How to Get a Virtual Phone Number for Your Business (Step by Step)
Learn how to get a virtual phone number for your business: choose the type, check if documents are needed, buy it and connect it to your team.
To get a virtual phone number, pick the country and type of number you need, check whether it requires any documentation, buy it from a provider, and connect it to the app or phone system your team will use. For many numbers this takes minutes. A few countries add a paperwork step, which is why it pays to check the requirements before you pay.
Need a number now? Browse 2Chat virtual numbers by country and area code and get yours in a few steps.
This guide walks through each step in order, explains how number types differ, and covers the questions people usually ask before buying: whether you need documents, what it costs, and what to do once the number is yours.
What is a virtual phone number?
A virtual phone number is a real phone number that isn't tied to a SIM card or to a single device. Calls and texts to it travel over the internet, so you can answer from a browser, a mobile app or a desk phone, and several people can share the same line.
You'll also see it called a virtual telephone number, a virtual mobile number or a virtual office number. The idea is the same. Businesses use them to get a number in a city or country where they have no office, to keep business calls apart from personal ones, or to give a whole team access to one line instead of passing a personal phone around.
How does a virtual phone number work?
When someone dials your number, the call reaches your provider, which sends it over the internet to wherever you've told it to go: an app, a browser, a group of teammates who ring at once, or another number. When you call out, the person on the other end sees your virtual number instead of your personal one.
Because the routing is software, you can change it whenever you want without touching any hardware. You can ring a team, forward calls to an external number, or play a menu ("press 1 for sales") before the call reaches a person. That flexibility is the main difference from a traditional line.
Why get a virtual phone number for business?
A virtual phone number for business solves a few problems a personal phone can't.
It separates work from personal life: customers call a business number, and your own phone stays yours. It gives a small team one shared line, so a phone number for a small business doesn't depend on whoever owns the SIM. And it survives staff changes. When someone leaves, you reassign the calls instead of losing the number customers already know.
It also opens new markets. If you're wondering how to get a business phone number in a city or country where you have no office, a virtual number is usually the fastest route.
How to get a virtual phone number in 5 steps
1. Decide what you need
Start with three questions. Which country (or countries) do your customers call from? Do you need voice, SMS or both? And who will answer: just you, or a team?
If you only want a business number on your cell phone without buying a second SIM, a virtual number does exactly that. If you already have a business mobile number you'd rather keep, you may not need a new one at all. You can keep your current number with call forwarding and still get the team features.
2. Compare providers
Providers vary a lot. Some are a simple app on your phone; others are a full phone system. Check these before you choose:
- Coverage: the countries and area codes you actually need.
- Number types: local, toll-free, mobile and whatever else the country offers.
- Voice and SMS: whether the number supports both, or only one.
- Team features: shared access, call recording, transfers and routing rules.
- Integrations: whether calls and contacts connect to your CRM.
- Requirements up front: whether the provider shows any documentation requirements before you pay.
For a closer look at what a full setup includes, see our guide to a virtual phone system for small businesses.
3. Pick your country and area code
A local area code makes your business look local to customers in that area. If you're getting a local phone number for a city where you have customers but no office, choose that city's area code. If you're setting up a support line for customers across a whole country, a toll-free number may fit better.
2Chat lets you browse virtual numbers by country and area code in more than 90 countries, which is handy if you're setting up an international virtual phone number for a team that sells abroad.
4. Check whether the number needs documentation
Most virtual numbers need none, but some countries do. Look for this before you pay, not after. We cover it in more detail below.
5. Buy it and connect it to your team's phone system
Once the number is yours, set up how calls arrive. With a cloud phone system, you can create an IVR or call flow, route incoming calls automatically to the right person, and log calls in your CRM through the HubSpot integration.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Buying before reading the documentation requirements for that country.
- Choosing a number type that doesn't support texting when you need SMS.
- Picking an area code your customers have no connection to.
- Skipping the routing setup, so calls ring nowhere useful.
Local, toll-free or mobile: which type do you need?
Which number type fits depends on who's calling and why. The main options are these:
Depending on the country, providers may also offer landline and shared-cost numbers. Not every type exists in every country, and not every type supports texting. If you need SMS, confirm that the number can handle it, or check how SMS with a virtual number works before you buy.
Mobile numbers and WhatsApp Business
If you plan to use the number for WhatsApp, a mobile number is usually the most compatible choice, followed by local and toll-free numbers. The regular WhatsApp app only accepts mobile numbers because it's meant for personal use, so with a local or toll-free number you'll use WhatsApp Business instead. With 2Chat, virtual numbers work with WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business and the WhatsApp Business API, and each number shows its WhatsApp compatibility before you buy.
