Here’s a sobering truth:
There’s a possibility the perfect phone number you’ve always wanted, whether for personal or business use, isn’t available.
Perhaps it will never be available.
Or, that number straight-up doesn’t exist.
Well, what then? Do you give up and resort to whatever phone number is given to you?
No. You have other options. More than you might initially think! You just need to dig a little deeper.
Here’s Our Perspective
Customers contact our sales and customer support teams often to ask if we can obtain a specific telephone number for them. The reasons vary but it’s typically some combination of the following:
- They previously owned the number but lost it when service lapsed with a previous service provider
- The number is based in an exact city, area code or rate center
- The number matches a specific pattern or spelling
- They assume NumberBarn has access to all telephone numbers
NumberBarn has connections with many different landline carriers, giving you access to some terrific numbers that can be ported to any supporting wireline or wireless carrier.
With millions of numbers available in our marketplace, it’s always a great idea to come to the Barn (AKA NumberBarn) to see if we have a perfect match.
A Look Behind the TelecommuniCurtain
To help you find the perfect phone number, we’ll first take you on a brief behind-the-scenes tour of how phone numbers are created, assigned and redistributed thereafter.
The telecommunications industry as we know it today was shaped by multiple dominant companies and organizations.
“Like T-Mobile and AT&T?” you might ask. Close, but even further behind the curtain and most notably, we find the North American Numbering Plan (NANP).
The NANP was devised in the 1940s by AT&T and other prominent telephone companies at the time to come up with a plan to create and assign phone numbers throughout North America. (Pretty appropriate name for the association, huh?)
They eventually came up with phone numbers as we know them:
The NANP originally created 86 area codes, but that number has increased significantly to over 400 area codes (and counting) to deal with a growing population and solve for exhausted area codes (meaning all possible number combinations for an area code have been created and assigned).
With over 400 existing area codes coupled with seven-digit number strings…that leads us to a lot of possible numbers, but we’ll get to that.
Once phone numbers are created, they’re assigned to local rate centers, which are then operated by different carriers.
Aaaaalll of these steps contribute to how phone numbers are operated today. It takes several stars aligning for your dream phone number, or maybe your lucky phone number, to end up in your hands. Fortunately, a lot has changed since the 1940s, and phone number marketplaces like NumberBarn can add another star to that cosmic lineup to help increase your chances of obtaining that perfect phone number.
So, how do we do that? First things first, let’s check that the number is even available.
See if Your Number IS Available
NumberBarn is the world’s largest phone number marketplace. With millions and millions of phone numbers available to purchase or lease, your chances of finding the phone number you need is best with us compared to most other marketplaces out there.
To see if the exact phone number you wish to own is out there, head over to our phone number search. Unlike other marketplaces, you don’t need to create an account / choose a plan in order to search for that perfect number. And we won’t make it extra difficult to port away. We’ll even help you port it to your preferred carrier (although we do have some fantastic, ultra-budget-friendly, no-contract plans).
In the search, simply select the area code and type in the seven digits you want (you can include numbers or letters).
If the phone number pops up, we have it! Congratulations! Now, get to it before someone else has the same idea.
But what if the number doesn’t show up?
Why Is Your Number Not Available?
What makes the phone number industry so unique is just that: every individual phone number is purely unique. There are no phone numbers like the one you own or desire to own.
If there’s a demand for a specific phone number, there’s no way to increase the supply. The first person to buy it, gets it. No ifs, ands or buts.
(HINT: That reinforces the importance of jumping on a phone number if you discover it IS available!)
Plus, if someone already owns that phone number you want, the chances are high they aren’t willing to part with it. Sure, if the owner discovers they own a lucrative phone number, they may be willing to list it for sale on our marketplace. But I wouldn’t bank on that.
Additionally, you could also check who the carrier is for that specific number and try to inquire directly with them about gaining ownership of the phone number. (The chances are high however that the phone number is already in use.)
Maybe it Doesn’t Exist
PSA: This section might feel like a bit of a downer. But if you stick through it, we promise to make it worth it with some good news. There is a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.
Even though phone numbers consist of 10 digits, that doesn’t mean there are 10 billion possible number combinations.
Currently, there’s only a possibility of 3,299,970,000 phone numbers (not including toll-free). Of course, this is subject to change with the creation of new area codes.
Why only that ≈3.3 billion, compared to the 10 billion everyone says? There are a lot of exceptions and guidelines when it comes to the creation of new phone numbers.
