By 2030, 90% of business communications will be done via VoIP.
85.8% of large enterprises already use features like auto attendants or IVRs.
LC Phone is GoHighLevel’s built-in phone system.
It uses the same pricing as Twilio for text messages, calls, and phone numbers in the US and Canada.
You pay extra fees for carriers and registration too. Businesses should keep an eye on monthly costs for phone numbers, text messages, and rising charges for phone calls.
What Does an LC Phone Cost?
LC Phone charges you based on how much you use it. The more messages you send and calls you make, the higher your bill gets.
Local phone numbers cost $1.15 each month, while toll-free numbers cost $2.15 each month.
Now, these are fixed costs. So, even if you don’t use it, you would have to pay for it.
- Regular SMS texts cost $0.0083 for each message you send or receive.
- Picture messages cost $0.0220 for each one you send.
The problem is that pricing keeps increasing. Each long text message gets split into parts, and you are paying for each part. So, a message that’s too long might cost you two or three times as much.
- Outbound calls cost $0.0166 per minute.
- Inbound calls cost $0.01165 per minute.
- A 30-second call costs the same as a full minute, which means you’re paying for time you didn’t use.
Extra Fees You Need to Know About
Beyond the basic costs, LC Phone adds several other charges that can surprise you. These hidden fees can double your monthly bill if you’re not careful.
A2P registration (needed to send business texts) costs $24.50 one time.
After that, you will pay $11.03 every month for each campaign your brand runs.
AT&T and Verizon charge between $0.003 and $0.005 for each SMS. These fees go straight to the phone companies, and LC Phone passes these costs directly to you.
Call recording costs $0.0025 per minute. Number validation costs $0.005 per call.
Recording storage is $0.0005 / minute/ month.
Transcription costs $0.024 per minute. So, recording and transcribing a lot of calls can add up big costs over time.
If you run a marketing agency, you can charge these fees back to your clients. You need to track everything carefully. The system adds money to your account when it gets low.
How LC Phone Compares to Twilio
Twilio charges $0.0083 for SMS messages, around $0.020-$0.022 for picture messages, and $1.15 per month for local numbers. These match LC Phone’s prices perfectly.
The voice call prices also line up with Twilio’s rates. LC Phone gives a small 10% discount on US and Canada voice calls and texts, but that’s the only difference.
You won’t save money by switching from Twilio to LC Phone. The main benefit is that LC Phone works right within GoHighLevel’s system. There’s no extra setup needed.
Everything links to your CRM automatically. This makes it easier to handle your customer chats.
Your workflows run smoother because you don’t need to jump between different platforms.
However, Twilio offers volume discounts if you send lots of messages.
For example, you might pay less per text if you send over 40,000 messages in Canada, which LC Phone doesn’t offer.
Hidden Costs That Add Up
I am saying this by personal experience, that hidden charges can make your bill much higher than you expect.
Now, at the end of the month, it comes as a BIG SURPRISE!
Conference calls cost between $0.0018 and $0.0040 per minute. Here’s the twist: you pay for each person on the call.
For example, A 10-minute call with 5 people would cost $0.20 or more.
You pay the full price, even if the text doesn’t get delivered. There are no refunds for messages that don’t reach customers.
Errors after the carrier takes over still cost you money. This means you lose money on failed messages without any way to get it back.
If you forward calls internationally, prices jump way up based on Twilio’s rates. Alaska and Yukon have different prices compared to regular US rates. Most people don’t know this.
Old recordings sit in storage costing $0.0005 per minute every month. A year of storing 100 hours of calls costs about $300, and that number keeps growing.
How Centripe Beats the LC Phone on Price
Centripe offers a totally different pricing model that can save you money. Centripe offers flat monthly rates. You won’t be charged for each message or minute.
The Essentials plan costs $99 per month, and the Unlimited plan costs $299 per month. Both include unlimited SMS and calls with no extra charges per message or per minute.
With Centripe, you get unlimited contacts, users, and sub-accounts. You can white-label everything with your own branding at no additional cost.
AI communication tools come built-in at no extra cost. You pay the same price today forever with their lifetime pricing lock. This protects you from any future price increases.
If you send lots of texts or make many calls, LC Phone’s costs add up fast. Many agencies see their GoHighLevel bills reach $400 or more each month with LC Phone.
Centripe’s flat rate means you know exactly what you’ll pay, no matter how much you use it. There are no surprise charges or hidden fees to worry about.
Advanced features like AI voice agents and chat intelligence come included. You don’t pay extra for call recording or transcription like you do with LC Phone.
There are no carrier passthrough fees to track or rebill to clients. Everything is bundled into one simple price that makes accounting much easier.
Conclusion
LC Phone is a good choice if you use GoHighLevel. It brings everything together and saves you setup time.
If you make many calls or send lots of messages, be careful of rising costs. Your bill can grow quickly beyond your basic GoHighLevel subscription.
For businesses that want affordable and steady costs, Centripe may be a better option.
Its flat-rate pricing protects you from surprise charges and simplifies budgeting.
In summary, LC Phone offers convenience, not savings. Choose it for how well it integrates with GoHighLevel, not just for being cheaper than other options.
