How to get a US phone number in Australia

To reach US customers from the Land Down Under, you’ll likely need more than an Australian landline number. That’s because many Americans often hesitate to answer international numbers. And to avoid long-distance fees, they might feel better about competitors with US area codes.

A US virtual phone number can help you operate in the States from anywhere in Australia, from Queensland to Melbourne. That way, you can compete locally, build trust, and win more business in the US.

In this guide, you’ll see how to get a US phone number in Australia in three steps. You’ll also learn how a leading business phone system can get you up and running in 15 minutes or less.

Why should you get a US phone number in Australia?

A US phone number in Australia can help you:

• Compete with US-based businesses. A US phone number helps you appear local to American clients. That way, you build trust with them and improve answer rates. This makes it easier to compete with other local businesses, since you’ll look like a competitor rather than an offshore supplier.
• Test the US market without setting up a US entity. Use your US number to find prospects, support customers, and close deals in America without leaving Australia. That way, you can validate demand and evaluate the market before committing to a US office.
• Make your marketing trustworthy. Running Google Ads in New York, Texas, or California? Match your campaigns with local area codes to build trust with your target audience.
• Manage time zone differences. The US is anywhere between 14 and 18 hours behind Australia, so you can’t always be around to pick up the phone. But with a dedicated US number, you can automatically route calls to a virtual assistant or set up after-hours handling. This lets you take advantage of potential opportunities without disrupting your sleep schedule.
• Monitor Australian vs US revenue streams. Use separate numbers for US and Canadian callers to easily track performance. That way, you can check how each market is performing. You’ll be able to make informed decisions based on data, such as call volume and busiest times by day and hour.

How to get a US phone number anywhere in Australia

Get a US phone number in Australia in minutes

Try for free

It’s easy to get a US phone number in Australia with a business phone system like Quo. All you need is a computer, cell phone, or tablet, and a WiFi connection to get started in 15 minutes or less.

Here’s how:

1. Sign up for a Quo account and try out the platform for free for seven days.
2. Choose a specific phone number by picking a US city or area code. Or you can purchase North American toll-free or Canadian phone numbers if you’re building a presence across multiple regions.

3. Download the desktop or mobile app or open the web app to start making phone calls from your new US phone number. 

Now you don’t need an international calling plan or a Verizon eSIM to contact American customers.

Check out this video for a sneak peek of how to create a Quo account:

3 Types of US phone numbers you can get in Australia

Below are the three main types of US phone numbers you can have.

Types of US phone numbers at a glance

First, here’s a comparison of the different number types you can get in Australia:

Expansion stage	Primary goal	Best number type	Example US number	Why
Building a presence in one US city	Validating demand, serving local customers	Local	212-555-1234	Builds trust quickly
Selling across multiple states	Scaling operations	Toll-free	833-555-1024	You want a number that’s easy for others to dial across North Americas
Investing in US marketing	Brand growth	Vanity	1-800-FLOWERS	Makes campaigns more profitable since the US number is more memorable

1. Local US phone numbers

Local numbers have three-digit local area codes tied to specific US cities or states. For example, many phone numbers in New York City start with 212 or 917.

These business phone numbers look familiar to locals, making them more likely to pick up the phone. They also let you create a local presence in multiple states or cities, even without physical offices.

2. Toll-free US phone numbers

Toll-free numbers aren’t tied to specific locations. Instead, they begin with three-digit toll-free prefixes like 800 and 888.

That way, callers in the US, Canada, or other countries and territories that are part of the NANP can reach you without paying long-distance fees. The business that owns the toll-free number typically covers the cost, though the exact pricing depends on your provider. With Quo, incoming toll-free calls don’t come with additional charges.

They also help you serve customers across multiple US states with a single, national number rather than several local numbers.

3. Vanity US phone numbers

Vanity numbers function like toll-free numbers. But rather than just a string of random digits, they spell out a word or phrase. You’re likely familiar with famous examples like 1-800-MATTRESS.

Vanity numbers work best when running US marketing campaigns. With them, prospects don’t need to memorize unfamiliar Australian telephone numbers. They just need to remember a word or phrase, like 1-800-CONTACTS.

