In short: Microsoft Teams Calling Plans make Microsoft your phone carrier for Teams Phone. UK organisations can choose Domestic, International or Pay-As-You-Go plans; Microsoft's UK domestic plan includes 3,000 outbound minutes per user per month, pooled across users on the same plan. Numbers are ordered or ported in the Teams admin centre, and Communication Credits cover extra calls.
What a Calling Plan is
A Calling Plan is a Microsoft licence that connects Microsoft Teams Phone to the public phone network with Microsoft as the carrier. Microsoft describes it as the simplest of its PSTN options. Microsoft supplies the phone numbers, carries the calls, provides support for the telephone service and backs it with its own service level agreement.
You can buy a Calling Plan in two ways:
- Teams Phone with Calling Plan, a single bundle licence
- Teams Phone Standard plus a separate Calling Plan, useful when users need different plans
Different users can have different plans, and Calling Plans can sit alongside Operator Connect or Teams Direct Routing in the same tenant.
Calling Plans available in the UK
Microsoft's UK availability page lists these monthly options. The minute figures below are Microsoft's own:
| Plan | Outbound calls | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Calling Plan (120 minutes) | 120 minutes of UK calls per user per month | Users who mostly receive calls |
| Domestic Calling Plan (3,000 minutes) | 3,000 minutes of UK calls per user per month | Typical office users calling UK numbers |
| International Calling Plan | 3,000 domestic minutes or 600 international minutes per user per month, whichever is reached first | Users who call abroad regularly |
| Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan | No minutes included; every outbound call is charged by use | Light or unpredictable callers, and resource accounts that make outbound calls |
All plans include unlimited incoming minutes. Microsoft groups the UK with the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada for its Domestic Calling Plan for "customers in US/UK/CA" and for the Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan Zone 1. For small businesses there are also Teams Essentials and Teams Phone bundles with Domestic, International or Pay-As-You-Go calling. Prices vary by plan and term: ask us for a quote.
How minute pools and Communication Credits work
Minutes are pooled. Microsoft explains that all users in the same country on the same Calling Plan share one pool, so a quiet user's minutes cover a busy colleague. Pooling only applies to identical plans, so users on the 120-minute plan do not share with users on the 3,000-minute plan.
When the pool runs out, or someone calls a destination the plan does not cover, calls are paid from Communication Credits, a pre-paid balance you top up. Microsoft notes that some UK shared-cost numbers can only be called using Communication Credits, and that some premium-rate prefixes are not supported. Communication Credits also fund toll-free numbers for auto attendants and call queues, and Pay-As-You-Go plans bought under some agreement types.
We recommend setting up Communication Credits with auto-recharge from day one, so calls do not fail when a pool is used up.
Numbers and porting into Calling Plans
With a Calling Plan, numbers are Microsoft's. You can:
- Order new numbers in the Teams admin centre. Microsoft lists toll numbers for many UK cities, plus toll-free numbers.
- Port existing numbers from your current provider, so callers keep reaching you on the same numbers.
- Assign service numbers to auto attendants and call queues, and user numbers to people.
Microsoft says some countries need a tenant-level Know Your Customer (KYC) check before numbers can be acquired or ported, and that most reviews finish within three business days. Complete it early so it does not hold up the port. Our number porting guide covers what you need from your current provider.
Resource accounts and the November 2025 change
Auto attendants and call queues run on resource accounts. Microsoft's current guidance is that since 1 November 2025, Calling Plan licences on resource accounts are no longer supported for on-behalf-of outbound PSTN calls using Calling Plan numbers. That covers:
- Agents making outbound calls on behalf of a call queue
- Auto attendants or call queues that transfer callers to an external number
- Call queue callbacks
- Outbound calls through Graph API and Phone System extensibility
For those scenarios, the resource account needs a funded Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan or Communication Credits, or outbound calls fail. Microsoft's guidance changes, so check the current Microsoft Learn wording or ask us to review your set-up. Our Teams Phone licensing page lists the related licences.
When Calling Plans suit, and when they do not
Calling Plans tend to suit organisations that:
- Want one supplier and one bill for Microsoft 365 and calls
- Have straightforward calling: UK calls, a few auto attendants and queues
- Do not need to connect an existing PBX, door entry system or analogue device
- Are happy to manage numbers themselves in the Teams admin centre
Consider another option if you need a carrier's own support desk and SLA (Operator Connect), want to keep a carrier or connect analogue devices (Teams Direct Routing), or want itemised UK call billing from one local supplier (Forever Teams). Our comparison of Direct Routing vs Operator Connect vs Calling Plans sets them side by side.
Contact us for a Calling Plan quote or a second opinion on your current set-up.
Why choose your cloud phone system with Forever Systems
We are vendor-neutral. Forever Group supplies and supports several cloud phone platforms, so we recommend the one that fits how your organisation works rather than the one we happen to sell.
- Side-by-side comparison of hosted 3CX, Microsoft Teams Phone, Forever UC, Forever Teams and Webex Calling for your users
- Contact centre and call recording options matched to your call volumes and CRM
- Number porting, handsets and set-up handled for you, including the move off analogue and ISDN lines
- Connectivity checked so call quality is right from day one
- UK support for moves, adds, changes and faults
- For BT Cloud Voice, see our BT Business Partner site cloudvoice.cloud
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations. We do not sell consumer phone services.
Want a vendor-neutral cloud phone system comparison and quote?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
How many minutes are in a Teams Calling Plan in the UK?
Microsoft lists a 120-minute and a 3,000-minute Domestic Calling Plan for the UK, an International Calling Plan with 3,000 domestic or 600 international minutes (whichever comes first), and a Pay-As-You-Go plan with no included minutes. Minutes are pooled across users on the same plan.
Are incoming calls free on a Teams Calling Plan?
Microsoft includes unlimited incoming minutes on its Domestic, International and Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plans. Outbound minutes depend on the plan, and calls beyond the pool are paid from Communication Credits.
Can I port my UK numbers to Microsoft Teams?
Yes. UK numbers can usually be ported to Microsoft as part of a Calling Plan. Microsoft may require a tenant-level Know Your Customer check first. We manage the port and can put temporary diverts in place.
Do auto attendants need a Calling Plan?
An auto attendant or call queue needs a Teams Phone Resource Account licence, not a Calling Plan, to answer calls. For outbound calls such as external transfers or callbacks using Calling Plan numbers, Microsoft now requires a funded Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan or Communication Credits.
What are Communication Credits?
Communication Credits are a pre-paid balance in Microsoft 365 that pays for calls outside your plan minutes, calls to destinations a plan does not cover, toll-free numbers and Pay-As-You-Go calling. We recommend setting up auto-recharge so calls are not interrupted.