866 Area Code

What Is an 866 Area Code?

An 866 area code number is a specific type of toll-free number located in North America and serving all areas within the NANP (North American Numbering Plan). This includes the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and a few islands in the Caribbean.

The NANPA (North American Numbering Plan Administrator) has steadily been releasing more toll-free codes over the years to keep up with the ever-increasing demand for cell and landline numbers; this prefix is just one such example. Some others include 800, 833, 844, 855, 877, and 888. As for where area 866 is in the USA, it is not tied to one region or city. Rather than being associated with a particular location, like a zip code, toll-free codes work throughout all the countries that come under the NANP.

What Is the Location of Area Code 866?

As mentioned above, there is no particular city, region, or state associated with 866; area code location is not a consideration with toll-free codes in the same way as it is for other types of numbers. So, where is area code 866?

Rather than being tied to a particular city, region, or state or being connected with a given time zone, a toll-free code will cover the entirety of the NANP. This includes not only the United States and Canada but also parts of the Caribbean Sea, as well as a few islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Who Uses 866 Area Code Numbers?

866 area code numbers and other toll-free codes are used by all sorts of companies, but they are perhaps most immediately associated with businesses that depend on bringing in a high volume of calls. Examples of businesses that might use toll-free codes include sales teams, marketers, customer service centers, and other such firms.

Toll-free numbers are popular amongst these businesses because it is the number owner that has to cover the cost of the calls, as opposed to the person calling. That makes it far easier for companies to entice customers to call them, as clients don’t have to worry about the potentially prohibitive cost of long-distance calls, leading to higher client satisfaction rates. If existing customers are facing issues with your service, they’ll be more likely to call you to talk about it rather than leave, meaning your customer retention scores will see a boost, too.

Finally, since it’s free for people to phone an 866 area code anywhere within the NANP, using one of these numbers can also help you expand your company and grow your client base. With such a useful area code, you can receive calls from all over the United States, Canada, and beyond.

How an 866 Area Code Number Can Help Your Business

Allows customers to call you free of charge

Since your clients won’t have to pay anything to call your company, you’re more likely to get a higher volume of calls than you would when using another kind of phone number.

Fosters a national presence

With a toll-free code, you can extend the reach of your business to encompass the entire nation. By doing so, you can enjoy a much larger and more varied customer base than ever before.

Increases client satisfaction

When customers can reach out without paying anything, they are more likely to do so, which, in turn, means you can help them resolve issues more quickly. This will lead to happier customers!

Easily forwards calls

With the press of a button, you can forward calls to local agents, making it incredibly easy to expand your business both at the domestic and international levels.

Are 866 Area Code Numbers Still Available?

Right now, there are still 1-866 phone numbers for those who are interested in purchasing one—but you should act quickly! Because of how useful they are for businesses, toll-free codes are extremely popular and, as such, tend to get snatched up very quickly. Be sure to get yours before they run out!

At MightyCall, we offer a range of different payment plans for your convenience, each with its own range of game-changing features. You’ll also be given a complementary number; whether you choose one of our 866 numbers or a different number prefix is up to you. The many advantages offered to you via our VoIP service will help you run your business in the most efficient way possible, ensuring that you can give your customers the top-notch service they deserve.

If you’d like to purchase one of our numbers but can’t decide which is the best option for your company, we’d be happy to give you a little free advice on the topic. Book a consultation with MightyCall today to hear from our experts and benefit from their knowledge and experience.

Why Buy an 866 Area Code Number From MightyCall?

You’ll receive a minimum of two numbers on either of our plans

Whether you decide to go for our Core or Pro plan, you’ll receive a minimum of two toll-free or local numbers, with the option of purchasing even more for an additional $5 per number!

We offer competitive prices for our service packages

With a Core plan available for just $20 per user per month and a Pro package available for $25 per user per month, we offer access to an incredible service at attractive prices.

Enjoy 24/7 access to a team of friendly customer service staff

MightyCall is simple and intuitive, but if you do come up against any problems, you’ll be glad to hear you can get whatever help you need at any time from our customer service team.

You’ll benefit from a huge range of impressive features

The MightyCall VoIP platform is packed full of incredible features designed to boost your productivity and those all-important call metrics.

How Do 866 Area Code Numbers Work?

