All telephone numbers using the 0800 prefix are non-geographical freephone numbers and are free to call from any landline or mobile phone throughout the UK. Unlike most other telephone calls, which are paid for by the person making the call, 0800 numbers are paid for by the person or company to whom the 0800 number belongs.
In the past, there was some confusion as to whether those calling from mobile phones would be charged for calling 0800 freephone numbers and what that charge may be as costs and charges varied between suppliers. The UK Calling system, which launched on 1 July 2015, was designed to remove these uncertainties. 0800 numbers, like all telephone number ranges, are regulated by Ofcom in the UK. Introduced to make the cost of calling easier for consumers to understand, UK Calling standardised call pricing by splitting it into ‘access charge’ (set by your phone provider) and ‘service charge’ (set by the organisation you are calling). These standardisations affected non-geographical numbers across to UK and as a result of the changes all 0800 numbers are now free to call from all UK mobile phones as well as landlines.
Calling 0800 and 0808 numbers from mobile and landline
UK mobile phone service providers no longer call for charges to 0800 and 0808 numbers. This means they are now truly freephone, regardless of whether you are calling from your mobile phone or landline. No registration or special contracts should be required for this, and 080 numbers should now be charge-free for all in the UK.
Phoning 0800 numbers – how much does it cost to call an 0800 number?
Freephone 0800 numbers should not be confused with other numbers in the 08 range, which do incur a charge.
0800 numbers are used by a variety of companies and businesses, including charitable organisations, government services and financial institutions as well as companies simply looking for another way to attract customers. A variety of case studies have shown that customers are more likely to call a company who provide an 0800 freephone number.
Cost of calling 0800 numbers from mobile
Here’s how much each mobile service prover charges to call an 0800 number. We’ll save you some time – they’re all absolute free, as required by law.
| Provider | Inside contracted landline minutes allowance | Outside contracted landline minutes allowance |
|---|---|---|
| ASDA Mobile | Free | Free |
| Delight Mobile | Free | Free |
| EE | Free | Free |
| GiffGaff | Free | Free |
| Lebara Mobile | Free | Free |
| LycaMobile | Free | Free |
| O2 | Free | Free |
| Tesco Mobile | Free | Free |
| Three Mobile | Free | Free |
| Virgin Mobile | Free | Free |
| Vodafone | Free | Free |
Telephone numbers using the 0800 prefix – you can buy 0800 numbers from our site here – are non-geographical numbers, or ‘NGNs’, this means that the telephone number is standardised across the UK and unaffected by the callers location at the time of calling.
Cost of calling 0800 numbers from landline
Here’s how much you’ll pay when calling from landline. This will be the same, regardless of whatever company provides your phoneline: it will be free.
| Provider | Call cost |
|---|---|
| BT | Free |
| TalkTalk | Free |
| Sky | Free |
| Virgin Media | Free |
As well as the advantages of providing a freephone service to customers, the non-geographical nature of the 0800 number appeals to companies and organisations for a number of reasons: 0800 numbers tend to be easier to remember than geographically specific numbers, create a professional, nationwide presence and conceal the geographic location of the company’s premises as well as making it easier to alter the location of the premises.
Buy your 0800 number
Interested in buying your own 0800 number? Choose from the packages below, or speak to a member of our team by calling 0330 332 0400 now.
