User Licenses vs Additional Phone Lines

[LisaVN]

Is everyone on my team required to get a user license? Or do I just get a license for myself and then assign additional phone lines to my team? I don't understand if each person needs a license and extension first before we can add an additional direct phone line for them.

[ChrisO]

Hi LisaVN,

This depends on how you plan on using the phones. If you want softphones for everyone, then every user will require a Zoom phone license. If you are using desk phones and set them up as common phones then every phone will require a calling plan/license. If you are using desk phones tied to specific users, then you are back to users needing a phone license.

[LisaVN]

We would be answering calls through our computer, not with desk phones. Is that considered a "softphone"? What is the difference between a Zoom phone license and a calling plan/license?

[ChrisO]

Using the Zoom App on a computer is considered a softphone. A zoom phone license means a user license, whereas a calling plan would be something like Unlimited or pay-as-you-go.

[LisaVN]

I was looking at getting the Unlimited plan for $180/user. Is there different pricing for a "zoom phone license"? It sounds like that's what I need to use the computer app instead of desk phones.

[ChrisO]

TBH, I am not positive about how it all works on a smaller scale. On a larger scale, I have to assign users a basic phone license and a calling plan in order to make outbound calls. Your best bet is to reach out to a customer service rep though as they can provide you with better information than I can.

[enielsen · Accepted solution]

There are licenses for calling plan packages and licenses for extensions/devices.

For extensions/devices:

Zoom Phone Basic (extension only - cannot dial/receive calls to/from PSTN)

Zoom Phone (can be assigned a DID) - will need a calling plan package to dial PSTN

Common Area Phone - I don't think these require a license, just a calling plan package

Calling plan packages vary between ones for user extension and ones for common area phone extensions. And unlimited versus metered.

I'll note that these are the licenses I've seen, they might have re-organized the licensing schemes....

[enielsen]

And phone numbers are additional cost at some point.

Then one can get additional items like Power Pack licenses for power users or call queue agents.

[LisaVN]

Thanks everyone for your help!