Check how much a call will cost
Your phone deal probably includes some free calls or minutes.
If you make a call to a number that isn't included, the cost will depend on:
- the type of number you’re calling
- if you’re calling from a mobile or landline
- which service provider you’re with
- the time of day
- how long your call lasts
You can check the type of number to find out:
- if it’s free or you’ll have to pay
- how much a 10 minute call could cost
- if the time of day affects the cost
- if the length of call affects the cost
If you’re not sure or you need more information, it’s best to check with your service provider. You should be able to find a list of call charges on their website.
01 and 02 - geographic numbers
Your call should be free if either:
- your contract includes all calls to landlines
- you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls to landlines
Calls to numbers in the Channel Islands (01481 and 01534) and the Isle of Man (01624) aren’t usually included, so it’s worth checking with your supplier.
You might be charged if your contract doesn’t include all calls to landlines or you’ve used all your free minutes.
For example, a 10 minute call could cost:
- £2.28 from a BT landline - find out more about BT call charges
- £4 if you’re an EE pay as you go customer - find out more about EE pay as you go call charges
You’ll also be charged if you’re calling a number that connects you to another number. These are called ‘indirect access numbers’ and they’re sometimes used by international calling cards.
If you’re not sure, check your supplier’s website to find out what you’ll be charged.
If you’re calling from a landline
If your contract includes free calls during evenings and weekends, most service providers count:
- 7pm to 7am as evening
- midnight on Friday to midnight on Sunday as the weekend
Free calls are sometimes limited to 60 minutes. If you want to talk for more than an hour, it’s best to hang up and make a second call - otherwise you’ll be charged.
If you make a lot of calls to these numbers it’s worth checking your service provider’s website to see if they have a fair use policy. The policy will include limits for the total number of calls you can make or minutes you can use for free. If you go over the limits you can be charged for calls.
03, 0345 and 037 - UK-wide numbers
Your call should be free if either:
- your contract includes all calls to landlines
- you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls to landlines
You might be charged if your contract doesn’t include all calls to landlines or you’ve used all your free minutes.
For example, a 10 minute call could cost:
- £2.28 from a BT landline - find out more about BT call charges
- £4 if you’re an EE pay as you go customer - find out more about EE pay as you go call charges
You’ll also be charged if you’re calling a number that connects you to another number. These are called ‘indirect access numbers’ and they’re sometimes used by international calling cards.
If you’re not sure, check your supplier’s website to find out what you’ll be charged.
If you’re calling from a landline
If your contract includes free calls during evenings and weekends, most service providers count:
- 7pm to 7am as evening
- midnight on Friday to midnight on Sunday as the weekend
Free calls are sometimes limited to 60 minutes. If you want to talk for more than an hour, it’s best to hang up and make a second call - otherwise you’ll be charged.
If you make a lot of calls to these numbers it’s worth checking your service provider’s website to see if they have a fair use policy. The policy will include limits for the total number of calls you can make or minutes you can use for free. If you go over the limits you can be charged for calls.
030 numbers - not-for-profit organisations, charities and public bodies
Your call should be free if either:
- your contract includes all calls to landlines
- you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls to landlines
You might be charged if your contract doesn’t include all calls to landlines or you’ve used all your free minutes.
For example, a 10 minute call could cost:
- £2.28 from a BT landline - find out more about BT call charges
- £4 if you’re an EE pay as you go customer - find out more about EE pay as you go call charges
You’ll also be charged if you’re calling a number that connects you to another number. These are called ‘indirect access numbers’ and they’re sometimes used by international calling cards.
If you’re not sure, check your supplier’s website to find out what you’ll be charged.
If you’re calling from a landline
If your contract includes free calls during evenings and weekends, most service providers count:
- 7pm to 7am as evening
- midnight on Friday to midnight on Sunday as the weekend
Free calls are sometimes limited to 60 minutes. If you want to talk for more than an hour, it’s best to hang up and make a second call - otherwise you’ll be charged.
If you make a lot of calls to these numbers it’s worth checking your service provider’s website to see if they have a fair use policy. The policy will include limits for the total number of calls you can make or minutes you can use for free. If you go over the limits you can be charged for calls.
03306 - landline or textphone TextNumbers
03306 numbers are for calling people who use the Next Generation Text Service on their landline or textphone. Calls to 03306 numbers are charged the same as other numbers starting with 03.
Your call should be free if either:
- your contract includes all calls to landlines
- you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls to landlines
You might be charged if your contract doesn’t include all calls to landlines or you’ve used all your free minutes.
