Get the Best of Both Worlds with an 0845 Number

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When it comes to choosing an 08 non geographic number, David Clarke, Director of DBS Telecoms, argues that an 0845 number is a middle of the road option which keeps both the customers and  businesses happy.

Lincolnshire, UK: When companies are looking for a non-geographic number, the choice often boils down to three different options. 0800 numbers, 0845 numbers and 0844 numbers. Which option a company goes for is going to vary according to individual circumstances, wants and needs.

At one end of the spectrum is the popular 0800 number. It is mainly popular with the customer because if they are calling from a UK landline then they do not have to pay for the call. So it doesn’t matter how long they are waiting in a queue, or on hold, or how long the person on the other end of the phone takes to read out terms and conditions. They still don’t pay anything to receive the call. 

However, it is not so popular with the company because they pay to foot the bill! They pay 4p + VAT per minute to receive the call. To a small company, this might not be a feasible option if they have an incredibly tight budget, as this could push them over the edge. But, they should take into account the fact that having a freephone number is going to encourage customers and potential customers to pick up the phone and give them a call, particularly if their competitors are not using freephone numbers. The cost of receiving the call can be relatively small compared to the amount of business it can generate.

At the other end of the scale is the 0844 number. Unlike the 0800 number, where the business receiving the call pays to receive it, the business actually receives money for every call received! If your 0844 number is pointed to a landline, you receive a rebate of 1p per minute on every call received. This might not sound a lot, but if you receive a large amount of calls, and if they last a decent amount of time, then this can make a big difference to your profits – and it is certainly better than receiving a huge phone bill each month! However, this might not be so popular with the customer as the freephone 0800 number, as they pay 5p + VAT per minute to receive the call. Whilst this is still not a large amount, it is obviously more than what they would pay on an 0800 number.

“An 0845 number is effectively the third way”, says David Clarke, Director of leading telecoms company DBS in Lincolnshire. “Your customers pay low call number costs of between around 3p + VAT per minute when they ring an 0845 number from a landline. The exact charge depends on the service provider. This is a nice middle of the road charge between phoning for free and spending 5p on a call. If the 0845 number is pointed to a landline, then it is free for the owner of the number to receive the call, again a compromise between paying for the call and getting paid for the call. So, if you want a non-geographic number, can’t afford to pay to receive the calls but don’t want your customers to be put off by call charges then an 0845 number is well worth considering.”