What is an 0845 number?

0845 numbers, otherwise known as service numbers, are non geographic phone numbers used by businesses and organisations with a two part tariff system. They will cost more than a phone call to a UK landline and will not be covered under any call package you may have with your provider. The actual cost of the call can vary from provider to provider with mobile phones costing significantly more than landlines.

The reason for the extra charge is the addition of a service charge or ‘surcharge’ to cover the cost of the service that you are being provided with when you make the call. This will typically be for phone calls which provide a chargeable service such as call centres, conference call services or ticket booking lines. All tariffs should be easily visible on the company’s website and will state clearly the price per minute so that you can be fully aware of the cost involved before you pick up the phone.

Do you know what an 0845 number is?

The two part payment system includes the standard rate access charge which your call provider charges per minute for you to make the call. The rest of the charge goes directly to the organisation which you are calling and makes up the service charge to pay for the service which you receive over the phone.

A new system is now in place called ‘UK Calling’ which provides a breakdown of the cost so that you are fully aware of exactly how much you will pay for your phone call and which percentage of this will go to the organisation you are telephoning. This will state something like ’45p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge’. Your phone company’s access charge varies from network to network and you should easily be able to find yours from your phone company’s website or in the paperwork you received when you first signed up. This will typically be up to about 10p per minute.

Organisations are free to choose for themselves how much they would like to charge you for the call and so you will find that the cost of calling an 0845 number will differ dramatically from one organisation to another. Competition lines for example can have very high rates as they try to recoup the cost of the lucrative prize they are giving away. Always make sure you are fully aware of how much your phone call will cost before you make the call as mistakes cannot be rectified later and you may find yourself with a large phone bill you can’t get out of paying.

If you have access to both a landline and a mobile phone it is always recommended to make this type of telephone call from a landline as it will be considerably cheaper. A landline will typically cost between 8-15p per minute for an 0845 number, whereas a call to the same number from a mobile phone may cost anywhere between 45-65p per minute, a considerable price increase, particularly if you are likely to be on the line for a long time.

Why choose 0845 numbers?

Before reaching for your phone and dialling the first number you find on the company’s website, it is worth looking around a little more as a lot of organisations will have an additional basic rate number which you may be able to contact instead. If you’re thinking of buying an 0845 number for sale, these are all things to take into consideration.