Pricing and costs of toll free numbers vary from company to company and plan to plan. Many companies add features you may not need to the basic plan and charge a higher monthly charge. Compare the list of standard features these companies offer and decide if your business will use them.

Some companies provide free minutes with the basic plan, others charge for every minute used. Look at the following to determine pricing and costs of toll free numbers:

1. Check the basic rates for 800 phone service.

2. Find the costs for additional features for your toll free numbers.

3. Consider the additional cost for designer 1-800 phone numbers if you plan on using this feature.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy toll free number service at the cheapest possible rate

If you are just starting out in business, a basic toll free number with no frills will address your needs without taxing your budget.

I recommend: AT&T offers a free tool to check for the availability of the designer number of your interest. There may still be a charge to secure the number but it is free to find out if it is available. Get 800 Today offers pre-paid toll free number service. There is a one-time reserve charge of from about $5 for 888, 877 or 866 prefixes to around $30 for 800 prefix. If you want a premium 800 number, this charge ranges from $35 to $260. You do get 60 free minutes for your toll free number upon sign up. There is a $2 monthly maintenance fee and minutes cost a flat amount per minute. Add time to your account when it runs low. There is no contract, you can cancel at anytime. 800 PBX offers toll free number service with no long-term contracts. Set-up fee is about $25 and cost per month ranges from $15 to $100 depending on the features you choose. Free minutes are included with the plan and additional minutes cost more, depending on the plan you choose.

Add more features to your 800 number service such as caller ID, forwarding and select ring

Add the features to your plan that make sense for your business usage, such as voice mail and caller ID.

I recommend: Douglas Telecom offers toll free service with caller ID, call waiting, voice mail and real time number management included with the service. The charge is $5 per month and they bill calls in one second increments starting at about 3.50 cents per minute. They only charge for calls lasting at least 30 seconds. You need a VoIP service to utilize their service. Evoice Receptionist provides a complete package including a toll free number loaded with features. Auto-attendant, caller ID, voice mail and more are loaded into this professional service. You can try this service free for 30 days. After that, it is around $30 per month with no set up fee.

Select a designer 1-800 number so customers remember it

Choose the number you want for your business so your customers remember it. There is usually an additional charge for a designer number, but this cost should pay for itself with the extra revenue generated from the additional calls.

I recommend: Custom Toll Free will find the custom number you want for your business. They search for the number you want and make arrangements to buy it for you. They charge a consulting fee on a case by case basis. My Tollfree 800 Number offers the vanity numbers you want for your business. They charge a set up fee of about $100 and then about 10 cents per minute for interstate calls. Intrastate call per minute rate varies according to state.

Tips & Tactics for 800 Numbers Best Practices

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Many companies offer incentives such as free minutes or one month free if you sign up for a plan for your 1-800 numbers. If you do not see an incentive, ask for it.

Toll-free numbers (or "800 numbers") let callers contact your business without having to pay for the call. Generally, toll-free numbers aren't expensive, although the cost rises as your volume climbs. Toll-free numbers typically begin with 800, but can also begin with 888, 877, or 866 since true 800 numbers are in such high demand that they're virtually all taken. Research shows that when faced with several options, consumers are much more likely to call businesses with toll-free numbers than ones with regular phone numbers. (After all, who can resist anything that's free?)

800 phone numbers:

1. Give customers an easy, free way to contact your business.
2. Let you project a professional company image and make your business look big and stable.
3. Make your business more memorable, especially if you choose a "vanity 800 number."

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Call your phone company for 800 numbers

Most long-distance carriers now offer toll-free numbers. In general, long-distance providers charge more than toll-free service providers or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) companies, but they also may be more convenient, since you'll probably just add a service from a vendor you're already using.

I recommend: Some long-distance carriers that offer 800 phone numbers are AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. You can also find a carrier that serves your area by searching on LowerMyPhone.com. Find VoIP service providers through the directory on Business.com.

Contact an 800 numbers service provider

Toll-free service providers may help you save money when you compare prices with those of the long-distance providers. You'll need to do some comparison shopping.

I recommend: You can find a list of all toll-free service providers on the SMS/800 website.

Try broadband 800 phone numbers service

Even broadband phone service providers are offering 800 numbers, though you must also have regular phone service through the company (i.e., you can't get just a toll-free number). These services let you make and receive phone calls over your Internet connection. The good news is that prices are low. The bad news is that should your Internet connection go down, so will your phone.

I recommend: Two broadband phone service companies that offer 800 numbers are Vonage and BroadVoice. Find more broadband providers through Business.com.

Get a vanity 800 number

Vanity 800 numbers spell out words like '800-FLOWERS'. In one study, ads that had vanity 800 numbers got 14 times more phone calls than ads with traditional numeric 800 numbers

I recommend: Any provider of toll-free numbers should be able to let you know if a number you want is available. You can also find available numbers with your business keywords in them by searching on mytollfree800number.com or The AT&T Toll-Free Numbers Recommendation Tool. You can also find out what your current phone number spells at phonespell.org. Research and order vanity 800 numbers through Business.com.

Be realistic about what you need

Salespeople at the phone companies sometimes work on commission, so don't let them sweet-talk you into services and products that won't be cost-effective or useful for your business.

