When starting your business, one of your main goals should be to create a way for customers and leads to contact you with their questions. While emails and chat are certainly effective options, having a phone number for customers to reach you instantly—and at no cost to them—is ideal. However, using your personal number for business isn’t wise. A great solution is to get a toll-free number, which makes your business appear more professional and accessible.
Looking for the best service providers to help you with a toll-free number for your business? This guide is for you. We have scoured the market on your behalf and have handpicked the best picks for the best 800-number service provider, so make sure you read this article until the end.
Our Top Pick For Best 800 Number Provider: Vonage
Vonage is our #1 pick for the best toll-free number provider for 2024. Here’s why:
Here are the standout features of Vonage:
Best 800 Number Providers: Top 10 List
Here is a glimpse into our favorite 800 number providers:
- Vonage: Best 800 Number Provider Overall
- Ooma: Perfect for Voicemail Transcription
- RingCentral Office: Excels in Automatic Call Recording
- Mighty Call: Must-have for Business Hour Call Routing
- Nextiva: Ideal for Call Queuing
- DialPad: Recommended for Effective Custom Call Routing
- Intermedia Unite: Excels in Spam Call Blocking
- Grasshopper: Perfect for 24×7 Customer Support
- Sonetel: Must-have for Global Call Forwarding
- 8×8: Ideal for Personalized Greeting
Compare Telephone System Quotes
" "Best 800 Number Providers: Compared
Here is everything you need to know about the best 800 number providers. We have analyzed each of them across multiple parameters, including their most noteworthy features, pricing, advantages, and limitations.
1. Vonage: Best 800 Number Provider Overall
Vonage is an all-round customer communication platform specializing in helping businesses create and maintain healthy customer relationships. It’s best known for its VoIP phone service, under which you can easily get a toll-free number for both local and international calls.
In addition to providing advanced features, Vonage also ensures a smooth and user-friendly experience. For the same reason, it has a simple user interface and adequate resources to help you get started.
Best Features
Here is what we love about Vonage:
- Unlimited Calls: Every plan of Vonage comes with unlimited calls from your toll-free number. Call anyone you want with no limits on the number of callers on minutes spent on the call.
- Unlimited Team Messaging: Along with outbound communication, Vonage also improves your team communication through its unlimited team messaging feature.
- Call Recording: The premium plans give you access to its on-demand call recording feature, which can record conversations for up to 15 hours in one go.
- Video Meetings: Take your video meetings to the next level and invite up to 100 participants per meeting with Vonage.
More information about Vonage:
Best For | Top Benefits | Price | Mobile Application | Free Trial | Integrations |
Unlimited toll-free calling | 1. Unlimited calls
2. Call recording 3. Video meetings |
Starting at $19.99/month | iOS & Android | 14-day trial | 20+ |
Pricing
Here are the plans offered by Vonage:
- Mobile: $19.99/month (for one user)
- Premium: $29.99/month (for one user)
- Advanced: $39.99/month (for one user)
Pros
- 99.9% uptime guaranteed
- Trusted by 100,000 brands
- Stellar customer support
- Unlimited calling and texting
Cons
- No exclusive plan just for toll-free numbers or calling
2. Ooma: Perfect for Voicemail Transcription
Ooma is a popular virtual phone service provider for both work and residential purposes. Ooma’s business phone services are packed with 50+ features, ensuring all your communication needs are handled by a single provider.
The best part about Ooma is that every user is automatically entitled to a free toll-free number per account. This means you won’t have to fill out a separate form or make a special request to your provider for a toll-free number for your business; Ooma brings it to you at your fingertips.
Best Features
Here is what we love about Ooma:
- Enhanced Call Blocking: Dodge robocalls that hamper your business by wasting your time. Ooma’s advanced call blocking feature allows only the most genuine callers to pass through.
- Voicemail Transcription: Don’t have the time to hear all the voicemails left by your callers? Use the voicemail transcription feature to quickly transcribe them into text.
- Virtual Receptionist: With Ooma’s virtual receptionist feature, your customers are no longer left waiting. The AI-enabled receptionist will note their queries and guide them to the right agent.
- Digital Fax: Looking for an easier way to send over printed documents without investing in a fax machine? Ooma’s inbuilt digital fax is here to save your day.
