No matter what market your company is in, every legitimate business needs a way for their customers to contact them. When you start out as a small business, you can often get away with using your local office line, but as you expand, add departments, and grow your customer base, the front desk phone may not be enough to handle your needs.

This is when it makes sense to get a toll free number and begin taking phone calls like a mature organization. The following guide to toll free (1-800) numbers explains how to go about getting a catchy, custom number for a reasonable price.

What is a toll-free number?

A toll-free number is a phone number that starts with a toll-free code (800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844 or 833) and allows the calling party to call the number free of charge. The person or business that owns the number is billed for both incoming and outgoing activity, so anyone can call a toll-free number from a landline without incurring any charges.

How to call a toll-free number?

Toll free numbers are called the same way you would any other number. Just be sure to dial “1” followed by the correct toll-free prefix (800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, or 888). Toll free prefixes are not interchangeable. In other words, dialing 1 (800) 123-4567 would not route your call to the same place as 1 (800) 123-4567. Toll free calls are paid for by the owner of the number. You may be charged for a toll free call from your mobile phone unless you have unlimited minutes in your plan.

What does toll free mean?

The idea behind a toll-free number is that anyone calling the business has, in all likelihood, either already spent money with them, or is seeking information to possibly place a new order. Not charging for the phone call is a way of saying, “thanks for your business.”

What is a 1-800 number?

A 1-800 number is a type of toll-free telephone number in the United States that allows callers to reach a business without incurring any charges. Instead, the business that owns the 1-800 number pays for the cost of the call. This system is particularly beneficial for companies as it encourages customers to contact them without the concern of long-distance fees, making it easier to engage with potential customers.

As for how to call a 1-800 number, simply dial the number as you would any other phone number, starting with the "1" followed by "800" and the rest of the digits. This feature is accessible from both landlines and mobile phones, although mobile users may incur standard charges unless they have an unlimited calling plan.

Benefits of using toll-free numbers

• Improved Brand Image: Toll-free numbers are highly identifiable as corporate contact numbers, which helps to build client confidence.
• Portability: Toll-free phone calls can be routed over to individual mobile numbers, ensuring you can receive business calls on-the-go.
• Cost Effective: Contrary to popular opinion, toll-free numbers are more cost-efficient than standard telephone services. The subscription costs are lower and selected providers like Grasshopper even provide flexible subscription plans.
• Enhanced Customer Service: Toll-free numbers provide your customers a direct line of communication to you at no cost to them.
• Marketing Advantages: Toll-free numbers can also double as vanity numbers, making them stand out in marketing materials and increasing brand awareness. The ability to track your calls will also give you an added advantage of measuring the success of your marketing campaigns.

Types of toll-free numbers

• Domestic numbers are specific to the U.S., while international numbers allow toll-free calling from other countries to the U.S.
• Vanity numbers are custom, easy to remember numbers that can be integrated into marketing campaigns.
• The most common and widely recognized toll-free prefixes in the U.S. are 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844 and 833. Businesses can choose from these prefixes based on availability and the type of number that best fits their needs and branding.

Are there any differences between 800, 888, 877, 866, 844, 855 and 833?

Toll free numbers come in seven different formats - 1-800, 1-888, 1-877, 1-866, 1-855, 1-844 and the newest, 1-833. These formats are no different from each other, other than by appearance, and neither one costs any more than the others to acquire or operate. You can think of these phone number formats like website domain names where 800 is essentially .com, 888 is .net and 866 and 877 are like .info or .org. They all will work the same.

This is a great way of thinking about toll free numbers as you decide which one will fit the needs of your business. Some incredibly successful companies have created entire brand names around a 1-800 phone number, such as 1-800-HARVEST or 1-800-ORGANIC. Ultimately, you must decide how central your new toll-free number will be to your business, in what capacities it will serve your customers, and how important it will be to your branding efforts.

What is a vanity number?

Custom phone numbers that contain the name of your business or catchy words to describe your services are known as vanity numbers. These are typically harder to find but can be more valuable to your business, because they are easy for your customers to remember without having to look you up.

Some people have the mistaken idea that the best vanity numbers cost more, but this is not true. Much like finding a good .com domain name for your business, registering a strong toll free number comes down to a bit of searching and some luck. With the recent release of 833 numbers, there are more vanity numbers currently available.

To choose your custom number, think about what words best describe your business and what your customers will remember (check out our tips for choosing a vanity number). To find a number, simply type in your keyword using our Custom toll-free search tool.

How to use a toll-free number

Once you have a toll-free number, the hope is to reduce the amount of time needed to service customers so as not to rack up high phone bills. Businesses usually set up automated phone systems to gauge the customer's reason for calling and route them to the proper department. Traditional business phone systems can be expensive, which is why many companies end up using a virtual phone system.

How do toll free numbers work internationally?

Toll free numbers are free to call because the business owner pays for the cost of the call. Since international calls are quite expensive, many toll free owners block access from international callers. These businesses will provide a local number for you to call instead. In cases where international calls are not blocked, you, the caller will pay for the call.

The exception to the above is international toll free freephone numbers. These are toll free numbers with an additional country code and are free to dial from countries that have adopted the freephone system. For example, to dial internationally from the US, you would dial 011 800 xxx-xxxx.

How can I get a toll-free number?

To get a toll-free number, you simply have to choose a provider, select your toll-free number, purchase it and have it ported to your existing local number. Grasshopper makes it simple to get a toll free or vanity toll free number and you can even try one for free for 7 days! Visit our number selector and get started with one for free.

Toll-free number regulations and compliance

Toll-free numbers in the U.S. are governed by FCC regulations, assigned by RespOrgs, and use specific prefixes. Compliance with rules around portability, warehousing, hoarding, and brokering is mandatory for businesses using these numbers.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sets the rules for obtaining and using toll-free numbers in the U.S. Some key FCC regulations include:

• Toll-free numbers must be portable, allowing subscribers to keep their number when changing service providers
• Warehousing (reserving numbers without an actual subscriber) and hoarding (acquiring more numbers than intended to use) are prohibited
• Number brokering (selling toll-free numbers) is also prohibited
• Restrictions on using toll-free numbers to charge callers or connect them to pay-per-call services

What are Responsible Organizations? (RespOrgs)

Toll-free numbers are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis by entities called "Responsible Organizations" or "RespOrgs". RespOrgs have access to a toll-free database and are certified by Somos, Inc., the administrator of the toll-free number database.

What is toll free number hoarding?

According to the FCC, hoarding (also known as 'warehousing'), is an illegal activity in which a business or service provider will snatch up large blocks of toll-free numbers with the intention of reselling them at a premium in the future.

The FCC regulates this activity by checking to make sure there are actual subscribers for whom the toll-free numbers are being reserved. In fact, the FCC even reports that it is illegal for any subscriber to sell their toll-free number for a fee. This law is intended to regulate the marketplace and ensure that all the best vanity numbers do not become incredibly expensive to reserve.

Are you ready to get your own 1-800 number? Try Grasshopper Today!