800 Area Code: Everything You Need to Know

Senior Writer: Supriya Bajaj

Updated : August 27, 2025

Most of us have dialed an 800 area code number to reach a specific brand’s customer support or sales team. Interestingly, the calling costs in such a case are covered by the business being contacted, adding to the quality of customer service and customer satisfaction.

This is essential as good customer service is crucial for 90% of Americans when deciding whether to do business with a specific brand.

Eager to know more about 800 numbers before getting one? Here’s an extensive guide on 800 numbers, its history, benefits, and working mechanism. We have also covered its difference from other toll-free numbers, how to get one, and how to choose the best 800 number. Let’s get started!

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What is 800 Area Code?

800 area code is one of seven toll-free area codes (833, 844, 855,866, 877, and 888) in the North American Numbering Plan. NANP covers 25 regions in 20 countries, including the US and Canada, so the number owner can be located in any of these areas.

What’s unique about an 800 area code number is that it levies long-distance call charges or normal call charges on the business owner (toll-free subscribers), not the caller.

These toll-free area code numbers are great for nationwide or international businesses aiming to deliver robust customer support, establish customer service lines, or conduct sales and marketing. Such area codes free numbers encourage prospects and customers to contact international or far-away businesses via long-distance, toll-free calling.

Your customers can dial 800 area code numbers via cell phones or landlines; mobile users will only be charged for cellular services.

Expert Advice

"800 phone number area code is a must-have for businesses if your focus is (as it rightly should be) on delivering brilliant customer service, improving customer satisfaction, and enhancing brand image without incurring high costs. You must not wait to get the best toll-free numbers from a trusted provider like CallHippo and open the gateway of unlimited perks and benefits for your business. "

What is the Location of Area Code 800?

The location of area code 800 doesn’t work as it does for other numbers. So, wondering where is the 800 area code located?

Area code 800 is tied to no geographical area or location–city, region, state, or time zone. Also, there is no 1-800 country code. Rather 800 toll-free number covers all the regions where NANP operates–the US, Canada, areas of the Caribbean Sea, and some islands in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

History Of Area Code 800

Area code 800 has been here for years. Let’s briefly understand the path it has followed over the past –

1. Introduction of toll-free numbers

Area code 800 was the first toll-free number to start its operations in the US on January 1, 1966, followed by other toll-free numbers–833, 844, 855, 866, 877, and 888.

With its introduction, the idea of charging the receiver (toll-free number owner/ business) instead of the toll-free caller (customer) and a number independent of any area or time zone was well-established.

2. Automation of 800 numbers in the 1960s

With the introduction of new technology, toll-free calls could be automated, and the area code 800 was assigned to the Wide Area Telephone Service.

This was done to enable toll-free numbers to receive calls from an area without limiting the number of long-distance calls or call hours per month. The core purpose of automated calls was just to lessen the workload of the call center agents.

At this point, these toll-free services were quite costly and surpassed the budgets of large corporations and government agencies, making it an unpreferred choice for them.

3. Widely reachable and computer-controlled numbers

In the start, 800 number services were bounded to US and Canada.

Post that, in the 1980s, Bell Labs introduced a computer-controlled system enabling any toll-free number to be forwarded to any local number and not just 800 numbers. This not only improved the accessibility of toll-free numbers for small businesses but also introduced itemized invoices, charging them for incoming calls only.

4. Lower prices of toll-free numbers

The year 1993 brought RespOrg (Responsible Organization), which ensures the registration and indexing of the toll-free numbers of each carrier in the 800 databases. This organization does not reserve a number without an actual toll-free subscriber.

After that, unlike in the past, the money paid for long-distance service wasn’t used to support the local phone service anymore, decreasing the per-minute charges and making 800 numbers highly affordable for all businesses.

Later from 1994 to 2000, 800 numbers became even more popular, and more toll-free numbers were widely adopted by businesses in the market.

You May Also Read : Are Toll-free Numbers Free to Call Internationally?

How Does an 800 Phone Code Number Work?

An 800 number, also known as a toll-free number, allows customers to call a business without being charged. The business that owns the 800 number pays for all incoming calls instead. An 1800 number for business is used to deliver quality customer service and facilitate easy customer communication.