More information about Ooma:
Best For | Top Benefits | Price | Mobile Application | Free Trial | Integrations |
Voicemail transcription | 1. Virtual receptionist
2. Digital fax 3. Enhanced call blocking |
Available on request | iOS & Android | 60-day free trial | 50+ |
Pricing
Ooma doesn’t reveal its pricing online. Get in touch with its sales representative for a custom quote.
Pros
- Separate plans for home and office
- 50+ advanced mobile features
- Comes in a mobile app too
- One toll-free number per account
Cons
- You cannot text someone unless they are added as contacts
3. RingCentral Office: Excels in Automatic Call Recording
RingCentral Office is an all-in-one communication platform that integrates calling, texting, and video calling to minimize your struggle juggling multiple apps.
The best thing about RingCentral Office is they offer a variety of toll-free vanity numbers to choose from. You can select any number of your choice with a recognizable prefix or simply create your own prefix for the vanity number — the options are truly limitless with RingCentral Office.
Best Features
Here is what we love about RingCentral Office:
- Business Phone Numbers: With RingCentral’s standard plan, you can get a business number for your company in more than 100+ families.
- Unlimited Calling: Even in the cheapest plan, RingCentral Office gives you access to unlimited calling within Canada and the USA.
- Automatic Call Recording: With the premium plan, you can access RingCentral’s automatic call recording feature. Every conversation will be on record without you having to do so manually.
- Integrations: RingCentral Office has a fairly massive integration capacity. Some of the popular tools that it integrates with include Zendesk, Slack, Canva, Google Workspace, etc.
More information about RingCentral Office:
Best For | Top Benefits | Price | Mobile Application | Free Trial | Integrations |
Automatic call routing | 1. Unlimited calling
2. Automatic call recording 3. Massive integrations capacity |
Starting at $19.99/user/month | iOS & Android | 15-day free trial | 200+ |
Pricing
Here are the plans offered by RingCentral Office:
- Essentials: $19.99/user/month
- Standard: $27.99/user/month
- Premium: $34.99/user/month
- Ultimate: $49.99/user/month
Pros
- Choose your own toll-free number
- Unlimited calling in the USA & Canada
- Real-time analytics and call reports
- Commendable integration capacity
Cons
- Slightly difficult to use for beginners
4. Mighty Call: Must-have for Business Hour Call Routing
Mighty Call gives you the flexibility to work from anywhere you want and on devices of your choice. Along with a regular VoIP phone system, its toll-free number also works on your mobile, laptop, and tablet.
A standout feature of Mighty Call is its affordable pricing and integration capacity. Mighty Call integrates with popular business tools like Zoho, Hubspot, and Salesforce so that you can get all your work done from a single platform and dashboard.
Best Features
Here is what we love about Mighty Call:
- Toll-free Numbers: Whether you want toll-free numbers or a local number for your business, Mighty Call can get you both instantly.
- Business Hour Call Routing: Use this feature after your business hours to route your calls to a different number or your voicemail — no calls will go unanswered.
- Call Screening: Mighty Call’s advanced call screening feature protects your business number from robocalls and spammers, allowing you to invest your time only on genuine callers.
- Multi-Level IVR: Multi-level IVR takes care of your customer’s needs and directs them accordingly while you are on a different call.
More information about Mighty Call:
Best For | Top Benefits | Price | Mobile Application | Free Trial | Integrations |
Business hour call routing | 1. Call screening
2. Business hour call routing 3. Multi-level IVR |
Starting at $12/user/month | iOS & Android | 7-day free trial | Not revealed. |
Pricing
Here are the plans offered by Mighty Call:
- Small Teams: $12/user/month
- Business: $15/user/month
- Enterprise: $150/month
Pros
- Multiple device compatibility
- Advanced call screening
- Business hour call routing
- Toll-free numbers for local and international calling
Cons
- Inefficient customer service team
5. Nextiva: Ideal for Call Queuing
Nextiva believes in creating an integrated communication platform for your business, saving you the trouble of juggling multiple business apps. The tool heavily relies on automation and also helps you to integrate your phone system with other business apps to simplify communication across your entire team as well as with your clients.
One of their best features to simplify business communication is their toll-free numbers. Nextiva helps you get a trusted toll-free number for your business in just a few minutes. With this toll-free number, you can build trust among your customers, reach out to more people and streamline calls.
