Finding direct phone numbers

Direct dials are scarce and expensive. Here's how we find them and what we charge.

Last updated May 11, 2026

Direct phone numbers are the hardest thing in B2B prospecting to find at scale. Mobile numbers are personal, work numbers are often pooled or VoIP, and the data ages quickly. prospiq pulls direct dials when we can confirm them — and never charges you when we can't.

What you get

When a phone lookup succeeds, you receive the direct dial we found for that person. Where multiple numbers are available, you may see more than one — up to two on the free tier, and more on paid plans.

We return:

  • Direct mobile or direct desk numbers when available
  • The country code in standard E.164 format
  • The confidence we have in the number — high-confidence numbers are returned first

We never return:

  • Switchboard numbers or general reception lines
  • Personal numbers that weren't published in a business context
  • Numbers we can't tie to the person with reasonable confidence

What it costs

  • Phone only: 10 credits per successful reveal
  • Email + phone together: 11 credits (1 for the email, 10 for the phone)
  • No phone found: 0 credits

If we can't find a phone we'd stand behind, you spend nothing on the phone. If you asked for both and only the email comes back, you pay 1 credit for the email and nothing for the phone.

Why phones cost more than emails

Email verification is testable — we can connect to a mail server and ask if a mailbox exists. Phone numbers can't be verified the same way. Calling someone to confirm a number is an option we'd never inflict on a prospect. So we rely on multiple high-quality sources, cross-reference them, and only return a number when the signal is strong enough.

That work is more expensive than email enrichment, and we price accordingly. It's still cheaper than calling 100 wrong numbers because your tool sold you bad data.

When phones come back empty

You'll get an empty phone result more often than empty emails. Common reasons:

  • The person genuinely doesn't have a discoverable direct dial
  • Their number is internal-only and not in any business directory
  • They've changed numbers recently and we don't have the new one verified
  • Their role is non-public-facing (engineering, back office) and they've never needed an external number

When this happens, no credits are charged for the phone. You can contact support if you keep coming back empty on profiles you're sure should have direct dials available.

A note on calling

prospiq returns the number. What you do with it is your responsibility. Cold calling laws vary by country — in the US, mobile phones are protected differently than landlines; in the EU and UK, consent requirements are stricter; in India, DNC registries apply. Check the rules for the country you're calling into.

Related

Related articles

How prospiq finds emails

Multiple verified sources, real SMTP checks, and a guarantee that you only pay for what works.

Why we verify every email

Bounced emails cost more than the credits you saved. We absorb that cost so you don't have to.

Single contact search

How the search page works — three modes, what each costs, and how to read the result.

Need more help?

Email us and we will get back to you.

Contact support