Choose your setup

The kind of phone line you have decides which setup works. Your onboarding specialist confirms your line type before giving you a date, but it helps to know where you stand.

First: VoIP or landline?

VoIP (internet phone service) lets you manage forwarding from an online portal, so setup is quick. Landlines work too: we send you a phone for transfers, so there’s nothing to upgrade.

It’s easy to guess wrong. These answer it reliably:

• Do you log in to a phone portal to manage extensions or settings? If yes, you almost certainly have VoIP.
• Do your phones plug into your network, or into “TEL” ports on your modem? Phones in the modem’s TEL ports usually behave like a landline.
• What’s the product name on your phone bill? For example, “Business Voice” and “Business Hosted Voice” are different products at some providers.

Two things that don't tell you

Getting internet and phone on one bill doesn’t mean you have VoIP. And phones that stop working when the internet goes down can still be landline-style service. We’ll check the line type for you.

What phone setup looks like

On VoIP, phone setup is usually done in a single call, so you can go live the same day. Landline stores go live as soon as the transfer phone we ship arrives.

1. 1
   Confirm your line type· Virnika

   We check whether you have VoIP or a landline, and pick your setup.

2. 2
   Get access to your phone account· You

   Share your provider login with your specialist, or book time with whoever manages your phones.

3. 3
   Ship your transfer phoneLandlines only· Virnika

   It arrives ready to plug in.

4. 4
   Turn on forwarding· You + Virnika

   We set it up together, or call your provider with you.

5. 5
   Test call· You + Virnika

   We call your number from a cell phone and confirm it reaches your store and your dashboard.

6. 6
   Listening starts

   Calls flow through Virnika to your staff while we prepare ordering.

Typical totalSame day on VoIP

Standard setups

VoIP: forward your number to Virnika

The most common setup. You, your IT person, or your provider turns on call forwarding in your phone portal and points it at your Virnika number. We set up the return-to-store number as a separate extension or call group so transfers ring your staff.

Your number

Virnika

Return line

Rings your staff

Best for: most restaurants on VoIP providers like Nextiva, GoTo, Zoom Phone, Phone.com, Comcast Business Voice Edge and similar.

VoIP on RingCentral or Spectrum Business Connect

RingCentral is VoIP, and Spectrum Business Connect runs on RingCentral, so setup is same day. They just forward a little differently: instead of a plain forward, your admin adds a relay extension that forwards to Virnika, plus a separate return number tied to your store’s call queue so transfers don’t loop. We walk through it with your admin.

Your number

Relay extension

Virnika

Return number

Rings your store phones

You’ll need: Super Admin access to RingCentral, and one spare local number on the account for the return line.

Landline: forward to Virnika, and we send you a phone for transfers

The standard setup for landlines. Your landline forwards every call to Virnika. We send you an internet phone (or a few, if you need more than one at the counter) that becomes your return-to-store line. When Virnika transfers a caller, this phone rings.

Your landline number

Virnika

Phone we send you

Rings your staff

• You keep your landline, your number and your provider. Nothing changes on your phone bill.
• The phone arrives set up. Plug it in and connect it to your internet. There’s no installation and no number to move.
• Staff answer transfers on the new phone. Your landline phones stop ringing while forwarding is on, because every call goes to Virnika first.
• Forwarding is a one-time change on your landline. We’ll walk you through it, or call your provider with you.

Note

Already have a second landline you don’t need? We can forward your main line and use the second line for transfers instead. Your specialist will suggest whichever is simpler for your store.

Best for: any store on a landline, including single-line Spectrum, Verizon, Comcast “Business Voice” and Optimum “Business Voice” accounts.

Optional: upgrade your landline to VoIP

Most landline stores don’t need this. Some owners choose to switch to a business VoIP service anyway, for example to get more lines, a phone menu, or extensions.

• Upgrade with the provider you already have when you can, so you keep your number.
• Choose the provider-installed option, not “bring your own device”, which leaves the hardware setup to you.
• We can connect you with our phone partner, who supplies the phones, handles the installation and moves your number for you.
• Moving a number to a new provider usually takes one to two weeks. We can’t promise an exact date because the old provider controls it.

Once you’re on VoIP, setup follows the VoIP option above.

No store phone: use your Virnika number as your main number

If you don’t have a phone line, or you’re opening a new location, you can publish your Virnika number as your public number. Virnika answers every call directly, and there’s no forwarding to set up.

You’ll still need a return-to-store number, such as a cell phone or tablet line at the store, if you want callers transferred to staff.

Best for: new locations, delivery-only kitchens and virtual brands.

Setups for phone menus and multiple locations

Phone menu: send some options to Virnika

If callers hear a menu (“Press 1 for takeout”), we can send just the ordering option to Virnika and leave the other options going straight to your staff.

Your number

Phone menu

Press 1: Virnika

One number for several locations

If one main number serves several stores through a phone menu (“Press 1 for Downtown”), each menu option forwards to that location’s own Virnika number. Each location keeps its own menu, hours and POS.

SIP connection for business phone systems

If your phone system supports SIP trunks, it can hand calls to Virnika over the internet instead of forwarding over a phone line. We can also set up a regular phone-line backup, so calls still reach Virnika if the internet connection fails. Your IT team or phone provider sets this up with us.

What we don’t do

• We don’t move your number to Virnika. Your number stays with a phone provider you control.
• You don’t need to register for business texting. Order, receipt and payment texts to your callers come from Virnika’s own messaging number, not from your line.

Provider notes

Transfers, hours and pausing