You can buy these WhatsApp-ready numbers directly with 2Chat. Browse mobile, local and toll-free numbers by country, check the WhatsApp compatibility shown for each one, and buy the one that fits. Mobile numbers are available in the countries that offer them.
The verification code arrives by SMS if the number supports it, or by a phone call you answer from your browser. WhatsApp also treats new numbers with extra scrutiny, so warm the number up gradually instead of sending bulk messages on day one.
To go further, read our guide to activating a WhatsApp Business account with a virtual number, learn how to check whether a number is valid for WhatsApp before you buy, and see the difference between WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business and the WhatsApp Business API. If you're planning API-based messaging, start with the WhatsApp Business API.
Do you need documents to get a virtual phone number?
Usually not. Most virtual numbers don't need any kind of documentation.
Some countries do ask for it. In those cases the provider is required to pass documentation to the national telecommunications authority, and you'll be asked to register the number with either personal or company details. Which countries ask, and what they ask for, depends on the country and the number type.
Two practical tips. First, the requirements appear before you pay, so read them and don't proceed if you can't provide what's listed. 2Chat can't work around a country's rules, and once a number is purchased, the charge can't be refunded. Second, use the right kind of registration. Submitting personal details for a number that needs company registration can delay verification or get it rejected.
If documentation applies, your number may take longer to switch on for incoming calls, from a few minutes to several days depending on the country. See 2Chat's help articles on regulatory documentation for virtual numbers and how to add or update your identity documentation for the details.
How much does a virtual phone number cost?
The price of a business phone number depends on the country, the type of number and the area code. Toll-free and local numbers are often priced differently, and some countries cost more than others. Providers typically charge for the number itself and, separately, for the calls and texts you make.
Compare the total, not only the number price. Recording, extra users and per-minute call rates can matter as much as the monthly line cost. For 2Chat, the rates page shows call rates by country, each country page shows the price of its numbers, and the plans page shows what each plan includes.
Virtual phone numbers by type of business
The right setup depends on how your business uses the phone. A few common patterns:
- Real estate: real estate agencies can use a local number for each area they cover and ring the agent on duty, so inquiries reach someone quickly.
- Health: clinics often want a dedicated appointments line, separate from staff phones, with a menu that sends calls to reception or a specific department.
- Retail and online stores: ecommerce stores can give customers one support number that the whole team shares, and use the same number for WhatsApp and voice.
- Travel: travel agencies that sell in several countries can get local numbers in each market so clients call a familiar-looking number.
- Software: SaaS companies entering a new market can set up a local presence before hiring anyone on the ground.
- Logistics: delivery companies can route customer, driver and dispatch calls to different people or teams.
You can explore more industries we work with, each with its own setup ideas.
Can I use a virtual number for WhatsApp?
Most of the time, but not always. Compatibility depends on the number, and 2Chat shows it before you buy. The setup has its own steps, which we cover separately so this guide stays focused on getting the number. Start with activating WhatsApp on a virtual number, and read our posts on getting a virtual number for WhatsApp and using an online number for WhatsApp instead of a SIM. If you want one number for WhatsApp and calls, 2Chat supports that.
How to get your virtual number with 2Chat
You need an active subscription on any 2Chat plan to buy a virtual number. Then:
- Go to Channels > Virtual Number and click New Virtual Number.
- Choose a country. Optionally, pick an area code or city and a number type (mobile, landline, toll-free, shared-cost and others, depending on the country).
- Review the regulatory requirements shown on the results page.
- Complete the payment. The number is assigned to your account automatically.
The full walkthrough is in the help article on how to purchase a virtual number. After that, the number works with the same cloud phone system your team uses for calls, recordings and transfers.
Ready to pick yours? Browse virtual numbers by country and area code or check the 2Chat plans.
FAQ
- What is the easiest way to get a virtual phone number?
Choose a provider that covers your country, pick a number type and area code, review any documentation requirements, and pay. For most numbers, you can start calling out within minutes of purchase. - Do I need a SIM card or a second phone?
No. A virtual number works over the internet, so you can use it from a browser, an app or a desk phone without a second SIM. - How long does it take to get a virtual phone number?
For most numbers, minutes. If the country requires documentation, activation for incoming calls can take longer, from a few minutes to several days depending on the country. - Is a virtual phone number legal?
Businesses use virtual numbers widely, and they're generally legal to use. What varies by country is who can hold one and which documents are needed, which is why some countries ask for registration. - Can I keep my current number?
Yes, in many cases. You can forward calls from your current business mobile number to your virtual number setup without porting it.