No 0845 numbers are not free from landlines. These numbers can cost up to 7p and this is not including you phone companies access charge. These charges can be as low as 8p or as high as 19p per minute depending on your provider. In most circumstances, these numbers will cost you far more to call then a normal landline number and usually they will not be included in any “free call allowance” that your provider offers. All numbers starting 084 are charged in the same manner as 0845 numbers. These numbers are known as “service numbers”. They are typically charged at a higher rate than other numbers due to surcharges to pay for whatever service they provide. Usually, 0845 numbers are bought because they are a source of income for either the organisation using the number or the telephone company. Traditionally 0845 numbers are used for:
- Information that is liable to change and support lines.
- Ticket companies and travel companies
- Pre sales information lines
0845 numbers are not associated with any specific geographic location. It is also worth noting that companies are legally forbidden from using 0845 numbers for post sales customer support lines.