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If someone gave you a 1-800 number for free, what would you do with it?
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this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2024
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What does 1-800 number mean? I guess it's an USA thing, isn't it?
A 1-800 number is immune to long distance charges, free to call by anyone in the US— the owner of the 800 number pays any fees associated with the call. Traditionally, 800 numbers are owned by companies in order to sell stuff. (The 1- portion of a 1-800 number means that it’s a long distance call… which was a thing when I was growing up in the 80s/90s, but basically isn’t a thing anymore in the age of cellphones)
The opposite of an 800 number is a 900 number. The person calling a 900 number has to pay, usually by minute, and most of that money goes to the owner of the 900 number. Famously used for phone sex lines.
To add to this, the 800 part is effectively an international convention for toll free numbers at this point. Most countries use either "800", "0800", or "1800". On top of that the +800 country code is used for international toll-free numbers, but AFAIK it only works in a few countries.
To add further more: often also 810 or 820 numbers exist, where a phone call might have a toll up to 10 or 20 cents per minute respectively. With 900 numbers you usually dont know, how expensive they are, when only looking at the number.
The 1 is the Country Code for the US. If you are dialing outside the US, you would start with the Country Code for the country you are calling. If you are outside the US dialing a US number, you start with a 1 to designate that the number is within the US.
for North America and some island countries/territories*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_calling_codes
So it's a really expensive phone number to own? I would sell or delist it.
But you get it for free, I assume the costs are covered
I have one, it costs me like 1.5$ a month to own, and 0.02$/min. It's cheap.
Are long-distance charges a thing anymore? I haven't paid any fees for domestic long distance in over a decade - I thought they were extinct.
800 is really just an easy-to-remember area code for businesses now, aren't they? Like .com.