Calling an 866 number is the same as calling any other number—at least on the caller’s end. All you have to do is enter the number, hit the call button, and you’ll be put through. But if you own a toll-free business number, whether through a business communications service or a virtual number provider, what should you expect?

The main difference between owning a number with a toll-free code and any other type is that the receiver is expected to cover the costs. This means that both national and international fees incurred by your customers will be paid by you. In most cases, you’ll pay for your toll-free number with a monthly fee.

Once upon a time, a toll-free area code would only have been used to handle incoming calls. However, nowadays, when you use 866 numbers from our service, you’ll also be able to access a wide array of features designed to improve the efficiency of your call team. Such features include custom greetings, voicemail-to-text, multi-level IVR, and dial-by-name.

What Are the Business Benefits of Having a Toll-Free 866 Number?

Appear more professional

With a toll-free area code, you can create a more professional image for your company. For instance, when you use one of these numbers through MightyCall’s VoIP software, you can make use of features like call forwarding, call queues, and more.

Solidify your brand

If you’re able to find a relevant vanity number—that is, a number that includes words or phrases as well as digits, like 1-866-FLOWERS—you can both make your number more relevant and develop a strong brand. By just glancing at your number, people will know who you are and what you do.

Increase your reach

Using a toll-free telephone number allows people from all over the nation to call you. Indeed, with area code 866, states on the other side of the country are within reach, making it easier for you to increase your customer base.

Improves customer satisfaction rates

When clients can reach out to you more easily (and for free!), they’re better able to connect with you. This, in turn, will improve their experience with your company, leading to better customer satisfaction scores.

Is an 866 Area Code a Scam or Fraud?

Unfortunately, 866 area codes are fairly popular with fraudsters who use them to make scam calls—for example, the infamous one-ring scam, which involves scammers phoning victims in the hopes they’ll call back and be charged for the call.

Are 1-866 numbers always untrustworthy, then? Not at all! In fact, there are plenty of legitimate businesses out there that use this prefix. Nonetheless, if you don’t recognize the caller ID and aren’t expecting to receive any business calls, you should always err on the side of caution. If you’re not absolutely positive that the call is from a legitimate source, be careful not to give out any of your personal details.

How to Prevent an 866 Area Code Scam

Being pestered by bothersome calls? The best way to avoid falling prey to a 1-866 area code scam is to make sure you are well-educated on fraud and to remain vigilant at all times. But if you’re looking for a practical, step-by-step solution to this unfortunate scenario, this section will help:

• Identify the caller.

If you receive an unsolicited call from an 866 number you don’t recognize, the safest course of action is to take the time to identify who the caller is before trying to get back in touch with them. All you have to do is open up your preferred search engine, type in the telephone number, and hit search.

• Block spam numbers.

If other people have received scam calls from this number, it’s likely that it has already been reported. In this case, you can easily confirm that the call is not legitimate and can just ignore or block it.

• Exercise caution when calling back to confirm legitimacy.

If you cannot confirm whether or not the number belongs to a scammer and decide to call them back, place the call from a different device. This is because if you return their call from your own phone, the scammer knows that a legitimate person owns your number, which they may pass on to other fraudsters.

How to Block Unwanted 866 Calls

If you keep receiving unwanted calls from suspicious 866 numbers, this most likely means that your personal number has been leaked on the web. Illegitimate businesses or scammers may try and make the most of this, reaching out to you in an attempt to trick you into paying them money.

At best, these calls can be extremely bothersome; at worst, they can be dangerous. So, you may wish to consider blocking these numbers so they can’t reach you anymore.

Depending on whether you own an Android or iOS device, you can block these calls by following one of the methods set out below.

Android

1. Open the keypad on your phone.
2. In the “Recent” tab, press and hold on the number you wish to block.
3. Press “Block/report spam.”

iOS

1. Open the keypad on your phone.
2. In either the “Favorites,” “Recents,” or “Voicemail” tab, press next to the number you wish to block.
3. Scroll down and hit “Block This Caller”.

Are 866 Numbers Safe to Pick Up?

This prefix, along with other toll-free codes, is well-known for being used by scammers. As a result, many people are wary of answering calls from toll-free 866 numbers—and rightly so! However, while you should certainly exercise caution when handling these types of calls, you can still pick them up after taking the necessary precautions.

A good piece of advice for everyone to follow is to stay well-informed on recent scam techniques. This allows you to know what to expect from fraudsters who might try to trick you out of your money. Furthermore, if you receive a call from area code 866 and aren’t sure about the source, consider confirming it before answering the phone. If it is a spammer, answering the call will only show them that your number is in active use, and they might pass it on to other scam artists.

