Toll-Free vs Local Number: Which Fits Your Business?

In the toll-free vs local number choice, pick a local number if most customers are nearby, and a toll-free number if they are spread across the country or you run a support line. A vanity number that spells a word helps ads stick. Many businesses use more than one, all ringing the same team.

Your phone number is one of the first things a customer sees. It is on your website, business cards, van and Google listing. If you are starting a business, opening a location or launching an ad, it is worth a little thought.

When Is a Local Number the Right Choice?

A local number has an area code where you do business. In metro Atlanta, that might be 404, 470, 678 or 770. It suits:

• Businesses that serve a local area: contractors, restaurants, salons, medical offices and law firms.
• Showing customers you are part of their community.
• A second location, where a nearby area code tells customers you are close.

If you often call customers back, a familiar local area code on their screen is a plus. And you do not need to be physically in an area to have a number there. With a cloud phone system, you can have a number in each area code you serve, all ringing the same team.

When Does a Toll-Free Number Make Sense?

Toll-free numbers start with 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844 or 833, and callers do not pay for the call. They suit businesses that serve customers across the country, customer support lines, and looking like an established, larger company.

With a toll-free number, your business pays for incoming calls. At Telonium, incoming toll-free minutes are billed separately from your unlimited calling in the lower 48 states and parts of Canada. Keep that in mind if you expect a lot of long calls.

What About Vanity Numbers?

A vanity number spells a word or phrase on the keypad. It can be local or toll-free. It suits radio, billboard and truck ads, where people need to remember a number at a glance. Keep the word short and easy to spell. If people have to ask "is that with a K or a C?" the number works against you.

How Do the Three Compare?

How Do You Get an 800 Number for Your Business?

Pick one online, or bring one you already have. You can search for local, toll-free and vanity numbers by area code or by word on our business phone numbers page. If you already own a toll-free number, you can keep it and move it to Telonium for $10 per number, one time; our guide on keeping your business number when you switch walks through it.

Can You Have Both?

Yes, and many businesses do: a local main number on the website and business cards, a toll-free number for customers outside the area, and a separate number for each ad, so you can see which one makes the phone ring. They can all ring the same auto attendant or call group, or each can go somewhere different. Call logs show which number each call came in on.

What Does Each Number Cost?

Every Telonium account includes one number for every two users. Extra numbers are $5 a month each, and incoming toll-free minutes are billed only if you use them. Full details are on our pricing page.

Can You Text from a Business Number?

Yes. Texting from a local business number needs a one-time registration that tells the mobile phone companies who you are and what you will send (it is called 10DLC registration). You can start your registration online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Toll-Free Number Ring My Cell Phone?

Yes. Any Telonium number, local or toll-free, can ring the app on your cell phone, your computer and your desk phone.

Do Incoming Toll-Free Calls Cost Extra?

Yes. Incoming toll-free minutes are an extra, separate from unlimited calling in the lower 48 states and parts of Canada. The number itself costs the same as any other number.

Can I Get a Local Number in an Area Where I Have No Office?

Yes. A cloud phone system lets you pick numbers in any area code you serve. Call us at 404-566-8888 if you want help choosing.