How to Buy a Skype Online Number

By Loren Abdulezer, Susan Abdulezer, and Howard Dammond from Skype For Dummies

7 of 9 in Series: The Essentials of Communicating with Skype

With a Skype personal online number (also called SkypeIn), people in a given region or country can call you by dialing into a local phone number that you set up through Skype. It is just a local call for them, but they can reach you anytime and anywhere in the world you are, as long as you are logged onto Skype.

When you get a Skype online number, you also get free Skype Voicemail, so if you're not connected to Skype when people try to reach you, you can receive messages.

To buy Skype credit, you need to have two important things in place:

A Skype password.
A valid e-mail account. The e-mail account that you supply is the one associated with your Skype Name.

Go to http://www.skype.com/ and click Buy Skype Credit.

In the text input field, enter your Skype Name and password and click Sign me in.

The My Skype Account Overview page opens, which allows you to buy all the different Skype services: Calling regular telephones, Sending SMS, Call forwarding, Caller ID, an online number, and Skype Voicemail. This page also provides your account information settings.
Click the online number icon and click the Buy an online number now button.

In the Payments section of your My Skype Account Overview page, you can choose a form of currency. If the currency is set to euros and your currency should be U.S. dollars, you can change it by clicking the Change link, choosing the currency type, selecting the appropriate button, and then clicking the Change Currency button.
Select the country from which your Skype phone originates.

You can pick from a variety of countries, including Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, China, Japan, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and more.

Clicking the country flag or name takes you to a new page.
If you choose the United States, you will be asked to select a state and then an area code. If you select a different country, you may be asked to select an area code or to declare that you are a resident of that country.

Skype generates a list of available numbers for you to pick from.
Click Activate Number.

An invoicing page appears, and you can choose between a 3- or 12-month subscription. You’re also prompted to provide billing information, including your name and address.
Select your payment method.

Payment options include PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, regular bank transfer, Moneybookers, and JCB.
Verify the accuracy of your order, complete your payment information, and click Submit.

If you are charging your SkypeIn to a credit card, you need to enter your credit card number and expiration date. Some countries may require you to pay a Value Added Tax, or VAT.

When payment is complete, you see a confirmation page with your order number and order details. It’s always a good idea to print this confirmation page.