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What is a toll-free number?

A toll-free number is a phone number with a prefix like 800 or 888 that callers in the US and Canada can dial free. Many of these numbers can also send and receive business texts. They are a common way to send alert texts to staff.

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Glossary

Toll-free number

In plain English, with what it means for alert texts.

Illustration of Toll-free number.

How toll-free numbers work for texts

Toll-free numbers started as a way for people to call a business for free. The business pays for the call instead.

Today the same number can carry texts. Before it can text phones in Canada or the US, the business behind it must pass a review called toll-free verification. One review covers both countries and confirms who is sending and why.

What a staff alert from a toll-free number looks like

The operator below sees a text from an 888 number they saved as Plant alarms. The Welco: start tells them it is a system alarm, not a sales call.

  • From (888) 555-0163, saved as Plant alarms: Welco: [Chiller 3] Supply temp HIGH 14 C at 9:47 PM. Reply STOP to opt out.

A phone showing these alert texts: From (888) 555-0163, saved as Plant alarms, "Welco: [Chiller 3] Supply temp HIGH 14 C at 9:47 PM. Reply STOP to opt out."

Toll-free number vs local number for texting

A local number has a normal area code, such as 416 in Toronto or 604 in Vancouver. In the US, local numbers used for business texting go through a separate review called 10DLC registration.

A toll-free number is not tied to one town. That suits teams with staff and sites spread across several provinces, or on both sides of the border. Free to call does not mean free to text, though: the sender still pays for each message.

Why the sending number matters for alerts

Welco sends alert texts from verified toll-free numbers that carry alerts only and are never shared with marketing senders. A number of your own goes one step further: only your company uses it.

Ask staff to save the number as a contact. Welco alerts need a number that takes replies like YES and STOP, so they can't come from a one-way alphanumeric sender ID. A saved name is the next best thing. The toll-free verification guide covers the review, and other number terms are in the glossary of texting terms.

Frequently asked questions

Can a toll-free number send text messages?

Yes, once the number is enabled for texting and the business behind it is verified. Unverified toll-free numbers can't text Canadian or US phones. Calls and texts can share the same number.

Which prefixes are toll-free in the US and Canada?

800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888. They all work the same way for texting. The prefix tells you nothing about who owns the number.

Can Canadian staff reply to an alert from a toll-free number?

Yes. With Welco, a reply goes back to your team by email, and replies use message credits like any other text. STOP and HELP are handled by Welco instead.

Do staff pay to receive texts from a toll-free number?

Not from the sender. Their own mobile plan decides whether incoming texts cost anything, which is why every join page says message and data rates may apply.

Send staff alarms from a number they recognize

Verify your business once and your alerts go out from an alerts-only number.

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