Toll Free Area Code Confusion

Several news reports in recent months outlined problems with consumers who thought were calling a toll free phone number but in fact were calling a standard pay number. The problems lay in two main areas–either that the caller was not calling the approved 800, 888, 877 or 866 area code toll free numbers. Or, they were calling numbers that had a one of those number combinations as part of the phone number but with a different area code (for instance 631-888-1234) The 800, 888, 877 or 866 area codes are the ONLY toll free numbers here in the United States. And they must appear as the first three digits–the area code.

U.S. Supply of 800 Numbers Decreasing Rapidly

The best way to obtain a toll free number before supply runs out completely is to contact a reliable toll free service provider that has access to the database of available numbers. On the SMSGOV.COM “companies” page, we list providers that will assist subscribers in finding a quality toll free number at a very low cost. Until a new pre-fix is launched, which could take years, it appears the race is on to secure the remaining numbers.

Read more here.