What a Virtual Phone Number Actually Is
A virtual phone number is an inbound number not tied to a handset or line — it answers where you point it. Here is how that works and what it does not include.
A virtual phone number is a contact point that is not attached to any one handset, line or office. Calls to it arrive wherever the service is pointed — on this site, an inbound 1300, 1800 or Phoneword number that answers to the connection point the signup flow asks for. The virtual part is that separation: publish one number, answer it wherever the business actually is.
How the virtual model works here
Signup asks for the number the service will connect to — the answering point. Everything published about the business (website, invoices, ads) carries the inbound number, while the answering point behind it can be the office line, a mobile or whatever the business arranges. When the answering arrangement changes, the published number does not. That is the whole mechanism, and it is why the model suits businesses that move premises, add staff or work remotely.
What counts as a virtual number here
- 1300 numbers: shared cost with the caller; public plans from $10 per month.
- 1800 numbers: free for callers in the stated Australian 1800-number context; the business pays call charges.
- Phonewords: any of the above spelling a word on the keypad; priced from $40 per month, with availability and desirability affecting the price.
What a virtual number is not, on this site
The word "virtual" is used loosely across the industry, so the boundaries matter. A virtual number here is not a virtual mobile number, not an SMS or texting service, not an outbound-calling feature and not a temporary or disposable number — none of those appear in the published product set. It also is not a second phone to carry: no new hardware or parallel line is needed, because calls arrive at the answering point the business already has. If a page or advertisement promises those missing capabilities, treat it as outside what this site establishes.
Related reading: virtual phone numbers for business, virtual numbers to receive calls, or the virtual numbers for business overview.
Virtual number or second handset?
The alternative to a virtual number is carrying a second phone or SIM for business use. The two approaches differ in what changes when circumstances do. A second handset changes numbers when the device or plan changes, costs a second service fee, and still binds the business contact to one pocket. An inbound number keeps the published digits constant, rides the published plan ladder — from $10 per month — and answers at whatever line the business connects. For a business that wants the contact point to outlive devices, the inbound model is the published mechanism for that; this page leaves the personal-preference judgement to you.
Virtual phone number questions
Do I need new hardware for a virtual number?
No. The number answers to the connection point you provide during signup, so existing phones are the answering arrangement — the virtual number is published on top of them.
Can a virtual number send and receive SMS?
SMS capability is not part of the published product set on this site. The numbers are inbound voice contact points; anything beyond that is not established here.
Is a virtual number a mobile number?
No. The virtual numbers published here are 1300, 1800 and Phoneword inbound numbers. Virtual mobile numbers are a different capability this site does not establish.
What does a virtual number cost per month?
Published 1300 and 1800 plans start at $10 per month; Phoneword pricing starts from $40 per month. Call rates depend on the plan — the current tables are on the pricing page.
Virtual numbers
Set up a number that follows the business
Search available 1300 and 1800 Phonewords, or read the published plans first.