Nothing creates a sense of camaraderie quite like matching area codes. Local phone numbers are familiar and help businesses inspire instant trust. In fact, only 45% of Canadians sometimes answer their phones, but when people pick up, it’s usually for local calls.
So, if your brand serves Canadian clients, what’s better than having a Canadian phone number (or a few) to attract more locals to your business? 🍁
Getting a local area code — not just a country code — is 100% possible for companies outside of Canada, including remote and dispersed teams. There’s no need to move across borders just to get the business phone number you want.
With a VoIP phone system, you can access a Canadian number and all its perks within minutes, no matter where you’re at.
Keep reading to learn why you should get a Canadian phone number and how to do so.
How to get a VoIP Canadian phone number wherever you live
When you’re working from abroad, you can’t get a Canadian number through your typical phone carrier — but that doesn’t mean accessing local numbers has to be any harder. The best way to get a Canadian phone number is through a VoIP phone service, which can give you virtual phone numbers from any country it supports.
All you need is a mobile phone, tablet, or computer to use your new number.
VoIP services can actually reduce the hassle of setting up a business phone since setup takes minutes. Here are the two simple steps you need to take to get a Canadian phone number.
1. Choose the right VoIP provider
Not every VoIP provider supports Canadian numbers. If you’re in need of a brand-new number, double check that your VoIP service offers local telephone numbers with your desired three-digit Canadian area codes. OpenPhone, for example, supports local numbers for most major cities in all 10 Canadian provinces:
| Canadian province or territory | Area code |
|---|---|
| Alberta | 368, 587, 780, 825, 403 |
| British Columbia | 236, 250, 257, 672, 778, 604 |
| Manitoba | 204, 431, 584 |
| New Brunswick | 428, 506 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 709, 879 |
| Nova Scotia | 782, 902 |
| Ontario | 807, 249, 683, 705, 226, 382, 519, 548, 289, 365, 742, 905, 343, 613, 753 416, 437, 647, 942 (Toronto) |
| Prince Edward Island | 782, 902 |
| Quebec | 468, 819, 873, 367, 418, 581, 354, 450, 579 263, 438, 514 (Montreal) |
| Saskatchewan | 306, 474, 639 |
If you have an existing Canadian phone number but are moving to another country, you may want to keep your current number to avoid confusing your customers or maintain your brand. In this case, you’ll want to seek a VoIP service that supports phone number porting from the type of device your Canadian number is currently linked to (for example, a landline phone or cellphone).
Be on the lookout for any porting costs, as some services charge pricey hidden fees. With OpenPhone, you can easily make the switch from any device or VoIP service for free.
2. Set up your virtual phone number
Once you select your ideal Canadian VoIP provider, the next step is signing up and setting up your virtual number. This process can take as little as a few minutes and is usually straightforward.
If you select OpenPhone as your provider, you’ll follow these three simple steps to get a local Canadian phone number:
- Create an OpenPhone account — when you sign up you can try OpenPhone free for seven days.
- During signup, select your city or area code in Canada to pick your local phone number.
- Complete the signup process, and the Canadian number you selected is yours!
If you want to port an existing Canadian phone number to OpenPhone, all you need to do is fill out a one-minute porting form in the OpenPhone app after signing up, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Your virtual phone number will be linked to your VoIP account, so you can manage calls and texts from any device that your VoIP phone system supports.
Why OpenPhone is the best option for a virtual Canadian phone number
Choosing the best VoIP service for your business can be the most challenging part of getting a Canadian number. To save you some time, we recommend OpenPhone to support your Canadian phone number as well as all your business calling and SMS needs.
Whether you’re seeking a number with a Toronto or Montreal area code, or somewhere else in Canada, our platform will provide the following six key perks. (These perks are also available when you get a US phone number from OpenPhone!)
1. Reliability
OpenPhone is a modern business phone system built for startups, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. Phone communication is likely a vital part of your business operations. You can feel confident moving forward using OpenPhone and not having to worry about your phone system going down.
See our status page and uptime reporting and you’ll see we have over 99% uptime.
2. Cross-device support
OpenPhone doesn’t just support Canadian phone numbers. It also allows you to make calls on practically any internet-enabled device. We offer desktop, browser, and mobile apps, so you can conveniently manage calls and texts from your office computer or take your work on the go.
3. Easy global calling
Need to make calls or send texts outside of Canada? OpenPhone makes international calls as easy as pie. For instance, let’s say your phone number is local to Calgary. You can still manage unlimited calls, SMS messages, and MMS messages to and from anywhere in Canada and the US. Connecting with toll-free numbers is also free.
For all other international calls, OpenPhone offers affordable rates.