When a customer calls an 800 number, the telephone network routes the call to the business that owns the number. The business pays a monthly fee to a phone service provider for each 800 number they own, and the provider charges the business for all incoming calls to the numbers. The charges are usually very low, often just a few cents per minute. The key benefit for the business is that customers can call for free, so they will be more inclined to contact the company, and potential new customers won’t hesitate to call.

A business chooses a phone service provider like CallHippo, which offers toll-free numbers and signs up for the service to get an 800 phone number for business. They are assigned a specific 800 number (or can choose from certain options) that then belongs to them.

They can have that number pointed to a receptionist, an automated phone menu system, or different departments within their company based on the number called. 800 phone numbers for business can be easy and inexpensive to provide great customer service and increase sales.

Benefits of a 1-800 Number for Business

Getting a 1-800 number for your business can bring numerous benefits, regardless of your business size. Here’s how these numbers benefit your company –

1. Enhanced customer experience

1-800 area code numbers enable your customers to communicate with your business free of cost. That means they are more likely to contact you in case of any minor or major issue.

When you solve their issues instantly and communicate frictionlessly, customer engagement, loyalty, and satisfaction will rise. This is a great deal for you as 72% of customers share a positive experience with 6 or more people, boosting sales.

2. High portability

Do you frequently travel for work and are constantly stressed about missing out on a few customer calls during that? Well, 1-800 area code toll-free numbers are a lucrative option for you. Why? Because these numbers allow you to forward your calls to your mobile or agent’s cell phone.

3. Improved brand image

1-800 area code numbers portray a more professional image of your brand–large and well-established regardless of location, size, or age. Customers who find your business has a recognizable toll-free number are more likely to trust you.

This is a bonus for small businesses trying to grow with limited resources, as 86% of customers opt for brands with authentic brand images.

4. Affordability

1-800 numbers bring in so much for your business without rolling out exorbitantly high calling or set-up costs. How? Because these numbers have a fixed set of monthly, annual, and pay-as-you-go plans. So, you can choose the one that perfectly aligns with your business size and needs.

5. Rank higher in customers’ minds

800-area code numbers have such easy-to-remember elements that they capture anyone’s mind the first time they look at them. This is especially true for vanity numbers like 1-800-LAUNDRY, which can be custom-made for your business so it clearly states what your business is all about.

With such a number, your business and number will instantly pop up in customers’ minds when they need what you offer, boosting sales.

6. Monitor your marketing campaigns

Toll-free numbers like 800 area code numbers enable you to track your brand’s marketing campaigns. How? You can have a unique extension for each marketing campaign, letting you know where customers must have discovered your business so it’s easier to direct your efforts toward the right thing.

You May Also Read : 11 Best Toll-Free Number Service Providers

How Do You Get an 800 Area Code Number?

Do you need an 800 area code number and wish to avail of its benefits? Well, here’s the roadmap to do so –

1. Determine the need and usage

Determining whether your business needs a toll-free number is essential to avoid wasting resources. For that, you must analyze the current positioning of your business and competitors and identify if an 800 area code USA number will be able to boost sales, improve customer service, and validate marketing campaigns.

Also, from being a customer service and marketing tool to a medium to interact with clients, toll-free numbers can be used in various ways; decide your usage.

2. Register a number for your business

To register a toll-free number, turn to a reliable provider like CallHippo. It’s an easy process thereafter. You just have to create a business account with CallHippo, fill in the details, verify your email, and start using your account once it’s activated.

3. Select your desired country

On completing the sign-up process, select the country you want your toll-free number for. After that, it’s time to select the unique code for your toll-free number from a list of codes–800, 888, 866, 855, 844, and 877 toll free number provided by CallHippo.

4. Set a call forwarding number

After setting up your toll-free number, you don’t need any further phone lines to access your number from outside of the office premises. You just need to leverage its call-forwarding feature to get your calls forwarded to your business phone, cell phone, or landline. (Set up a toll-free call forwarding service for your business).

Why Buy an 800 Area Code Number from CallHippo?

CallHippo’s toll-free numbers are beyond random phone numbers. They are a holistic business tool that significantly reduce operational costs, promote business success, and streamline operations.

CallHippo offers 24*7 customer support and advanced features like IVR, time-and-day scheduling, voicemail transcription, and auto-call recording without additional charges.

