Is 844 a toll-free number?

Is 844 a toll-free number?

Yes. The FCC names 844 as one of seven toll-free codes, with 800, 888, 877, 866, 855 and 833 ^[1]. Calls to it work like calls to 800: from a US landline the caller pays nothing ^[1]. Canada uses the same codes, so an 844 number can belong to a Canadian company too ^[5].

When did 844 open, and who hands out the numbers?

844 opened on 7 December 2013 ^[2]. For the first 30 days, each RespOrg could reserve only 100 numbers a day, so firms with faster database links could not take them all ^[3][3]. A RespOrg is the company that manages a toll-free number's record for its owner ^[6].

The pool itself is run by Somos, the not-for-profit Toll Free Numbering Administrator ^[3]. It took that role as SMS/800 on 1 November 2013, five weeks before 844 opened, and renamed itself in 2015 ^[2]. A business that wants a number goes through a RespOrg, first-come, first-served ^[7]. Its own vanity example is an 844 number: 844-439-7666, which it spells 844-HEY-SOMOS ^[4].

How do I dial a 1-844 number?

In the US, dial 1, then 844, then seven digits. From another country, start with your exit code, then 1, then the full ten digits. The 1 is the country code for the US and Canada ^[8]. Exit codes vary: Australia uses four digits, Germany two. Spelled numbers convert with the letters converter.

Does a call to 844 cost anything?

Not from a US landline ^[1]. A US mobile plan without unlimited minutes still counts airtime ^[1]. From outside the US and Canada, the line may not connect, or your carrier may treat it as an international call ^[9]. A company's own overseas number, if it has one, is the safest route from abroad.

Without one, an internet calling app can dial the 844 line for you. TwinPhone charges US$0.02 a minute to US toll-free numbers ^[10]. That is not free, and lines restricted to certain US states will refuse the call ^[11]. Read about calling an 844 line from outside the US, or compare the ranking above and the main guide. An app is never a substitute for a local phone in an emergency ^[11].

Who is calling me from 844? Is it a scam?

Maybe a real company, maybe not: the 844 on your screen could be fake. The FTC warns that scammers can make any name or number appear on caller ID ^[12]. So look up the company yourself instead of trusting the display, and watch what the caller asks for. Payment demands are the clearest signal.

• A request to pay with a gift card is a scam, the FCC says ^[13].
• Hang up and call back on the number from your statement or the company's website ^[14].
• A toll-free number can receive texts once its owner enables them ^[1]. Forward spam texts to 7726 ^[13].

Other toll-free prefixes

844 sits between 833 and 855 in number order. Every code has a page like this one with its dates and dialing notes, and the prefix overview shows them side by side. For the basics, read what a toll-free number is and whether toll-free calls are free.

• Is 833 toll-free?The newest toll-free code
• Is 855 toll-free?The 2010 code, not Cambodia
• All toll-free prefixesIn service and reserved codes