> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ouraicalling.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Buying phone numbers

> Search, buy, and manage numbers through the platform marketplace

The platform includes a **number marketplace**: search available numbers by country and type, buy them in a click, and they are routed to your account's telephony automatically — no carrier account needed.

## How buying works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Search">
    Go to **Phone numbers → Buy number**, pick a country and number type (local, mobile, toll-free — availability varies by country).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete regulatory requirements (if any)">
    Many countries legally require identity or address verification before a number can be activated — see below.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Buy">
    The monthly price and any setup fee are shown up front. Complete the secure checkout. The number remains pending and cannot receive or place calls until payment is confirmed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Payment-confirmed activation">
    A verified payment event provisions routing and activates the number. Failed, expired, or unpaid purchases automatically release the held number and grant no call access.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Assign an assistant">
    Point the number at an assistant — inbound calls are answered from that second on. The same number can be used as outbound caller ID.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Country availability & pricing

Which countries you can buy in, and the **monthly price per number**, are configured by the platform operator. Prices differ per country and number type and are billed monthly to your account.

## Regulatory bundles

Numbers in many jurisdictions require a **regulatory bundle** — verified identity and often a local address — before you can buy the number. Bundle requirements are **country- and number-type-specific** (for example Germany local usually needs a bundle; Germany mobile may not). The platform detects this automatically for each country and number type.

**Regulatory verification runs through the platform telephony provider.** After approval, numbers become available for purchase and are attached for SIP trunking / call routing.

### How to verify

1. Open **Settings → Verification** (or **Buy a number → Custom number / Submit verification**).
2. The country list includes **all countries that require a regulatory bundle**, including countries where marketplace purchase is not currently enabled (`GET /api/telephony/verification/catalog` or public `GET /api/v1/phone-numbers/verifications/catalog`).
3. Choose country, number type, and end-user type (business or individual). The form fields and accepted documents are loaded **for that combination** from the live regulation catalog.
4. Submit the case. Status updates appear on the Verification page (`pending review` → `approved` / `rejected`). If rejected, submit a **new** case with corrected details.
5. After approval, marketplace search/purchase for that country and type is unlocked for the workspace.

You can also:

* List catalog / cases via the public API (`/api/v1/phone-numbers/verifications`, `/api/v1/phone-numbers/verifications/catalog`)
* Use MCP tools `list_verification_catalog`, `list_number_verifications`, `submit_number_verification`, `get_number_verification`

Platform admins can refresh per-type bundle flags in **Admin → Telephony**.

<Note>
  Plan ahead for regulated countries: review often takes a few business days (varies by country and document quality).
</Note>

## Outbound SMS

SMS-capable numbers (marketplace mobile numbers, or Twilio-imported numbers with SMS capability) can send outbound SMS through the platform after you enable **Allow outbound SMS** on the number’s SMS tab.

* **Marketplace numbers:** SMS credits include the platform fee plus carrier pass-through.
* **Twilio BYOC import:** SMS credits charge only the platform fee; Twilio carrier cost is billed on your Twilio account. For US 10DLC → US traffic, the number must be registered with an approved A2P 10DLC campaign in Twilio.

Public API: `POST /api/v1/sms/send`. MCP: `send_sms`.

## Complimentary (plan free) numbers

Some platform plans include a limited number of free marketplace numbers for selected countries. Those numbers are activated without Stripe checkout. If the workspace plan is **canceled** or payment fails (`past_due` / account suspended), complimentary numbers are **released** automatically. Paid marketplace numbers with their own subscription are unaffected.

Manual release of a complimentary number is **immediate** (provider number returned; cannot be restored).

## Releasing a paid marketplace number

Paid marketplace numbers have their own Stripe subscription. When you release one:

1. Stripe is set to **cancel at period end** (no further renewals).
2. The number **stays fully usable** (inbound/outbound) until that period end.
3. At period end, Twilio releases the number and the row becomes `status=released`.

Complimentary / unpaid / failed purchases are still released immediately.

## Number limits

The number of phone numbers on your account is a plan limit (`max_own_numbers`).

## Carrier costs on calls

Besides the monthly number fee, each call minute carries a **carrier cost depending on the destination country**, charged against your minute balance on top of the plan minute. See [How minutes are billed](/billing/minutes).

## Bring your own numbers instead

If you already own numbers at a SIP provider, connect them via a [BYO SIP trunk](/telephony/sip-trunks) — no porting required.