And if that isn’t enough, some of the exclusively advanced features that CallHippo offers are-

1. Power dialer to fulfill your daily call commitments
2. Smart switch to toggle and choose the best telephony provider to ensure better call connectivity
3. Global connect to know when to place an international call and encourage fruitful discussions
4. Smart call forwarding to route and forward your toll-free number calls to your desired phone, so you never miss a call, even on the go
5. Call transfer to redirect an active call to a team member’s phone number to get customers’ issues resolved by a niched expert
6. Call conference to turn your two-way call into a three-way conference

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How to Choose the Best 1-800 Business Number?

Choosing the best 1-800 area code toll-free number is an elaborate process that needs you to consider different aspects. You must start by scrolling through the toll-free number database.

To choose the best one, consider these factors –

1. Enlist the non-negotiable features important for your business’s functioning, like IVR, call recording, real-time dashboard, and more.
2. Check the pricing and the value it offers at that price–integrations, features, and capabilities.
3. Easy adaptability and setup process so you can instantly align it with your contact center software and start using it.
4. Degree of scalability so you can seamlessly add more agents as your business grows.
5. Number’s memorability and capability to portray your business’s core purpose.
6. Check out customer reviews for the provider you’re considering to determine if it’s a great choice for your business.

5 Best 1-800 Phone Number Providers

If you are looking for a 800 number for your business phone system, you should evaluate the offerings from top 800 number providers. The following section presents the best 800 number providers in the industry while comparing their features, pros, cons, and pricing plans.

1. CallHippo

CallHippo is a cloud-based business phone system that helps businesses make and receive phone calls over the internet to anywhere across the world. It takes just three minutes of your time to sign up, get an 800 phone number, and complete the installation. CallHippo offers a free local phone number and lets you make unlimited calls within US and Canada.

Reputed brands like Amazon, TechMahindra, and Accenture trust CallHippo. This, in turn, signifies the quality of services offered by CallHippo. The CalHippo phone system has voicemail-to-email transcription that helps convert messages into audio and deliver it directly to the email instead of the voicemail box.

Its plans are cheaper than other phone systems, so it is affordable to startups and small businesses.

Features:

• VoIP calling
• Virtual meetings
• Voicemail to email transcription
• Skill-based call routing
• Caller id
• Call recording
• Call transfer and forwarding
• Auto attendant feature
• Call analytics
• Power dialer

Pros:

• Easy to set up and use
• No hidden charges
• Exceptional call management features
• Excellent customer support
• Free trials
• Cloud-based architecture

Cons:

• The interface should be upgraded

Pricing:

• Basic: $0 per user per month
• Starter: $18 per user per month
• Professional: $30 per user per month
• Ultimate: $42 per user per month

2. Grasshopper

Grasshopper is a leading business phone service provider known for providing businesses with toll-free numbers, vanity toll-free numbers, and local numbers. It offers a wide range of features that businesses can leverage to enhance their customer service quality. Grasshopper has made it easy for businesses to own toll-free phone numbers.

With Grasshopper, you can make inbound and outbound calls, enable call forwarding to different phone numbers and voice mail, send and receive text messages, etc. It has an intuitive interface that can be accessed through mobile or web apps. With extensive features, it helps small businesses manage calls with limited resources.

Integrating Grasshopper with Dropbox, Google Drive, and other cloud-based applications is easy.

Features:

• Call queuing
• Toll-free phone number
• Custom greeting
• Inbound and outbound messaging
• Voicemail-to-text transcription
• Free mobile app and desktop app
• Auto-attendant features
• Call waiting

Pros:

• Apt for startups
• Cheap plans
• Intuitive dashboard
• Easy to use
• 30-day free trial
• Custom greetings

Cons:

• Limited analytic abilities
• Lack of collaboration tools

Pricing:

• True Solo: $14 per month
• Solo Plus: $25 per month
• Small Business: $55 per month

3. Nextiva

Nextiva is a cloud-based commercial phone service provider with extensive features and functionalities. It offers a toll-free number with each plan, and you can get a local number from anywhere in the USA.

The price decreases when you wish to scale up and add more users. So, the cost per user comes down when you add more users.

