VoIP glossary
What is Toll-free number?
A toll-free number is a phone number that is free for the caller to dial, with the business that owns it paying for the inbound minutes instead.
Toll-free number explained
Each country has its own toll-free ranges, such as 800, 888 and 877 in North America, 0800 in the UK and 1800 in Australia. They signal "call us at no cost" and are common for sales and support lines. Some can only be dialled from within their own country, and calls from mobiles may be charged differently.
On a SIP trunk, toll-free numbers arrive exactly like DIDs. The difference is billing: inbound per-minute charges usually apply and vary by the type of phone the caller is using.
Example
A software company buys a UK 0800 number for support. A customer calls it free of charge, and the company pays the per-minute inbound rate.
Put it into practice
Prepaid SIP trunks and wholesale routes from $200. Ask sales for rates or the NOC for a technical answer.