On Beside Baseline, your Receptionist answers up to 30 calls per billing period. This allowance covers only the calls your Receptionist picks up for you - the calls you answer yourself are always unlimited.
This article explains what counts against your allowance, where to check how many calls you have left, and how to lift the limit if you need more.
✅ On another plan? The AI call allowance applies to Beside Baseline only. On Beside Unlimited and on the Beside plan and 👥 Business, your Receptionist answers as many calls as you need.
What counts against your allowance
Only calls your Receptionist answers count. One answered call uses one of your 30.
Counts against your allowance:
A call your Receptionist picks up because you were unavailable
A call your Receptionist picks up because it is set to answer every call
A call you transfer to your Receptionist yourself
Does not count against your allowance:
Calls you answer yourself, inbound or outbound
Text messages, including those your Receptionist replies to
Calls that go to traditional Beside Voicemail instead of your Receptionist
💡 Unlimited calling still applies: Your plan includes unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada. The 30-call allowance is only about how many calls your Receptionist handles on your behalf.
Check how many calls you have left
Beside shows your remaining allowance in the app, so the limit does not take you by surprise.
On your Home screen, a banner appears once your allowance starts running low - for example Only 10 AI calls left, with 20/30 AI Receptionist calls underneath.
On Manage Plan, the same counter is always visible while you are on a plan with an allowance.
Tap Upgrade on the banner to see an explanation of your allowance and your options for lifting it.
When your allowance resets
Your 30 calls reset at the start of each billing period, not on the first day of the calendar month. If your subscription renews on the 12th, your allowance resets on the 12th.
Unused calls do not carry over to the next period.
What happens when you reach the limit
Once you have used all 30 calls, your Receptionist stops answering calls for the rest of your billing period. The banner changes to Plan limit reached, with Keep Receptionist active underneath. Tapping Upgrade opens a short explanation titled You've reached your plan limit before taking you to checkout.
Your callers then go to traditional Beside Voicemail instead. They hear your voicemail greeting and can leave a message, so you still get their details - your Receptionist simply is not there to handle the call, take the booking, or qualify the lead.
Calls that go to voicemail this way do not count against your allowance.
Your line keeps working normally otherwise. You can still make and receive calls yourself, send and receive texts, and use everything else on your plan.
🟡 Plan ahead if you rely on your Receptionist: If your Receptionist answers most of your calls, 30 per period can go quickly. Keep an eye on the counter on Manage Plan so you can upgrade before it runs out.
Lift the limit
To remove the allowance entirely, move to Beside Unlimited. Your Receptionist then answers as many calls as you need, and your Beside number, Receptionist setup, and history all stay exactly as they are.
From the Beside mobile app: tap Upgrade on the AI calls banner, either on your Home screen or on Manage Plan. You will see a short explanation of your allowance, then continue to checkout.
From Beside on the web: go to Settings → Plan & Billing and upgrade from there.
Your Receptionist starts answering again as soon as the upgrade goes through.
FAQ
Do calls I answer myself count against my AI call limit?
Do calls I answer myself count against my AI call limit?
No. Only calls your Receptionist answers for you count. Calls you pick up yourself are unlimited, inbound and outbound, in the US and Canada.
What happens to callers once I have used all my AI calls?
What happens to callers once I have used all my AI calls?
Your Receptionist stops answering for the rest of your billing period, so calls go to traditional Beside Voicemail instead - the same as when your Receptionist is turned off. Callers hear your voicemail greeting and can leave a message. Your line keeps working normally and you can still take calls yourself.
Does my allowance reset if I upgrade mid-cycle?
Does my allowance reset if I upgrade mid-cycle?
Moving to Beside Unlimited removes the allowance, so there is nothing left to reset. Your Receptionist answers every call from the moment the upgrade goes through.
Do texts handled by my Receptionist count?
Do texts handled by my Receptionist count?
No. The allowance covers answered calls only. Texts your Receptionist replies to are not counted.
I'm not on Beside Baseline. Do I have an AI call limit?
I'm not on Beside Baseline. Do I have an AI call limit?
No. The allowance applies to Beside Baseline only. On Beside Unlimited, the Beside plan (App Store and Google Play), and 👥 Business, your Receptionist answers as many calls as you need.
Can I buy extra AI calls without changing plan?
Can I buy extra AI calls without changing plan?
No. Upgrading to Beside Unlimited is the only way to lift the allowance. There is no top-up for additional calls on Beside Baseline.
Where do I see how many AI calls I have used?
Where do I see how many AI calls I have used?
Open Manage Plan in the Beside mobile app - the counter is shown at the top, for example 20/30 AI Receptionist calls. A banner also appears on your Home screen once your allowance starts running low.