It can be installed on any device and works perfectly on Windows PC or Mac. Each plan includes unlimited calling, call forwarding, voicemail to email transcription, etc. The auto attendant feature in Nextiva helps add custom greetings to the system.

Features:

• Unified call management platform
• Call flow prioritization
• Call forwarding
• Auto attendant
• Toll-free code
• Web conferencing
• Video meetings

Pros:

• Excellent customer support
• User-friendly interface
• Highly customizable
• Collaboration abilities
• Integration support

Cons:

• Rigid cancellation policy
• Buggy mobile app

Pricing:

• Essentials: $23.95 per user per month
• Professional: $27.95 per user per month
• Enterprise: $37.95 per user per month

4. RingCentral

RingCentral is an award-winning communication platform that helps call centers and businesses amp up their phone system. RingCentral offers all popular toll-free prefixes, including 800, 844, 855, 866, 877, and + 888 country code.

RingCentral has a wide range of customizable features. With RingCentral, you can translate the greeting message into different languages. By signing up to your business phone number, you unlock extensive collaboration features, including iOS, Android, and Windows support.

Features:

• Unified communication platform
• Call monitoring
• Call flow prioritization
• Call recording
• Messaging support
• Collaboration abilities

Pros:

• Free trial
• Intuitive interface
• End-end call management
• Easy call transfers

Cons:

• Only one number device
• Call quality has to be improved

Pricing:

• Core: $20 per user per month
• Advanced: $25 per user per month
• Ultra: $35 per user per month

5. Vonage

Vonage is a cloud-based phone system that can be customized to meet the specific requirements of industry, including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, etc. It offers toll-free and local phone numbers to add a professional touch to your business calls.

Vonage is affordable for businesses of different scales. It offers unlimited voice calling and voicemail box options, so you can add phone lines at zero cost. The advanced call management tools offered by Vonage help you manage phone calls from remote locations.

Features:

• Intelligent call routing
• Call Blocking
• Call prioritization
• Call forwarding

Pros:

• Industry-specific solution
• User-friendly
• Easy to add users
• Excellent call clarity

Cons:

• Voicemail and video conferencing features need improvement

Pricing:

• Mobile: $13.99 per line per month
• Premium: $20.99 per line per month
• Advanced: $27.99 per line per month

Wrapping Up

As we have reached the end of this extensive guide on the 800 phone number area code, you are likely impressed by the capabilities of toll-free numbers and are eager to get them.

You can now follow the process of getting a toll-free call number mentioned above while considering all the factors to land the best one. Once done, you can start enjoying toll-free numbers’ portability, affordability, and memorability and leverage its advanced calling features to deliver superior customer service.

To make the process easier and enjoy the best toll-free service, get your number from a reliable service provider like CallHippo!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the 800 area code number legit or a scam?

800 phone area code number is legitimate and widely used by businesses. However, to be safe, tally the number you receive a call from with the number listed on the company’s website. In case of differences, block the number immediately.

2. How do I block unwanted 800 calls?

Wondering why the 800 area code keeps calling me? This is probably a scam or unwanted call you’d like to block. Go to recent calls, long press the unwanted number, and hit block number for Android. Tap on encircled ‘i’ against the unwanted number> scroll down>tap block this caller for iPhone.

3. Is Area Code 800 Toll-Free?

Yes, the 800 phone area code is a toll-free number for customers to place calls.

4. Are 800 Numbers Safe to Pick Up?

Most toll-free numbers (800 numbers) are not scammer’s numbers, but it’s wise to be safe by tallying the number on the company’s website and never sharing your personal information.

5. Should You Get an 800 Area Code for Your Business?

Getting an 800 toll-free code number is a viable option for your business for its benefits (mentioned above) and the features it offers to optimize your business communication.

6. What is the procedure for dialing a number with the 800 area code?

To dial an 800 number, open your dial screen, key in the country code (+1) (if not making local calls (dialing from outside North America)), enter the toll-free codes, and finally, type the remaining number.

Published : August 26, 2025

Supriya Bajaj

Supriya Bajaj is a senior content developer with immense experience in the VoIP telephony domain. With a deep knowledge of VoIP systems and emerging technologies in the field, she provides insightful and targeted content. Known for simplifying complex topics and her thought-leadership articles, Supriya delivers actionable content for both technical and non-technical audiences.

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