How to Format Phone Numbers Properly

Additionally, proper formatting is crucial for businesses to maintain a strong relationship with their customers. Incorrectly formatted phone numbers can disrupt communication between companies and customers, slowing down teams when calling their prospects and clients.

They can also stop businesses from performing targeted marketing campaigns, as improper formatting may hide important information about the phone subscriber’s location and carrier. Moreover, it can make it difficult for CRM to provide accurate data. Fortunately, proper phone number formatting isn’t very complicated as it usually follows a logical pattern.

U.S. and Canada

Since the U.S. and Canada both use the North American Numbering Plan, the commonly accepted formatting of phone numbers is (NPA) NXX-XXXX, NPA-NXX-XXXX or 1-NPA-NXX-XXXX.

The ‘NPA’ is the area code, ‘NXX’ is the central office code, and ‘XXXX’ is the subscriber number personal to each phone. The only exception to this rule is Quebec, where the correct formatting is always 1 NPA NXX-XXXX. Examples: +1 (123) 456-7890 or +1 123-456-7890 for the U.S. and +1 123 456-7890 for Quebec.

Mexico 

Mexican phone numbers can be made up of a two-digit area code (NN) and an eight-digit local number (ABCD XXXX) or a three-digit area code (NNN) and a seven-digit local number (ABC XXXX). Their proper format is (NN) ABCD-XXXX or (NNN) ABC-XX-XX. The international country code is 52. Examples: +52 (12) 3456-7890 or +52 (123) 456-78-90.

Brazil 

Brazilian landline phone number formatting is AA NNNN-NNNN, where AA is the area code, and NNNN-NNNN is the subscriber number. A “9” is added to the subscriber number for cell phones, which becomes AA 9NNNN-NNNN. The international code is 55. Examples: +55 12 3456-7890 for landline and +55 12 93456-7890 for cell phones.

UK 

The only things consistent in UK phone numbers are that they start with 0 or +44 (UK international code) and if it’s a mobile number, the next digit is 7. Aside from that, phone numbers are between nine and eleven digits long, comprising of an area code – 2-5 digits (including the initial 0) – and a 4-8 digit subscriber number.

In practice, a UK phone number is written as (area code) + subscriber number. If it’s a mobile, VoIP, or UK-wide number, it’s written as prefix + subscriber number. Example: +44 012 3456 7890.

France 

France’s phone number formatting is as logical as that of the U.S. The country uses the 0A XX XX XX XX or +33 A XX XX XX XX format, where A stands for local numbers – 1 to 5 – and for mobile numbers using the digits 6 or 7. Example: +33 1 23 45 67 89.

Switzerland 

Swiss phone numbers are usually formatted as 0AA BBB BB BB, with 0AA being the area code and BBB BB BB the subscriber number. The “0” always must be dialed in local calls and the country calling code is 41. Example: +41 012 345 67 89.

China 

Chinese landline phone numbers are formatted as (0YYY) XXXX XXXX, where the 0YYY represents the area code, while mobile numbers appear in the 1WX XXXX XXXX format, where WX marks the service provider.

The international dialing code is +86 and is attached to the front of the number (it also replaces the 0 of the landline area code). Examples: +86 (123) 4567 8900 for landline and +86 112 3456 7890 for mobile.

Japan 

Similar to the North American numbering plan, Japanese phone numbers are formatted as area code (0AA), subscriber number NXX-XXXX, and the international code is 81. Example: +81 (123) 456-7890.

Singapore 

No area codes exist in Singapore’s phone numbers, and dashes or spaces divide the subscriber number’s digits. When adding the international code 65, the formatting is either +65-XXXX-YYYY or +65 XXXX YYYY. Examples: +65-1234-5678 or +65 1234 5678.

Australia 

The Australian phone number formatting is relatively simple: it’s (0A) XXXX XXXX for landline numbers and 04xx XXX XXX for mobile phone numbers, where 04xx is the mobile prefix. The international code that replaces the initial zero is +61, followed by a space. Example: +61 (1) 2345 6789 for landline and +61 412 345 678 for mobile.

Standardization

As data collection has become essential in business, a standard format was developed to solve issues associated with formatting local phone numbers displayed internationally. The E.164 is the standard formatting for international phone numbers that allows software to recognize international country, area codes, and the subscriber’s number.

This pattern doesn’t use dashes, periods, spaces, or parentheses, and the rule is simple: all digits must be placed together after a ‘+’ sign, as in the structure below:

[+][country code][area code][local phone number]

That makes the White House phone number 1 (202) 456-1414 look like this in E.164 standard:

+12024561414

Some countries place a ‘0′ before the area code, which is removed with the E.164 standard formatting. The UK is one of them, so The Royal Family’s contact number (+44) (0)20 7930 4832 is formatted as the following:

+442079304832

This standardization helps software to use phone numbers consistently and recognize each part that composes them, making it possible for data to be reliably managed.

Finally, it’s worth reinforcing that phone numbers proper formatting shouldn’t be taken for granted. Enhanced phone number readability is important not only for people, but for software as well.