Phone numbers and porting · For businesses evaluating 3CTel
Should I get a local or a toll-free number?
Choose a local number if most customers are in your area and you want to look like a neighbourhood business. Choose a toll-free number if you serve customers across Canada or the United States, advertise nationally, or want a number that stays the same if you move cities. Many businesses use both: local for the office, toll-free for marketing and support.
When a local number is the better fit
Local numbers are available in Canadian area codes, and you can hold numbers in several cities to give each market a local presence while routing everything to one team.
- Trades, clinics, restaurants, retail and professional services that serve a region.
- Businesses whose customers search by city and expect a local area code.
- Offices that list a number on local directories and signage.
- Situations where the number needs to receive text messages from customers.
When toll-free earns its place
Toll-free prefixes include 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888. They work the same way; 800 is the most recognized and the hardest to find as a new number. Toll-free calls are typically billed per inbound minute, so the quote will show that alongside the number fee.
- Customers across provinces or in the United States, since toll-free numbers in the North American plan are dialable from both.
- Advertising, packaging and vehicles where a memorable number matters.
- Support lines where callers should not pay long-distance charges.
- Businesses that expect to relocate and want a number independent of geography.
Using both
A common setup is a local main number on the website and door, a toll-free number on national ads and a direct local number for each location. All of them can point to the same main menu or to different departments, and reports show which number each call arrived on, so you learn which one your customers actually use.
Toll-free numbers can be ported like local numbers, and both are quoted with the plan.
Related questions.
Can customers text a toll-free number?
Toll-free numbers can be text-enabled in many cases, but the setup and registration differ from local numbers. If texting is important, tell your specialist so the right number type is chosen and registered.
Do toll-free numbers work from the United States?
Yes. Toll-free numbers within the North American numbering plan can be dialled from Canada and the United States. Callers from other countries usually cannot reach a toll-free number and need a local number instead.
Is a toll-free number more expensive?
Toll-free numbers usually carry a small monthly fee plus per-minute inbound charges, since the business pays for the call rather than the caller. Your quote shows the exact amounts before anything is activated.
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