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

# Phone numbers

> How to request one, what it costs, and how it's billed

For an agent to **place or receive calls**, or send **SMS**, it needs a phone number assigned to it.

<Note>
  **WhatsApp** numbers work differently: you don't request them from Dialtu. You connect your own WhatsApp Business account under **Settings → WhatsApp Business**, and Meta bills you for those conversations directly. See [Connect your WhatsApp Business account](/en/channels/whatsapp/connect).
</Note>

## How to request one

<Warning>
  **Numbers are not purchased from the platform.** There's no self-serve screen — they're provisioned by the Dialtu team.
</Warning>

Write to [**support@dialtu.com**](mailto:support@dialtu.com) — or use the support channel that comes with your plan — telling us:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Country and city">
    The area code you need. Availability and price vary a lot between countries.
  </Step>

  <Step title="What you'll use it for">
    Voice only, SMS only, or both. This determines the carrier and the type of number.
  </Step>

  <Step title="How many numbers">
    If you're splitting campaigns or separating teams, say so up front.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Once the number is ready it appears in the platform and you can **assign it to an agent** from the agent editor.

## Carriers

| Channel   | Carriers                                   |
| --------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| **Voice** | Telnyx or Twilio, depending on the country |
| **SMS**   | Twilio                                     |

Dialtu picks the carrier based on the country and the capabilities you need. It isn't something you configure.

## What a number costs

A number has up to three costs, all in credits:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Monthly fee" icon="calendar">
    Charged **every month** for as long as the number stays active. The amount depends on the country and carrier — a US number costs considerably less than a Colombian one.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Setup fee (one-off)" icon="receipt">
    Some countries charge a one-time fee when the number is set up. It's charged **once only**, together with the first monthly fee.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Per-minute and per-message cost" icon="clock">
    Every call adds the carrier's cost **on top of** the AI model's cost, and every SMS adds a per-message cost.

    **Inbound and outbound rates differ**, and not always in the same direction: in some countries receiving is cheaper than calling, in others it's the reverse.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### About the prices

<Warning>
  **Telephony rates are pass-through: we charge you what the carrier charges us.** That means they **change when Twilio or Telnyx change their pricing**, without advance notice from us.

  Any telephony price table on our site is **indicative**. The real reference is the carrier's published rates:

  * [Twilio pricing](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/pricing)
  * [Telnyx pricing](https://telnyx.com/pricing)

  If you need an exact figure for a specific country before committing, ask support and we'll confirm it at the current rate.
</Warning>

## How it's billed

<Steps>
  <Step title="Charged from your credits" icon="coins">
    The fee is **deducted directly from the account's credit balance**. It isn't a separate invoice or an extra charge to your card.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The first charge is almost immediate" icon="bolt">
    It's taken on the next billing pass, which runs **once a day**. In practice, within 24 hours of the number being set up.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Then every month" icon="rotate">
    From there it's charged **on the same day each month**, on the anniversary of the setup date. If that day doesn't exist in a given month (the 31st, say), it's charged on the last day of that month.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  **There's no proration.** Every charge is for a full month, the first one included.
</Note>

### If you don't have enough balance

The fee **is charged anyway** and the balance goes negative. From there:

* If you have **auto-refill** on, it triggers a charge to your payment method.
* If not, the balance stays negative until you buy credits, and the debt is settled automatically as soon as they arrive.

<Check>
  **The number isn't suspended or lost** because you ran out of balance. It stays yours and keeps working; what gets blocked are the operations checked up front, like outbound calls.
</Check>

## Releasing a number

<Warning>
  **Cancelling also goes through support.** There's no button to release a number from the platform.
</Warning>

Write to [**support@dialtu.com**](mailto:support@dialtu.com), or use your plan's support channel, asking to release the number. When it's released:

* The monthly fee stops.
* Any agents it was assigned to **stop receiving and placing calls** on it. Reassign those agents to another number before requesting the release if you don't want a gap in service.
* The number goes back to the carrier and generally **cannot be recovered** once released.

<Tip>
  If you only want to stop using it temporarily, don't release it: unassign it from the agent and keep it. You'll keep paying the fee, but you keep the number.
</Tip>

## Country availability

Today Dialtu operates mainly with **United States** and **Colombia** numbers. Other countries are possible but need confirming case by case — availability, price and regulatory requirements vary considerably.

<Note>
  Some countries require **regulatory documentation** — identity, a local address, proof of intended use — before a number can be activated. That process can take several days and support handles it with you.
</Note>

## Next step

<Card title="Credits" icon="coins" href="/en/getting-started/credits">
  How credits work, what consumes them, and how to buy more.
</Card>