A few minutes of setup now means your AI Receptionist keeps handling calls smoothly — even when volume spikes or your included 25 run out. Here are the settings that matter most.
The setup at a glance
Step 1: Add billing credits
Everything starts here. Billing credits are a prepaid wallet — paid features can only run when your balance is above $0.
How to add credits:
Go to your dashboard
Navigate to Settings → Plan Details → Billing Credits
Click Add credits
⚡ Add credits before you hit your limit, not after. If your balance is $0 when call 26 comes in and Extra Calls is enabled, that call will revert to your redirect setting instead of being handled by your AI. A small buffer keeps you protected. Add credits now →
Step 2: Enable Extra Calls
With credits in your account, switch to Extra Calls ON so your AI Receptionist keeps handling calls beyond your included 25. Each additional call is $3, drawn from your credits.
How to enable it:
Go to Plan Details
Under your call limit settings, select "Keep my AI Receptionist handling calls"
Without this, calls beyond 25 redirect to you or a team member by default — which is fine as a fallback, but means your AI isn't in the conversation.
⚡ This is the most important setting for consistent caller experience. At $3/call, one new client consultation more than offsets the cost of several extra calls. Enable Extra Calls →
Step 3: Enable Auto-Refill
Auto-Refill automatically tops up your billing credits when they run low — so Extra Calls and any other enabled features never stall mid-month.
How to enable it:
Go to Plan Details → Billing Credits → Auto-Refill
Click Manage
Set your preferred top-up amount and enable Auto-Refill
⚡ Credits + Extra Calls + Auto-Refill = fully hands-off AI call coverage. No manual check-ins, no mid-month gaps, no calls reverting to redirect because a balance ran dry. Set up Auto-Refill →
Prefer to manage credits manually? You can add funds any time from the Billing Credits screen. Just keep in mind a $0 balance pauses all paid features — keep a buffer so you're not caught off guard.
Step 4 (Optional): Enable live agent features
Live agent features route a call to a professional human receptionist when your AI can't fully resolve the caller's need — complex intake questions, sensitive matters, or situations outside your playbook.
Cost: $3/call, only on calls where a live agent is actually involved. Off by default.
Without live agent features, calls your AI can't resolve redirect to you or your team. With them enabled, a trained Smith.ai receptionist handles those calls professionally.
How to enable:
Go to Plan Details → Billing Credits
Under What's Enabled, toggle on Live agent features
⚡ For law firms: A prospective client calling about a sensitive or urgent matter who reaches a warm, professional human is far more likely to book a consultation than one who gets redirected to voicemail. Live agent features are a direct investment in your intake quality — and you only pay when they're actually used. Enable live agent features →
A single call using Extra Calls and live agent features is capped at $6 — the maximum per-call cost on the Free Plan.
What a fully protected setup looks like
Frequently asked questions
Do I need all four steps? Steps 1 and 2 are the core — credits plus Extra Calls enabled. Step 3 (Auto-Refill) makes sure you don't have to manage credits manually. Step 4 (live agent features) is entirely optional.
What's the most I could be charged in a single call? $6 — if a call uses both Extra Calls ($3) and live agent features ($3).
What if my credits run out and Auto-Refill isn't on? Paid features pause and calls revert to your redirect setting until you add more credits. Add credits →
What happens to calls that redirect to me or my team? They follow your redirect settings under Call Handling — routed to you or a designated team member. No charge, no credits required.
Can I toggle these settings on and off as needed? Yes. All settings can be changed any time. Changes take effect on the next call.
Want even more peace of mind?
If you're finding that you regularly rely on Extra Calls every month, a Pro plan may be a better fit — more included calls, a lower per-call rate, and features like custom prompting. But credits and Extra Calls are the right starting point for most Free Plan users.
Add credits and enable Extra Calls → | Compare Pro plans →
Need help with setup?
Reach out to support@smith.ai and our team will walk you through it.
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