How to Get a Toll-Free Number for Your Shopify Store

To get a toll-free number for your Shopify store, reserve one from a phone app or provider, since Shopify doesn't sell them. Then add it to your store, and if you want to text customers, get it verified. This guide covers what a toll-free number costs, how to find a memorable vanity number, how texting verification works, and when a local number is the better choice.

What is a toll-free number?

A toll-free number is a phone number that's free for the caller, because the business that receives the call pays for it. In the US and Canada, toll-free numbers start with one of seven codes: 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, or 833. They all work the same way. 800 is just the oldest, so its best combinations were taken long ago. The codes aren't interchangeable, though: 1-800-555-0142 and 1-888-555-0142 are different numbers, likely owned by different businesses.

Why do online stores use toll-free numbers?

• No area code to explain. An online store sells everywhere. A toll-free number doesn't tie you to one city, and it doesn't change if you move.
• It's free to call. Callers anywhere in the US and Canada don't pay for the call.
• It can spell something. A vanity number like 1-833-MYSTORE is easier to remember and fits on packaging.
• It keeps business calls separate. You don't have to publish a personal cell number on your policy pages.

You'll see claims that a large percentage of shoppers “trust” toll-free numbers more. We couldn't trace those figures to an original study, so we don't cite them. The practical reasons above are enough.

Where can a Shopify store get a toll-free number?

Whichever you pick, check how inbound minutes are billed. Toll-free calls cost the receiving business, and some phone systems pass that on. Aircall's Shopify listing, for example, excludes toll-free calls from its unlimited inbound calling.

How to find a good vanity number

Vanity numbers use the letters on a phone keypad: 2 is ABC, 3 is DEF, 4 is GHI, 5 is JKL, 6 is MNO, 7 is PQRS, 8 is TUV, and 9 is WXYZ. They are first come, first served, so a few tips:

• Search short words first. Your store name, a product word, or a word like SHOP or HELP. Shorter terms match more available numbers.
• Try every prefix. If 800 is gone, the same word may be free on 833, 844, or 855. All of them are equally free to call.
• Check how the digits read. Customers see digits on caller ID and in their call history, and they dial digits from your receipts. The number should still be easy to read without the letters.
• Print both versions. Write it as 1-833-MYSTORE (1-833-697-8673) so nobody has to work out the letters.

How to get a toll-free number with Shopdigits

1. Install Shopdigits from the Shopify App Store and choose a plan. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial, and your first number is included.
2. On the Shopdigits home page, choose Reserve phone number in the setup guide. You can also go to Settings and find the Phone number section.
3. In Vanity search, type up to seven letters or digits, like your store name, and click Search numbers. Leave it blank to see any available number.
4. Click Select next to the number you want, then Confirm. The number is yours, and you'll get an email confirming it.
5. Sign in to the Shopdigits app on iOS or Android, then call the number from another phone to check it rings.

Calls work right away. Calls ring everyone signed in to the app, and on Medium Shop and Enterprise, the AI voice agent answers the ones nobody picks up. Texting needs one more step.

How to text from a toll-free number

US and Canadian carriers block texts from toll-free numbers that haven't passed toll-free verification, including numbers whose verification is still pending. Verification is a one-time review of who you are and what you'll send. Expect to provide:

• Your legal business name, address, and website.
• A business registration number, such as a US EIN. This has been required on new submissions since February 17, 2026, unless you're a sole proprietor.
• What you'll text about, such as order updates or support replies, with a few sample messages.
• How customers agree to receive texts, with a link to where they opt in on your website.

Reviews usually take a few business days. Shopdigits tells merchants to expect about three, and Telnyx says reviews normally take five business days or less. In the rejections we've seen, the usual causes are a storefront that's still password-protected, a free email address (like Gmail) as the business contact, placeholder sample messages, and opt-in evidence that doesn't show your store's name. Fix those before you submit.

In Shopdigits, the form is under Settings > Verification. Shopdigits does most of the preparation for you:

• It pre-fills what it can from your Shopify store details.
• It writes the sample messages and the opt-in confirmation text.
• It hosts SMS terms and SMS privacy pages on your store's own domain.
• Its SMS sign-up footer block shows your number with the consent notice that carriers look for on your website.
• It checks for the common rejection causes above before you submit.

Outbound texting starts after the free trial. Once you're verified, Medium Shop and Enterprise can also text back missed callers automatically and answer incoming texts with AI.

Where a toll-free number falls short

• International callers. From outside the US and Canada, toll-free numbers often don't connect or are billed as international calls. If you sell abroad, give those customers another way to reach you.
• Local presence. If you have a showroom or pickup location, Google Business Profile asks for a local number rather than a central helpline.
• Hometown loyalty. If most of your customers live in one city, a familiar area code can be part of your brand.

For a side-by-side look, see toll-free vs local numbers for a Shopify store. Once you have your number, follow how to add a phone number to your Shopify store to put it in your store details, header, footer, and contact page.

Shopdigits includes a toll-free number on every plan, from $29 a month, with a 14-day free trial. Install Shopdigits on Shopify or compare plans.