Here’s what one international founder said about using Quo to set up a US number for their business:

“I’ve been using Quo for my US business setup, and it has been extremely reliable and easy to use. Call quality is excellent, the app works smoothly on desktop and mobile, and the pricing is very fair. As an international founder, having a stable US phone number with voicemail, SMS, and call forwarding has been essential. Setup was quick, and support has been responsive whenever I had a question. I can definitely recommend Quo.” — Trustpilot

5 Key reasons Australian businesses expanding to the US go with Quo

While there are many ways to get local US and toll-free numbers, not all providers are built alike. VoIP phone plans with scalable features and flexible pricing can help make the most of your new phone number. For many growing businesses, the best option is Quo.

Here are five reasons why Australian businesses rate Quo as one of the best US virtual phone number providers:

1. Work together as a team

With Quo, you can turn any phone number — local US, Canadian, or North American toll-free, or vanity — into a shared number. This lets multiple people on your team use the same inbox to share responsibility for answering calls and texts. It also automatically routes incoming calls based on business hours and team member availability.

Shared numbers also let anyone step into conversations with full context. For example, all calls, texts, and voicemails live in individual contact threads. Even if someone else handled the last reply, another team member can pick up where they left off. They can also ask questions and assign tasks to coworkers using internal threads.

2. Make unlimited calls and send unlimited texts in the US from Australia

Expanding into the US usually means more texts and higher call volumes. But if your pipeline grows from 20 leads a week to 200, you shouldn’t have to upgrade your plan just to keep conversations going.

That’s why every Quo plan includes unlimited US calling and messaging, even from Australia. We also support international calling and texting with transparent local rates posted on our website.

Quo also supports MMS messaging so you can send quotes, photos, and other documents to US customers. Customers can then send media back — like screenshots or signed contracts.

3. Save time on repeat text messages when managing US customers

With the time zone difference between the US and Australia, you’ll likely have inquiries come in while your team is offline. Thankfully, texting automations can help you respond quickly without hiring US-based staff.

For example, you can set up:

• Scheduled messages: Write texts in advance and schedule them using the recipients’ area codes so they send during their business hours. This ensures you’re not texting New York-based prospects at 10 p.m. the previous day, just because it’s 2 p.m. in Sydney.
• Snippets: Save pre-written replies your team can use to answer common questions. That way, you can quickly respond to US leads without typing the same thing over and over.
• Auto-replies: Automatically respond to missed calls, texts, and voicemails. You can also set custom messages both during and after business hours. This can help you acknowledge new US inquiries quickly. Plus, it helps set expectations about when you’ll follow up.
• Zapier and Make: Create custom workflows that trigger SMS text messages. For example, you might send an appointment confirmation text after someone books an appointment on a scheduling app.

4. Work from anywhere while supporting US customers

As long as you have an internet connection, you can use Quo as a second phone number for business on existing devices. You can easily keep personal and business calls separate without carrying two phones. This means you’ll know when you’re getting a call from loved ones in Australia versus a client from California — and answer appropriately.

Quo also syncs your full call and message history across multiple devices. This makes it easy to pick up conversations wherever you left off. Just download our Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, or browser apps. Then, make calls from your computer, tablet, or phone with an internet connection.

5. Never miss a call from the US

With a 14- to 16-hour gap between Australia and the US, you can’t always be available to pick up the phone. But you can use Sona, Quo’s AI voice agent, to answer calls 24/7.

Sona can take messages, respond to common questions, and transfer calls to the right rep or department. It can also send SMS messages while on live calls. This message can include:

• Scheduling links
• Forms
• Directions from Google Maps
• Addresses

Get started with a US number in Australia with Quo 

A US virtual phone number for your Australian business makes it easier to look professional to US customers. It can also help you avoid the headaches of traditional phone systems, like pricey mobile numbers or landlines.

Quo allows you to purchase as many local US, Canadian, and North American toll-free or vanity numbers as you need. Plus, it only takes minutes to share them with your team. That way, everyone can collaborate to help solve customer issues. 

Each plan also comes with texting automations, unlimited minutes in the US and Canada, and the option to set up Quo’s Sona in 15 minutes or less.

Get started with our seven-day free trial and set up a new US number from Australia today.

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