Is 866 a toll-free number?

Is 866 a toll-free number?

Yes. 866 is on the FCC's list of toll-free codes, with 800, 888, 877, 855, 844 and 833 ^[1]. The business that owns an 866 number pays for completed calls, not the caller ^[5]. Somos, the administrator, says all seven codes give the same kind of toll-free call ^[6].

How did 866 come about?

866 was the fourth toll-free code. The FCC dates it to 29 July 2000, about two years after 877 ^[7]. Numbers were handed out first-come, first-served ^[7]. That had a cost: after the 877 and 866 openings, RespOrgs reported that during database timeouts only those with more advanced systems could reserve numbers, while the rest were locked out ^[7].

Those complaints shaped later openings. When 855 and 844 arrived, the FCC capped each RespOrg at 100 numbers a day for the first month ^[7][7].

Does an 866 number work from Canada and the Caribbean?

Only if the owner allowed it. Every toll-free record carries an area of service chosen by the owner's RespOrg ^[3]. If that area leaves out Canada, Canadian callers may not get through, even though Canada shares the same toll-free codes ^[8]. The record codes look like this:

Somos runs the toll-free pool for the US, Canada and Sint Maarten ^[7].

How do I dial a 1-866 number?

In the US or Canada, dial 1, 866 and seven digits. Elsewhere, dial your exit code, then 1, then the ten digits ^[9]. Both examples below use 00 as the exit code. From outside North America, the call may fail or be billed as international ^[4], so look for the company's overseas number first.

From a US landline the call is free ^[1]; a US mobile without unlimited minutes uses airtime ^[1]. From abroad, an internet app can reach many lines: TwinPhone charges US$0.02 a minute ^[10] and cannot connect lines limited to certain US states ^[11]. Its page on reaching an 866 line from outside the US explains the rest; the ranking above and the main guide compare other routes. For emergencies, use a local phone ^[11].

Who is calling me from 866? Is it a scam?

An 866 number on your screen could be a real company or a spoofed one. Spoofing means deliberately faking the caller ID, often to look like a trusted company or agency ^[12]. Do not judge by the number. Judge by the request, and verify through a number you found yourself.

• Pressure to pay by gift card is a scam, says the FCC: hang up ^[13].
• The FTC adds crypto, payment apps and wire transfers to that list ^[14].
• Call back on the number printed on your statement or the official website ^[12].

Other toll-free prefixes

866 comes after 855 and before 877. Each code has a page like this one. The toll-free prefixes overview covers all seven plus the reserved codes. For the basics, see what a toll-free number is and whether toll-free calls are free on mobiles and from abroad.

• Is 855 toll-free?The 2010 code, not Cambodia
• Is 877 toll-free?The third toll-free code
• All toll-free prefixesIn service and reserved codes