800 numbers
A toll free telephone number is one in which the calling party is usually not charged for the call. Generally, the called party pays all of the charges for the call.
Toll-free numbers in the United States (known as WATS lines), and also originally Australia, are sometimes called "800 numbers" after the original area code which was used to dial them. In the USA, any 3-digit telephone prefix indicates a toll-free call, but businesses generally stick to 800, 888, 877 and 866. Other "8**" numbers are usually given to residential toll-free lines.
In Australia now, the prefix is "1800" for toll free (or free call) numbers.
See also
