Toll-free codes
Toll-free numbers reverse the billing: the called business pays. Seven area codes are reserved for the service, all following the "Easily Recognizable Code" pattern of matching last digits. Unlike geographic codes they carry no location — an 800 number answers anywhere in the US, Canada and much of the Caribbean.
Toll-free numbering is managed in the SMS/800 registry by Somos under FCC oversight, not by NANPA's geographic assignment process. That is why this site's prefix tables cover geographic codes only: toll-free numbers are assigned individually, not in prefix blocks tied to rate centers.
| Code | In service since | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 800 | 1966-01-01 | The original toll-free code (1966) |
| 833 | 2017-06-03 | Added as an expansion code |
| 844 | 2013-12-07 | Added as an expansion code |
| 855 | 2010-10-09 | Added as an expansion code |
| 866 | 2000-07-29 | Added as an expansion code |
| 877 | 1998-04-04 | Added as an expansion code |
| 888 | 1996-03-01 | Added as the first expansion code |
FAQ
Which US codes are toll-free?
Exactly seven: 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888. No other code is toll-free, including lookalikes such as 801 or 889.
Who pays for a toll-free call?
The subscriber that rents the number — the business you call. From a US phone you pay no toll, though mobile plans still count airtime minutes.
Are new toll-free codes coming?
The reserved pattern is 8YY with matching last digits; 822 is next in line when existing codes approach exhaust, per FCC/Somos planning.