Look – I’ve got a new business phone number!
But – the process of getting that number without spending £££’s HAS driven me totally “aaaaarrrrgh”. To save from that pain I’ll talk you though how I managed to get a second phone line, on a NICE number, with no second handset, for the grand total of………….. £10.99! ?
NB: This is what I did to get a number on 3 network. If you want to use a different network much of the process will be the same though.
Step 1: You need a phone that can have more than one sim. My phone is an old iPhone 11 which can take a physical SIM and an eSIM. So I can have my personal number on the physical SIM (as usual), and add an eSIM that will be the business phone number.
Step 2. How to get a NICE number. Nobody wants a jumble of numbers for their business phone number, surely. Maybe it’s just me who has a thing about nice numbers… I wanted a number I like. And stand a chance of remembering. I asked in the local 3 shop if I could pick a pay as you go SIM with a nice number and they said “No ?”. Apparently most new SIM cards are in sealed packets so the number isn’t visible. But they told me older PAYG SIM cards still have the number on the back.
So I headed out to find some older SIM cards. This wasn’t hard. Our local Tesco has tons at the checkouts. With the phone number on the back of every packet. So (feeling a bit surreptitious) I made my way along the checkouts, taking a hand full of SIMs from each one and checking out the phone number on the back until I foundone I like; 07399 040833.
Note – You can switch the number onto another network so don’t worry about what network the SIM is on, just find a number you like.
Step 3: (If the number is on the network you want you can skip this.) You need to get what’s called a PAC code to switch the number over to another network. (Mine was on EE so I had to switch it to 3).
To get a PAC code:
Put the new SIM into a phone. If you can get your hands on a second handset at this point then do so, otherwise you’ll have to do what I did and keep popping SIM cards into/out of your phone.
Text – PAC to 65075.
You should get a message back with a code. (My code was 9 digits long, a mix of numbers and letters and valid for a month). You might have to buy some pay as you go credit to get that SIM to work but my SIM on EE didn’t require that.
Now you have the get-go to switch that number over to the new network.
Step 4: Download the 3 app, put in your details and get that as set up as you can.
Step 5: You now need another SIM card that is on your preferred network, so I needed a 3 SIM too. I popped into my local 3 shop, and was very lucky that they had a few free SIMS and could give me one, no cost. They did say they only had those SIMs as I live in such a sleepy little town they’d been left unused ? – you may need to get yourself another SIM on your preffered network, so perhaps factor that in when you’re on your number hunt and get both SIMs then.
So I’m at the 3 shop, 2 SIMs in hand, and it’s now over to the 3 staff. They will do what needs to happen to switch the nice number over to their network. They filled some stuff in, said it’d take a couple of days (it was Friday, so held up by the weekend), and that I’d get a text. Took about 5 minutes. Put the EE/nice number SIM to one side. Keep the 3 SIM handy.
Step 6: A few days later – Get a text saying your number has switched ? The text will go to your NEW number, on your new network SIM. So unless that new SIM is in a phone you won’t get the message.
I had had to switch my phone back to my personal SIM, so after a couple of days wait I put in the 3 SIM back into my phone. I then got a string of messages from 3, telling me the number would switch tomorrow etc. So if you’ve got a second handset that you can put the 3 SIM in you’ll be kept up to date along the way and will have more of a clue as to what’s happening and when.
Step 7: Apply for an e-SIM. Head to the 3 app. Check your NEW number shows in there. Go to the ‘account’ tab, bottom right hand corner.
Go to ‘help’, and select ‘replace SIM’. Make sure you select ‘e-SIM’. Select ‘Replace SIM – New Phone’.
You’ll probably then get a text saying 3 have received your order and they’ll update you when your eSIM is ready to download. I didn’t get any updates… so I switched back to my personal SIM and got on with my day. Once you’ve asked for the eSIM the 3 SIM will stop working anyway.
(Note: I’m pretty sure I applied for the eSIM with the 3 SIM in the phone. Not sure if that’s crucial or not. I’m also mega forgetful so I could be remebering that wrong… I hope not!).
Step 8: Activate your eSIM. I didn’t do this immediately as thought I had to wait to hear the eSIM was ready… I think you can probably do this straight away. I didn’t ever get any email or notification regarding the eSIM.
With your personal SIM in the phone, open the 3 app. Go back to ‘account’, ‘help’. In that help tab there should be ‘Activate SIM’. Select that and it should give you instructions and a code to get your eSIM up and working. Simple and takes a minute or so… Hopefully you’ve now got two working phone numbers!
Step 9: Top up your new business account with some credit. You can do this in the 3 app, very simply. The app will try and encourage you to go on a rolling monthy deal called a data pack, they’re good value but I wanted cheapest option so I didn’t pick that. So check that you’re buying PAYG credit and NOT a data pack. Now I’m registered on PAYG I can’t see the same options but I did have to have a little bit of a hunt through to make sure I wasn’t going onto data pack.
Important notes: 1) The charges on PAYG are FIERCE. You’ll find the costs per call/message in the app or online. If you need to use the business line to make many calls of messages a data pack may well be better for you.
2) Your PAYG deal will get cut off if you don’t use it of 6 months. So you need to make a call at least once within every 6 month time period. I figure I’ll have switched to a monthly data plan before then anyway, right now I just need the numebr up and running so my personal number isn’t all over the internet on my business listings. Keep an eye on the 6 month thing though.
Step 10: Make sure your phone settings are correct. On an iPhone: Settings, Mobile Service. Head there…
You should see the options for ‘Mobile Data’. Make sure your Personal line is selected, or that it’s turned off. Also check ‘Data Switching’ is turned off.
Scroll down… Select the default Voice Line. Set that to ‘Personal” too.
Below that you should now see 2 SIMS, a tab each for personal and business lines. Pop into the Business tab and make sure the line is turned on and Data Roaming is turned off.
Double check all that and make sure you have all your settings right. Treble check so you’re sure you’re not going to accidentally rinse up all your new business PAYG credit…
Step 11: (Nearly done!) Grab another phone or a person with a phone. Give them your business number and get them to call it… it should RING!! Answer… it’s free to take calls. Call them back BUT make sure they don’t answer the call or you’ll pay for it… Get them to message you… again don’t reply unless you want to pay for that message!
HOORAAAYYY – if all that has worked you’ve now got two seperate phone lines – both a business and a personal number!
Optional step 12: Download WhatsApp Business. Set that up on your new business number.
If you’re already using WhatsApp business on your personal number you’ll need to 1) Download regular WhatsApp and switch your personal account to that, make sure that has happened and works ok. Then 2) download the WhatsApp business app and set that up on your new number.
PHEW! This turned out to be an epic post. Is it helpful? If you follow it did it work ok for you? Let me know! If it doesn’t work for you let’s try and work out what went wrong and if I need to change this.
As always – please share. And if you find it useful come subscribe to my mailing list, join me on Facebook, join the Facebook group.