What's the difference between 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, and 833?

They all work the same way. Dial any of them from anywhere in North America and you reach the same person, free to the caller.

800 was the first toll free prefix, opened in the 1960s, so most of the good 800 numbers were taken decades ago. 888 opened in 1996, then 877, then 866, 855 (2010), 844, and 833 (2017). Newer prefixes have more available inventory and the same call quality.

The number itself matters more than the prefix. 888-BLUE-CLEAN is more memorable than 800-followed-by-random-digits. Don’t get hung up on the prefix, focus on the word.

In real customer data, 800 is still the most requested (38%), but 833 (22%) and 855 (19%) are right behind. Customers have already adapted.