0800 numbers are very popular in the UK as they are totally free for callers. Almost everyone within the country is aware of their freephone nature. This attraction is leveraged by several big and small companies who routinely use them for their sales, marketing, or customer service lines.
Yet, on crossing borders of the UK, we observe that people have several doubts. They don’t know whether they can call 0800 numbers from abroad, or how much it would cost them. Even companies having a considerable number of international customers worry if their market reach might get adversely affected if they prescribe 0800 numbers for potential customers.
In this article, WeNumber has gone into the nitty-gritty of calling 0800 from abroad. We will clarify the various ifs and buts related to this in detail. Along with this, we’ll also answer other common questions related to 0800 cost and working.
Part 1: Steps to Call 0800 Numbers from Abroad
Calling 0800 numbers from abroad is a fairly straight-forward process. Simply prefix the number with UK’s national code of +44 and skip the first ‘0’ of ‘0800’. The number format for different regions is given below:
- Anywhere except US/ Canada/ UK: 00 44 800 xxxxxxx.
- US/ Canada: 011 44 800 xxxxxxx
Part 2: Cost to Call 0800 Numbers from Abroad
Unlike their freephone nature within the UK, you will incur some cost when calling 0800 numbers from abroad. The exact rate will be determined by:
- which place you are calling from, and,
- which operator and which plan you are using.
International calls can be quite expensive. You should be well aware of your operator charges before calling 0800 from abroad. Most companies inform callers of the applicable rate per minute before making the line connection.
Part 3: Cost to Call 0800 Numbers from Different Network Providers
Sometimes people are still confused about 0800 charges on their specific plans and operators.
You see, earlier 0800 numbers used to have complicated charges for landline and mobile users, which caused people a lot of confusion and worry. In fact, in the pre-July 2015 era, calls from mobiles could cost as high as 40p per minute.
We perfectly understand your desire to make sure that there is nothing hidden within the fine print. So, below you’ll see that we have laid out the operator charges quite clearly:
Tesco Mobile: 0800 numbers are free to call for all Tesco plans, be it Pay Monthly or Pay As You Go.
Virgin Media: Calls from both home phones and mobiles are free.
EE: It is completely free of charge, both from landline and mobile. Calls to 0800 numbers on EE will also not consume your free minutes allowance.
Sky Talk: You can cost 0800 numbers free of charge.
Talk Talk: All 0800 calls are free and will not consume your package allowance. There is no restriction like duration caps of 60 minutes unlike in some other number prefixes.
Note that the above call charges are only for calls within the UK. Calling 0800 from abroad is chargeable for all operators unless you have chosen a special roaming plan.
Also Read: How Much Does It Cost to Call 0800 Numbers on Three?
Part 4: How Do 0800 Numbers Work?
Now that you are clear about call charges for calling 0800 from abroad and within the UK, you might be thinking of buying a number for your own business. Let’s understand how they are set up.
Once you purchase an 0800 number from any telecom provider like WeNumber, they’ll configure a virtual number account for you. Your incoming calls will then be redirected to any landline or mobile number chosen by you.
You may even choose to redirect these calls to different numbers at different times. Next, you may choose the desired package for your number. Being a 0800 number owner, you will be shouldering the cost of all incoming business calls.
So it makes sense for you to evaluate optimum inclusive minutes or call rate offers. Additionally, you may also benefit from the various add-on services like call management that is possible with these numbers.
Conclusion
We hope this article has cleared your doubts and simplified 0800 usage for you.
Since 0800 numbers are so popular, you may stumble across reasons for calling them from abroad. Be aware of your applicable call charges when calling 0800 from abroad as they won’t be free!
Looking forward to purchasing a 0800 number? Buy low-cost numbers from WeNumber’s impressive range. Besides the number, we’ll offer you several other plans and benefits that will surely take you closer to your business expansion plans!