Best Features
Here is what we love about Nextiva:
- Call Queueing: Call queuing is the best way to handle callers waiting in line. It lets them know their place in the line and their approximate waiting time and ensures none of the callers are lost in voicemails.
- Conference Calling: Need to get another team member on board? Nextiva’s conference calling feature can help you add multiple callers at the same time.
- Call Forwarding: With Nextiva’s smart call forwarding feature, you can route important calls to a different number in case your primary number is out of reach.
- Call Notification: Don’t want to miss any important call again? Nextiva will notify you about VIP callers along with other information like caller ID and timestamps so that your team can get back to them on time.
More information about Nextiva:
Best For | Top Benefits | Price | Mobile Application | Free Trial | Integrations |
Call queuing | 1. Conference calling
2. Call forwarding 3. Call notifications |
Starting at $18.95/user/month | iOS and Android | 30-day free trial | At Least 23 |
Pricing
Here are the plans offered by Nextiva:
- Essential: $18.95/user/month
- Professional: $22.95/user/month
- Enterprise: $32.95/user/month
Pros
- Adequate automation opportunities
- Call notifications based on caller IDs
- Call forwarding for every caller
- Instant access to toll-free numbers for your business
Cons
- The interface is slightly confusing for beginners
6. DialPad: Recommended for Effective Custom Call Routing
DialPad is more than just a solution for communication with your customers. In fact, it doubles up as a virtual workplace for your remote team with its flawless internal communication features. Its unified business communication platform helps in bringing your global team together.
The best thing about DialPad is that all their plans, including the cheapest ones, come with a free toll-free number. They help you add a professional appeal to your business, allowing more customers to get in touch with you with a click and free of cost.
Best Features
Here is what we love about DialPad:
- No Hardware Needed: DialPad does not require any special device to set up your 800 lines. Any device you are currently working on, even your smartphone, is eligible for connection.
- Custom Call Routing: With custom call routing rules, your callers can easily reach the correct number or team based on their needs.
- 100% Uptime: The software operates on the Google Cloud Platform and has data centers worldwide which ensures that your number remains online 24×7.
- Business Hour Call Routing: Don’t want to miss VIP callers after business hours? Route them to a different number with DialPad’s business hour call routing feature.
More information about DialPad:
Best For | Top Benefits | Price | Mobile Application | Free Trial | Integrations |
Custom call routing | 1. No hardware needed
2. 100% Uptime 3. Business hour call routing |
Starting at $15/user/month | Desktop, iOS and Android | 14-day free trial | 80+ |
Pricing
Here are the plans offered by DialPad:
- Standard: $15/user/month
- Pro: $25/user/month
- Enterprise: Custom
Pros
- Easy set-up
- Custom call routing
- Toll-free numbers on every plan
- Comprehensive communication solution for global teams
Cons
- VI transcription has trouble recognizing different languages
7. Intermedia Unite: Excels in Spam Call Blocking
Intermedia Unite allows you to take calls from wherever you want, be it through your smartphone or a separate phone system. Whether you simply want a toll-free number, hold a video conference or send messages to your team, Intermedia Unite covers it all.
The best thing about Intermedia Unite is that it provides you with actionable insights to help you understand your team’s performance better.
Best Features
Here is what we love about Intermedia Unite:
- Spam Call Blocking: Intermedia Unite helps you automatically identify spammers and block their calls to save your precious working hours.
- Call PickUp: The call pickup feature helps your team pick up each other’s calls through a specially programmed button when the concerned team member is unavailable.
- Call Recording: Get everything your customers say on the record for better clarity and zero disputes in the future.
- Hunt Groups: Creating hunt groups allow you to redirect the calls to the team concerned with the particular queries of the caller.
More information about Intermedia Unite:
Best For | Top Benefits | Price | Mobile Application | Free Trial | Integrations |
Spam call blocking | 1. Call pickup
2. Hunt groups 3. Call recording |
Starting at $27.99 | iOS and Android | 30-day free trial | Not revealed |
Pricing
Here are the plans offered by Intermediate Unite:
- Unite Pro: $27.99
- Unite Enterprise: $32.99
Pros
- Free phone for every plan
- Commendable customer support
- Hunt groups for custom call routing
- Call pickups to ensure no calls go missing
Cons
- Toll-free numbers are available as an add-on
8. Grasshopper: Perfect for 24×7 Customer Support
Grasshopper is UK’s most exemplary VoIP service, best known for getting reliable business numbers for your company quicker than everyone else. Trusted by countless businesses around the world, their primary aim is to create a seamless experience for each of their customers.
