Virtual phone numbers to send and receive online SMS

Virtual phone numbers let you send and receive SMS and text messages online to North American numbers using our easy-to-use platform or mobile app.

  • Choose a dedicated short code, local 10-digit number, or toll-free number
  • Set up call forwarding from your online SMS number
  • Text large groups of people or message your contacts one-on-one
Send your first text

No credit card required

woman texting a virtual phone number

THOUSANDS OF NORTH AMERICAN BUSINESSES USE OUR SMS PHONE NUMBERS

Starbucks is using SimpleTexting for Text Marketing Services
Cisco is using SimpleTexting for Text Marketing Services
LEGOLAND is using SimpleTexting for Text Marketing Services
Century 21 is using SimpleTexting for Text Marketing Services
Samsung is using SimpleTexting for Text Marketing Services
Stanford University is using SimpleTexting for Text Marketing Services
Chick-fil-A is using SimpleTexting for Text Marketing Services
Marriott is using SimpleTexting for Text Marketing Services
Kaplan is using SimpleTexting for Text Marketing Services

What are virtual phone numbers?

A virtual SMS phone number enables you to send and receive SMS text messages online over the internet without having to use a physical phone.

Like a real phone number, your online virtual phone number is unique to you. You can use it reach out to, respond and converse with customers no matter where you are in the world. With a platform like SimpleTexting, you can start texting from a virtual number to numbers in the U.S., Canada, and some mobile carriers in the Caribbean in just a few steps.

How Do Virtual Phone Numbers Work?

1. Choose a new number

1. Choose a new number

You can text-enable a current phone number, choose a new toll-free number, register a new 10-digit number with an area code local to your business, or apply to provision a dedicated short code.
  • Text enable your existing phone number
  • Provision an easy-to-remember 6-digit dedicated short code

Learn More

2. Send text messages

2. Send text messages

Now that you have a virtual SMS phone number, you can send your first SMS–or MMS–message. Text one customer, or thousands.
  • Text 1-on-1 with customers, employees, or leads
  • Send SMS marketing campaigns to large groups
  • Send appointment reminders, alerts, and more

Learn More

3. Manage replies in your inbox

3. Manage replies in your inbox

Receive incoming SMS from all numbers for free and use our user-friendly Inbox to stay on top of them.
  • Mark conversations as resolved or temporarily hide them
  • Easily filter and prioritize conversations
  • Share the workload by adding team members

Learn More

Types of online phone numbers

Whether you need to engage customers 1-on-1 or send text marketing campaigns, our team can help you select the right number.

Toll free number
Send mass texts and have one-on-one conversations with a toll-free number. Don’t forget to have your toll-free number verified to avoid disruptions to your traffic from carriers.

Local number
Prefer to use a number with your area code? We can help you register one to avoid traffic disruptions. A local number is perfect for connecting 1-on-1 with customers and providing text-based customer service.

Connect your existing number
We can text-enable your current landline or VoIP number! You’ll still be able to receive calls. An existing number is ideal for 1-on-1 texting and providing text-based customer service.

Dedicated short code
A dedicated short code is a 5- or 6-digit number that’s often used to send high volumes of messages. We can help you lease a short code from the Common Short Code Administration.

Virtual phone numbers vs. traditional phone numbers

VIRTUAL SMS PHONE NUMBERS
  • Usable on nearly any device
  • No need to use your personal cell phone number
  • Access all messages within one platform, wherever you are
  • Automate SMS workflows with autoresponses and campaigns
  • Integrate with other tools and apps
TRADITIONAL SMS PHONE NUMBERS
  • Tied to a specific phone and location
  • Unable to separate business from personal within the same device
  • A new phone number means a new piece of hardware
  • Unable to monitor activity on business phones within your team

How You Can Use Your Virtual SMS Number

Customers don’t want long hold times, slow responses, and confusing email threads. Delight them by adding the efficiency and convenience of SMS customer service.
With a virtual SMS number, you can give your customers an easy and quick way to make reservations and schedule appointments. You can also use your number to send automated reminders to reduce no shows.
Send shipping and delivery notifications directly from your virtual SMS number.
Using a toll-free, local, or short code phone number, you can send mass campaigns to everyone who’s opted into your list. You can use these messages to launch new products or send coupon codes.
Texting is the perfect medium for sending customer satisfaction surveys and noninvasive follow up touches that contribute to overall customer retention efforts.
Set up call forwarding from your virtual phone number to your personal number so you never miss a chance to connect.

How to get a virtual business phone number

Want an online phone number to receive text for your business? Follow these three steps.