For example, area codes, also referred to as a numbering plan area (NPA) follow a specific rule that we’ll call the “(NPA) Rule” where:
- N = any digit from 2-9
- P = any digit from 0-8
- A = any digit from 0-9, BUT
- A ≠ P
As for prefixes (the three digits following the area code), there’s what we coined the “NYY Rule” where:
- N = any digit from 2-9
- Y = any digit from 0-9, BUT
- YY ≠ 11
- NYY ≠ 555
When it comes to line numbers (the last four digits of a phone number), there really are no rules. They follow the “XXXX Rule” where:
- X = any digit from 0-9
- And that’s it
So, if the phone number you had in mind doesn’t follow those rules, it doesn’t exist and will never exist.
But that’s okay! There are still over 3 billion other combinations… right?
On paper, yes. In reality, no. A lot of those phone numbers are active & in use by other individuals or businesses.
Maybe it’s Already in Use
When the NANP creates a new phone number, that number gets assigned to a carrier (think AT&T, Verizon, etc.). The only way those numbers are distributed to individuals or businesses is by opening a plan (wireless or landline) and being assigned a phone number.
As of now, those carriers don’t give you a choice of a phone number nor do they offer those numbers for individual sale.
That means every phone number ever created is in ownership, either by a carrier or a user (like you or me). A vast majority of those numbers assigned by the original carrier are still happily in use.
Think of how long you’ve owned your phone number, especially, that landline everyone says is obsolete. That’s the case for a majority of people.
So, how do these phone numbers become available to purchase?
For carriers, they agree to list select phone numbers in their possession on our marketplace, along with continuing to assign numbers to their customers. Any carrier can agree to this or not.
For users, they sign up for our brokerage program and list the phone numbers they have in their possession. Any individual, whether they own 1 phone number or 1,000 phone numbers, can sign up to sell their phone numbers.
But not every carrier and not every individual does this. Thus, only tens-of-millions of numbers are offered on NumberBarn, compared to the BILLIONS that currently exist.
However, this isn’t all bad news. Companies like NumberBarn exist to help you find the perfect phone number.
You have more options than you think!
Tips to Find Your Dream Phone Number
“Aw, shucks. We don’t have that number.”
This doesn’t happen often. Don’t be discouraged if your search doesn’t immediately yield the specific phone number you’re looking for.
As industry experts, we can assure you that with a couple tweaks or extra clicks, a search query exists that will result in a number you love. Perhaps even multiple options to choose from.
Here are a few expert tips to find that number.
Local vs Toll-Free
The first question you should ask yourself when looking for a phone number is, “Do I need a local or a toll-free phone number?”
This depends on your expected call volume and location. If you’re expecting a large quantity of inbound phone calls and/or phone calls from across the nation, a toll-free phone number is the ideal pick.
There are seven toll free codes: 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888. To add to the complexity, these codes have different rules than local area codes (which you can find here). Taking those rules and exceptions for toll free codes into account, there’s a total of 55,740,000 phone numbers available if you desire a toll free number. (Or 7,860,000 options for 800 numbers and 7,980,000 options for the other toll-free codes.)
That leaves you with fewer options, but if you have a specific 7-digit phrase or pattern you want, you have seven different codes to choose from.
For example, let’s say your Perfect Phone Number is “1-800-PERFECT”.
Go to our search and toggle for “Toll Free” at the top. Then, click on the “8**” dropdown and select “800.” Type in “PERFECT” and your results shall appear from there.
It looks like this query has 0 options available. From here, you can individually search 888, 833, etc. or 8** for all toll free codes. If your search is available for any of these, congrats! Add it to your cart and check out.
If not, you have two options:
- Do you need a toll free number? If yes, skip to the “Get Creative” section for alternate phrases or ideas to find a toll free number that fits your vision and your branding.
- Can you be flexible and use a local area code? Move on to the next section to see if your phrase is available in other local area codes.
Try Other Area Codes
So you looked up “1-8**-PERFECT” and found zero phone numbers available. That’s okay!
From here, you can check if it’s available in your local area code. Just toggle back to “Local” at the top and type in your area code and phrase.
Let’s say you live in Santa Monica where your local area codes are 310 and 424. Type in “310” and “PERFECT”.
Nothing?
Swap out the area code for “424”.
Still nothing?
