0845 numbers
| Number type: | 0845 numbers |
| Usage: | Service numbers with a surcharge |
| Call costs from landline: | Typically 11p to 28p per minute, plus up to 7p per call (see below) |
| Call costs from mobile: | Typically 55p to 72p per minute, plus up to 7p per call (see below) |
| Introduced: | 1996 |
| Similar numbers: | 0843, 0844, 0870, 0871, 0872 |
What are 0845 numbers?
Telephone numbers starting with 0845 are 'service numbers' charged at special rates which are usually higher than the cost of calling a normal landline number.
The costs of calling 0845 numbers includes of a surcharge or 'service charge' that is used to pay for the service being provided. Typical uses include:
- Chargeable information and support lines
- Event ticket and travel booking services
- Conference call services
- Pre-sales information lines
Unlike traditional landline phone numbers, 0845 numbers are not associated with any specific geographic location.
0845 number call costs
The total costs that apply when calling 0845 numbers are made up of two separate parts:
| 1. | Access charge | Set by your phone company and charged whenever you call any number starting 084, 087, 09 or 118. | Varies from around 13p per minute on landlines to up to 65p per minute from mobiles. |
| 2. | Service charge | An extra charge that benefits the organisation you are calling. They are responsible for informing you of what charge rate applies. | Up to 7p per minute, 7p per call or a combination of both. |
This means that 0845 numbers will usually cost more to call than a normal landline. They will usually not be included in any free call allowances or bundled minutes that your tariff offers.
Using 0845 numbers for customer service lines is now forbidden by law and most reputable companies no longer use such numbers for enquiries.
Further information and advice
0845 numbers were introduced in 1996 for services that cost the same as a regular 'local rate' phone call. In April 2001, two older local rate prefixes were shut down and their numbers transferred to the 0845 code as follows:
- 0345 xxxxxx became 0845 7xx xxxx
- 0645 xxxxxx became 0845 9xx xxxx
The link to 'local rate' was later broken and by the mid-2000s calls to 0845 numbers began to be charged at a range of different rates. In July 2015, all 084 and 087 numbers switched to the new two-part charging structure made up of a separate service charge and access charge.
Companies are prohibited from using service numbers such as 0845 numbers for post-sales customer service lines. More info.
All numbers starting 084 are charged in the same manner and have the same technical features. This includes 08450 numbers, 08451 numbers, 08456 numbers, 08457 numbers, 08459 numbers and all other numbers that start with the digits 0845, regardless of how the number is displayed or what the following digits are.
See also:
