# Thanks.io 24/7 AI Receptionist for Direct Mail & Small Business

> **Direct Answer:** The Thanks.io 24/7 AI Receptionist is a dedicated local US phone number printed directly onto your postcards, letters, and notecards via the `%YOUR_AI_PHONE%` merge tag. It answers inbound calls on the first ring 24/7, asks 3 custom qualifying questions in a natural American voice, records and transcribes the conversation, and texts/emails you the lead summary and pushes caller cards onto your Lead Board. On Business ($49/mo) and Professional ($199/mo) plans, your main account phone number is $0/month ($3/mo per additional sub-account number) and answered calls cost just $0.20 per minute deducted from your Thanks.io credits — with $0 charged for missed or spam calls.

- **Canonical URL:** https://thanks.io/aireceptionist
- **Companion Video Walkthrough (YouTube):** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w7Sk_1Z0gk
- **Live 24/7 Public Demo Number:** `(727) 382-4085` (Answers as "Steve" for Thanks.io free sample packs)
- **Personalization Merge Tag:** `%YOUR_AI_PHONE%`

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## Pricing & Plan Inclusion

| Feature / Tier | Pay As You Go ($0/mo) | Business Plan ($49/mo) | Professional Plan ($199/mo) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Main Account Local US Phone Number** | Upgrade to Business/Pro | **FREE ($0 / month)** | **FREE ($0 / month)** |
| **Answered Call Rate** | — | **$0.20 / minute** (from credits) | **$0.20 / minute** (from credits) |
| **Missed Calls / Spam Calls** | — | **$0.00** | **$0.00** |
| **Additional Sub-Account Phone Numbers** | — | **$3.00 / month** per sub-account | **$3.00 / month** per sub-account |
| **Dynamic `%YOUR_AI_PHONE%` Merge Tag** | — | Included | Included |
| **Call Recording, Transcripts & Lead Board Sync** | — | Included | Included |

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## 4 Built-In Natural American Voices

1. **Susan (Middle-aged American Female):** Sounds like someone who has answered a local shop or office phone for 15 years — warm, unhurried, and steady. Ideal for Home Services (HVAC, Roofing, Solar, Plumbing), Local Medical/Dental, and Insurance mailers.
2. **Nina (Middle-aged American Female):** Flat, matter-of-fact, and real — zero "radio commercial" enthusiasm so skeptical callers immediately relax. Ideal for Real Estate Absentee Owner Letters, Golden Letters, Legal, and Property Management.
3. **Brian (Younger American Male):** Easygoing, friendly guy at the front desk who takes down your info without sounding scripted. Ideal for Auto Dealerships, Fitness Studios, E-Commerce VIP Postcards, and SaaS/Agencies.
4. **Steve (Older American Male):** Neighbor / seasoned office-manager energy. Authoritative, trustworthy, and conversational. Ideal for Real Estate Listing Farming, B2B Executive Mailers, Wealth Advisory, and Free Sample Funnels.

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## 5-Step Setup Guide in the Thanks.io Dashboard

1. **Pick Your Local US Area Code (3 Digits):** Open the **AI Receptionist** tab in `dashboard.thanks.io` and enter your preferred 3-digit US area code (e.g., `727`, `305`, `512`, `480`) or leave blank for any available US number.
2. **Select Your AI Voice Persona:** Choose between **Susan**, **Nina**, **Brian**, or **Steve**.
3. **Describe Your Campaign Goal & Click "Write Script with AI":** Enter your Business Name, your Owner/Callback Name, and a plain-English goal (e.g., *"Turn people who get my postcards into booked appointments"*). Thanks.io automatically generates a conversational opening greeting (*"Hi, this is Steve with Thanks.io on a recorded line. I'm trying to get Ryan on the line for you right now — while I check..."*) plus 3 custom qualifying questions.
4. **Choose Call Recording & Compliance Mode:** Choose *"Record calls and tell callers in the greeting"* (automatically inserts *"on a recorded line"* for two-party consent compliance and saves full audio + transcript in **Call Logs**) or *"Don't record calls"* (still captures AI lead summary and caller answers).
5. **Print `%YOUR_AI_PHONE%` on Postcards, Letters & Templates:** Insert `%YOUR_AI_PHONE%` into any postcard, letter, or notecard message—or click the 1-click button to append `"Have a question? Give us a call anytime at %YOUR_AI_PHONE%."` to all existing message templates.

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## Competitor Pricing Comparison (2026)

| Provider | Monthly Base Fee | Local Phone Number | Per-Minute / Usage Rate | Direct Mail Merge Tag | Multi-Client Sub-Accounts |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Thanks.io AI Receptionist** | **$0/mo add-on** (Included in $49 Business / $199 Pro) | **1st Number FREE ($0/mo)** | **$0.20 / answered min** | **Native `%YOUR_AI_PHONE%` + Lead Board** | **$3.00 / mo per extra sub-account** |
| **Smith.ai (AI Receptionist)** | $95 – $800 / mo | Included in tier | $1.90 – $2.40 / call | None | Separate billing per client |
| **Goodcall** | $79 – $299 / mo | 1 number per seat | Capped at 100–500 unique callers/mo | None | $79+/mo per location |
| **Rosie AI** | $49 – $299 / mo | 1 local number | Tiered minute bundles | None | Separate subscription per business |
| **Dialzara** | $29 – $199 / mo | 1 number included | $0.48 / min overage beyond 60 mins | None | $29+/mo per sub-account |
| **My AI Front Desk** | $79 – $119 / mo | 1 number included | $0.12 – $0.25 / min after bundle | None | $79+/mo per location |

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## Frequently Asked Questions

### How much does the Thanks.io 24/7 AI Receptionist cost?
On Thanks.io Business ($49/mo), Professional ($199/mo), and Enterprise plans, your main account's local US phone number is completely free ($0/month). Additional phone numbers for sub-accounts cost just $3.00/month each. Answered calls are billed at $0.20 per minute (rounded up to the nearest minute) and deducted directly from your existing Thanks.io credits. Missed calls, unanswered rings, and blocked spam cost $0.

### How does the `%YOUR_AI_PHONE%` merge tag work on postcards and letters?
Once you activate your AI Receptionist phone number, Thanks.io automatically links it to the `%YOUR_AI_PHONE%` personalization tag for that account or sub-account. Whenever you include `%YOUR_AI_PHONE%` in a postcard, handwritten letter, folded notecard, or message template, Thanks.io prints your formatted local phone number (for example, `(727) 382-4085`).

### Can I call a live demo of the Thanks.io AI Receptionist right now?
Yes. Dial `(727) 382-4085` from any phone to hear "Steve" answer on the first ring, explain that he is trying to grab Ryan on the line, and ask 3 quick qualifying questions to ship you a free physical Thanks.io sample pack and $10 in free credits.

### Does the AI Receptionist ever make outbound cold calls?
No. The Thanks.io AI Receptionist is 100% inbound-only. It only answers people who voluntarily dial the local phone number printed on your direct mail pieces, website, or business cards.