What does Ruby sell?
Live receptionists, sold by the minute. Ruby's plans page lists virtual receptionist plans by how many receptionist minutes they include each month, from 50 to 500, alongside live chat plans and bundles of the two1. It says there are no extra fees for activation, onboarding or setup, and that optional AI features are included in every plan1.
Prices change, so read them on Ruby's own page. What the page does not tell you is how a minute is counted1. For that you need Ruby's terms and FAQ, and the answer matters more than the plan size.
How does Ruby count a minute?
Ruby's terms, last updated in March 2026, say receptionist minutes are calculated and billed in 60-second increments, and every call is rounded up to the next 60-second mark2. For an inbound call, the clock starts when the receptionist receives it and stops when they transfer it to you or your voicemail, or the call ends2.
Two more things count. Hold time is included2, so a caller waiting while the receptionist tries to reach you uses your minutes. And so does any time the receptionist spends completing information on your call after the caller hangs up2. Talk time after a transfer does not2. Earlier versions of Ruby's terms used 30-second increments, so older reviews may describe a cheaper rule than the one in force now.
| Rule | What Ruby's terms say | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Billing increment | 60-second increments, rounded up to the next 60-second mark | Every call uses at least one minute |
| When the clock starts | When the receptionist receives the call | Ringing before pickup does not count |
| When it stops | At the transfer to you or your voicemail, or when the call ends | Your own talk time after a transfer is not billed |
| Hold time | Included | Time spent trying to reach you counts |
| After-call work | Time completing information after the caller hangs up counts | Notes and messages add minutes |
| Earlier rule | 30-second increments in older versions of the terms | Older reviews may understate the count |
What does that do to a month of short calls?
It makes them cost more than their length. Take a made-up month of 100 calls that each last 1 minute 10 seconds. That is about 117 minutes of talk. Rounded up to the next full minute, each call counts as 2 minutes, so the month uses 200 minutes2. Add a minute of notes after some calls and a little hold time, and it climbs again.
The same rule treats a 10-second wrong number as a full minute2. If many of your calls are quick, such as "What time do you close?", plan on each one using at least a minute. A business with longer calls loses less to rounding, because a few seconds rounded up matters less on a five-minute call.
What should you check before choosing a plan?
Ask for the overage rate in writing. Ruby's FAQ says extra minutes are billed at your plan's overage rate3, but the plans page does not list the rates1. The FAQ also says the Ruby app alerts you when you have used 85% and 100% of your included minutes3.
Then size the plan from your own calls. Take a month of call records, round each call up to the next full minute, and add some time for notes and hold. Compare that total with the plan sizes. Our guide to which calls use up an AI receptionist's minutes shows how other services count, if you want to compare.