Grasshopper will not only get you toll-free numbers instantly, but their services also extend to local and vanity numbers. Getting a business phone line for your company does not get any easier.
Best Features
Here is what we love about Grasshopper:
- Number Porting: Don’t want a new number? No problem! Port your current number to the Grasshopper app and get started in seconds.
- No Additional Device: No need to get an additional phone or landline; Grasshopper can work seamlessly on your mobile device as well.
- Custom Greetings: One of the best features of Grasshopper is a custom greeting, which helps you improve the caller’s experience before they connect to you.
- 24×7 Support: The Grasshopper team never leaves you alone. They offer 24×7, US-wide support through chat, email, phone, Twitter, etc.
More information about Grasshopper:
Best For | Top Benefits | Price | Mobile Application | Free Trial | Integrations |
Custom greeting | 1. No additional device
2. 24×7 support 3. Number porting |
Starting at $29/month | iOS and Android | 7-day free trial | At Least 14 |
Pricing
Here are the plans offered by Grasshopper:
- Solo: $29/month
- Partner: $49/month
- Small Business: $89/month
Pros
- Port your existing number
- No additional device needed
- Super friendly customer support team
- Perfect for small businesses on a budget
Cons
- Does not support video conferencing
9. Sonetel: Must-have for Global Call Forwarding
Sonetel likes to keep it simple. All they offer is reliable phone numbers for your business to reach the next level through both local and toll-free lines. This is what makes them special — instead of trying to be the jack of all trades, Sonetel is the master of getting the finest, reliable numbers for your business.
Their services are available in more than 239 countries, so irrespective of where your business is based or where your customers are from, you can reap the benefits of Sonetel’s uninterrupted connectivity at all times.
Best Features
Here is what we love about Sonetel:
- Global Call Forwarding: Pick any number from anywhere in the world to forward your calls to when your main line isn’t available.
- SMS-to-Email: Get all the SMS sent to your business number forwarded to your email to avoid missing out on an important message.
- Announcements: Sonetel allows you to create custom announcements for your callers before they hang up or get forwarded to another team member.
- Call Menu: Want to ensure your customers reach the right agent? Learn more about their needs through a custom IVR menu.
More information about Sonetel:
Best For | Top Benefits | Price | Mobile Application | Free Trial | Integrations |
Global call forwarding | 1. SMS-to-email
2. Announcements 3. Call menu |
Starting at $1.79/month | iOS and Android | Available | 1000+ (through Zapier) |
Pricing
Sonetel prices start at $1.79/month. You can reach out to the sales team for more details.
Pros
- Available in 239+ countries
- Super cheap to get started with
- Loaded with advanced voice calling features
- Offers both local and toll-free numbers
Cons
- The messages are sent to your email and not the Sonetel app
10. 8×8: Ideal for Personalized Greeting
8×8 is the perfect cloud solution for your business. The biggest benefit of getting a toll-free number for your business is cloud access, and 8×8 is best known for its superior cloud-based communication platform.
Trusted by more than 2 million businesses, 8×8 aims to unify all your communication channels into a single platform. Whether it’s internal communication or customer communication, 8×8 caters to both.
Best Features
Here is what we love about 8×8:
- Unlimited Domestic Calling: Get your free toll-free number with 8×8 instantly and place unlimited domestic calls.
- Auto-attendant: With an auto-attendant, your callers are always directed to the right agent. Also, instead of keeping them waiting while you are on another call, Ooma will allow you to have someone jot down their queries.
- Personalized Greeting: Make your callers’ experience better with personalized greetings that reflect your brand’s values.
- Instant Messaging: 8×8 prioritizes team communication as much as they value customer communication. That’s why their instant messaging feature lets you instantly connect to your entire team altogether or one-on-one.
