Fantastic cheap local phone numbers and where to find them
Gone are the days where you rely on burner phones for making anonymous calls or keeping your calls untraceable. Instead, people are searching for cheap local phone numbers to manage their communications, which means sourcing for a virtual number service provider that is affordable and reliable.
In this post, we’ll explore reasons why you might need cheap local phone numbers for USA and recommend a few apps that you can try out.
Why do I need a local phone number in my country?
There are many reasons why you might need several cheap local phone numbers. For example:
1. For online dating
You might be sowing your oats and keeping options open in the dating world, but that means you can easily run into trouble or harassment when you give out your real phone number.
Having a virtual local phone number can therefore come in useful when your date gets coy and asks to communicate off the dating app.
2. When managing your own business
If you’re a business owner, chances are that you often make frequent calls to numerous clients from all over the world. Getting at least one cheap online phone number through a virtual phone number provider will help to cut costs and to keep all your work communications on a single app!
If your work involves frequent contact with prison inmates, getting a local number for prison calls is a wise option as these calls are expensive. This also means you get to keep your real number private, and thus avoid any trouble from petty evildoers looking to do you in.
Bonus: using a virtual phone number for business also means keeping your work and personal life separate and organised!
3. For Account Verification
Most if not all apps require user verification today, which means giving out your real phone number and thereby jeopardising your personal identity. By using cheap local phone numbers for these one-time transactions, you can easily avoid potential cyber dangers.
Why not just buy a prepaid card or register for a second local postpaid number?
Getting a second phone number can be expensive if you go about it the traditional way.
1. Prepaid cards
These are more accessible in the sense that you can easily purchase them from the convenience store, and then dispose of them when you no longer require them. However, the upkeep can get hefty in the long term if you’re heavily reliant on the alternate phone number – not to mention the fact that you need an entirely separate mobile phone to use it!
2. Postpaid plans
Registering for a second postpaid phone number has its downsides too. Besides having to buy a second mobile device, you’re paying a fixed monthly sum even if you didn’t use it much. Exceeding call and text usage also mean racking up extra charges.
Neither are you able to use it for international communications, unless you don’t mind paying the exorbitant fees for the roaming add-on.
Therefore, the cheapest way to keep a phone number besides your real number is by getting a cheap virtual phone number.
ALRIGHTY, so where can I find cheap local phone numbers?
Now that we've convinced you why you should get cheap local phone numbers, here are our top three recommendations for virtual phone number providers and an rough overview of their key functions.
1. Phoner
Phoner is the top-rated second phone number app that allows you to call and text in over 35 countries worldwide, including the USA, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
Paid plans start from USD$19.98/month per user.
Pros:
- Text messaging from Phoner to Phoner is free!
- Calls can be made via data and wifi
- Call forwarding to your real phone number available in case of bad reception
- Includes useful features such as call forwarding, voice-to-text transcription, and phone call recording
Cons
- Does not have as wide a range of functions as the other two apps mentioned
- Credits need to be topped up in order to continue using the numbers
2. Google Voice
Google Voice is your new best friend if you are a U.S citizen, as you get local phone numbers free! Also, it allows unification of communications through a single phone number.
Paid plans start from USD$10/month per user.
Pros:
- Free for personal use
- Easily integrated with G suite (it is a product of Google, after all)
- Outgoing calls to U.S. numbers are free
- Has interesting functions ranging from call conferences to voice-to-text transcriptions.
Cons:
- Needs personal phone number for account creation
- Business phone features can only be accessed
- Only U.S. phone numbers are available for use
3. Nextiva
Nextiva is like Mailchimp but in phone call format, where it is it a customer experience platform best catered to small and medium enterprises.
Paid plans start at USD$20/month for each user.
Pros:
- Includes a wide range of functions, including call queuing and plug-ins for integration with other software applications.
Cons:
- Needs personal phone number for account creation
- Only U.S. phone numbers are available for use
What if I need both cheap local phone numbers AND a cheap international phone number?
If your business or activities require you to call both locally and overseas, the Phoner app is your best bet. Besides providing cheap local phone numbers for UK and cheap local phone numbers for Canada, it also generates phone numbers for many other major countries.
If you require more features to suit your needs, there are many more alternative apps that you can check out online.
There are many reasons why people might need to find more local phone numbers - be it a local number for inmate calls or one-time transactions - but your personal privacy is most paramount here.
Last but not least, ladies and gents: keep up with the times and get cheap local phone numbers from a virtual number service provider! Of course, you can still buy a cheap local burner phone from the stores if you're strictly old school– just expect a snigger or two from the millennials when they catch you using it.