1. How much do business phone numbers cost?

When evaluating how much a business phone number costs, you must consider talk time and phone system features.

Talk time is how many monthly minutes you get to make and receive calls on your number. Some providers will offer a low price for the phone number but then charge you a fortune once you start getting calls on the number. It’s a trap.

If you’re using your phone number for business purposes, you want to provide your callers with a professional experience. You need phone system features like greetings, extensions, and voicemail.

With Unitel, every plan includes one free business phone number. Plans start at $9.99/month. And every plan includes all the phone system features your business needs to sound professional and stay connected.

Need more numbers? You can add phone numbers to any plan anytime for just $4.99/number per month.

While some providers charge more for toll free numbers, Unitel allows you to use either local or toll free at no additional cost.

2. Should I get a “free” business phone number or buy one?

It depends. Are you using the number for a temporary side project where you don’t expect many calls and just need simple call forwarding? If yes, a free phone number may be ok. But beware:

Many providers offering a “free” phone number put limits on your ability to make and receive calls. If you read the terms and conditions, you may discover that you don’t own the number. And if you start getting calls on that number, you may incur charges, have the number unexpectedly shut off, or even be transferred to another user without your permission.

If you use a phone number for commercial use, it’s better to go with a trusted business service provider.

3. What’s the difference between renting and owning business phone numbers?

When you rent a business number, your phone service provider owns the number, meaning if you cancel service, you cannot take the number with you to another phone service provider.

In some cases you have to pay a porting fee or cancelation fee to take your business number with you, while in other cases, you lose the number completely.

When you own your business number, you can transfer it to another service provider anytime without paying any fees. Owning your business number is a good thing because your business number is a marketing asset. Your phone number is an asset you’ll want to protect, especially if it’s how your customers know how to reach you.

4. Should I use a local or toll free number for my business number?

If you want to give your business a local presence, use a local phone number. If you’d like to give your business a nationwide presence, use a toll free number.

Toll free numbers also make excellent vanity phone numbers and are more easily transferred from one phone company to another if you decide to change your phone service provider.

5. What is the difference between a virtual business phone number and a regular phone number?

All 10-phone numbers are the same. They are part of the North American Dial Plan. There’s no such thing as a “virtual” phone number because what matters is the underlying phone service that carries the number (i.e., the phone service provider). Phone service providers can carry calls over PSTN lines (landlines), cellular networks, or VoIP (the internet). With virtual phone service providers, the provider can carry calls over VoIP and ring to any device.

Unitel is a hybrid technology provider that can carry calls over various tier-1 networks and ring to any type of phone, whether a landline, cell phone, IP-desk phone or web based softphone. That way, you have total flexibility with high call quality.

6. What features should my business phone number service provider offer?

If you’re running a business, you need your phone service to do two things for you: Help you sound professional to callers and keep you connected to your business wherever you are.

Here are the basic features you need to sound professional and stay connected:
 – Auto attendant
 – Custom greetings
 – Extensions
 – Custom call forwarding
 – Voicemail

7. Do I need to have a business phone number?

Yes, for one primary reason: Trust. If your business doesn’t display a phone number where customers can call you if they have a problem, they will not want to buy your products and services.

Customers want to know that they can reach you. Email or live chat is often insufficient. That’s why even cereal boxes have phone numbers on them.

8. How long does it take to set up a business phone number?

With Unitel, it’s instant.

9. Can my business phone number forward calls to my personal cell phone?

Yes, with Unitel you can forward your business calls to your personal cell phone. You can also download the Unitel mobile app to make and receive calls, turning your cell phone into your business phone.

10. How do I know if I’m getting a call on my business number vs. my personal cell phone number?

With Unitel, you’ll get an indication that the call is coming in on your mobile app.

11. Why should I get my business phone number from Unitel?

Whether you’re looking for a local, toll free, or vanity phone number, our team can help you find the perfect one for your business.

We also have very affordable phone service plans with all the features you need to sound professional and stay connected.

But the best part of our service is our customer support. We offer personal assistance to every small business owner who signs up with our service, ensuring you are up and running fast and easy.

12. How do I get a phone number for my business?

Pick the Unitel plan you’d like to start with, and search phone numbers by selecting toll free, local, or vanity numbers. Once you’ve found the best number for your business, you create your Unitel account to start using your number.

13. Does my business have to be located in a city to use a local number in that city?

No, your business does not have to be found in the same city as your local number. Your business can be located anywhere in North America.

14. Does Unitel own my business number?

No. You own your number with no strings attached. If you would like to port your number to another service provider, you can do so at any time as long as your Unitel account is in good standing.

15. How many business phone numbers can I have?

As many as you want. Your account includes one main phone number. If you want to add more phone numbers to your account, it’s $4.99 per number.

16. Can I answer and receive calls on my business phone number?

Yes. You can forward your calls to any phone or device you own and answer calls. To make and receive calls, you can download the Unitel mobile app.

17. How many phones can I forward calls to?

You can forward calls to multiple phones, extensions, voicemails, etc. It’s entirely up to you.

18. Should my business use a local or toll free phone number?

It’s up to you. A local phone number gives your business a local presence. A toll free number gives your business a nationwide presence. Unitel offers both.

Unitel also provides vanity numbers if you want to use a number that fits your business’s branding or offering.

19. Can I port an existing phone number to Unitel?

Yes. You can simply select “transfer an existing number” during the signup process to start using your existing phone number with Unitel.

You can port any US, Canadian, or North American phone number to your Unitel Account.