For example, a 10 minute call could cost:
- £2.28 from a BT landline - find out more about BT call charges
- £4 if you’re an EE pay as you go customer - find out more about EE pay as you go call charges
You’ll also be charged if you’re calling a number that connects you to another number. These are called ‘indirect access numbers’ and they’re sometimes used by international calling cards.
If you’re not sure, check your supplier’s website to find out what you’ll be charged.
If you’re calling from a landline
If your contract includes free calls during evenings and weekends, most service providers count:
- 7pm to 7am as evening
- midnight on Friday to midnight on Sunday as the weekend
Free calls are sometimes limited to 60 minutes. If you want to talk for more than an hour, it’s best to hang up and make a second call - otherwise you’ll be charged.
If you make a lot of calls to these numbers it’s worth checking your service provider’s website to see if they have a fair use policy. The policy will include limits for the total number of calls you can make or minutes you can use for free. If you go over the limits you can be charged for calls.
07 - mobile numbers
The cost of calling a mobile depends on if you’re calling from a mobile or landline.
If you’re calling from a mobile
Your call should be free if you have a pay monthly contract and you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls.
You’ll be charged for your call if you’ve used up all your free minutes or you’re on a pay as you go contract.
For example, a 10 minute call could cost:
- £7 if you’re an EE pay monthly customer - find out more about EE pay monthly call charges
- £4 if you’re an EE pay as you go customer - find out more about EE pay as you go call charges
If you’re calling from a landline
Calls to mobile numbers might be included in your free calls, but it’s best to check your supplier’s website if you’re not sure.
A 10 minute call to a mobile could cost £2.28 from a BT landline - find out more about BT call charges.
070 - personal or ‘follow me’ numbers
Calls to personal or ‘follow me’ numbers might be included in your free calls, but most suppliers don’t include them. You should check your supplier’s website if you’re not sure.
If you’re charged for calls to these numbers, they’re sometimes more expensive to call than other types of number.
For example a 10 minute call could cost:
-
£2.28 from a BT landline - find out more about BT call charges
- 50p if you’re an EE pay as you go customer - find out more about EE pay as you go call charges
Watch out for scam calls
If you have a missed call from an 070 number that you don’t recognise, don’t call it back - it could be a scam. You can read more about the 070 missed call scam on the Ofcom website.
07777 - mobile TextNumbers
07777 numbers are for calling people who use the Next Generation Text Service on their mobile.
Calls to these numbers are charged the same as all other mobile numbers starting with 07.
The cost of calling a mobile TextNumber depends on if you’re calling from a mobile or landline.
If you’re calling from a mobile
Your call should be free if you have a pay monthly contract and you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls.
You’ll be charged for your call if you’ve used up all your free minutes or you’re on a pay as you go contract.
For example, a 10 minute call could cost:
- £7.30 if you’re an EE pay monthly customer
- £4 if you’re an EE pay as you go customer
You can find out more about EE call charges.
If you’re calling from a landline
Calls to mobile numbers might be included in your free calls, but it’s best to check your supplier’s website if you’re not sure.
A 10 minute call to a mobile could cost £2.28 from a BT landline - find out more about BT call charges.
You can find out more about TextNumbers on the Relay UK website.
0800 and 0808 - freephone numbers
Calls to these numbers are always free from mobiles and landlines.
0843 and 0844 - business rate numbers
You’ll be charged for calls to 0843 and 0844 numbers - and they can be quite expensive. This is because the cost is made up of:
- a service charge, which is up to 7p a minute - this goes to whoever you’re calling
- your phone supplier’s access charge, which is up to 65p a minute - it’s best to check on their website
For example, a 10 minute call to an 0843 or 0844 number with a service charge of 7p a minute could cost:
- £2.98 from a BT landline - find out more about BT call charges
- £5.10 if you’re an EE pay as you go customer - find out more about EE pay as you go call charges
0845 - business rate numbers
If you’re calling from a landline
Your call should be free if either:
- your contract includes all calls to landlines
- you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls to landlines
Some service providers have a limit on how many of these calls you can make, so it’s a good idea to check your contract if you make a lot of them.
If you’re calling from a mobile
You should check with your supplier - some include these calls in free minutes, but others don’t.
If you’re charged for these calls
Calls to 0845 numbers can be quite expensive - this is because the cost is made up of:
- a service charge, which is up to 7p a minute - this goes to whoever you’re calling
- your phone supplier’s access charge, which is up to 65p a minute - it’s best to check on their website
For example, a 10 minute call to an 0845 number with a service charge of 7p a minute could cost:
- £2.98 from a BT landline - find out more about BT call charges
- £5.10 if you’re an EE pay as you go customer - find out more about EE pay as you go call charges
0870, 0871, 0872 and 0873 - business rate numbers
You’ll be charged for calls to these numbers.