More information about 8×8:
Best For | Top Benefits | Price | Mobile Application | Free Trial | Integrations |
Personalized greeting | 1. Unlimited domestic calling
2. Auto-attendant 3. Instant messaging |
Starting at $15/user/month | iOS & Android | 30-day free trial | 60 |
Pricing
Here are the plans offered by 8×8:
- Small business phone system: $15/user/month
- Voice, video, and chat for teams: $24/user/month
- Advanced call handling and analytics: $44/user/month
Pros
- Affordable plans
- Unlimited domestic calling
- Advanced call management features
- Works for both inbound and outbound communication
Cons
- It needs to add more tutorials for beginners
Best Service Provider for 800 Number: Comparison Table
If you want a simpler way to compare five competent 800-number providers, the following table is for you. It focuses on drawing out the most striking differences between our top five picks across the most important considerations, such as pricing, free trials, integrations, device compatibility, etc.
2. Call recording 3. Video meetings 2. Digital fax 3. Enhanced call blocking 2. Automatic call recording 3. Massive integrations capacity 2. Business hour call routing 3. Multi-level IVR 2. Call forwarding 3. Call notifications 2. 100% Uptime 3. Business hour call routing 2. Hunt groups 3. Call recording 2. 24×7 support 3. Number porting 2. Announcements 3. Call menu 2. Auto-attendant 3. Instant messaging
VoIP Provider
Best For
Top Benefits
Price
Mobile Application
Free Trial
Integrations
Vonage
Unlimited toll-free calling
1. Unlimited calls
Starting at $19.99/month
iOS and Android
14-day trial
20+
Ooma
Voicemail transcription
1. Virtual receptionist
Available on request
iOS and Android
60-day free trial
50+
RingCentral Office
Automatic call routing
1. Unlimited calling
Starting at $19.99/user/month
iOS and Android
15-day free trial
200+
Mighty Call
Business hour call routing
1. Call screening
Starting at $12/user/month
iOS and Android
7-day free trial
Not revealed
Nextiva
Call queuing
1. Conference calling
Starting at $18.95/user/month
iOS and Android
30-day free trial
At least 23
DialPad
Custom call routing
1. No hardware needed
Starting at $15/user/month
Desktop, iOS and Android
14-day free trial
80+
Intermedia Unite
Spam call blocking
1. Call pickup
Starting at $27.99
iOS and Android
30-day free trial
Not revealed
Grasshopper
Custom greeting
1. No additional device
Starting at $29/month
iOS and Android
7-day free trial
At least 14
Sonetel
Global call forwarding
1. SMS-to-email
Starting at $1.79/month
iOS and Android
Available
1000+ (through Zapier)
8×8
Personalized greeting
1. Unlimited domestic calling
Starting at $15/user/month
iOS and Android
30-day free trial
60
What is an 800 Number or a Toll-free Number?
An 800 number, also known as a toll-free number or free phone, is a number that can be dialed free of cost, meaning the caller doesn’t have to incur any charges for the call. On the contrary, the phone number’s owner shells out money for the incoming phone calls. That said, toll-free numbers route all national or international calls to a local number, so even the receiver has to pay minimal charges.
Toll-free numbers start with three-digit prefixes, where the 800 toll-free prefix is the most popular one, but there are a few others, such as 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, and 888. These numbers are in high demand among businesses as their customer support teams need them to generate leads and enhance brand image. Furthermore, these numbers are not bound to a specific geographical location, meaning both national and international users can reach your business through the same number.
Who Needs an 800 Number?
While a toll-free number can be beneficial for any business, startups or growing businesses that want to enhance their credibility and brand image must have a toll-free number. In the past, only large companies with ample resources used to have toll-free numbers. But things have changed, and owning a toll-free number is perhaps even more affordable than owning a traditional landline number, courtesy of competent virtual landline providers UK. As a result, even home-operated businesses are the proud owners of 800 toll-free numbers.
With a monthly subscription of as low as $10, you can make your business look more professional, generate more leads, and save costs. Here are some businesses for whom getting an 800 toll-free number is a non-negotiable.
- eCommerce industries
- Home-based business
- Startups and small and medium-sized enterprises
- Franchise business
- Local service business
What Are The Advantages Of Using An 800 Number For Your Business?
As a business, your goal must be to convert leads into customers and first-time customers into loyal ones. It won’t help your cause to have them pay every time they call you regarding a query or status update. It would lead to them being frustrated and eventually opting out of your service.
