How to Make Virtual Phone Numbers
- 1). Review the different virtual phone number services. There are dozens of virtual phone number services that offer virtual phone numbers as well as a variety of other services (message recording, transcription from voice to text, fax services). If you're interested in setting up a virtual business number, review consumer rankings of such services at Consumer-rankings.com. If you're interested in an 800 number, check virtual 800-number services at Besttollfree800numbers.com, or to review a listing of business and personal virtual number services, visit Business.com's virtual phone number service directory.
- 2). Select a phone number. After you've selected your virtual phone number service, the steps for selecting, or making, a virtual phone number are basically the same (you select or customize a toll-free number or a number associated with a city/area code). For example, let's make a virtual phone number through the Grasshopper service. Go to Grasshopper.com, click the "Pricing and Signup" button at the top of the page, select a fee-based service plan, then select one of their toll-free numbers, or for an additional set-up fee, customize a toll-free number or personal number by state and area code. To finalize the set-up, press the "Continue" button and follow the instructions.
- 3). Change your virtual phone number. Most services, such as Grasshopper (see Step 2), let you change your virtual number at any time for free, or for a minimal charge. For example, if you are traveling and wish to change your virtual number from a Boston local phone number to a Florida local phone number, you sign in to your virtual plan service and go through the steps to select a new virtual number. Some services also let you call their customer support number to set up a new number.
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