Pricing and Costs of Toll Free Numbers

Find the lowest cost 800 numbers to use for your business
By Lori Carver 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.

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.
Try: 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.
Try: 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.
Try: 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.

• 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.