Phone system cost · UK 2026
How much does a business phone system cost? Per user, per month, and what else to budget for.
Short answer: a cloud phone system is priced per user a month. At TISA that is £4.20 with UK calls at 5p a minute, or £8.50 with unlimited UK calls, on a 24 month term, excluding VAT. Add a one-off £10.64 activation per user. Every feature is included on both.
Updated 7 October 2026 by the TISA Business team. All prices exclude VAT.
What you pay for
Every line of a phone system quote.
| Each user | One extension: rings their desk phone, laptop and mobile. All features included. | £4.20a month, 24 months |
| Calls | Pay 5p a minute for UK calls out, or unlimited UK calls. Calls in are free. | £8.50a month, unlimited |
| Business number | A UK landline or 03 number for customers to call. | £3.30a month |
| Keeping your number | Move your existing number across, on a date you pick. | £10.65one-off, one number |
| Activation | Per user, once. £15.00 on a 30 day rolling plan. | £10.64one-off |
| Desk phones | Optional: the apps work without one. Buy or lease. | £45.00to buy, or £2.99 a month |
| Broadband | Calls run over your internet, so you need a reliable connection. | Business broadband |
Unlimited UK calls are to standard UK landlines and mobiles, with a fair-use allowance of 5,000 minutes a user, reducing to 3,000 minutes from 1 November 2026. Moving several numbers at once is £31.95. Full list in the price guide.
Work it out
Which plan is cheapest for your team?
| A month, ex VAT | 24 months | 12 months | 30 day rolling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay per call | |||
| Unlimited UK calls |
Calls in are free on both. On 24 months, paying per call is cheaper up to about 86 outgoing minutes per person (90 on 12 months, 128 on 30 day rolling). Excludes numbers, desk phones and international calls.
Before you sign
Seven questions to ask any provider.
The monthly price is rarely the whole cost. These are the lines that change the total, with our answer to each.
- Is there a setup or activation fee?Ours is £10.64 per user, once.
- What does it cost to keep my number?A one-off £10.65 for one number, £31.95 for several. Your old line keeps working until the switch.
- Which features cost extra?None at TISA: greeting menus, ring groups, call recording and the apps are on every user.
- How unlimited is "unlimited"?Ask for the fair-use allowance in minutes. Ours is 5,000 a user, reducing to 3,000 from 1 November 2026.
- Can the price go up during the contract?Any rise in a new contract must be set out in pounds and pence when you sign. Ours is.
- What does leaving early cost?With us, the remaining monthly charges and nothing extra. Nothing on a 30 day rolling plan.
- Do I have to buy handsets?No. The apps work on laptops and mobiles; desk phones are optional, to buy or lease.
Questions
What businesses ask about the cost.
How much does a business phone system cost in the UK?
A cloud phone system is priced per user a month. At TISA it is £4.20 per user a month with UK calls at 5p a minute, or £8.50 with unlimited UK calls, on a 24 month term, excluding VAT. There is a one-off activation of £10.64 per user, and desk phones are optional.
Is unlimited calling worth it?
Only if each person makes a lot of outgoing calls. On a 24 month term, paying per call is cheaper up to about 86 outgoing UK minutes per user a month; above that, unlimited works out cheaper. Incoming calls are free on both.
Do I need to buy desk phones?
No. Staff can make and take calls on the desktop and mobile apps. If you want desk phones, buy one from £45.00 or lease one from £2.99 a month.
Can prices go up during the contract?
Ofcom rules mean any price rise written into a new contract has to be set out in pounds and pence when you sign, not as an inflation-linked percentage. At TISA any in-contract rise is stated in pounds and pence before you sign.
What does it cost to leave early?
At TISA you pay the remaining monthly charges for the term, and nothing extra. A 30 day rolling plan has no exit charge at all.
Next step
Tell us how many people and how they call. We will price it.
More: choosing a phone system and TISA Cloud PBX.