I recommend: Depending on where you are in the country, AT&T might be able to offer Web hosting and DSL service in addition to a toll-free plan, but unless you have more than one location you don't need to consider the company's enterprise solutions. Sprint offers a large menu of fancy 800 numbers services, including interactive voice response (IVR) and Site RP (which directs callers to particular folks within your company), but the services cost a mint and are generally used by hospitals, universities, and large corporations.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Numbers that begin with 800 are just about impossible to get. Try to get a number that begins with 888, which is more widely recognized than toll-free numbers beginning with 877 or 866.
• •  If you choose a vanity 800 number, also give the numeric number in your ads so customers don't have to hunt-and-peck. For example, 'Call 800-FLOWERS (800-356-9377).'
• •  Most phone companies charge a flat fee (typically less than $10 a month, sometimes for multiple 800 numbers) plus a per-minute rate, which can be less than 10 cents a minute. Ask providers what the billing increments are for incoming calls (it's probably best for you if the company bills in 6-second increments).
• •  You don't need to have a second phone line; your toll-free number can ring in to your regular phone, and some companies even offer a distinctive ring service so you'll know when someone is calling your toll-free number.
• •  Be creative! You can use your toll-free number for customer orders, information requests, and more.
• •  To encourage potential customers to contact you, include your toll-free number in your ads, on your Web site, and in your other marketing materials.
• •  Toll-free numbers are portable, meaning you keep your number no matter how often you change phone companies.

800 numbers allow your customers to call you at no charge to them. If someone has a question about your product, they will not hesitate to call, since it will not cost anything. Customers with complaints or problems appreciate a toll free number that allows them to call in with their issue on the company's dime.

Toll free numbers come with indexes of 800, 888, 866 and 877. The last two are lesser known, so if you use one of those, clearly state in your ad that it is toll free. Consider the following when deciding to add 800 phone service to your business:

1. Increase your business with 1-800 numbers.

2. Pick designer toll free numbers for added sales.

3. Select an Internet 1-800 number and save.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get down to toll free numbers basics by adding a toll free number

Call the phone company you work with now or compare prices with several companies. Toll free numbers usually have a flat charge per month and a per minute fee but check pricing and look for new user specials.

I recommend: Toll Free Number offers several plans for your toll free number. Choose the features you wish and pay accordingly. Toll Free Forwarding offers a month-to-month service with many features. Choose an available toll free phone number and they will route calls to your existing phone number when someone calls you toll free. Ring Central offers toll free numbers basics for less. Choose your ext and your vanity phone number.

Add a special 1-800 number to your line for more business

Designer phone numbers are easy for your customers to remember so they will call more. Pick something easy to remember and related to your business.

I recommend: Toll Free Numbers.org will help you find the perfect phone number for your business. Since the good names go very fast, they have a system involving keywords, which helps you find excellent choices. They also provide information about dealing with customers that will also improve your business. Everdial offers toll free service with no monthly fees; just pay the low per minute call. They allow you to pick your own phone number, so think of a number that works for your company. Glow Host offers several plans for toll free numbers, including picking a designer number one of two ways: repeater numbers or those that end with a word or popular number sequence.

Use VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) for your toll free phone numbers

Use your existing broadband Internet connection to make and receive calls and program your toll free number to work in conjunction with the Internet.

I recommend: Toll Free Express offers VoIP service. You can use this with your existing service or let them set up a VoIP network connection. They will have you up and running in less than 48 hours if they start from scratch setting up your system. Vonage offers toll free numbers that you can add to your existing Vonage account. You can add and remove the toll free service whenever you want, so try it.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you buy toll free number with VoIP, it is typically less expensive than traditional phones, but be aware that if you lose your Internet connection you will also lose your phone service.

Many businesses use toll free numbers as a way to reach out to customers and make it easy for those seeking their goods or services to reach them. Toll free numbers are a powerful incentive for customers, even with the proliferation of unlimited long distance for home telephones.

Different businesses use toll free numbers in a variety of ways. Knowing about some of the most common terms for getting toll free numbers can help a business buy and use these telecommunication solutions practically.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Prefix or index

A phone prefix (sometimes called an index) is the first part of a phone number. With toll numbers, the prefix is called an area code; with toll free numbers, since no area code applies, the first three numbers are called the prefix. Common prefixes for toll free numbers include 800, 866, 888 and 877.

I recommend: Find out more about toll free prefixes for businesses at Custom Toll Free.

Vanity numbers

A toll free vanity number is a number that a business buys because it contains certain letter strings (according to the letters on the phone keypad). A vanity number that spells a word associated with the business is easier for a customer to remember.

I recommend: Learn more about vanity toll free numbers at this TollFreeNumbers.com.

VoIP or broadband

VoIP or broadband toll free phone solutions allow businesses to conduct phone communications over the Internet. VoIP stands for 'Voice Over Internet Protocol.' This option is quickly becoming more popular in the digital age.

I recommend: Get more information on VoIP and broadband from WhichVOIP.com.

Enterprise solutions

Enterprise solutions are tools for greater functionality in business. In the telecommunications field, enterprise solutions often refer to the extras offered by telephone and internet providers.

I recommend: Get a broad-based definition of enterprise solutions from Accenture.

Real time number management

Real time number management is a term that comes out of digital telecommunication opportunities. It generally means that users can deal with different aspects of their telecommunications system (like voicemail or call waiting) simultaneously.

I recommend: Find out more about real time number management from Douglas Telecom.

Caller ID

Among the various features offered in telecommunication packages, caller ID is among the most popular. Caller ID enables a user to see the registered number of an incoming call, allowing a business to screen calls and more.

I recommend: See more on Caller ID at Tech-FAQ.