Toll-free numbers are telephone numbers with special prefixes that are used for telephone calls for which the called party is charged, instead of the calling party. The prefixes used for toll-free numbers are 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, and 833. When a caller dials a toll-free number, the call is routed to the called party’s telephone number without the caller incurring any charge for the call. Instead, the charge for the call is paid by the called party, either through a special arrangement with their telephone carrier or by contract with a third-party service provider.

Toll-free numbers are often used by businesses and organizations to provide customer service or to provide information to prospective customers. They are also used by charities and other non-profit organizations to receive donations. Toll-free numbers can be used to place calls from any telephone, including payphones, cellular phones, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones.

In most countries, toll-free numbers are managed by a central database that stores the telephone number and routing information for each toll-free number. When a caller dials a toll-free number, the call is routed to the appropriate telephone number based on the routing information in the database. The central database is managed by a toll-free service provider, which charges the called party for the use of the toll-free number.