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New Ofcom Changes to Non-Geographic Numbers

(From www.callagenix.com)

From 1st July 2015, Ofcom are bringing in changes to how calls made to most non-geographic numbers will be charged, as well as requiring these charges to be displayed wherever these numbers are promoted.

In addition, all calls to 0800 and 0808 freephone numbers will now be totally free, even for mobile callers.

The new rules will apply to calls made from residential lines and consumer mobile phones.

We’ve posted a full update on these changes on our site, which we strongly suggest you read – click here – but here’s a quick overview of the changes and how they may affect you:

084, 087, and 090 numbers

In order to make things clearer for the consumer, the cost of calling these numbers will now be broken up into two parts – the service charge and the access charge. This information will also need to be displayed alongside these numbers whenever they are promoted.

1.The service charge is the part we know – it is the rate to call each number range, mostly changed per minute with specialist numbers charged per call.

If you operate an 084, 087 or 090 number with Callagenix, you can find the updated service charge of your number by clicking here.

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2. The access charge is an additional rate set by the caller’s phone service provider, so will vary from service provider to service provider.

Displaying the cost of your number

As the operator of one of these numbers you will be obliged to display the service charges whenever you display your number.

The recommended format to do this is:

“Calls cost x pence per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge.”

For premium rate line operators who charge per call, instead of per minute, the new format is:

“Calls cost x pence / £x, plus your phone company’s access charge.”

If you have any questions on this please contact us for clarification.

0800 and 0808 Freephone Numbers

080 freephone numbers have always been free to call from a BT landline but could be expensive when called from a mobile. This is now changing as Ofcom has declared all calls to 080 numbers must be free from both landlines and mobiles.

Whereas before mobile callers used to pay for a large part of the cost of the call, the emphasis has shifted so the operator of the number has to pay a contribution to receive calls from mobiles.

This increase in costs means that incoming call costs for 080 numbers will rise from 4p/min at present, to 5p/min from 1st July. As a result, we will also be reducing the number of inclusive minutes that come with each of our bundles to reflect the increased cost.

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To read more about these changes, please click here.

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