In short
A business mobile account is an account with a network held in the name of a business rather than a person. Sole traders, partnerships and limited companies can open one after a business credit check. The business owns the numbers, gets one bill for every line with VAT invoices in its name, and an administrator manages lines, spend caps and changes through the network's online account tools. We can open and set up business mobile accounts for you.
Get a quote for business mobile account
Tell us roughly how many users or sites you have and we will reply by email with options and a quote.
What a business mobile account gives you
A business mobile account is held by your business, not by the people who use the phones. That changes a lot:
- The business owns the numbers: when someone leaves, their number stays with you and can go to their replacement
- One bill for every line: phones, tablets, laptops and routers on one account, with invoices in the business's name
- Administrator control: named people can order, change and cancel lines, set spend caps and see usage
- Business prices and tools: business prices are usually shown excluding VAT, and networks give business customers online account tools and spend controls
- Room to grow: lines can be added as you hire and moved between plans as roles change
Our guide to business vs personal mobile contracts explains how a business account compares with putting phones on personal contracts.
Who can open a business mobile account
Business mobile accounts are open to sole traders, partnerships and limited companies, as well as larger organisations and the public sector. Networks set up their business ranges by size. EE Business, for example, describes its small business route as being for sole traders, limited companies and public sector organisations with up to 100 employees, with a separate route for businesses with more than 100.
Vodafone Business says its SIM only business plans are designed for small businesses, sole traders and start-ups that already own their devices. So a one-person business can have a business account too, often with a single line and a work number of its own; our guide to getting a business mobile number covers the options.
Credit checks and the details you need
Before opening a business mobile account, the network carries out a business credit and eligibility check. Have these details ready:
- Limited companies and LLPs: registered name, Companies House registration number and registered address
- Sole traders and partnerships: trading name and address, plus personal details for the owner or partners, which the network may also check
- Bank details for the monthly direct debit
- An authorised contact who can order, change and cancel lines
- Your VAT number if you are VAT registered
A new business with little trading history may be approved for fewer lines at first, with more added later. The network makes the credit decision; we help you present the information clearly. Our step-by-step guide to how to get a business mobile phone contract covers the whole application.
Is business mobile account the right fit for you?
We will check it against your systems and requirements and recommend the right option.
Account holder, administrators and users
A business mobile account has three kinds of people involved:
- The account holder is the business itself. It owns the account and the numbers on it.
- Administrators or authorised contacts are the people the business names to manage the account: ordering lines, changing plans, setting spend caps and requesting PAC codes when numbers move.
- Users are the people who carry the phones and devices. They use the lines but do not own them.
Decide early who can approve orders and changes, and keep the list of authorised contacts up to date as people join and leave. A company mobile phone policy is a good place to write those rules down, and our guide to company mobile phones covers the joiner and leaver process.
Managing your business mobile account online
Each network gives business customers its own online tools for running the account.
EE Business
EE Business customers manage their accounts online through EE Business's online account tools, such as Mobile Manager, for usage, spend caps and line changes. EE Business also lists business spend caps and eSIM among its business services. See our EE Business page.
Three Business
Three Business customers can manage their account online, set Spend Caps on each user's out-of-bundle spending and use Three Analyst, Three's online bill analytics tool, for insight into billed usage and spend. See our Three Business page.
Three's small print: "Spend Caps and limits are allocated on a per SIM basis." "See full terms and conditions on Three Analyst."
O2 Business
O2 Business lets different people have different plans on one account, and offers device management that you run yourself through a central portal or that O2 Business manages for you. See our O2 Business page.
Vodafone Business
Vodafone Business has separate online accounts for small, medium and large businesses, including the Vodafone Business Portal for self-service, and its Enterprise Spend Manager add-on sets limits on calls, data and more. See our Vodafone Business page.
