/month |
| Chat handoff | Configure the route to the client’s team | Same | Same |
In this example, the client supplies approved content and provides the staff who receive handoffs. Agency support covers configuration and maintenance. If you offer staff to answer customer conversations, quote that service separately.
An update batch might mean one collected list of changes supplied by the client. Define its size. A new product catalogue is more work than correcting opening hours, even if both arrive in one email.
Set an overage policy for text replies, voice, training, and support time. Agree whether you will invoice extra use, seek approval for a top-up, or move the client to a larger package. Check the total allowances sold across your clients against the account’s shared credits and other plan limits.
Keep custom integrations outside the standard setup scope until you have assessed them. Robofy supports agent API actions, but a supported mechanism does not mean every client’s booking or business system is already connected.
What does the margin look like at ten and twenty clients?
Work through both the subscription and the delivery costs. Here are two hypothetical agencies selling the $199 Starter example. Each client uses the full 1,000 text replies and 50 voice minutes per month. Each also takes one hour of maintenance and support, valued at an assumed $40 per hour.
That usage is 90,000 credits per client: 60,000 for text and 30,000 for voice. The examples exclude extra training and testing, setup revenue and setup labour, payment fees, provider charges, sales costs, taxes, and general overhead. They measure recurring contribution before those items, rather than net profit.
| Monthly calculation | 10 clients on Accelerator | 20 clients on Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Client revenue | $1,990 | $3,980 |
| Included account credits | 1,000,000 | 1,400,000 |
| Example usage credits | 900,000 | 1,800,000 |
| Extra credits needed | 0 | 400,000 |
| Top-up purchases | $0 | $40 |
| Subscription monthly equivalent | $66.58 | $91.58 |
| Assumed maintenance/support labour | $400 | $800 |
| Contribution before excluded costs | $1,523.42 | $3,048.42 |
The twenty-client example buys two $20 top-ups. It assumes there are no unused purchased credits available. The ten-client example leaves 100,000 included credits for other use; the twenty-client calculation needs extra budget if training and testing add usage.
Use this formula with your own figures:
Monthly contribution = client revenue − annual subscription ÷ 12 − top-ups − delivery labour − other costs you cover.
At ten clients, two support hours each at the same assumed $40 rate would cost $800 instead of $400. That cuts the illustrated contribution to $1,123.42 before the other exclusions. Record time spent on client work so you can see when a package needs a narrower scope or a higher price.
How many clients do you need to break even?
Define what you want to cover. Recovering a monthly subscription allocation, paying the annual bill upfront, and covering the whole agency’s expenses are different calculations.
At $199 per client, one client covers Accelerator’s $66.58 monthly equivalent. With one support hour at the assumed $40 rate, $92.42 remains before extra usage, provider charges, and other expenses. That is a limited contribution calculation.
For cash planning, four monthly payments of $199 total $796, which falls short of the $799 annual subscription bill. Five total $995. After allowing $40 of labour for each of those five clients, only $795 remains; six such payments leave $954. Setup fees could help fund the annual payment, but subtract the setup work they pay for.
Recalculate when sales costs, payment fees, usage, and overhead are known. A growing client count can require more credits or another plan, so the cost base may change as you add clients.
What should you put in the monthly report?
Show the client what happened and what you changed. Report activity alongside a useful outcome, such as captured leads reviewed by their team. A large message count alone does not explain whether the service helped.
| Report item | Where to get it | What to discuss |
|---|---|---|
| Text activity by channel | Agent dashboard and conversation records | Which channels customers used and the usage consumed |
| Leads captured | Lead report and the client’s sales follow-up | Which enquiries were relevant and what happened next |
| Booking requests or confirmed bookings | Agent records and the booking system, where connected | Count requests and confirmed appointments separately |
| Chat handoffs | Handoff records | Why people needed a staff member and what needs attention |
| Content changes | Your maintenance log | What you corrected or added during the month |
Robofy’s webapp includes channel reply statistics, lead reports, and chat handoff records. Build a report from the available records and the client’s own outcome data. Confirmed sales and appointments may need records from their business system; avoid presenting every enquiry as revenue or a completed booking.
Which pricing mistakes should you avoid?
Pricing from full license capacity makes early clients look cheaper to serve than they are. Check the quote with your actual client count before relying on future sales to pay today’s costs.
Unlimited revisions can turn a small monthly package into ongoing content work. State how clients submit changes, how much work is included, and how you price larger requests.
Bundling every provider charge into an unlimited promise exposes you to costs you have not measured. Put the Meta and Twilio billing arrangement in writing, along with an overage policy.
Selling a feature without testing the client’s workflow creates setup work after the price has been agreed. Test the intended channel, handoff route, and any booking action before committing to a fixed scope. The agency launch guide covers the wider setup process.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge to set up a chatbot?
Estimate content preparation, configuration, channel connection, testing, and staff training hours. Multiply by your internal hourly cost, add expenses and a margin, then quote the agreed scope. This guide’s $350, $750, and $1,500 setup fees are examples to adjust, not market averages.
Should I charge monthly or take a one-off fee?
Charge monthly when you continue maintaining content, reviewing conversations, and supporting the client. A one-off fee suits a defined build the client manages afterwards. Explain who pays the ongoing platform and usage costs in either arrangement.
How do I price WhatsApp and voice?
Include the channels with separate text and voice allowances. Budget Robofy credits, then explain who pays Meta messaging and Twilio number and call charges. Check provider rates for the client’s market before quoting an inclusive price.
What if a client uses more messages than planned?
Apply the policy agreed before launch: paid overages, an approved top-up, or a larger package. Monitor total account usage because clients share the reseller credit pool. Define messages as AI text replies in the agreement.
How many clients do I need to break even?
Use your annual payment, actual usage, delivery time, and other expenses. One $199 client covers Accelerator’s monthly subscription equivalent in the limited example above. Funding the annual bill and covering agency operations requires a separate cash calculation.
Do I need to charge more for every additional channel?
You can include website chat, WhatsApp, and inbound voice in one package. Charge enough for the setup and maintenance they require, set usage allowances, and explain external costs. Higher tiers can buy more service time and usage without removing channels from the entry offer.
Build your first client quote
Choose one prospective client, write down the work you will deliver, and estimate its usage. Check that quote against your current paying-client count before offering it.
Use Robofy’s white label reseller program to manage the service under your agency’s brand. View reseller plans to build your cost sheet. If you are ready to test the setup, try Robofy. For help assessing a client’s workflow, book a demo.