1. Sign up for free trial.

When you sign up for a 14-day trial of SimpleTexting, you’ll get a temporary virtual number to try out the features. 

Keep in mind that you’ll get 50 messaging credits, and any texts you send will include a SimpleTexting watermark. This way, you can try before you buy.

2. Upgrade to a paid account.

If you like what you see, upgrade to a paid SimpleTexting account. You’ll see a prompt to choose between virtual number types like local numbers, toll-free numbers, and dedicated short codes.

Have an existing number you want to use? Reach out to our customer support team to see if it’s eligible to be text-enabled.

3. Choose a number from our virtual number pool. 

Depending on which number type you select, you’ll need to register it with wireless carriers. 

This is an industry-wide standard, and we make the process super simple. You’ll fill out some information about your business, and our customer support specialists will handle the rest.

Which businesses can benefit from an online phone number for receiving texts?

Browse our industry guides to find out how a virtual phone number for SMS and text messaging can benefit your business or organization.

Why should you get a virtual SMS number from SimpleTexting?

Find out why SimpleTexting is the best text number provider to help you separate professional texts from personal messages.

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Manage On-the-Go
You can send and receive SMS from our easy-to-use web interface or mobile app. All you need is a smartphone or laptop and internet access.

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Build Your Brand
A dedicated virtual phone number allows you to advertise your text-enabled business. You can run a text-to-join campaign with our keywords feature.

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Connect Your Apps
Take advantage of our SMS API or connect with over 1,000 different apps through Zapier. Integrate SMS with all of your favorite tools, from Mailchimp to Shopify.

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Reduce Costs
With SimpleTexting, pricing is flexible and based on the volume of texts that you anticipate sending. Our plans start at $29 for 500 credits.

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Dedicated Support
When you purchase a plan from us, you become a customer. At SimpleTexting, we pride ourselves on providing industry-leading support, 7 days a week.

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No Contracts
There are no hidden fees, cancellation charges, or contracts involved. You can stop using your virtual SMS number whenever you want, or even pause your account.

Customers Who Use Our Virtual Numbers

A virtual SMS number drives real results, but don’t just take our word for it. Hear it from people who use them everyday.

Image for How Toroe Eyewear Generated an Extra $7K in 30 Days with Our Mobile Sign-Up Widget
E-Commerce

How Toroe Eyewear Generated an Extra $7K in 30 Days with Our Mobile Sign-Up Widget

Using SimpleTexting’s Mobile Sign-Up Widget to advertise a 10% discount, Toroe Eyewear generated an extra $7,028 in store revenue in a month. That’s a 156x return on its text marketing channel.

Read their success story
Image for Life is Beautiful Switched to SimpleTexting and Increased Deliverability by 366%
Entertainment /Events

Life is Beautiful Switched to SimpleTexting and Increased Deliverability by 366%

Life is Beautiful is a 3-day music festival hosted in Downtown Las Vegas. Find out how SimpleTexting helps them reach more fans, sell more tickets, and grow their SMS efforts.

Read their success story
Image for How Delta Sonic Got More Than 50,000 Text Subscribers
Professional Services

How Delta Sonic Got More Than 50,000 Text Subscribers

With a text marketing club nearly two years old, Delta Sonic communicates with thousands of their customers each week to promote deals and share important updates.

Read their success story

More Success Stories

Frequently Asked Questions About Getting a Text-Enabled Number

Below is a list of frequently asked questions regarding our virtual SMS mobile numbers.

Do you offer virtual phone numbers for SMS outside of the US and Canada?
At this time, we only support the U.S., Canada, and some mobile carriers in the Caribbean. Within these countries, we offer a complete range of phone number types to choose from.
Yes you can. Once an 800 number (toll-free number) is text-enabled, it can receive and send text messages. You can learn more about using toll-free phone numbers for text messaging here.
Plans begin at $29/mo for 500 SMS messages, and we never charge for incoming SMS messages. All you pay for is outgoing texts.
If you plan on sending text blasts, then you’ll need a dedicated virtual SMS number. This is because your phone’s default messaging app only lets you text around 10 people at once (and doesn’t provide the legally required ability to opt out of your messages).
Not only are virtual phone numbers convenient and inexpensive, but they are also extremely safe. Businesses of all sizes that need to reliably deliver messages trust our platform to send them securely.

Still Not Convinced? Read Reviews About Our Virtual SMS Numbers

Hear what our customers have to say about us.

Get a Virtual SMS Number Today

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Published: September 28th 2023