Adding lines, moving numbers and leavers
Most of the day-to-day work on a business mobile account is people joining, moving and leaving:
- Adding lines: new starters can usually be added to the existing account, normally on a term of their own; business eSIM lets you activate a line without posting a SIM
- Bringing numbers in: to move a number from another network, text PAC to 65075 from that number for a Porting Authorisation Code, valid for 30 days; the receiving network normally completes the switch within one working day of the request
- Moving numbers out: the same PAC process applies; text INFO to 85075 first to check any charges for ending a contract early
- Leavers: the number stays with the business, so it can go to a replacement or be held while you recruit; wipe or reassign the device through your device management
- Transferring ownership: networks have their own processes for moving an account or number between businesses, for example when a business is sold
You can usually bring a personal number onto a business account with a PAC. Tell us which network it is on now and we can check the best route. Our guide to the business mobile number covers the options and the ownership questions to settle first.
Bills, VAT invoices and spend controls
Business mobile bills come in the business's name. Business prices are usually shown excluding VAT, and according to HMRC guidance on gov.uk a VAT-registered business can reclaim VAT on items bought for use in the business through its VAT return. Where a phone is also used personally, only the business proportion can be reclaimed, and you need valid VAT invoices and records showing how you worked it out. Organisations not registered for VAT follow different rules. This is general information, not tax advice.
To keep costs under control on the account:
- Set spend caps on each line to limit charges beyond the plan, with alerts as users approach them
- Bar premium-rate and international numbers where people do not need them
- Review usage by line in the network's online account tool, and move people between plans when their usage changes
- Cancel unused lines belonging to leavers or replaced devices
- Split bills by cost centre on larger accounts, so departments see what they use
Our guide to business mobile phone plans explains how to size data for each person, and are company mobile phones a benefit in kind? covers the tax side for employees.
Opening a business mobile account with us
We help businesses open and set up business mobile accounts, from a single line for a sole trader to accounts with hundreds of lines. We can help you gather the details for the credit check, choose the plans for each person, port your existing numbers and set up spend caps, eSIM and device management before the phones reach your team.
We supply EE Business and Three Business, and can also supply O2 Business and Vodafone Business, so you can open your account on the network that works where your people work. Plans and prices are confirmed at quote. Contact us to open a business mobile account. Our guide to business mobile phone contracts explains how the contract itself works.
How Forever Communications helps with business mobile
We help UK organisations choose, set up and run business mobile: plans, SIMs and eSIMs, phones, mobile broadband, 5G and the device management that keeps a fleet under control.
- Start with what you have: we look at your current contracts, end dates, users and devices before suggesting anything new
- Four networks, one conversation: we supply EE Business and Three Business, and can also supply O2 Business and Vodafone Business, so you can choose the network that works where your people work
- Airtime first, devices your way: we focus on getting your airtime costs down, so you can buy iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and other devices separately and set them up to enrol in your mobile device management
- Moving without losing numbers: we help you plan the switch and keep your existing business mobile numbers
- Beyond the phone: 5G for business, mobile broadband and data SIMs for sites, vehicles and backup connections
- Device management and mobile security: MDM and mobile threat defence from vendors such as IBM, Sophos, Check Point, CrowdStrike and Lookout, plus Jamf, Ivanti, Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile and Mobile Voice Recording with EE Business; see mobile device management and security
Forever Communications is part of Forever Group. Ask us for a quote and we will set out the plans and services that fit your team.
Frequently asked questions
What is a business mobile account?
It is an account with a mobile network held in the name of a business rather than a person. The business owns the numbers, receives one bill for every line with invoices in its name, and named administrators manage lines, plans and spend caps through the network's online tools.
Can a sole trader open a business mobile account?
Yes. Sole traders and partnerships can open business mobile accounts as well as limited companies. Without a company registration number, the network may check the owner's personal details as part of the business credit check.
Who owns the numbers on a business mobile account?
The business does, as the account holder. When someone leaves, their number stays with the business and can be passed to their replacement or moved to another network with a PAC.
Can I move my personal number to a business account?
Usually, yes. Text PAC to 65075 from the number for a Porting Authorisation Code, valid for 30 days, and tell us which network it is on now so we can check the route.
How do I manage a business mobile account?
Through the network's online account tools, where administrators can see usage by line, set spend caps, add lines and change plans. Each network has its own tools, such as Mobile Manager from EE Business.
Still have a question about business mobile account?
Ask us and a member of our team will reply by email.
