Betsy is a daily telephone call for an older parent who lives alone. A computer voice phones her at the hour she picks, talks with her for about ten minutes, remembers every conversation, and tells the family the same day if she mentions a fall, an illness or someone after her money. $2 a day, billed $60 a month.
We make Betsy, and this page takes the questions in the order a family would ask them. If you only read one page about Betsy, read this one.
What she does
Every day, at the hour Mom picks, Betsy calls, talks for about ten minutes and remembers all of it.
What you hear
One text on Sunday. The same day, if Mom mentions a fall, an illness or someone after her money.
What it costs
$2 a day, billed $60 a month. No device, no setup fee, and it stops when she says stop.
What is Betsy?
Betsy calls Mom every day. Same voice, same number, same time, for about ten minutes. She asks about Mom’s life: the drive to Reno, the fourth-grade class of 1971, the hardware store. She remembers all of it, so each call starts where the last one ended. On Sunday the family gets one text with one story. If Mom tells Betsy about a fall, an illness or someone after her money, the family hears the same day. Everything else stays hers. Betsy is a computer voice, says so on every call, never asks for money, and stops when Mom says stop. $2 a day, billed $60 a month.
Is Betsy a daily check-in call service for an older parent?
Yes, and more. Betsy calls every day, and the family learns the same day if she mentions a fall, an illness or someone after her money. A check-in call is usually a recorded prompt that asks her to press 1. Betsy is a ten-minute conversation that remembers. The difference shows in the second week. A press-1 call asks for a key. A call that asks whether the plumber ever showed up is one she gets dressed up for.
Is Betsy a telephone reassurance program?
Telephone reassurance is the term in the Older Americans Act for a scheduled call to an older person who lives alone, and counties, sheriffs’ offices and senior centers run them. Betsy goes further: a real conversation, every day, that remembers everything from every call. Our compare page sets the county programs beside Betsy.
What does a call sound like?
A call sounds like this.
Hi Margaret. You were going to tell me about the drive to Reno.
Oh, Lord. Harold’s Buick. Turquoise, where it wasn’t rust. He would not admit we were lost.
Were you?
Two days.
Two days! In a Buick.
On one jar of olives from a gas station. He ate them all, and he said they were my idea.
So who finally asked for directions?
I did. A man in Winnemucca, with Harold sitting right there pretending to read the map. He didn’t say a word until Reno.
And in Reno?
Oh, that’s a whole other story. And I’ve got my hair at two.
Go get your hair done. I want to hear that one. Same time tomorrow?
Same time tomorrow.
Betsy talks about a third of the time. The rest is Mom’s. “Same time tomorrow?” ends every call, and Mom can say no.
What does Betsy cost?
$2 a day, billed $60 a month. No device, no setup fee, no contract, no tiers and no yearly plan. Your card goes on file before her first call, with nothing charged. The first week starts with her first call, and billing starts on day eight. If the first week doesn’t make Mom’s day, call and say stop before day eight, and you pay nothing. Say stop and it stops, and unused months are refunded. That is the whole price list, as of November 2026. The details are on what Betsy costs.
What phone does she need?
Any phone that rings: a cell phone, a landline or a flip phone. There is nothing to install, charge or learn, and Mom does nothing new. On a landline, the caller-ID box reads BETSY. On a cell phone, the saved contact shows her name, which is why your text asks Mom to save the number. More on landlines.
What does the family hear, and what stays private?
On Sunday, one text: one line and one story. “Margaret had a good week. Ask her about the summer she worked the Dairy Queen window in 1961.” The story is only ever one she okayed. Three things reach the family the same day: a fall, an injury or an illness she mentions, including talk of hurting herself, when Betsy also gives her the 988 line and stays on the phone; somebody after her money; and anything she asks Betsy to pass along. Betsy tells her when she does: “I’m going to let Sarah know.” Everything else stays hers, which is why she keeps talking. Mom can ask on any call what Betsy has told the family and get a straight answer.
Who listens to the calls?
Not the family. Paying for Betsy doesn’t let anyone in the family hear Mom’s calls: what reaches you is three things and one line on Sunday. Betsy asks first, on the first call: “I keep a recording of our calls, so I can remember what you tell me. Is that all right with you?” If Mom says no, Betsy keeps only her name, her number and a line about the call. Betsy’s team has access to recordings to keep the service running well, and companies that carry the call, turn speech into words, write her replies, make her voice and store recordings handle what’s said so she can answer. We never sell anything about her. What Betsy keeps has it all in plain words, and who hears Mom’s calls goes through everyone.
Is Betsy safe from scams?
