What happens if my vanity number has more than 10 digits?
How to advertise a number that spells more letters than it has digits, and note that the extra letters are handled by the caller's phone and phone company, not by 800.com.
Phone numbers have 10 digits. Some vanity numbers are longer than that.
1-800-MATTRESS is a popular exampe. MATTRESS has 8 letters, but only 7 fit. The number people really dial is 1-800-628-8737. That last S is extra. This is called an over-spell or overdial.
Many phones drop the extra letters and connect the call anyway. Some do not. It depends on what the caller is calling from. iPhones, Android phones, internet phone services, and older home phone lines each handle extra digits their own way. Some give a busy signal. Some say the call cannot be completed as dialed. Even 11 digits is not a sure thing. This is not an 800.com rule and we cannot change it, so the goal is to make the extra letters easy to skip.
- Show the numbers next to the word every time, like this: 1-800-MATTRESS (1-800-628-8737)
- Put a 1 in front every time you write or say your number
- Use only the 10 digits, with no letters, in website links and online listings
- Say the numbers out loud in radio and TV ads, not just the word
- Test your number from a few different phones before you put it in an ad to ensure it routes and connects to the right destination
The 10 digits always work. The vanity spelling is a branded asset and helps remember your brand.