4. Shared phone numbers
Want to direct all your Canadian sales or support calls to one phone number? No problem. Even if you have a fully remote company, OpenPhone allows your team members to share phone numbers and collaborate on calls and texts. You’ll be able to build a call center from wherever you are.
5. Affordable pricing
OpenPhone offers some of the most affordable rates in the VoIP industry. Plans start at $15 per user per month.
6. Advanced features
OpenPhone isn’t just your basic calling and texting app. Once your Canadian phone number is all set up, you can use our platform to access a number of features, including these standard ones that are included in every plan:
- Call recording
- Integrations (email, Slack, Zapier)
- Voicemail transcriptions
- Customer support
OpenPhone also offers features like VoIP call forwarding and analytics (on our Business plan) that can help you improve your phone-based interactions with Canadian clients. 🙌
Why you need a Canadian phone number
Any company that works with Canadian customers should consider getting a Canadian phone number. A local number comes with a slew of benefits, including the three listed below.
1. More answered calls
Struggling to get Canadian leads or clients to pick up the phone? 📞 Your country calling code or area code might be the issue. People are often hesitant to pick up unknown numbers — especially if they’re coming in from abroad — to avoid fees and unfamiliar callers.
A Canadian phone number will help you get through, rather than get sent to voicemail.
2. Greater legitimacy
If you have international clients, offering local numbers in each country (including Canada) shows that you officially service customers in the area. For example, if you own a virtual consultation service based in Egypt, it’s unlikely that clients in Canada will go out of their way to reach out to you if you only have an Egyptian number. Even if your website copy targets them, Canadian clients will want to avoid fees and a potential scam.
If your Egyptian company has a Canadian number, it’ll appear like your brand has an official Canadian branch, instantly boosting trust.
3. No long-distance fees
Say goodbye to long-distance fees. 👋
Local numbers allow you to call and text Canadian clients without getting charged any extra fees. Your actual location will no longer matter. Even when you’re technically making international calls, you won’t face long-distance pricing. OpenPhone offers unlimited calling to Canada and the US.
4. Better relationship-building
Toll-free numbers for Canada are an alternative to Canadian numbers that ensure your US and Canadian customers never face long-distance fees. However, they’re not quite as personal as a local phone number. When dialing 800, 888, or a similar toll-free code, clients know they’re about to chat with a commercial brand, which takes away from the humanity of an interaction. And if you’re reaching out to clients or leads, they might ignore your incoming calls thinking you’re a telemarketer or a robocaller.
For clients, calling or texting a Canadian phone number feels much more natural. They’ll feel like they’re actually chatting with an individual, instead of a rep at a large call center.
Get the Canadian phone number you need
Canadian phone numbers are highly beneficial for any brand with clients in Canada. It helps you develop a trustworthy brand image while avoiding long-distance fees. Using a VoIP service like OpenPhone, you can access a Canadian phone number no matter where in the world you actually are.
Try out OpenPhone for free to experience its perks for Canadian-facing businesses and remote teams.
FAQ
Depending on your phone provider, you’ll be paying $15-plus per month to use a Canadian phone number, and some may charge $0.01-$1 per minute extra for international calls. With OpenPhone, there are no hidden fees – just a flat rate to contact customers in and outside of Canada.
No, there are no porting costs when you switch your Canadian number from any device or VoIP service.
OpenPhone offers affordable rates, cross-device support, and easy global calling. We provide an extensive list of features that will help you improve your remote business’s performance.
You can even bring onboard new team members without worrying about long-distance charges for calls to the US or Canada.
If you’re based outside of Canada and looking to reach folks in that country, you need a Canadian phone number. People are more likely to answer a call based on an area code they recognize. Canadian numbers also help boost brand trust and credibility while cutting long-distance fees for your US, Canadian, or global clients.
A VoIP Canada number is a virtual phone number you can use to call and text from almost anywhere else. Whether in Montreal or Madrid, you can access your virtual phone number from your VoIP provider’s app.
There are three main types of phone numbers in Canada you can get, including:
Local Canadian: These are related to a specific city or area, such as (807) XXX-XXXX for Ontario or (263) XXX-XXXX for Montreal.
Toll-free Canadian numbers: These allow customers to call you without pricey international calling fees. The most well-known prefix is 800, but you can also use a specific toll-free area code, such as 833 or 844.
Vanity numbers: These spell out a word or phrase, such as 1-800-MATTRESS, and make it easier for customers to remember your number. They can be either toll-free or local numbers.
Canada’s country code is +1 or 001.
A local Canadian phone number for someone in Toronto, for example, would look like +1 (416) 555-1212.
Canadian phone numbers look similar to US numbers in that they have a +1 country code, or 011 if you’re calling from a landline number, followed by a three-digit area code, and a seven-digit number. It should look like this: +1 (XXX) XXX-XXXX.
