GoHighLevel phone system: calls, SMS, missed call text back and A2P
Leer en español: Telefonía y SMS en GoHighLevel · Ler em português: Telefonia e SMS no GoHighLevel · Part of all GoHighLevel features
The GoHighLevel phone system (LC Phone) is included in every plan and billed by use: $1.15/month per local number, $0.0166 per outbound minute, $0.01165 per inbound minute and $0.00747 per SMS segment in the US and Canada. It handles call routing, IVR, recording, voicemail, call tracking and missed call text back, and US texting requires A2P 10DLC registration ($22.50 one time for most small businesses).
Rates from HighLevel’s LC Phone pricing article, updated October 12, 2026, and A2P pricing article, updated September 24, 2026.
A plumber is under a sink when his phone rings. By the time he calls back, twenty minutes later, the customer has already booked someone else. Most small businesses lose leads exactly like this, not because their marketing fails but because nobody answers.
The GoHighLevel phone system was built for that moment. The call rings the whole team, falls back to Voice AI or voicemail, and if it is still missed the caller gets a text within seconds. This page covers how calls are routed, missed call text back, SMS and A2P registration, porting your number and what every minute and message costs.
What the GoHighLevel phone system includes
How an inbound call is routed
HighLevel tries each step in order until someone answers. You decide which steps are active and how long each one rings:
- IVR, workflow or Voice AI. If the number is connected to an IVR workflow or a Voice AI agent set to answer directly, that runs first.
- Owner routing. With “prefer forwarding calls to” you can send the call to the contact’s owner or to the number’s owner.
- Team member devices. The assigned user’s apps and phones ring, plus up to six more users with Ring More Team Members. The first to answer takes the call.
- Forwarding. An external number or another business number.
- Backup. After the incoming call timeout, Voice AI or voicemail takes the call, and missed call text back fires.
HighLevel suggests a ring timeout of about 20 seconds as a starting point; for missed call text back it recommends 10 to 20 seconds.
Missed call text back: set it up in five minutes
- Open the setting. In the sub-account go to Settings > Phone System > Voice > Voicemail & Missed Call Text Back.
- Enable it. Check Enable Missed Call Text Back and click Customize.
- Write the message. Short and human: “Sorry we missed you! This is Ana from Bright Dental. How can we help?” Custom values such as the first name only fill in if the contact already exists.
- Set the ring time. Between 10 and 20 seconds. Too long and the text arrives late; too short and you cut off callers someone was about to answer.
- Test and save. Send a test, save, and call your own number from another phone.
Every missed call triggers a text, including repeat calls from the same person. To avoid sending three texts in five minutes, customize the Missed Call Text Back recipe in Workflows with a wait step or a tag filter. The text is not sent to contacts on DND, and US texting needs an approved A2P campaign first.
SMS and A2P 10DLC registration
Since carriers started filtering unregistered business texts, A2P 10DLC registration is not optional for anyone texting US numbers from a local number. You register a brand (who you are) and a campaign (what you send and how people opted in) in Settings > Phone System > Trust Center.
| Brand type | One-time fee | Monthly campaign fee | For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sole Proprietor | $22.50 | $2.00 | Individuals with no EIN or tax ID |
| Low Volume Standard | $22.50 | $1.50 (mixed use) to $10.00 | Most small businesses with an EIN |
| High Volume Standard | $64.00 | $10.00 | High daily volume |
The one-time fee includes brand registration, campaign vetting and $3 Fast Track processing. An extra campaign under the same brand costs $15; resubmitting a rejected campaign is free. Toll-free numbers use toll-free verification instead, and numbers in Canada bought since March 26, 2025 need registration too. If you rebill, a 5% markup applies to A2P and carrier fees.
LC Phone pricing
| Item | Price (US/Canada) |
|---|---|
| Local number | $1.15/month |
| Toll-free number | $2.15/month |
| Outbound call | $0.0166/min |
| Inbound call | $0.01165/min ($0.0198 to toll-free) |
| SMS | $0.00747 per segment, in or out, plus carrier fees |
| MMS | $0.022 outbound, $0.0165 inbound |
| Call recording | $0.0025/min + $0.0005/min per month of storage |
| Transcription | $0.024/min |
| Voicemail drop | $0.018/min |
| Answering machine detection | $0.0075 per call |
| Caller name lookup | $0.01 per lookup |
Calls are billed in full minutes, rounded up. Carrier fees for SMS run from $0.0025 to $0.01 per segment depending on the carrier and direction. A business with one number, 300 minutes of calls and 1,000 SMS segments a month spends roughly $15 to $20 on LC Phone before A2P fees.
On Unlimited and Agency Pro agencies can rebill this usage to each client; on Starter it is paid by the account.
Keep your number: porting into LC Phone
Who gets the most out of it
Local service businesses
Plumbers, clinics, salons and contractors who miss calls while working. Missed call text back alone usually pays for the plan.
Businesses running ads
Call tracking numbers show which campaign generated each call, so you stop guessing.
Agencies
One phone system for every client, with usage rebilled on Unlimited and Agency Pro.
The bootcamp link gives you 30 days instead of 14, enough to buy a number, register A2P and test missed call text back with real callers.
Start the 30-day trialAffiliate link. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Phone and SMS usage is billed during the trial.
Frequently asked questions
Does GoHighLevel include a phone system?
Yes. Every plan includes calling and texting through LC Phone, HighLevel’s built-in phone system. You pay per use: $1.15 per month for a local US or Canadian number, $0.0166 per outbound minute, $0.01165 per inbound minute and $0.00747 per SMS segment, plus carrier fees.
How does missed call text back work in GoHighLevel?
When an inbound call is not answered before the ring timeout, HighLevel sends an automatic SMS to the caller. You turn it on in Settings > Phone System > Voice > Voicemail & Missed Call Text Back, write the message and save. HighLevel recommends a ring timeout of 10 to 20 seconds.
Do I need A2P 10DLC registration?
Yes, if you send SMS or MMS to US numbers from a local 10-digit number. Registration costs $22.50 one time for sole proprietors and low-volume brands ($64 for high volume), plus a monthly campaign fee from $1.50 to $10. Toll-free numbers use a separate verification instead.
Can I keep my current business number?
Yes. US numbers can be ported into LC Phone in the app or with a manual request; fewer than 50 numbers usually take two to four weeks. International numbers are ported through a manual process with country-specific requirements.
Can GoHighLevel record and transcribe calls?
Yes. Recording costs $0.0025 per minute plus $0.0005 per minute per month of storage, and transcription costs $0.024 per minute. Check the consent rules for recording in your state or country.
Can I build an IVR phone menu?
Yes. IVR menus such as “press 1 for sales, 2 for support” are built as workflows and connected to the phone number. You can also let a Voice AI agent answer first or act as backup.
Does missed call text back work with WhatsApp?
Not this feature. HighLevel has a separate Missed Call WhatsApp Back feature for that.
Related: Voice AI · WhatsApp · automations · GoHighLevel pricing · Mobile app · Calendars and booking
Sources: LC Phone pricing (updated October 12, 2026) · A2P 10DLC pricing (updated September 24, 2026) · What is A2P 10DLC · Missed Call Text Back (updated September 7, 2026) · Inbound call handling · Porting options.
