0844 numbers are confusing. Many people have been caught unaware due to unexpectedly high bills. A lot of organizations also struggle to understand and make the best use of their several benefits to the business.
In this article, WeNumber will explain various critical points related to 0844 numbers. Whether you are an individual or a business, we are sure you’ll learn several new things that will empower you in the future.
So, let’s delve right into the complex maze of different number prefixes and untangle and clarify 0844 numbers.
Part 1: Finding out More About 0844 Numbers?
0844 numbers belong to a special category of business-rated numbers. They have several features:
Non-geographical in nature:
They are not spatially linked to any particular area in the UK, so they keep the phone number owner’s business location as anonymous. Companies benefit from this as they can get business from all over the country.
Service Numbers:
0844 numbers belong to a special category of service numbers along-with other phone number prefixes like 084, 087, 09, 118, etc. The telecom regulator has provisioned special characteristics for 0844 numbers which makes them advantageous for businesses.
Premium-rate:
0844 numbers are not free. They are hardly ever included in any operator’s free minutes allowance. This is the same across various plans, irrespective of whether you are a consumer of Pay Monthly plan or Pay as You Go plan.
Two-part tariff:
0844 numbers, like other service numbers, are charged at dual rates. You will have to pay both by the telecom network operator and by the company that you are calling. The exact charging mechanism is explained in detail in the FAQ section.
Revenue-source:
Companies using 0844 numbers can make money from each call they receive. The more calls they get, the more they can earn via rebates.
Note that irrespective of what the next digits are, any number beginning with 0844 like 08441, 08442, 08445, etc. has the same features and is charged similarly.
Part 2: What kind of company will use 0844 Numbers in the UK?
Several businesses in the UK use 0844 numbers as the cost is free for them. Not just this, but they can also be a great source of revenue generation.
You will find them being listed by SMEs, banks, utilities, and other companies. Mostly they are used for information inquiry lines, adult entertainment lines, automated services, or other telephonic services like competition voting, ticket-booking, fortune-telling, etc.
Since 2015, it is illegal to use 0844 numbers for customer service purpose post-purchase. So such companies had to shift to other numbers such as freephone numbers type landline numbers like 03.
You May Like: How Much Does an 0844 Number Cost to Call on Vodafone?
Part 3: How Can My Business Use 0844 Numbers?
Your business can benefit significantly from using 0844 numbers.
Right from satisfactorily servicing customers belonging to far-flung corners of the UK to earning significant additional revenue for each call received, there are several advantages. It is especially worth considering if you have a large number of incoming calls.
Besides using 0844 numbers for telephone lines, you can also use them for fax lines. You won’t incur charges when receiving a fax, in fact, you will earn money for each fax received.
Calls to 0844 numbers can be worked out such that you never miss any customer’s call. You can set them up such that if one line is busy, it automatically gets diverted to another landline or mobile phone.
This way you can get maximum out of 0844 line calls while never missing out on an opportunity to service your customers.
So, do you feel that a 0844 number can enrich your business? You can explore our website and see the features for our 0844 number range and also buy one at affordable rates.
While using 0844 numbers, you must be abreast of Ofcom’s July 2015 legislation. Make sure you always mention call costs next to your number wherever it is advertised, be it on your website, print and television ad, or your corporate literature.
Part 4: FAQs
1. How are call charges to 0844 numbers decided?
0844 numbers charging was very complex earlier, but Ofcom’s July 2015 legislation has made it much simpler and transparent for consumers. Still, it is imperative that you are aware of these rules as 0844 numbers are not free to call.
You must have noticed messages next to 0844 numbers like, “Calls cost xx pence per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge”. Let’s see what it means.
0844 numbers cost is split into two parts:
Service Fee:
This fee is levied by the company that you are calling in return for providing you with this telephonic service. The rate can be set to anything below 7p per call or 7p per minute.
It neither varies according to which device you are calling from nor according to which network operator you are using.
Access Fee:
This is levied by your network operator for connecting the call. The rate will be mentioned in the initial plan agreement and bills.
It varies from one phone company to the other and is also dependent on whether you are calling from landline or mobile. Generally, the rate is between 7p per minute and 45p per minute.
2.What to do if one receives a missed call from an 0844 number?
Be careful if you receive a missed call from a 0844 number. There have been some unfortunate instances of innocent people getting duped by scams.
A fraudster company can use 0844 numbers and give out missed calls to thousands of people. Natural curiosity makes people return these calls.
Then, they might get to listen to long pre-recorded messages or be put on hold, while the company earns money. Even if a fraction of these people return the call, the company makes a handsome amount.
Hence it is good to be cautious. We advise you not to call back a 0844 number if you have received any suspicious missed call or if you do not know their service charge.
3. How much does It cost to call an 0844 number on ID mobile?
iD mobile users will have to pay an access charge of 45p for each minute when calling a 0844 number. The rate is common for both the customers of iD’s monthly payment plan or Sim-only plan.
Other than this, the organization they are calling will also apply a service charge.
4. How much does it cost to call an 0844 number on Tesco mobile?
For Tesco customers, call charges to 0844 numbers are a sum of access charge and service charge. Tesco levies an access charge of 25p per minute plus a connection charge of 25p.
So, a one minute call will cost you 50p, while a three minute call will cost you 100p. The access charge rate is the same for both monthly paying users and Pay as You Go users.
5. How much does it cost to call an 0844 number on O2?
Similar to other operators, O2 also does not include 0844 numbers in its inclusive call packages. Every minute of call will cost you an access fee of 55p if you pay monthly or 45p if you pay on the go.
However, don’t forget the fine print here. You will be charged for at least one minute of call even for short duration calls.
6. How much does it cost to call an 0844 number on BT?
BT levies an access charge of 30 pence per minute, calculated second-wise. Of course, the service charge levied by the phone number owner is additional to this.
7. Is it possible to call 0844 numbers from abroad?
It is seldom possible to call a 0844 number from outside of the UK because of the lack of international level agreements between telecom operators to implement its complex charging mechanism.
Where it is possible to call a 0844 number on mobile from abroad, it is going to be more expensive than usual.However, this does not mean that you cannot contact the organization that you wish to talk to if you are outside of the UK.
Generally, most companies list an alternate number to be used when calling from abroad. You can dial this ten-digit number by prefixing it with UK’s telephone code +44.
Conclusion
0844 numbers call can be quite expensive, hence it pays to be wise about these numbers and their charging mechanism. We hope this article was successful in clearing out the various ambiguities regarding 0844 numbers as well as their call charges by some common operators.
WeNumber is dedicated to its mission to solve the myriad queries pertaining to the world of telecom, thereby empowering the end consumers. For any other doubts, we invite you to explore our website.
After understanding about 0844 numbers, are you now convinced to buy one for your business? WeNumber can provide you with 0844 numbers at a much cheaper price than the market.
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