Call 800 numbers from abroad

How to call a US 800 number

1. 1. Pick the United States in the dialer. Then type the 10-digit number without the leading 1. Toll-free numbers start with 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888.
2. 2. Create an account. An email address is enough. No phone verification and no card to make your first call.
3. 3. Call and wait on hold as long as you need. The keypad works for phone menus. You pay per minute from credit that never expires.

Numbers people call most

Many companies also publish a regular number for callers abroad. We list them, with hours, for Chase and the IRS. See all service numbers, or read our guide to finding the direct-dial number behind a toll-free one.

Questions about calling 800 numbers

Why can't I call an 800 number from abroad?

The business that owns a toll-free number pays for every call to it, and that arrangement only exists with carriers inside the US. A call arriving from a foreign network has no one to bill, so it is refused, usually with a recording or silence.

How does Kitaphone get through?

Your browser connects to Kitaphone over the internet, and the call to the 800 number leaves from the US phone network. To the toll-free line it looks like a call from inside the US, which is the only kind it accepts.

Is the call free, like it would be in the US?

No. The 800 number is free for the company's caller in the US, but you pay Kitaphone $0.02 per minute from prepaid credit, the same as any US number. Hold time counts, so a 30-minute wait costs $0.60.

Does this work for UK 0800 or other countries' toll-free numbers?

This page is about US and Canadian numbers. Other countries' freephone ranges are reachable only from inside that country, and many companies there publish a separate number for international callers. Look for it on their website.