Our magicJack Business Phone Review
Updated for 2018: After trying to push magicJack Business for quite some time and even opening a U.S. based office, magicJack decide to restructuure after losing a large amount of money on this separate venture. They will still continue to offer business services to small businesses but will now attempt to streamline it more efficiently with their current residential offerings. Most of the info below is still applicable but it’s not longer being run as a separate company.
magicJack Overview
magicJack, a leading provider of VoIP solutions for homes and now businesses with magicJack for BUSINESS, was founded in 2007 by the now tragically deceased Dan Barislow. The company build their brand as an As Seen On TV product in its younger years gaining traction with it’s low price of less than $20 per year on the back of devices such as the 2nd generation magicJack plus, 4th gen magicJack go and 5th gen magic Jack Express. Since a new CEO took over they have shifted their focus away from the As Seen On TV market while continuing to focus on the cost benefits of magicJack versus other home phone services.
In recent years the company launched a new VoIP service catering solely to offices. If they can market in a way that attracts small to mid sized businesses this will be a smart move for their bottom line since business VoIP has higher product margins as opposed to $20 per year residential service.
What Is magicJack for BUSINESS?
magicJack for BUSINESS is a wholly owned subsidiary of the residential VoIP provider magicJack VocalTec, Ltd. With world headquarters located in Alpharetta, Georgia they offer a low cost, easy-to-use business VoIP phone service to small and medium sized businesses. Launched in June of 2016 their business phone service is similar to the residential phone service offered by the company. Similarities include its functioning over magicJack’s proprietary VoIP network and the service being a low-cost leader in the industry. The end product ends up being quite different from their residential offerings including some major positives and very few, if any negatives.
Service Plans
magicJack for BUSINESS has two different plans they are currently offering. The first is their basic package, called Home & Office. The Home & Office plan is a nice option for small businesses or even home-based businesses. It isn’t as extensive as the Premium plan but also costs less.
The Premium plan is power packed with extra features and is meant to meet the needs of medium sized businesses that require collaboration among multiple employees, some of whom may even be working remotely. Both plans function with the Yealink T21P-E2 VoIP phone system which includes the following features:
- Up to 2 business lines and one user at a time
- Wall mountable
- Easy-to-use interface
- RJ9 headset port
- Dual-port 10/100 Ethernet
- Speakerphone for hands free use
- 5-line graphical LCD display
The Cost
magicJack for BUSINESS works great and it also comes at an incredibly low price with no gimmicks or hidden fees. To get and use the service you do have to use the Yealink T21P-E2 VoIP Phone System regardless of which plan you chose. Right now this will cost your business nothing. Along with free shipping, free number transfer and you don’t have to pay anything upfront. The cheaper Home & Office plan runs at $14.99 for the first line and $9.99 for each additional line thereafter. This monthly fee doesn’t include government taxes and fees but these shouldn’t more than $5-$10 and will be under $5 for 90% of users. The taxes and fees are dependent on where you live and the fee isn’t charged by magicJack but by your local, state and federal governmental agencies.
Pricing for the more expensive plan, tabbed ‘Premium‘ was recently released and it comes in at $24.99 per month with each additional line costing just $14.99. Not a far cry from the pre-release estimates of $19.99 we were able to dig up last summer after chatting with a customer service agent. After chatting with a customer service agent on the magicJack for BUSINESS website we were able to get info of a tentative cost of $19.99 per month and a targeted release date of August/September 2016. She did include the disclaimer that release dates and final pricing are subject to change.
Additional fees include the following: International calls are charged on a per minute basis and can only be made with a pre-paid balance.
The Features
magicJack for BUSINESS comes with a host of features that are more than enough for 99% of businesses. Below you can see a VoIP service comparison of magicJack vs. magicJack for BUSINESS Home & Office vs. magicJack for BUSINESS Premium.
