Telephone numbers 800

Today, "800 number" is an umbrella term that commonly refers to the full suite of toll free telephone numbers: 800, 888, 866, and 877. Toll free numbers aren't exactly free; instead, the called party is charged for the call rather than the calling. 1 800 telephone numbers are used by companies to offer convenient customer support, encourage calls from prospective customers, and enhance their corporate image. Consumer research has shown that when customers search the Yellow Pages, they are far more likely to call a business with a toll free number.

Toll free numbers were created in 1967 by AT&T. The original ones were 1 800 phone numbers. Since then, demand has exploded leading to the activation of new toll free prefixes:

• 1996: 888 numbers were released
• 1998: 877 numbers were released
• 2000: 866 numbers were released

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