Phone numbers

Toll-free numbers

The ideal phone number choice for text messaging in the US, with high throughput and a programmatic verification process.

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What are toll-free numbers?

Toll-free numbers are 10-digit phone numbers (think 800 numbers like 877-234-5618). These easy-to-remember phone numbers can be registered to a brand and used to send text messages, just like short codes and long codes.

Toll-free number use cases

Alerts and notifications

Use toll-free messaging to deliver important alerts and notifications to customers. Luma Health handles appointment confirmations, reminders, and more communications seamlessly for 7M+ patients.

7.11M+

patients reached

19k

providers serviced

4

channels for communications

Read Luma Health’s story

Toll-free number features

  • High-throughput

    Toll-free messaging throughput starts at 3 messages per second (MPS) with the option to raise to 150MPS+ with onboarding onto high-throughput toll-free

  • One number for messaging and voice

    The same recognizable toll-free number to support customers over SMS messages or calls, with the voice-enabled capabilities of 10DLC

  • Delivery receipts

    See if and when your messages are delivered to customers’ handsets for full transparency into message performance

  • BYO number

    Use an existing toll-free number and enable it for messaging to create a single branded identity that’s easy for customers to remember, like vanity toll-free numbers (1-833-PET-MART)

  • API & Software for Onboarding

    Register and verify all of your toll-free numbers through our API or Console experience

  • Largest range of use cases

    Toll-free numbers cover the broadest range of use cases for messaging in the US and Canada

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What are the benefits of toll-free texting?

Start sending sooner

Provision toll-free numbers and expedite the onboarding and compliance process through Twilio’s API and console solutions.

Scale with the market leader for toll-free messaging

Twilio is the industry leader in toll-free verification and has a large phone number inventory with 65,000+ local prefixes reaching customers in 180+ countries.

Pay-as-you-go pricing

Start sending without worrying about contracts and commitments. You only pay for what you use, with volume discounts available as you scale.

Getting started with toll-free numbers

Provision a toll-free number

Sign up for a Twilio account to get started. You can instantly purchase a toll-free number in the Twilio Console or through the REST API. Or, port in a toll-free number you already own and enable it for text messages.

How to buy (or port in) a toll-free number

Get your messages delivered reliably with a branded toll-free number

Find out why toll-free numbers are becoming the ideal choice for business messaging. Fast-track your number verification and deliver the same trusted experiences to customers.

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FAQs about toll-free number messaging

A toll-free number is a 10-digit telephone number. They are characterized by a preassigned 3-digit prefix, like 877, in place of an area code and are free of charge for the calling party.

Historically, toll-free numbers were used by businesses that wanted to assume the full cost of having a customer reach out to them.

But today’s toll-free numbers function a lot differently than the 1-800 numbers businesses used 10 years ago. They aren’t limited to hotlines for placing orders. In the US and Canada, they are enabled  for both calling and texting, so they serve as dynamic customer communications channels.

Yes, toll-free numbers in the US and Canada are text-enabled so they can send and receive text messages just like a short code or long code. 

You can have an existing toll-free number text-enabled so you can keep the same number your customers already know.

Toll-free texting works just like business messaging to any other number type, like short codes or long codes. 

Customers can receive and reply to toll-free messages about appointment reminders, offers, and customer support.

It’s easy to verify a toll-free number with Twilio. After buying a toll-free number or porting in an existing toll-free number, you can choose to verify your number through the Messaging Compliance API or Console. 

This requires you to create a Customer Profile with business, contact, and location information along with your messaging use case and submit it for review. 

All toll-free numbers in the US and Canada need to be verified for transparency with the carriers, compliance, and optimal delivery.

Toll-free numbers differ from A2P 10DLC numbers in a few ways:

  1. Twilio can verify toll-free numbers in house. 10DLC numbers require secondary vetting from an external registration group, which can increase time-to-market 
  2. 10DLC numbers have a local prefix for the area code, while toll-free numbers have a preassigned prefix like 833,888,855, etc. 

Toll-free messaging shows delivery receipts at the customer handset level, while 10DLC shows delivery receipts at the carrier level, giving businesses more transparency into their messaging performance and optimization.