Cost: $2.92/ month | For BUSINESS $14.99/ month1 | Premium $24.99/ month2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Way Calling |  | | |
| Voicemail | | | |
| E911 Service | | | |
| Call Waiting | | | |
| Caller ID | | | |
| Unlimited Calling To The USA & Canada | | | |
| Music While On Hold | | | |
| Conference Bridge | | | |
| 24/7 Dedicated Customer Support Phone Line | | | |
| Enhanced Call Forwarding | | | |
| Do Not Disturb | | | |
| Call Transferring | | | |
| Caller ID Blocking | | | |
| Extension Dialing | | | |
| eFax | | ||
| Auto Attendant | | ||
| Work Groups | | ||
| Online Call Logs | | ||
| Mobile App | |
1 Cost for the first line is $14.99/month and each line thereafter is only $9.99/month.
2 Cost for the first line is $24.99/month and each line thereafter is only $14.99/month.
The Call Quality
magicJack brings their award winning crystal clear HD VoIP sound quality to businesses with their ‘for BUSINESS’ services. This includes near perfect sound quality and 99% connectivity up-time which results in little to no dropped calls or outages. The reality here is that any VoIP company can tout up their call quality but if you don’t have a good enough Internet connection you will experience call quality issues and dropped calls. Standard high-speed Internet connections are generally sufficient.
*Service is dependent on an Internet connection so if your Internet is down your phone will be down as well.
Easy Setup & Use
The service is super easy to setup. Just get your Yealink T21P-E2 device in hand and you can get started with the installation process. The process shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes if you follow the instructions provide below:
The Customer Service
magicJack has really stepped up their game with their business customer support, offering a 100% U.S.-based 24/7 dedicated customer support center with a live telephone number. This is something that has been lacking for years with their residential phone service, with only a chat option available for support. magicJack probably realized that without offering this 24/7 line or some form of a live over-the-phone support businesses wouldn’t be very hesitant to go with their phone service.
Being able to speak with a live person makes all the difference when you are having minor issues and need a quick resolution in order to get back to conducting business. We don’t yet have a good barometer on how long the waits will be because the service is still fairly new but we made a test call of the customer service line and our wait time was about 15 seconds. If you need to get in touch with magicJack for BUSINESS for support help or to purchase something the following numbers/email can be used:
Sales line: 888-652-4976
Customer support line: 888-657-6282
Customer Support Email: mjbizcare@magicjack.com
What We Like
- A clear straightforward flat-rate plan – With a flat monthly rate there are no more confusing phone bills and no add-on fees so you always know what you’re pay, each and every month.
- Scalability – start with one phone line or ten and add lines as your business grows – up to 20 lines.
- No commitment – unlike most business VoIP providers there is contract required for this service. Cancel anytime for any reason.
What We Don’t Like
- magicJack Business Mobile App not included with Home & Office plan – this is very inconvenient and you have to pay for the more expensive Premium plan if you want to be able to take your business phone on the go with you. We strongly feel magicJack should have and could have easily included this with the base plan. Perhaps they will change their mind in the future, we hope so!
- 20-line limit – we wish that there wasn’t a limit at 20 lines because as businesses grow they could be with the companies for years but what happens if they have the needs for a 21st line, will magicJack book them? Perhaps in the future they will offer more lines or will offer more on a case-by-case basis. Again, we hope they can get this issue fixed.
magicJack Phone System FAQs
What is the difference between magicJack and magicJack for BUSINESS?
The magicJack phone is designed to replace home landline telephone service and magicJack for BUSINESS for small and medium sized business. BUSINESS works via the Yealink phone system sold by magicJack and the residential service works via the many USB dongles that have been sold since the companies inception in 2007.
What do I need to make this phone service work?
All you need is the Yealink T21P-E2 VoIP phone sold by magicJack and a high-speed Internet connection. It is unclear whether getting the phone from another retailer would work but we are betting not since the one you get from the company comes pre-loaded with their software.
Are there really unlimited minutes?
As with all unlimited plans there are reasonable limits put on each account in order to preserver the network quality for the other 99.9% of users. There is no hard standard and any high usage in handled on a case-by-base basis with this phone service in order to stop abuse.
Are long distance calls free? What about international calls?
All calls within the U.S. and Canada are 100% free of charge. International calls are made with a pre-paid balance and are charged on a per minute basis. We are hopeful they will offer international plans in the near future but aren’t optimistic.
Can I port my current business phone number?
