Virtual Phone Numbers in Australia: How They Work and Which to Choose

Virtual phone number: the short answer

A virtual phone number is a real Australian phone number that isn't tied to one handset, SIM card or phone line at your premises. It sits with a provider in the cloud, and when someone calls it, the call goes wherever you've told it to go: your mobile, a laptop or desk-phone app, a colleague, voicemail, an answering service or an AI receptionist. You change where it rings in an app or online portal.

For a small business, that means a professional number customers recognise (a local 02, 03, 07 or 08 number, a 1300 or 1800 number, or a mobile-style 04 number) without being stuck to one desk, one phone or one suburb. Below: how they work, the number types, porting, and how to make sure calls actually get answered.

How a virtual phone number works

Callers dial your number the normal way and nothing feels different to them. Behind the scenes:

1. The call reaches your number provider's platform, usually a cloud phone system (also called hosted PBX or VoIP).
2. Your rules decide what happens next: ring one phone, ring several at once, play a short menu, follow your business hours, or forward the call to another number.
3. You answer on whichever device is set up, or the call moves to the after-hours option you chose.

The difference from a traditional landline is that the number and the phone are separate. You can move premises, work from home or hand the phones to someone else without changing the number on your website, van or Google Business Profile. If you're still choosing the phone system itself, our small business phone system guide compares cloud, landline and mobile-only set-ups.

Virtual number vs call forwarding

Call forwarding is a feature that moves calls from one number to another, and almost every phone has it. A virtual number is the number itself, built to be pointed somewhere. Many businesses use both. Our call forwarding guide explains the busy, no-answer and unreachable settings step by step.

Types of virtual phone numbers in Australia

The ACMA's guide to choosing your phone number lists the main types of phone numbers used in Australia. These are the ones that matter for a business number:

A little more on each:

• Local numbers (02, 03, 07, 08). A Sydney 02 or Brisbane 07 number tells callers you're local, and you can answer it from anywhere.
• 1300 and 13 numbers. These are local rate numbers. The ACMA's page on call charges from landlines notes telcos often charge a rate similar to a standard landline call, and not every plan includes them. Our 1300 number guide covers call costs, smartnumbers and routing in more detail.
• 1800 numbers. Freephone numbers. The same ACMA page notes they're usually free to call from a landline. The business generally carries the inbound call cost instead, so check your provider's inbound rates.
• Smartnumbers. Memorable 13, 1300 and 1800 numbers, like a pattern or a keypad word, sold through the ACMA.
• Mobile-style 04 numbers. Some providers offer virtual mobile numbers with no SIM; calls ring through an app. SMS support depends on the provider.

A detail most guides skip: your caller ID

If you ring customers back, check this first. The ACMA notes that 13, 1300 and 1800 numbers can't be used for CLI overstamping, which means displaying a chosen business number as your caller ID on outgoing calls. So a business with only a 1300 or 1800 number needs a local or mobile number to show when it calls out. A common set-up is a 1300 or 1800 number for inbound calls plus a local or 04 number for callbacks that customers recognise.

Which number type should you choose?

Start with where your customers are and how they like to reach you:

• One city or region: a local number for that area.
• Several states, or one national number: a 1300 number (or a shorter 13 number).
• Calling should cost the customer nothing: an 1800 number.
• On the road, and customers text: a virtual 04 number, which also keeps your personal mobile private.
• Unsure: start with a local number. You can add a 1300 or 1800 number later and point both at the same place.

Pick carefully: your number ends up on your website, quotes, vehicle and listings, and changing it later is far more work.

Keeping your existing number: porting

If customers already know your number, you probably don't need a new one. According to the ACMA's page on keeping or porting your phone number, you can usually port a local number (02, 03, 07 and 08), a mobile number (04, including prepaid) and a freephone (1800) or local rate (13 and 1300) number when you change providers.

