- Under Ofcom's unbundled tariff rules, a call to an 0845 or 0870 number costs an access charge (set by your own phone company) plus a service charge (set by the organisation you call).
- The service charge for 0845 and 0870 numbers is capped: it cannot exceed 7 pence per minute or per call, per Ofcom's classification of these as low-cost service-charge ranges.
- Since the 2015 unbundled tariff changes, any business advertising an 0845 or 0870 number must state the service charge clearly wherever it promotes the number.
- 0845 and 0870 numbers are non-geographic and are not normally included in landline or mobile inclusive call allowances unless your provider explicitly says so.
- If a public body uses a 084 number for essential services, GOV.UK guidance directs it towards 03 or freephone alternatives, but this is guidance rather than a blanket ban.
A call to an 0845 or 0870 number costs your provider's access charge plus a service charge capped at 7p per minute or per call. Both parts appear separately and the service charge must be advertised.
Last reviewed: June 2026
How 0845 and 0870 calls are charged
The price of any call to an 08 number in the United Kingdom is built from two separate parts. The first is the access charge, a per-minute rate that your own telephone company sets and applies to every 084, 087, 09 and 118 call you make. The second is the service charge, which is set by the business or organisation that owns the number and is the same no matter which provider you call from. Ofcom introduced this two-part structure in July 2015 under what it calls the unbundled tariff, replacing an older system where the total cost of an 08 call was opaque and varied widely between networks.
For 0845 and 0870 specifically, both numbers sit in the lower service-charge bands. Ofcom classifies the service charge on these ranges so that it cannot exceed 7 pence per minute or 7 pence per call. The remaining cost depends entirely on the access charge your landline or mobile provider has chosen to levy, which is why the same 0845 number can cost noticeably more from one network than another. Because the two figures are quoted separately, the practical way to know your total is to add your provider's published access charge to the advertised service charge.
The structure of an 08 number explained
The leading digits of an 08 number signal roughly how it is charged, although the precise service charge is fixed by the number's owner within Ofcom's permitted bands. The table below sets out the common ranges and how 0845 and 0870 fit alongside their neighbours. The figures describe the mechanism and the regulated caps rather than a single price, because the access-charge element varies by provider.
| Number range | Type | Service charge cap | Access charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0845 | Non-geographic, low band | Up to 7p per minute or per call | Set by your provider |
| 0870 | Non-geographic, low band | Up to 7p per minute or per call | Set by your provider |
| 0844 / 0843 | Non-geographic, higher band | Up to 7p per minute | Set by your provider |
| 0871 / 0872 / 0873 | Non-geographic, premium band | Up to 13p per minute | Set by your provider |
| 0800 / 0808 | Freephone | No charge to caller | None |
The key point the table illustrates is that 0845 and 0870 both sit in Ofcom's lower service-charge band. They are not premium-rate numbers in the sense that 09 numbers are, but they are not free either. The total you pay is always the sum of two figures, and the only figure your provider controls is the access charge.
Which 0845 and 0870 numbers are regulated
All 084 and 087 ranges, including 0845 and 0870, are non-geographic numbers regulated by Ofcom and, where a service charge applies, overseen for transparency under the Phone-paid Services framework that governs how charges must be communicated. The regulation does not ban the numbers. Instead it requires that the service charge be capped within the published band and that it be displayed prominently wherever the number is advertised, whether on a website, a printed leaflet, an invoice or a recorded message.
The practical effect is that a caller should always be able to find the service charge before dialling. If a business shows an 0845 number on its contact page without stating the service charge alongside it, that is a breach of the transparency rules. The access charge sits with your provider and must be published in their price list and on your bill, so the regulated system is designed to make both halves of the cost discoverable in advance.
What the maximum service charge means in practice
Because the 0845 and 0870 service charge is capped at 7 pence per minute or per call, the organisation you ring cannot lawfully levy more than that figure. What it can still do is sit at the top of the band, so a long call to an 0845 helpline charged at 7 pence per minute, combined with an access charge of a similar order from your provider, can add up over a thirty-minute wait. This is why migration of essential public-service lines towards 03 numbers and freephone has been encouraged: 03 numbers cost the same as a standard 01 or 02 call and are included in inclusive minutes.
For a typical short query the total cost remains modest, but the absence of a single advertised price means callers cannot assume the call is cheap. The sensible approach is to check both the service charge on the advertising material and the access charge in your provider's tariff, then add them together to estimate the per-minute cost before a long call.
What to do if you think you have been overcharged
If a call to an 0845 or 0870 number appears on your bill at a rate higher than the advertised service charge plus your provider's published access charge, the first step is to raise it with your own telephone company, because the access charge and billing are theirs to explain. Ask them to itemise the call and confirm the access charge applied. If the service charge itself exceeds the 7 pence cap for the range, that is a matter for the number's owner and the transparency regime that governs service charges.
Where the dispute cannot be resolved with your provider, Ofcom rules require that telecoms companies belong to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme, which can review unresolved complaints once the provider's own process is exhausted. Keep a record of the advertised charge, the date and length of the call, and the figures on your bill, because a clear paper trail makes any complaint far quicker to assess.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to call an 0845 number?
The cost is your provider's access charge plus a service charge of up to 7 pence per minute or per call set by the organisation you ring. The exact total depends on which network you call from, because providers set their own access charges. Both figures should be discoverable before you dial.
What is a service charge on a 0845 call?
The service charge is the portion of the call cost that goes to the business or organisation that owns the 0845 number, rather than to your phone company. For 0845 it is capped at 7 pence per minute or per call. The business must advertise this figure wherever it promotes the number.
Are 0845 numbers more expensive from mobile?
They often are, because the access-charge element is set by your provider and mobile networks have historically applied higher access charges than landline providers. The service charge itself is the same regardless of the network. Check your mobile provider's published access charge to see the difference.
Why do some companies use 0845 numbers?
Non-geographic numbers like 0845 let a business present a single national number that is not tied to one town, and they can route calls flexibly between sites. Historically some organisations also received a small revenue share from the service charge. Many essential-service providers have since moved to 03 numbers.
Are 0870 numbers the same as 0845?
They are charged in the same way, with an access charge plus a capped service charge of up to 7 pence per minute or per call, and both are non-geographic. The difference is largely historical in how the ranges were marketed. Neither is normally included in inclusive call allowances.