Betsy makes three promises on the first call and keeps them. She never asks for money, not for anything. She always calls from the same number, so a different number saying it’s Betsy isn’t. And she stops when Mom says stop. Now and then, as a friend would, Betsy asks, “Anybody call you about money this week?” People who are targeted lose money when they have nobody to tell, and scammers coach them not to tell anyone. Betsy is somebody to tell. She asks.
How is Betsy different from a press-1 check-in, a volunteer caller, a medical alert and a companion robot?
| Betsy | Press-1 check-in call | Volunteer caller program | Medical alert pendant | Companion robot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A ten-minute conversation every day | A recorded call that asks her to press a key | A volunteer who phones on set days | A button she wears that reaches a call center | A tabletop device that talks and shows a screen |
| Who talks | A computer voice that says what it is | A recording | A volunteer | A dispatcher, after she presses | A device, in her home |
| Remembers her stories | Yes, every call | No | Sometimes, if it is the same volunteer | No | Some do |
| If she mentions a fall or a scam | The family hears the same day | Not applicable | Depends on the program | She has to press the button | Varies |
| Phone needed | Any phone that rings | Any phone | Any phone | None; she wears it | Wi-Fi and the device |
The other services are on the compare page, each with the date we checked it.
Can she call Betsy herself?
Yes, any time, at the same number Betsy calls from, and Betsy knows who it is. That is how it starts by default: you send her the number, and she calls when she is ready.
How does it start, and how does it stop?
It starts with a three-minute form on hibetsy.com: Mom’s name and what you call her, her number, the hour she’d like, three lines about her and a note from you. Then you send her the number from your own phone, with words we give you, so it reaches her from the one person she trusts. A card comes in the mail, addressed to her, from you. Then she picks up the phone and calls Betsy when she’s ready. Or, if you’d rather, Betsy calls her: you confirm she’s okay with it, and you tell her to expect the call. Nobody ever gets a cold call. If you’re with her, put your phone on the table and call Betsy together. How to say it is on Tell Mom. It stops when Mom says “stop” on any call, or when whoever pays calls 1-855-HI-BETSY, any hour, and says stop. Betsy says it back before you hang up, the calls stop and the billing stops, and unused months come back to you.
Where is Betsy available?
Anywhere in the United States, in English. Betsy calls between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. in Mom’s local time, at the hour Mom picks.
Who makes Betsy?
PM Frontier LLC, 30 N Gould Street, Sheridan, Wyoming 82801. Anyone can call 1-855-HI-BETSY (1-855-442-3879), any hour, and Betsy answers. It never calls anyone: her calls to Mom come from Mom’s own local number. Write to us at hello@hibetsy.com. The research behind Betsy is on the research page, and the press kit has the facts in one place.
Questions people ask
Is Betsy a real person?
No. Betsy is a voice made by a computer, and she says so on every call before she asks a question.
What does Betsy cost?
$2 a day, billed $60 a month. No device, no setup fee, no contract, no tiers. If the first week doesn’t make Mom’s day, you pay nothing. Price as of November 2026.
Does Betsy work on a landline?
Yes. Any phone that rings works, including a landline or a flip phone. There is nothing to install, charge or learn.
What time does Betsy call?
At the hour Mom picks, between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. her local time, every day. She can change the hour on any call.
How long is a call?
About ten minutes. Betsy talks about a third of the time; the rest is Mom’s.
Does Betsy remember what Mom tells her?
Yes. Every call starts where the last one stopped, so she never has to tell a story twice unless she wants to.
What does the family hear?
One text on Sunday with one line and one story, and a same-day message if Mom mentions a fall, an illness or someone after her money. Everything else stays hers.
Will Betsy ever ask for money?
Never, not for anything. She says so on the first call. If a caller claiming to be Betsy asks for money, it is not Betsy.
Can Mom call Betsy herself?
Yes, any time, at the same number Betsy calls from. Betsy knows who it is.
Does Mom need a smartphone or an app?
No. Betsy is a phone call. There is no app for her and nothing to install.
Is Betsy a medical alert?
No. Betsy is not a medical alert, not an emergency service and not a nurse. She passes on what Mom tells her. In an emergency, call 911.
Where is Betsy available?
Anywhere in the United States, in English.
How does Mom stop the calls?
She says “stop” on any call, and the calls and the billing stop. Unused months are refunded. There is no retention script.
Who makes Betsy?
PM Frontier LLC of Sheridan, Wyoming. Anyone can call 1-855-HI-BETSY, any hour, and Betsy answers.
QuestionsWhat does Betsy cost?
QuestionsDoes Betsy work on a landline?
QuestionsWho hears Mom's calls?
CompareEvery service that calls or checks on an older parent, compared
First stepsHow to tell Mom you signed her up for Betsy
PressPress kit: Betsy, the daily call for an older parent