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Buy a phone number

Search for a local or toll-free number, buy it, and know exactly what it does the moment it arrives.

Updated October 28, 20264 min readFor owners and admins

You can buy US local and toll-free numbers right in Hey Quad. Need a number from another country? Contact us.

Who can buy a number. Owners and admins, and anyone whose role includes Buy, port and release phone numbers. Everyone else can see the Phone numbers page but won't see the buttons.

  1. Open Phone numbers and click Buy number.
  2. Choose Local or Toll-free.
  3. For a local number, fill in any of Area code, City and State. For toll-free, pick a Toll-free prefix or leave it on Any prefix (mix all).
  4. To find a memorable number, use Starts with, Contains or Ends with. You can type digits or letters, like 1234 or PIZZA.
  5. Click Search.

Each result shows the number, its region, what it Can do (Voice, SMS, MMS) and its Monthly cost. Your account includes some numbers. While you're within that, the next number shows as Included. If you plan to text from the number, pick one that shows SMS.

No results? Widen the search or remove a filter.

Buy

Click Buy next to the number you want. Hey Quad shows what it will cost and asks you to confirm. Click Confirm. The number shows up in your list as soon as the order completes.

An org can hold a set number of phone numbers. If you hit the limit, release a number you don't need, or contact support to raise it.

What your new number does

You don't need to set anything up for a new number to work:

  • Calls ring a person. The number uses your org's Default flow. Unless you changed it, that flow rings your lowest-numbered user extension (for example, 101). If you have no user extensions yet, it rings the first one you create.
  • Texts go to the shared Text Messages inbox, not to that person. Everyone in the Text Messages queue can see and answer them. See Where texts go to change that.
  • Outbound calls are signed with STIR/SHAKEN, which helps keep your calls from being labeled as spam. There's nothing to set up.
  • Texting needs registration. If the number can text, it's set up to send and receive right away. But carriers block business texts until your business is registered. See Set up text messaging.

The Default flow setting is on the Phone numbers page. Changing it affects numbers you buy or port in later. It doesn't move numbers you already have.

Point the number somewhere else

Click the number in the list. Under Routing, pick where calls go:

  • Ring an extension: one person's phones.
  • Park in a queue: a team.
  • AI receptionist: your AI receptionist answers.
  • Your flows or Templates: a call flow you built, or a ready-made one.

Calls use the new routing right away. If you point the number at one person's extension and its texts are still on the shared inbox, its texts move to that person too.

Status badges

Each number shows a status:

  • Ready: calls and texts are set up.
  • Setting up: still being set up. This usually takes a moment.
  • Needs attention: part of the setup didn't finish, most often texting. Whatever did succeed keeps working, and we're alerted automatically. Open the number and check the Setup row. If texts still don't send after a day, contact support and mention the badge.
  • Problem: the number isn't working. Contact support.

If a number has no destination, a yellow banner at the top of the page tells you. Calls to that number won't be answered until you pick one.

Common questions

  • Can I move a number to another org? Not by yourself. Pick the right org before you buy, or contact support.
  • I was charged but the number never showed up. Contact support before you try again. If a purchase fails, the error tells you whether you were charged.
  • Can I get a released number back? Maybe not. A released number goes back to the carrier, and anyone can buy it. Don't release a number you might want later.
  • Can a toll-free number text a short code? No. Carriers don't allow it.