How Do You Get a Virtual Phone Number for Business?

To get a virtual phone number for business, choose a provider, create the number in its account, and set where calls ring. Google Voice offers a basic plan at no cost, and its paid tiers run $10, $20 and $30 per user per month as of October 2026. If you text customers, plan for A2P 10DLC carrier registration, which Twilio lists with a one-time brand-registration fee starting at $4.

What are the steps to get a business virtual number?

1. Count your users. One owner is a different purchase than a team of 12.
2. List the features you need. Examples are call forwarding, ring groups, auto attendants and call recording.
3. Decide if you will text customers. If yes, add registration fees to your budget before you pick a plan.
4. Create the number in your provider's account and set the forwarding or ringing rules.
5. Test it by calling and texting the number from a phone that is not yours.

You do not need new hardware for this. The number runs on devices you already own.

How much does Google Voice cost for a business?

Google Voice bills organizations monthly by the number of Voice users or licenses, according to Google Workspace Admin Help. It uses a monthly flexible subscription plan, so you are not locked into a year.

Plan	Price (as of October 2026)	Users	What the source lists
Basic	$0	Not specified here	A basic plan at no cost
Starter	$10 per user per month	Up to 10	One number for all devices, call forwarding, unlimited domestic calling and U.S. texting
Standard	$20 per user per month	Unlimited, subject to Google's licensing conditions	Adds multi-level auto attendants, ring groups and desk-phone support
Top tier	$30 per user per month	Unlimited, subject to Google's licensing conditions	Includes advanced reporting through BigQuery and automatic call recording

User limits and feature lists come from Google's Voice subscription comparison. The $30 price is listed there too.

As an example, a three-person team on Starter pays $30 per month. A five-person team on Standard pays $100 per month.

How do you add Google Voice to a Workspace account?

Google says Voice can be added directly in the Google Workspace Admin Console. The Google Workspace Help page gives these steps:

1. Sign in with an administrator account.
2. Open Billing.
3. Choose Buy or upgrade.
4. Select Google Voice.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

If you are a single user without Workspace, Starter and Standard standalone plans are available with a personal Gmail account ending in @gmail.com, per Google's billing help.

What does calling cost on Google Voice?

Almost all calls from the United States to the United States and Canada are free, according to Google Voice Help. Some calls to specific numbers in those countries cost one cent per minute.

Calls outside the United States are charged at Google's listed rates. If your customers or vendors are overseas, check those rates before you commit.

What about a dialer built into a CRM?

A CRM-based number keeps calls and texts on the same record as the customer. That matters when you track a lead from first call to signed job. For background on what that record should hold, see what a CRM does.

AttackDesk includes texting, calling, email, phone numbers and AI agents inside the CRM. It has a pay-as-you-go option with no monthly fee, where a text costs 3.1 cents and a call costs 5.8 cents a minute.

Its monthly plans are $29, $79, $197 and $329. They are priced per company rather than per user, and each lowers the usage prices.

AttackDesk also records every call as answered, voicemail or missed. An AI agent can then text back the calls you could not pick up.

Do you need A2P 10DLC registration to text customers?

Twilio says registering A2P 10DLC results in lower message filtering and higher messaging throughput. It also says unregistered traffic sent from a Twilio 10DLC number receives additional carrier fees.

Twilio describes the program as involving registration fees and per-message carrier fees. Its U.S. SMS pricing page adds that carriers apply per-message fees and that senders face carrier-registration onboarding fees.

Registration type	One-time fees (Twilio)	Daily limit and campaigns
Sole proprietor	Not listed in the facts here	One campaign; 1,000 SMS or MMS segments to T-Mobile, about 3,000 across U.S. carriers
Low-volume standard	$4 brand plus $15 campaign vetting; recurring campaign fee varies by use case	Up to 2,000 segments to T-Mobile, about 6,000 across U.S. carriers, subject to stated exceptions
Standard	$44 brand plus $15 campaign vetting; recurring $1.50 to $10 per campaign per month by category	Up to five campaigns unless a clear and valid business reason supports more

Fees come from Twilio's A2P 10DLC page. Add them up and low-volume standard costs $19 one-time, while standard costs $59 one-time, before recurring campaign fees.

Twilio's own pages show different registration amounts, so confirm the figure in your provider's current registration flow. Fees and limits can change by carrier, category, use case and date.

If you use AttackDesk, it submits your carrier registration for you. Its one-time texting setup fee is $27 for low-volume and sole-proprietor registration, or $69 for standard registration.

Can you use a virtual number for WhatsApp Business?

We could not confirm WhatsApp Business support for Google Voice, Twilio or any CRM-integrated number. Eligibility can depend on your provider, the number type, whether verification arrives by SMS or voice, and Meta's current policies.

Before you buy, ask the provider whether its numbers can receive a verification code. Then check Meta's current requirements.

Does your LLC need a separate business number?

We found no source that says an LLC must have one. The answer can vary by state, filings, licensing, banking, tax and industry.

Check with your state filing office, your bank and any licensing board that applies to you. If you register for business texting, you may be asked for business details such as an EIN, but requirements differ by registration category.

What are the limits of free versus paid plans?

The verified difference is in the plan tiers. Google's basic plan costs nothing, while Starter adds one number for all devices, call forwarding, unlimited domestic calling and U.S. texting.

Standard adds multi-level auto attendants, ring groups and desk-phone support. The top tier includes BigQuery reporting and automatic call recording.

Check the plan page for any free option's own limits before you put the number on your website or invoices. Changing a number later means reprinting cards and updating listings.

How do you choose a plan that scales?

• One owner, light calling: a free or entry plan may be enough. See our notes on free CRM options if you also need to track leads.
• Two to 10 people: Google Voice Starter supports up to 10 users at $10 each.
• Need ring groups or auto attendants: Standard, at $20 per user per month, lists both.
• Texting customers: budget for registration and per-message carrier fees.
• Calls tied to your pipeline: a number inside your CRM keeps the history on the customer record. If you are just starting out, read CRM for startups.