Lucky Phone Numbers & Car Plates

In Chinese-speaking markets, some numbers are status symbols worth more than the car. Here's what makes a number premium.

What makes a number premium

1. 8s, and the more at the end, the better: …8888, …888.
2. Meaningful combos: 168 (一路发), 518 (我要发), 1688, 5188, 6688, 9988.
3. Patterns: solid runs (AAAA), mirrors (ABAB, ABCABC, like 270·270), rising sequences (步步高升).
4. No 4s, especially not at the end.
5. Short is rare: for plates, fewer characters means a higher price.

Real prices paid

Sources: CNN; Wikipedia. Hong Kong has auctioned more than 40,000 personalised plates since 2006.

How to evaluate any number

1. Paste it into the Number Decoder and switch to Phone or Car plate mode.
2. Check both Mandarin and Cantonese if your audience includes Hong Kong or Guangdong.
3. Look at the last 4 digits first. That's what people remember.
4. Match it to your zodiac lucky numbers for a personal touch.