Try searching by state instead! If you remove the area code, the state (in this case “California”) will stay there, showing you all “PERFECT” phone numbers in that state.
In this case, there is a “(213) PERFECT” phone number available! And guess what? 213 is a Los Angeles phone number, neighboring Santa Monica (plus, 213 is a more desirable area code, making it more attractive to potential callers).
If you’re okay with your phone number branching outside of your city’s border, consider a neighboring area code. More populous cities and metro areas are likely to have multiple area codes serving the same cities, enabling you to choose from even more options.
What if you’re in a small city or your search doesn’t get any results for your city or neighboring areas?
It’s time to open your mind a bit to see if alternate phrasing or patterns work.
Get Creative!
Shucks. You’ve exhausted all possible code variations for the specific phone number you wanted.
We apologize if that’s the case. Luckily for you, we’re super familiar with situations like this. Since you understand why that number isn’t available, you can hopefully expand your search to allow for a different phrase or pattern.
In the case of our “1-800-PERFECT” example, are there any synonyms or slang for “PERFECT” that work? If “PRECISE” makes sense for your brand (maybe you’re in the design, construction or architectural industry and pride yourself in precise measurements/construction), start the search again, using “PRECISE” as your phrase.
If nothing shows up, maybe the slang “PERF” makes sense for you. You can put a repeating or memorable pattern like 777, 333, 700, etc. in front for an “8**-777-PERF” phone number.
In this example, NumberBarn actually carries “844-222-PERF”, “844-844-PERF” and a few other popular patterns.
Keep in mind, when exploring alternate phrases or patterns, they should still make sense for your vision and your brand.
For example, if you’re a personal injury attorney, popular phrases to search would be:
- INJURED (perfect 7-digit number)
- JUSTICE
- INJURY
- LAWYER
- HURT
- LAW
- WIN
- BOO-BOO (if you’re open to a little comic relief. That could certainly garner some attention!)
However, some synonyms wouldn’t work for this purpose, like:
- ACHE (too broad)
- INJURE (v: the act of injuring or causing harm to someone else)
- LEGAL (maybe too boring or bland)
- ACHIEVE (maybe not the right motivational word for someone recently injured)
- BEAT (synonym for win & speaking of boo-boo, could be misinterpreted)
Have fun with it! Opening yourself up to alternative phrases and patterns can reveal a whole new world of possibilities. But, it’s easy to get carried away with your creativity, so don’t be afraid to keep it simple.
Okay… Not Too Creative
It helps to keep the end in mind.
What’s the end?
To help people remember and call your phone number.
The goal should be to have a number that’s both easy to remember and easy to correctly dial your phone number. Emphasis on correctly!
Sometimes, people think it’s a good idea to replace letters with look-alike numbers. By that, we mean replacing the letter ‘S’ with the number ‘5,’ the letter ‘O’ with the number ‘0’ or the letter ‘I’ with the number ‘1.’
That makes sense when it comes to passwords, but not for phone numbers.
If you’re telling someone to call COOKIES (266-5437) but you spell it C00K1E5 (200-5135), you could end up confusing someone, resulting in them dialing an incorrect number, or not calling at all.
The same goes for replacing S with Z since S=7 and Z=9.
And of course, removing vowels, i.e. PERFECT ≠ PRFCT.
From one overthinker to all the other overthinkers out there: Set your mind at ease and try not to overcomplicate it. Keep it simple, legible and memorable.
Leave It to the Pros
Just not finding what you’re looking for? Having trouble thinking of alternatives? We’re always here to help.
We have a team of Solutions Squad experts whose job it is to help you find that phone number of your dreams.
You can always reach out to our sales team here. When reaching out, descriptively explain your situation to them.
Here are some things worth including when you reach out:
- The phone number you originally wanted
- Mention the alternate queries you tried in your search (area codes and spellings)
- The industry you’re in
- Your brand (name of your brand and what you do)
- Your brand’s vision and mission
- Why you’re looking for a phone number
Is it possible we don’t have a phone number that exactly fits your criteria? Absolutely. But with those details, our team of Phone Number Pros can do their deep-dive into our marketplace and come up with a phone number (or several) that fulfills your parameters and inspiration.
While we can’t guarantee that perfect phone number lives in our marketplace, we can promise we’ll do our very best to find a shoe phone number that fits.
NumberBarn Director of Customer Support and Experience, Jeremy Watkin, contributed.