The solution? Get an 800 number today! Here are more reasons for the same:
Enhances Credibility and Brand Image
800 numbers allow smaller businesses to compete with their larger counterparts and put them in the same vertical. It equips them to offer a toll-free number to their customers to connect with them free of cost. Moreover, a professional, toll-free number is far more recognizable than a local landline number.
Furthermore, additional features of a toll-free business number, such as auto attendant and call queue, make your business come across as more sophisticated. All this goes a long way in improving the credibility and brand image of your organization.
Better Customer Service
Businesses extending customer service can directly communicate with their customers through toll-free numbers. Be it a pre-sale or post-sale communication, a toll-free number is any day preferable to traditional landline numbers as it ensures smooth and uninterrupted contact between customers and the sales team. Such initiatives increase overall satisfaction and customer experience. As a result, your business will attract more customers and retain its old ones.
Branding and Marketing
Have you ever seen a ‘click to call’ feature of a business on marketing platforms? These buttons are often linked to toll-free numbers to maximize customer turnouts. It is far more convenient and straightforward than other types of communication.
Similarly, businesses can select a vanity number with their name or catchy words in it. For instance, 800-NEW-CARS or 1-800-BAKERY. Apart from being free of cost, these numbers also serve as a direct source of marketing.
Scalability
As your business grows, you can leverage the premium features of a toll-free business number to cut costs and save resources. Almost every 800-number provider has multiple pricing tiers to fit within the budgets of all customer types, with the higher-end packages being made to suit large enterprises with diverse needs.
Features like auto attendant, call queues, and call forwarding let you handle a large volume of customers with ease. So, on the one hand, a toll-free number increases the call volume, and on the other, its features help you handle them.
Cost-effective
Toll-free numbers are affordable, irrespective of whether you need them for your home or your business. It is also easy to set up and requires no complex infrastructure or hardware.
Some reputed toll-free number providers like Vonage let you set up an 800 number in less than five minutes, and that too, at no additional cost. Also, you can choose from a range of affordable monthly plans without any commitment or contract since they come with a money-back guarantee.
Portable
An 800 number is portable, which allows businesses to retain their previously used number to receive important business calls. It negates the need to inform existing and potential customers of a change in number, saving leads that would have otherwise been lost.
Even when relocating your business to a completely new location, you are not required to switch to a new number. This way, the chances of facing disruptions in handling customer communications are minimized to zero.
Cloud Advantage
Perhaps the most significant edge 800 toll-free numbers have over traditional phone lines is that they are cloud-based, meaning they have robust infrastructure, unlimited storage, top-notch security, and encryption methods, speedy data transfer, and are able to provide maximum uptime — as high as 99.99%.
Easy to Remember
Another reason why businesses opt for toll-free numbers in the first place is that they are easy to remember, leading to more calls from leads who might have come across an advertisement of yours — if it had been a traditional number, chances are the potential customers won’t remember it at all.
Easier recognition and remembrance directly means that the next time a customer is looking for services or products that your business offers, they are directly going to call the number they recognize and remember to be yours.
Free To Your Callers
Most of the time, customers and leads aren’t sure if they require the services or the products offered by your business. So, they are keen to enquire more about the specifications, products, or services you offer, and this is where a toll-free number will benefit you.
They will be more willing to call an 800 number due to the simple fact that it’s free. They understand it isn’t going to cost them anything at all. You can use this opportunity to benefit your business by turning their calls into actionable requests.
How Does An 800 Number Work?
Most providers offer cloud-based toll-free numbers. When a user dials your toll-free number, it gets routed to cloud-based hosted telephones managed by your VoIP service provider. Next, the provider directs this call to your desired number. The entire process is quick and happens in the background.
As mentioned earlier, it’s the owner of the toll-free number that pays for all the calls and not the caller. But, as this service is cloud-based, it overcomes the difficulties and costs associated with dialing long-distance calls from a traditional landline number. Moreover, you can reduce the costs significantly by opting for a long-term plan such as a half-yearly or yearly plan. Some providers also offer SMS texting features along with a toll-free number.
How To Get An 800 Number Step By Step?
