What are Non-Geographic Numbers?

A Non-Geographic number is a telephone number with a prefix that does not link it to any geographical location – other than the United Kingdom.

So, for example, an 020 number means that it is a London number, an 0121 number means that is a Birmingham number, an 0131 number means that it is an Edinburgh number etc.

With non-geographic numbers, there is no such association with an actual place – the number could be for a business or an individual anywhere in the UK.

Many larger businesses find these ideal if they want to operate across the country rather than in one specific geographical area – people don’t think that a business only operates in the south east or the north west if they have a non-geographic number.

Many smaller businesses also use non-geographic numbers because it makes them appear to be larger than they actually are.

Different types of non-geographic numbers can bring different benefits to your business, depending on your requirements.

Examples of non-geographic numbers include freephone 0800 and 0808 numbers, lo-call 0845 numbers and revenue sharing 0844 numbers.

Non-geographic numbers are “pointed” to your existing landline or mobile phone number, can usually be set up within an hour, don’t require any equipment or machinery to install, and are available to anyone – not just businesses. 

For more information on non-geographic numbers, please visit the DBS website.