Perhaps you’ve noticed a newer trend among businesses that offer ways to reach them by phone: 855 numbers. You may be familiar with 800 numbers, which are typically toll-free, but you may wonder: is 855 toll free in the same way that 800 numbers are? In this article, we’ll answer these questions and more about 855 numbers.
Toll Free Numbers: Is 855 Toll Free?
If you’re curious and questioning, is 855 toll free?, the answer is yes. These numbers are toll free to callers and they work the same way that 800 numbers do. Instead of the caller being charged for the number, the subscriber is charged to allow its customers to avoid having to pay for time spent on the phone — something that many customers may balk at when faced with other types of communication. 855 numbers work in exactly the same way all 800 numbers do while being protected by the same porting rules as all other toll free numbers. The only difference is two digits!
Why Use 855 Toll Free Numbers?
Because 855 phone numbers are toll free in the same sense that 1-800 phone numbers are, you may be wondering why an 855 number is used at all.
First, considering that there have been lots of 800 numbers used by businesses throughout the years, the ability to find a number that hasn’t been used has dwindled. In fact, if you do the math, there are only 7.8 million possible combinations of numbers — and there have been plenty more businesses since the inception of 800 toll free numbers in the past. This can be a very important factor when a business entity uses the phone number as part of its branding campaign (1 800 MATTRESS, for example), with 855 being a new way to open up new letter combinations. With common letter combinations like CAT and BAT using the same numbers, businesses have had to settle for toll free numbers that may not have the same marketing and advertising impact that branded numbers have. With the relatively new 855 prefix, savvy businesses can finally get a piece of the action that older businesses have only previously had access to.
Another unexpected side effect of 800 toll free numbers being used since the 1960s is that many numbers have been used by multiple business, being, in effect, recycled. While this might not seem like such a big problem for the consumer, your business is on the hook when it comes to these misdirected and erroneous calls. Telemarketers are notorious for targeting businesses in hopes to scam employees and levy unfounded complaints for mislabeled phone numbers. 855 toll free phone numbers offer a less used selection of numbers that prevents this waste of your money and resources.
Thirdly, 855 toll free numbers give your business the same type of nationwide presence and similar credibility as 800 numbers, used widely by both Fortune 500 companies and small businesses that want a professional image. Customers do not want to be responsible for calling costs and it is very much expected that the companies they do business with to foot the bill. For businesses, using 800 and 855 toll free numbers can establish a professional rapport that local-based numbers lack. And according to research, customers automatically view your business enterprise in a different way if you have a toll free number, as opposed to just using local numbers.
855 Numbers and Beyond
Is 855 toll free? Yes they are, and there are actually many other variations to the standard 800 number.
In terms of availability, there are more phone numbers with the 855 prefix available than 800, thanks to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) efforts to make more toll free phone numbers available for business communication. Since their release in 2010, 855 toll free numbers have seen a skyrocketing demand among businesses that have jumped on the opportunity. Additionally, other prefixes have become popular due to the FCC’s release of new prefixes, with 844 toll free numbers and 833 toll free numbers also in high demand among businesses looking to separate themselves from the pack. These prefixes are all part of the North American Numbering Plan, which allows the U.S., Canada, and other territories (i.e. the Dominican Republic) to communicate toll free. Other toll free numbers have been in existence, which includes the prefixes 833, 866, 877, and 888. In the future, you can expect to see the toll free prefix 822 become more widely used, followed by 887 and 889.
Getting an 855 Toll Free Number from Global Call Forwarding
For those questioning, is 855 toll free? The answer is yes. If so, then subscribing with Global Call Forwarding can make the process seamless and easy. Simply visit www.globalcallforwarding.com and select the prefix 855 from the dropdown menu. You’ll see a list of available numbers or have the ability to select a vanity number for a nominal fee. Pick the toll free 855 number you want and specify the destination number or numbers, depending on where you wish to route your call. Then, select a plan and plan options to finalize the process. Once selected, your 855 number will be available for use by the following business day.
