How Much Does It Cost to Get a Vanity Phone Number?

Admit it: when you see a custom phone number, you pay a little closer attention. Whether it’s an eye-catching phrase or a memorable easy-dial pattern, it jumps out at you from the advertisement and helps that business stand out in the noise.  So why don’t more companies use vanity phone numbers

The top reason is that most don’t know they can have one, or if they do realize, their phone carrier can’t provide one. Once they realize that there are phone number providers like RingBoost that curate custom phone numbers into an online marketplace, the next objections is the perception that vanity phone numbers are expensive. But that’s just not true. There are options for every budget. Let’s break it down. 

Local Phone Numbers. For businesses that service specific communities, a custom local phone number that features the regional area code is a great way to signal to audiences that you’re part of the hometown team. For example, 414-400-ROOF is a great number for a roofing company in Milwaukee, WI to use on their truck wraps, yard signs, and other promotional materials. When you buy a local phone number, you own it outright. You can port it to your carrier or you can elect to have a forwarding service.
Price: start under $100 and go up depending on the rarity of the number, including scarcity of the area code. It’s a one-time-fee to own the number. 

Toll-Free Numbers. Toll-Free numbers are great for businesses that operate nationwide or that want to project a larger brand presence. They also provide greater options for vanity phrases because a toll-free number can contain more than a 7-digit phrase without creating a dialing error. Under current FCC regulation, Toll-Free numbers cannot be purchased (although this may be changing with the forthcoming auction of several thousand 833 numbers). But they can be licensed for a monthly fee. There are seven prefixes, 800, 888, 877, down to 833.
Price: They cost $1.99/mo. for a pure 800 number with random digits, but most vanity and easy-dials are around $20/mo. 

Premium Toll-Free Numbers. For businesses that operate regionally but want the power of a super-memorable phone number, there is an option called Shared Use Toll-Free numbers. These numbers are licensed exclusively by region, so you get the power and prestige of a high-value number but only pay for the areas you service. Calls to the numbers are routed based on the location of the caller at the time of the call, ensuring providers are connected to prospects specifically in their service area. Examples include 1-800-MOVE-NOW, 1-800-QUALITY, and 1-877-WINDOWS. 

Price: Licensing fees start at just a few dollars a month and vary depending on the size and desirability of the market area. 

The Cost of Not Getting a Custom Phone Number

While there is a cost associate with getting a custom phone number, there is a cost to your business of not getting one – especially if your competitor scoops up a favorable number and begins marketing with it. These are the things you give up by not having a memorable number in your marketing campaigns: 

  • Increased advertising response rates
  • Enhanced success of current marketing tactics
  • Greater brand awareness and recall
  • Competitive differentiation 
  • Easier referrals from happy customers
  • Great visuals
  • Faster customer relationship building
  • Affordable, reusable marketing asset 

You pick your company name; you pay for your domain; you hire a designer for your company logo – these are long-lasting marketing assets, just like a custom phone number. Don’t just accept what the phone company gives you, be strategic about investing in a tool that improves the effectiveness of all of your other marketing spend. Using a combination of your marketing strategy, knowledge of your target audience, and your budget, you should be able to select a brand-building custom phone number that will accelerate your business growth. 

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