Of course you can! This process should be initiated right away and you shouldn’t cancel your service your current company until magicJack confirms they have a hold of your number, lest you risk looking your longtime business phone number. There is a one-time fee of $19.99 to port your phone number.
Are there any hidden fees with this service?
You do have to pay the government taxes and fees with this phone service but that is the case with any phone service. The company clearly states this on multiple occasions. The taxes and fees vary by location and can range as high as $5-$10 each month but come in below $5.
Is there a time commitment required from me?
No, no contracts required. You can cancel at anytime by logging into your account or contact customer service.
How do I use all of the features of my Yealink phone system?
The Yealink phone system is very powerful and has a wide array of features. To see all of the features Click Here for the Yealink SIP T21P quick reference guide.
Comparison to Other VoIP Services
| magicjack for BUSINESS | Vonage Business | Ooma Office | Regular Phone Co. Avg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup fee | $0 | $100 | $0 | Up to $199 |
| 1 month of service (1 line)¹ | $14.99 | $39.99 | $19.98 | $75 |
| 1 year of service (1 line)¹ | $164.99 | $479.88 | $239.76² | $900 |
| 24/7 Live Customer Support agents in USA | | |||
| Flat rate pricing and clear, predictable bill | | | ||
| Free Conference Call Number | | |||
| Conference Calling included free | | |||
| Unlimited local and long distance in US and Canada³ | | | | |
| Music on Hold | | | | |
| Inbound eFax included free | | |||
| Do Not Disturb | | | ||
| Standard Phone Features⁴ | | | | |
¹Unlimited calling does not include taxes and fees
²Price before additional mandatory equipment purchase
³Limited in the state of Alaksa
⁴Standard calling features include: call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, call transfer, voicemail, caller ID block and three-way calling.
Our Take on magicJack for BUSINESS
We are happy to see magicJack finally expand their service offering to include businesses and business phone systems. In the past they touted their service as usable by business but didn’t offer any sort of VoIP phone system or other premium features that are needed by a business in order to appear professional. This limit it’s usefulness to extremely small home-based business, which led to virtually not business use.
Businesses have been waiting for a true business phone offering from magicJack and now they have one. From an investors standpoint it’s about time they started leveraging their assets, especially considering how profitable the business VoIP industry can be. magicJack for BUSINESS should allow the company to speed up growth, something that has been stalling for several years now.
While there may be other comparable options out there we think they nailed this service offering and provide a host of excellent features at an incredibly low price, as noted above. Also, props to the company for incorporating a reasonably priced and very simple, yet highly rated VoIP phone system.
We are also very happy to see that they stepped up their game and are offering 100% U.S. based 24/7 dedicated phone support for their business service, something that the residential users having been begging for for years now.
magicJack wants to take the guess work out of choosing a phone so you can focus solely on growing your business cost effectively and efficiently instead of being slowed by tough decisions and ridiculous operating costs. magicJack for BUSINESS is a great option for saving significant amounts of money without sacrificing quality!
Leave Your review
Submit your review | |
I will give MJ Business 5 stars... sometimes individuals can't hear me when I call but I hang up and call again and no problem.
I make 3 way calls to troubleshoot equipment and system works great...
MY Phone app also is a PLUS. I can turn on and turn off features to the VOIP phone from my CELL PHONE. DO NOT DISTURB is great if you don't want people calling you back.
I like a lot.
I have been a MagicJack user for my home phone for many years. I changed from the big phone company ($70+/month) to MagicJack for Business a few months ago. The porting process took a bit longer than expected, however the service is excellent. I have had ZERO issues, the call quality is great as I cannot tell any difference. They even sent me a nice desk phone to use which adds so much more than my previous land line phone. I purchased from another source a headset to use with the phone, works great. I like the music on hold with a message telling my client I'll be with them shortly, makes my small business seem much larger to clients when I have to place them on hold. I have yet to try the app so I cannot comment on that as of this time. If you have high speed internet then this should work great for you. Highly recommend.
For some strange reason, Magicjack for business assigns a second number to reach auto attendant--I have no friggin idea why. So, auto attendant does not work on your main number--you must tell your customers to dial a second number if they want to reach auto attendant. I don't get it--why even have it if it doesn't work on your main number?