If it’s your first time getting an 800 number, we are here to help you. Follow the steps mentioned below:
1. Contact Your Present Service Provider
First, check with your existing phone service provider whether they provide toll-free numbers. You can get great deals if you choose to go with your present service provider since you are already a loyal customer. That said, it’s a good idea to shop around to hunt for attractive deals and a comprehensive range of features.
2. Contact a New Service Provider
Plan B entails choosing a new service provider. This can get tricky since there are a plethora of toll-free number providers claiming to be the most affordable and feature-rich. We recommend you consider only the most popular and reputable service providers for a toll-free number. A few of the reputable service providers are:
- Ooma
- RingCentral Office
- Vonage
- Mighty Call
3. Compare Features And Rates
Visit the official websites of the providers you have narrowed down to choose a suitable plan. Different service providers extend toll-free numbers at different rates and packages. There are a few service providers that need a minimum monthly payment, including a set of several minutes. Others don’t require minimum monthly payments; instead, they simply charge on a per-minute basis.
Also, check for additional features in the providers’ packages. Reputable companies extend a range of add-ons, such as:
- Voicemail-to-text
- Caller ID
- Virtual office administrators
- Call forwarding, etc.
The key here is to strike the correct balance between your budgetary constraints and your feature requirements.
4. Set Up Your Account
So, you have zeroed in on the service provider you wish to partner with. Now, contact the company representatives and set up your account. You can also do this by visiting the chosen provider’s official website and filling in the required details. Always select a package that complements your business needs and budget.
Depending upon the availability, the service provider will allow you to choose your desired number — make it personalized, recognizable, and most importantly, easy to remember.
In addition, pick up a toll-free number matching your business. For instance: if you are an auto business, try to get a number like (800)555-AUTO/ (800)555-CARS. It’s easy to see how convenient these numbers will be to remember and recognize for your customers.
5. Assign The Allotted Number To A Designated Line
Once you receive your toll-free number, you need to route it to your existing phone lines. Consider routing the allotted toll-free number to an existing landline number — it’s the cheapest and the easiest.
In addition, when routing to a landline number, you no longer have to worry about bad reception or running out of minutes. After you complete the signup process, your 800 or toll-free number will get activated within an hour.
How To Get An 800 Number For Your Phone?
Getting an 800 number for your phone is straightforward. To avail of this service, you have to make an account and subscribe to a plan of a reputed toll-free number provider such as Vonage, AT & T, or Phone.com.
After a successful subscription, you get an option to select a toll-free number of your choice. Thereafter, add your phone number to your account to receive all incoming calls to that number, which in this case will be your personal phone number. Every time someone calls your toll-free number, the call will be forwarded to your added numbers.
Is There A Difference Between 800, 888, 877, And Other Area Codes?
All these are toll-free number prefixes, and there is no difference between 800, 888, 877, and other area codes. The 3-digit toll-free code 800 originated in 1963, and given its huge demand, it didn’t take much time for it to be saturated.
So, new toll-free prefixes 888, 877, 866, 855, or 844 were added to reduce the burden. Indeed, these numbers spell differently but have the same functionality and pricing.
What Countries Support 800 Numbers?
Almost all of the major countries worldwide support 800 prefix codes. Some of those countries are:
- In Argentina, Austria, Belgium, and Brazil, the prefix for toll-free numbers is 0800.
- In Armenia, Hong Kong, Italy, China, the UK, and the US, the toll-free prefix is 800.
- In India and Australia, it is 1800.
- In Canada, toll-free numbers are drawn from the US SMS/800 database.
- France uses 0800 or 0805.
Does My Business Really Need An 800 Number?
An 800 or a toll-free number is beneficial for most businesses because regardless of the industry you are in, you will have a competitor offering a toll-free number to its customers. That said, getting an 800 number is even more crucial for businesses that spend most of their time dealing with customers on the phone. If you spend 15-30 minutes per customer call on average, the opportunity to allow them to place such calls free of cost is critical for your business.
Conclusion: What is the Best 800 Number Provider?
The competition was stiff but after comparing our top five picks, we conclude that Vonage is the best 800-number provider for 2024. It provides unlimited calls from your toll-free number, call recording, video meetings, a 99.99% guaranteed uptime, responsive customer support, and last but not least, affordable packages, with the cheapest one starting as low as $19.99 per month per user.