Tracking numbers

Each tracking number is rented one month at a time from your account balance. You’ll always see the monthly rate and renewal date on the quote before choosing Start tracking (per-minute call usage and incoming texts are deducted separately).

Where new numbers come from

NMC looks for tracking numbers near the phone number being replaced (your website phone number, your Google Business Profile phone number, or an older tracking number you’re replacing). When no existing number is being replaced, or when the existing number is toll-free, NMC matches near your forwarding number instead.

Because mobile phones display a caller ID’s town or city, NMC searches in this order:

1. The exact same town or rate center first.
2. Within 25 miles of that town.
3. Anywhere else covered by that area code.

By default, NMC picks an area code that has enough available numbers for your setup, starting with your existing phone’s area code. To pick a different area code, choose Change: NMC lists nearby area codes first (noting remaining stock whenever an area code doesn’t have enough numbers for a full website pool), followed by the rest of your state or province, plus a search box for any other US or Canadian area code.

• Single-number sources: Pick the exact phone number you want from the list. Choose Show other numbers to load more choices, or Change to switch area codes.
• Website pools: Choose how many numbers your pool needs, and review the chosen area code on the quote. NMC assigns the individual numbers as soon as you choose Start tracking, and remembers any area code you picked on the quote unless you change it.

Buying numbers

When you choose Start tracking, your account balance must cover the first month for every new tracking number and stay above $0 afterward (since tracking pauses whenever your balance hits $0).

• If an area code runs out of numbers right before purchase, nothing is deducted from your balance; the quote either switches to NMC’s next nearby area code or prompts you to pick another one if you chose that area code manually.
• If a number purchase fails after deduction (for instance, if someone else claimed that exact number moments earlier, or if the carrier result is still unknown after a few hours), NMC refunds the full amount: deductions from Added funds always return to Added funds, and deductions from Included credit return as long as that billing cycle’s credit is still active.
• If a purchase fails, Couldn’t buy a number for {source} links straight to that source’s Numbers section, where Choose numbers again lets you pick replacements.

Monthly renewals

Two days before a tracking number’s paid month ends (on the renewal date shown in NMC), NMC deducts the next month’s rate from your balance. A renewal only runs when your balance covers the full monthly rate and stays above $0 afterward, so a number renewal on its own will never tip your balance to $0 and pause tracking.

If your balance is too low two days before expiry:

1. NMC emails every admin on the account right away.
2. Calls and texts continue working normally in the meantime.
3. NMC tries one final time a day later, at the scheduled release time shown on the number. Numbers your balance can cover are renewed; any remaining numbers are released.

If your monthly plan payment is past due, tracking numbers continue renewing from your existing balance during the 7-day grace period (though you must resolve the past-due plan payment before adding new funds). Once the 7-day grace period ends, or if your plan is scheduled to end before the next cycle, numbers stop renewing and release at their deadline.

Releasing a number

Choose Remove tracking on a tracking source (or Remove on an individual website pool number) to schedule its tracking numbers for release at the end of their current paid month. The confirmation dialog shows the exact release date, and calls continue forwarding until then.

Before a number releases, make sure it is no longer published anywhere customers look:

• Google Ads or Google Business Profile: Remove tracking in NMC while your Google account is still connected so NMC detaches the number for you.
• Directories, Local Services Ads, social pages, and print materials: Swap your own business phone number back in manually.
• Website tracking: Confirm your regular phone number still displays cleanly on your website.

Once a tracking number is released, callers dialing it will no longer reach your business, and NMC cannot guarantee getting that exact number back.

Reusing a number scheduled for release

Numbers waiting out their paid month appear under Scheduled for release on the Tracking page. Until one day before a number’s release date, you can choose Reuse number (or pick it when adding a new tracking source) to assign it to another source at no extra purchase cost. Note that a number stays scheduled for release until you finish Start tracking with it; selecting it inside an unfinished draft alone doesn’t keep it.

For details on incoming texts, including texts with attachments, on tracking numbers, see Texts.