These numbers are ‘premium rate’, which means they usually cost more to call than other numbers. This is because the cost is made up of:
- a service charge, which is up to 13p a minute - this goes to whoever you’re calling
- your phone supplier’s access charge, which is up to 65p a minute - it’s best to check on their website
If you’ve seen the number advertised, these charges should be in the small print.
For example, a 10 minute call to an 0870 number with a service charge of 10p a minute could cost:
- £3.28 from a BT landline - find out more about BT call charges
- £5.40 if you’re an EE pay as you go customer - find out more about EE pay as you go call charges
Complain about a premium rate call
You can complain about a premium rate phone charge to the Phone-paid Services Authority, which regulates all premium rate numbers.
09 - premium rate numbers
You’ll be charged for calls to 09 numbers.
These numbers are ‘premium rate’, which means they usually cost more to call than other numbers. This is because the cost can be made up of:
- a connection charge of up to £6.00 - this goes to whoever you’re calling
- a service charge, which is up to £3.60 a minute - this goes to whoever you’re calling
- your phone supplier’s access charge, which is up to 65p a minute - it’s best to check on their website
If you’ve seen the number advertised, these charges should be in the small print.
For example, a 10 minute call to an 09 number with a service charge of £1.55 a minute and a one off cost of 77p could cost:
- £18.55 from a BT landline - find out more about BT call charges
- £20.67 if you’re an EE pay as you go customer - find out more about EE pay as you go call charges
Sometimes the call will be a set price - this is often the case for entering competitions. For example, it might say: “Calls cost £2 plus your phone company’s access charge.” In this example the £2 includes the connection charge and the service charge.
Complain about a premium rate call
You can complain about a premium rate phone charge to the Phone-paid Services Authority, which regulates all premium rate numbers.
101 - Police non-emergency number
Calls to this number are always free from mobiles and landlines.
105 - UK-wide power cut helpline
Calls to this number are always free from mobiles and landlines.
111 - non-emergency medical advice
Calls to this number are always free from mobiles and landlines.
112 - emergency services
Calls to this number are always free from mobiles and landlines.
116 - freephone numbers for charities
Only 3 UK charities have numbers starting 116:
- 116 000 - Missing People’s confidential hotline
- 116 111 - Childline
- 116 123 - The Samaritans
Calls to these numbers are always free from mobiles and landlines.
118 - directory enquiry numbers
You’ll be charged for calls to 118 numbers and they can cost up to £3.65 for every 90 seconds.
These numbers are ‘premium rate’, which means they usually cost more to call than other numbers. This is because the cost can be made up of:
- a connection charge - this goes to whoever you’re calling
- a service charge - this goes to whoever you’re calling
- your phone supplier’s access charge, which could be up to 65p a minute - it’s best to check on their website
If you’ve seen the number advertised, these charges should be in the small print.
For example, a 10 minute call to a 118 number with a connection fee of £2.50, a service charge of 75p a minute could cost:
- £12.28 from a BT landline - find out more about BT call charges
- £14.40 if you’re an EE pay as you go customer - find out more about EE pay as you go call charges
Complain about a premium rate call
You can complain about a premium rate phone charge to the Phone-paid Services Authority, which regulates all premium rate numbers.
123 - speaking clock
You can only call the speaking clock if you’re a BT or EE customer.
Calls to this number cost:
- 50p from a BT landline - this is the cost of the whole call
- 35p a minute from an EE pay as you go mobile
18001 and 18002 - text relay
Calls made using the text relay service cost the same as if you weren't using it.
This means calls to most landlines and mobile phones are likely to be free if either:
- your contract includes all calls
- you’re within your free minutes allowance for calls
Calls to numbers in the Channel Islands (01481 and 01534) and the Isle of Man (01624) aren’t usually included, so it’s worth checking with your supplier.
You might be charged for calls to other numbers - if you’re not sure, check your supplier’s website.
You can find out more about text relay on the Ofcom website.
195 - free directory enquiries for some BT and EE customers
Calls to this number are only available to BT and EE customers who can't use the phone book because of an injury, illness or disability. These calls are free.
You have to register before you can use it - call 0800 587 0195, 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
999 - emergency services
Calls to this number are always free from mobiles and landlines.
We’ve used BT and EE call costs as our examples because they have the most customers in the UK.