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Prices and features checked against official pages: October 2026.
Quick Answer
Let AI answer questions that have one stable answer, such as hours, location and how to book. Send quotes, complaints, billing disputes and anything urgent to a person. Decide the handoff triggers in advance, and tell the visitor when a human will reply.
Start with LiveChat’s 14-day free trial
For a step-by-step chat setup, see our guide on handling website chat as a small team.
What should AI handle, and what should a person handle?
| Question type | Who answers | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Opening hours, address, how to book | AI | One stable answer |
| How a service works, what is included | AI, with a link to the page | Answer already published |
| Price quote or custom scope | Person | Needs judgment and details |
| Complaint or refund request | Person | Needs empathy and authority |
| Urgent or safety-related issue | Person, immediately | Cost of a wrong answer is high |
| Visitor asks for a human | Person | Always honor the request |
What triggers a handoff?
- The visitor asks for a person.
- The AI fails to understand twice in a row.
- A keyword such as refund, cancel or complaint appears.
- The topic is on your “person only” list.
What should the visitor see during the handoff?
A short message that says what happens next: a person is joining, or the team is away and will reply by a stated time. Pass the conversation along so the visitor does not repeat themselves.
How does LiveChat support this handoff?
The pricing page lists an AI Agent on each plan: 1 AI Agent and 10 AI resolutions per month on Essential, and 10 AI Agents and 200 resolutions on Growth. Extra resolutions are sold in packages of 50 for $49.50. The small-business page says the AI Agent can answer after your team logs off and stops when the monthly resolutions run out.
For a bot built in the separate ChatBot product, its help page describes a transfer action that sends a chat to a LiveChat group and lets you write the message shown when agents are unavailable. It does not say what happens to the chat after that message, so plan your own follow-up.
Cost and fit
| Plan | Per user / month, billed annually | Per user / month, billed monthly | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $19 | $25 | 14 days, no credit card |
| Growth | $79 | $99 | 14 days, no credit card |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Request a call |
Some help pages still use older plan names (Starter, Team, Business); their prices and limits are not verified here, so this article uses the current pricing page. Check the page you see before you decide.
When is this not the right fit?
If your inquiries are mostly custom quotes, AI adds little and a person-first form works better. If you want a chat widget with a free tier and AI together, Tidio is another option to compare.
FAQ
Will AI replace live chat for a small team?
For routine questions it can take load off, but quotes, complaints and urgent issues should reach a person.
What if the AI cannot answer?
Hand off to a person, or give a clear reply time and collect an email address.
How many AI answers does the entry plan include?
The pricing page shows 10 AI resolutions per month on Essential.
Do I have to tell visitors they are talking to AI?
Say so. It sets expectations and builds trust.
Summary
Write a short “person only” list, set clear handoff triggers and tell visitors what happens next. Then check that your plan’s AI allowance covers your volume.
Start with LiveChat’s 14-day free trial
This article is general information, not a guarantee of results. Plans, prices and features change, so confirm them on the official pages before you decide.
