UK Calling: Free calls to freephone numbers
Calls to 0800 and 0808 ‘freephone’ numbers are now "free-to-caller" from mobile phones as part of UK Calling.
Previously, only landline providers and public payphone services made no charge to dial 0800 and 0808 numbers. Mobile operators billed for calls to freephone numbers, with inclusive minutes not covering them either.
What does UK Calling mean for 0800 and 0808 freephone numbers?
Now that 0800 and 0808 freephone numbers are free-to-caller from mobiles, call volumes made to them will likely increase. People with only a mobile will have previously been put off calling. The cost to service providers for receiving the calls from mobile phones will be greater than from landlines.
As before, the group of callers who benefit from dialling a freephone number as against a geographic rate one are those who make calls from landlines outside of their inclusive calls package, and public payphone users. But, they will now be joined by mobile callers who are calling from outside their bundles as well as by pay-as-you-go callers with no bundled calls. No callers will be disadvantaged, and for many, a 0800 or 0808 number will be cost-neutral.
How did freephone numbers work before UK Calling?
Organisations used freephone numbers so that callers paid nothing when they rang from a landline or public payphone. But, the majority of calls from landlines to geographic numbers starting 01 and 02 and to non-geographic numbers starting 03 didn't incur any per-minute call charges (and still don't). Mobiles charged high rates for calls to freephone numbers and inclusive bundles didn’t cover them.
So, the only group of callers that benefited with freephone numbers previously were those who made calls outside of their landline package, and otherwise incurred a penalty charge, as well as public payphone users. All callers from mobile phones were disadvantaged, as they paid more. And, the user of the number paid to receive calls, irrespective of whether the cost to the caller in any particular instance was less or not.
Are you a service provider? A 03 number should be your default choice
Calls to geographic rate numbers starting 01 and 02 and to non-geographic numbers starting 03 count towards inclusive allowances on landlines and on mobiles. Callers pay no per-minute charges for calls to those numbers unless they have exceeded their call allowance, or chose to not have one. Providing a freephone 080 number will be only of benefit to a select and diminishing group, namely landline and mobile subscribers calling outside of their call package allowance, mobile callers on pay as you go with no call bundle and public payphone users.
For these reasons, think hard about whether covering the cost of all calls on a 0800 or 0808 number is worth free calls for only these customers. Also, receiving calls from mobile phones will cost you more and there’ll be more of them than now because they’re free.
The 0500 range
The 0500 range was a legacy freephone number range which was free to call from landlines but charged when called from mobile phones. This number range was withdrawn from use on 5 June 2017. Users of these numbers were offered the matching number starting 0808 5 or were free to change to an entirely new number.
Previously, only landline providers and public payphone services made no charge to dial 0800 and 0808 numbers. Mobile operators billed for calls to freephone numbers, with inclusive minutes not covering them either.
What does UK Calling mean for 0800 and 0808 freephone numbers?
Now that 0800 and 0808 freephone numbers are free-to-caller from mobiles, call volumes made to them will likely increase. People with only a mobile will have previously been put off calling. The cost to service providers for receiving the calls from mobile phones will be greater than from landlines.
As before, the group of callers who benefit from dialling a freephone number as against a geographic rate one are those who make calls from landlines outside of their inclusive calls package, and public payphone users. But, they will now be joined by mobile callers who are calling from outside their bundles as well as by pay-as-you-go callers with no bundled calls. No callers will be disadvantaged, and for many, a 0800 or 0808 number will be cost-neutral.
How did freephone numbers work before UK Calling?
Organisations used freephone numbers so that callers paid nothing when they rang from a landline or public payphone. But, the majority of calls from landlines to geographic numbers starting 01 and 02 and to non-geographic numbers starting 03 didn't incur any per-minute call charges (and still don't). Mobiles charged high rates for calls to freephone numbers and inclusive bundles didn’t cover them.
So, the only group of callers that benefited with freephone numbers previously were those who made calls outside of their landline package, and otherwise incurred a penalty charge, as well as public payphone users. All callers from mobile phones were disadvantaged, as they paid more. And, the user of the number paid to receive calls, irrespective of whether the cost to the caller in any particular instance was less or not.
Are you a service provider? A 03 number should be your default choice
Calls to geographic rate numbers starting 01 and 02 and to non-geographic numbers starting 03 count towards inclusive allowances on landlines and on mobiles. Callers pay no per-minute charges for calls to those numbers unless they have exceeded their call allowance, or chose to not have one. Providing a freephone 080 number will be only of benefit to a select and diminishing group, namely landline and mobile subscribers calling outside of their call package allowance, mobile callers on pay as you go with no call bundle and public payphone users.
For these reasons, think hard about whether covering the cost of all calls on a 0800 or 0808 number is worth free calls for only these customers. Also, receiving calls from mobile phones will cost you more and there’ll be more of them than now because they’re free.
The 0500 range
The 0500 range was a legacy freephone number range which was free to call from landlines but charged when called from mobile phones. This number range was withdrawn from use on 5 June 2017. Users of these numbers were offered the matching number starting 0808 5 or were free to change to an entirely new number.
Amended: 2017-06-06