What the ACMA page says to know before you start:

• Only active numbers can be ported. A disconnected number can't be ported, and a disconnected number goes into quarantine for 6 to 12 months. Don't cancel your old service before the port is finished.
• Check before you sign up. Your current telco must port the number when asked, but the new telco doesn't have to accept it.
• Expect identity checks. The new telco must get your permission and confirm you're the account holder, with an extra check for mobile ports.
• Timeframes differ. A mobile port usually takes about 3 hours. Individual local number ports are generally completed within 8 to 15 days, and more complex ports with more than one local number can take up to 30 days.
• Moving cities. Some telcos let you port an out-of-area local number, such as keeping a Melbourne 03 number after moving to Sydney.
• Fees. Your previous telco might charge a porting fee, and you still need to pay any final bills.

After the port completes, ring the number from another phone and check it lands where you expect.

Pairing a virtual number with an AI receptionist

A virtual number decides where calls go. It doesn't answer them. For most small businesses the real problem is the calls that ring out while you're on the tools, with a patient or driving. Many of those callers won't leave a voicemail; they ring the next business.

Because a virtual number is easy to point anywhere, you can send calls to an AI receptionist when you can't answer, or for every call after hours. Miyai answers in your business name, handles common questions from your approved business information, takes the caller's name, number and reason for calling, books appointments if you allow it, and sends you a summary straight away. Customers keep calling the same number they always have.

A typical set-up looks like this:

1. Business hours: the virtual number rings your mobile or office app first. Anything unanswered after about 15 to 20 seconds, and anyone calling while you're busy, goes to the AI receptionist.
2. After hours and weekends: a schedule sends every call straight to the AI receptionist. Our after hours phone answering service guide covers that use case in more depth.
3. Every call: you get the details in writing. Our message taking service guide covers what a good message should capture.

If your number plays a "press 1 for sales" menu, see IVR vs AI receptionist. Weighing human receptionists against AI? Our telephone answering service guide compares both. If voicemail stays as a last resort, these voicemail greeting examples help.

Miyai's Growth voice plan is $199 AUD/month, and website chat is $19 AUD/month, both paid through Stripe before access. Details are on pricing.

Who a virtual phone number suits

• Sole traders and tradies who want a business number separate from their personal mobile.
• Home-based businesses and remote teams who need one number that rings wherever people work.
• Businesses moving premises, so the number moves with them.
• Multi-site and national businesses routing one 1300 or 1800 number to the right team.
• New businesses wanting a professional number without installing phone lines.

One caution: if you rely on equipment connected to a traditional phone line, such as an older alarm or medical alert device, check with that equipment's supplier before moving the line.

Questions to ask a provider before you sign up

• Can I port my current number in, and is there a fee?
• Can calls forward to external numbers? You'll need that for an answering service or AI receptionist.
• Can I set business-hours schedules and a no-answer timer?
• What number shows when I call customers back, and do 04 numbers support SMS?
• What are the monthly, per-minute and inbound 1800 costs? Ask for the Critical Information Summary.
• Can I port my number out if I leave?

FAQ

What is a virtual phone number?

A phone number that isn't tied to one phone line, SIM or location. A cloud platform sends calls to your mobile, an app, a colleague or an answering service, based on rules you set.

Can I keep my existing number?

In most cases. The ACMA says local, mobile, 1800, 13 and 1300 numbers can usually be ported to a new provider, as long as the number is still active. Don't cancel the old service until the port is complete.

Is a 1300 number a virtual number?

In practice, yes. 1300 and 1800 numbers don't ring a phone directly. They point to an answer point you change in the provider's portal, often with time-of-day rules.

Can a virtual number receive texts?

It depends on the number type and provider. Some virtual 04 mobile numbers support SMS. If your customers like to text, confirm SMS support before you choose.

Can an AI receptionist answer calls to my virtual number?

Yes. You point the number, or a no-answer rule, at the AI receptionist the same way you'd forward to a person.

How much does a virtual phone number cost?

It varies by provider, number type and plan, so compare Critical Information Summaries rather than headline prices.

Next step

Choose the number type that matches your customers, port your existing number if they know it, and decide where calls go when you can't answer. If the honest answer is "voicemail", point those calls at an AI receptionist that answers every call in your business name. Get started when you're ready.