What is the difference between a Virtual number and a Display Number?

What is the difference between a Virtual number and a Display Number?


A virtual number is a cloud-hosted line that routes calls and tracks activity. A display number is simply the caller-ID you show people; it can be a virtual number, your main office line, or any number you own.

Table of contents

  1. Quick comparison
  2. What is a virtual number?
  3. What is a display number?
  4. Choosing the right setup
  5. How to configure in <Your Portal>
  6. Edge cases & limitations
  7. Troubleshooting
  8. FAQ

1 · Quick comparison

Feature

Virtual Number

Display Number

Primary role

Call routing & analytics

Caller-ID branding

Where it lives

Cloud PBX / SIP trunk

Caller-ID header

Caller cost

Local or toll-free rate

N/A (presentation only)

Can you earn revenue?

No

No

Key features

Forwarding · IVR · Recording

Customizable outbound ID

Typical users

Multi-site support, remote agents

Sales reps, brand hotlines

2 · What is a virtual number?

A virtual number is a phone number that isn’t bound to a single SIM or copper line.
Instead, it lives in the cloud and forwards calls to one or more destinations you choose—mobile, desk phone, or VoIP.

Why teams use it

  • Centralize inbound calls from multiple countries
  • Build IVRs or time-of-day routing without hardware
  • Capture call recordings and analytics in one dashboard
Cost to caller: Same as calling any standard local/toll-free number
Cost to you: Monthly line fee + per-minute usage

3 · What is a display number?

A display number (sometimes called CLI or outbound caller-ID) is the number that appears on the recipient’s screen when you place a call.

  • It can be any number you verify—virtual, geographic, toll-free, or even your mobile.
  • It carries no routing logic of its own; it is only a visual identifier.
  • Customizing the display number boosts answer rates because recipients immediately recognize your brand or local area code.
Important: Changing your display number does not affect where return calls are delivered unless you also update your virtual number routing.

4 · Choosing the right setup

Goal

Recommended mix

Track marketing campaigns

Buy one virtual number per campaign and set that number as the display ID on outbound follow-ups.

Boost pickup rates in a region

Keep your existing virtual number for routing, but set a local geographic number as the display ID.

Mask employee mobiles

Leave agents’ mobiles private; assign a single virtual number for routing, and set that same number as the display ID.

5 · How to configure in

Prerequisites

  • Admin role in the portal
  • At least one purchased virtual number
  • A number you own and can verify (for display)

Steps—set up a virtual number

  1. Numbers → Buy → choose country & prefix → Add
  2. Destinations → Add your team’s devices or SIP URIs
  3. Routing Rules → pick time-of-day or round-robin
  4. Click Save → Status: Active appears in ~30 s

Steps—customize your display number

  1. Outbound Caller-ID → Verify New Number
  2. Enter the number, click Send Code, and input the 6-digit PIN you receive
  3. Toggle Set as Default Display ID
  4. Place a test call—recipients should now see the new ID

Success check: Dial your virtual number from an external phone; calls should land on the correct agent, and your chosen display number should appear when that agent calls back.

6 · Edge cases & limitations

  • Some carriers block anonymous or unverified display numbers.
  • Display numbers must follow E.164 format in most regions.
  • Emergency services ignore custom display IDs and transmit the registered address of the originating trunk.

7 · Troubleshooting

Symptom

Likely cause

Fix

Recipient sees “Unknown”

Display number not verified

Re-run verification or use a portal-purchased number

Calls route to wrong agent

Outdated forwarding rule

Check Numbers → Routing and update

Display ID shows your SIP trunk

CLI override disabled by carrier

Open a ticket; we’ll submit a carrier override form

8 · FAQ

Q: Can one line act as both virtual and display number?
A: Yes—most customers simply show the same virtual number as their caller-ID.

Q: Does changing my display number affect SMS?
A: No. SMS uses the sending number, which must be a virtual or long code you control.

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