In a Nutshell
pros
- All plans include a toll-free number
- Unlimited calling plan available
- No long-term contracts
cons
- Limited VoIP features
- $100 fee to port number to another VoIP provider
Overview
800.com at a Glance
What is 800.com?
800.com is a VoIP phone service provider founded in 1997. The company specializes in toll-free 1-800 and vanity numbers that can make it easier for customers to remember your business’s phone number.
800.com has basic VoIP features like call recording, SMS messaging, and extensions. However, it lacks more advanced features like video conferencing, auto-attendants, and ring groups. So it’s best suited for businesses that already have a VoIP phone service they like and want a toll-free or vanity number.
800.com’s toll-free numbers are cheaper than those from many other providers. Plus, the unlimited plan can save you money if your people spend a lot of time on the phone. It’s easy to forward an 800.com number to your business’s existing phone service.
800.com features
800.com offers toll-free 1-800 numbers with every phone plan. You can choose your number, although pattern numbers that end in 0000 typically cost extra. If you have a specific number in mind, you can search for it on 800.com’s site to see if it’s available and find out how much it will cost to license.
800.com’s phone service includes basic VoIP calling features such as:
Call forwarding
Call analytics
SMS messaging
Call recording
Extensions
Voicemail transcription
You can forward calls to your 800.com number to another VoIP phone service. There’s also an API available that you can use to set up custom forwarding rules (for example, forwarding calls between certain hours).
I found 800.com’s software to be very easy to use. The lack of features like auto-attendants can be problematic if you don’t have a primary VoIP provider to forward calls to. However, it only takes a minute to set up call forwarding and 800.com’s analytics enable you to see how many calls are coming to your 800.com phone number.
Is 800.com Safe and Reliable?
800.com has been in business since 1997 and has an A rating with the Better Business Bureau, indicating that the company has had few complaints from customers.
The company doesn’t encrypt calls or messages, and it doesn’t have any privacy certifications. There’s also no way to set up two-factor authentication on your account.
However, 800.com does encrypt customers’ personal data. Its privacy policy states that it never shares your information with third parties.
How 800.com Works
800.com offers VoIP phone service to 1-800 and vanity numbers. You can choose your own number or get a free toll-free number with your plan. 800.com allows you to forward incoming calls to another VoIP phone service, which is helpful for businesses that want calling features 800.com doesn’t offer.
How to Get Started With 800.com
There are two ways to get started with 800.com.
If you want any available toll-free number and don’t have a specific number in mind, you can sign up and activate your phone number right away. The checkout process took me less than five minutes.
If you want a specialty toll-free number or vanity number, you can search for it in 800.com’s phone number marketplace. These numbers typically have an annual licensing fee that ranges from $945-$1,945 per year. After you sign up for a plan, it typically takes 800.com several days to activate your number.
I was able to forward my 800.com number to my existing VoIP service in just a few minutes using 800.com’s online account portal. All I had to do was enter the number I wanted to forward to.
800.com Customer Service
800.com’s customer service team is available by phone from 9am-8pm (ET) Monday-Friday. I called and was connected with an agent within a minute. You can also submit a support ticket and the service team will typically respond within a few hours.
The 800.com website has an FAQs page and documentation explaining how to use its call forwarding and analytics software.
How to Cancel or Pause an 800.com Subscription
800.com doesn’t require long-term contracts, so you can cancel your plan at any time. There’s no prorated refund if you cancel an annual plan early.
Is There an 800.com App?
There is no 800.com app at this time.
800.com Pricing
800.com offers three plans that can be paid monthly or annually. There’s no activation fee when you first sign up with 800.com, but you’ll pay an activation fee of $35 per 1-800 number for any phone numbers you add later. If you want to port your phone number to another VoIP provider, there’s a $100 porting fee.
All 800.com plans include at least one toll-free number, but you’ll need to pay an additional annual licensing fee for specialty and vanity numbers. Licensing fees range from $995-$1,995 per year depending on the number.
Cost Per Month
$23
$59
$149
Toll-free numbers included
1
1
5
Minutes
1,000
Unlimited
5,000
Users
1
1
5
The Personal plan is best for small businesses with relatively low call volume. Businesses with higher call volume will benefit from the Unlimited plan since it offers unlimited minutes. The Pro plan is best if you use 800.com as your primary VoIP provider and need more than one administrator for your phone system.
What Can You Do with 800.com for Free?
800.com doesn’t offer a free trial or any free services.
Optional Add-Ons
800.com doesn’t offer any add-ons to its plans.
800.com Alternatives
Price
$23 - $149 per month
$20 - $35 per user per month
$19.99 - $39.99 per month
$27 - $32 per month
Auto-attendants
X
✓
✓
✓
SMS messaging
✓
✓
✓
✓
Video conferencing
X
✓
✓
✓
800.com vs RingCentral
RingCentral is a unified communications platform that offers voice, video, and messaging tools. It’s a more complete VoIP solution than 800.com, offering features like auto-attendants, ring groups, and integrations for productivity software. RingCentral also offers toll-free and vanity numbers, making it a good alternative to 800.com.
800.com vs Vonage
Vonage is another unified communications platform with more calling features than 800.com, including call recording and auto-attendants. It also offers team messaging and video conferencing software. Toll-free numbers at Vonage cost 39.99 per month, so it might make sense to forward an 800.com number to a Vonage phone system.
800.com vs GoTo Connect
GoTo Connect is a good choice for businesses that need video conferencing or team messaging in addition to phone service. It charges a relatively high per-minute rate for toll-free numbers, so you may consider forwarding an 800.com toll-free number to GoTo Connect.
Bottom Line
800.com is a good choice if you want a toll-free or vanity number for your business. It offers competitive prices for toll-free numbers, and I like that it has an unlimited plan, which many other VoIP providers don’t offer.
800.com falls short when it comes to VoIP calling features, so it may not be the best choice as a primary VoIP phone provider. However, you may be able to save money on a toll-free phone number by forwarding an 800.com number to your existing VoIP phone system.