Toll-free number
A number, such as an 800 or 888 prefix, where the recipient rather than the caller pays for the call.
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A toll-free number uses one of a reserved set of prefixes — in North America 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, and 888 — where call charges are billed to the party being called rather than the caller.
Toll-free numbers are not tied to a geographic area, which makes them useful for national support lines. They are administered through a shared registry and can be moved between service providers, so like any other number they cannot be traced to a carrier from the digits alone.
Toll-free numbers can also carry SMS. Sending A2P messages from one requires toll-free verification with the carriers, a lighter-weight process than short code approval but still a prerequisite for reliable delivery.
Related terms and concepts
- Short code — A five- or six-digit number leased for high-volume, carrier-approved SMS campaigns.
- 10DLC — The US carrier framework for sending registered application-to-person SMS from a 10-digit local number.
- Line type — The classification of a phone number as mobile, landline, VOIP, or invalid.
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