How Can You Check If an 866 Number Is Legit?

Most of us have received an unwanted call at some point or another. If you’ve received an unexpected call with an 866 code, there are a few ways you can check whether or not it’s legitimate:

1. Check for any new voicemail messages. In the event you missed the call, you might have been left a voicemail. Listening to it might shed light on the identity of the caller.
2. Carry out a reverse number search. If you’re concerned you’ve received a spoof call, you can look the number up using a search engine to see if anyone has filed complaints about it in the past.
3. Search for the number with a toll-free directory (e.g., the National Toll-Free Directory). This is a convenient, effective way of seeing to whom the number belongs.
4. Look for the number in a user database. This is another useful way of double-checking the ownership of a number.

What Is the Difference Between Toll-Free Numbers With Different 800 Codes?

Functionally, there is no real difference between different toll-free area codes; you can purchase any of them for the same price, and all options have the same operating costs. The only difference is when each particular number was first established:

• 800 was the first toll-free code to come onto the scene. Launched way back on January 1, 1966, this code still enjoys a high degree of popularity today and is widely used throughout North America.
• 833 is the most recent toll-free code to be launched, having just been established on June 3, 2017, to keep up with rising demands for toll-free phone numbers.
• 844 was established just a few short years before 833, on December 7, 2013, making it the second-most recent addition on this list.
• 855 came into use on October 9, 2010 as the need for new landlines and cell numbers continued to rise after the arrival of the new millennium.
• 866 has been around since July 29, 2000, making it the first of these numbers to be introduced after the millennium.
• 877 is a little older than 833 but not as old as 800 or 888. This code has been in use since April 4, 1998.
• 888 was the first toll-free code to be introduced after 800. It was launched on March 1, 1996.

Important Points About 866 Telephone Numbers

How much does a 1-866 number cost?

The cost of this code depends on where you purchase it. With MightyCall, you can get 1-866 phone numbers for as little as $20 per user per month. This package includes not just one but two toll-free or local numbers.

What should you consider when buying a number for your business?

When buying a number for your company, there are several important factors you should stop and consider beforehand. For example:

• Where do the majority of your calls come from?
• Do you have a significant national customer base?
• How about an international one?
• What benefits do you hope to gain from using this number?

These basic questions can help you get a better idea of what you should be looking for.

Texts from an 866 area code—spam or not?

If you’ve received a text from an 866 area code, it is likely a message from a business. However, it may also be spam. In that case, it is always better to avoid replying to 866 area code text messages, and you should certainly avoid sharing any personal info.

But if you’ve received a message from area code 866 and don’t know whether it’s legitimate, we’d recommend checking out the advice above!

Will MightyCall Help Me Find a Specific 866 Vanity Number?

If you know that you’d like an 866 area code number or even some other toll-free code, that’s great! But what comes next? Choosing one, of course!

You may not be altogether sure what specific number you’d like. If that’s the case, feel free to get in touch for some advice! Our friendly helpers are eager to help and can easily assist you in finding the perfect toll-free code for you.

To make sure you get the best 866 code possible, act now before someone else manages to get hold of it!

A Few Tips for Picking the Best 1-866 Business Number

To ensure that you pick a good number for your business, there are a few important pointers you should keep in mind. And here, we’ve covered the most important ones. A good number should be:

• Easy to remember. Using vanity numbers—that is, numbers that incorporate memorable words or phrases into them—can be helpful here.
• Focus on your niche. Numbers are often overlooked as a chance for branding, but they give you an opportunity to tell someone what it is you do instantly.
• Free of unique spellings of words. If you incorporate words into your number, stay clear of unusual spellings that might make it more difficult to remember.
• Not a hybrid number. To ensure your number is memorable, don’t use a mix of letters and numbers, as this can often be confusing.

Should You Get an 866 Area Code for Your Business?

At this point, we hope you have an idea of what area code 866 is good for and why you should consider getting such a number yourself. Perhaps you’ve even thought of a few key performance metrics that this code could help you with.

With that said, if you’re not sure whether or not you should sign up for a complementary number from MightyCall’s VoIP service, we’d be happy to lend you our opinion. Reach out today for a free consultation, and we’ll let you know what your business could stand to gain from us!