The 0845 number is a non-geographical UK number, perfect for businesses looking for inbound calls but they are little expensive. Imagine you call your bank or insurance company to discuss important details. As the call disconnects, your eyes get bruised when you see the hefty call charges you paid for the call.
No matter how trivial your discussion was, you got charged more than usual.
It usually happens when you call 0845 or any other UK business number. What’s so special about these numbers?
Nothing special at all. People dislike them because they get charged mercilessly. On the other hand, businesses get help from these numbers. There are a lot of services like RingCentral that help you get an 0845 code number.
Therefore, you must know these numbers, how much they charge, and how to make cheap calls on them.
Keep on reading this article to get answers to all these questions.
What are 0845 numbers?
0845 Numbers are a business rate number companies use to receive inbound calls. If you haven’t heard it before, you need not worry. We will explain these numbers, what they are, and why they are essential. 0845 numbers are non-geographical numbers that businesses use for customer service and helplines in the UK. In contrast to traditional landline numbers, non-geographical numbers are not bound to any specific location. This helps companies establish a nationwide presence without being tied to a specific location.
- The most prominent non-geographical inbound number you see when you want to call any business in the UK is 0845.
- The main reason behind their popularity is the charges it levies on you when you happen to make a call on this number.
- Unlike 0800, 0345, or any other geographical numbers, it has dual costs on your pocket. On the one hand, your call service provider charges you for making a call, which is evident when you call someone you have to pay for it.
- On the other hand, you get charged a hefty amount from the number owner you called. You or someone related to you may have encountered such a number.
- Don’t remember when you called on this number last time? Let us tell you why you called.
You probably have sent a parcel through a courier firm, or you are waiting to receive any courier. You called the courier company that might have used such a number. - Likewise, you happened to travel long distances via train or aeroplane. You called on such a number to book your tickets.
- Similarly, you might have called on this number since you needed to have some information regarding any product or service. There are a plethora of other possibilities whatsoever.
0845 Numbers - UK Rules & Regulations
If you own a business that uses an 0845 number with a code like 084 onwards or 09, you should read UK rules and regulations before using it.
Because it can levy charges on you, as passed by the UK’s govt and thus affect your business credibility; moreover
Actually, the law passed in 2014 by the UK’s parliament prohibits you from owning such numbers. Are you worried about that? Wait, that doesn’t include all types of businesses.
- If your business deals with other firms and companies in the B2B model, then you need not worry at all because you are exempted from this law.
- However, if your enterprise deals with customers regularly, then you should define what type of business you do.
- For example, you can’t use these numbers for customer care. Because in this way, they are paying for something they shouldn’t.
- Suppose you buy some goods from a brand. After purchasing, you saw some defect in it, or you just want to replace it for some other reason.
- Now it would be unfair to charge you for the call you made to exchange your goods. That’s why, being a business owner, you can’t use such numbers.
- That doesn’t rule out these business rate numbers from the whole equation. Companies still can use them for technical services.
You can also read about: Is it Illegal to Quit a Job Without Notice in the UK?
0845 Number for businesses
You may wonder why companies in the UK use this number. There are some solid reasons behind it from the business point of view.
1. Branding your business:
First of all, with these non-geographical numbers, your business will get free from location constraints. Suppose you use a local service number as your company’s service delivery.
At any time, some unexpected signal problem may occur that stops you from getting calls from different countries.
In that case, you get confined to your locality. Thus, you would then miss a great audience resource all over the UK.
Second, it gives your business a national position. As a result, people see you as a big business in the market. Besides, it helps you create a brand for your business.
2. Undisruptive communication:
Thirdly, it helps you to streamline your communication in your workflows. Seamless communication is very important to get your business off the mark. Thus, it has an overall effect on the efficiency of your business.
3. Reroute your business:
The fourth and most incredible reason for using such numbers is that you can shift to any place on the earth without the fear of losing your credentials.
For one reason or the other, you plan to shift your business from the UK to the US. If you were using a local number, you would need to use another number in a different country.
Thanks to 0845, you can now reroute the same number to your new location.
4. Earn revenue:
Some companies use these geographical numbers to charge their customers intentionally. These businesses have incorporated the charges into the business model. For instance, they may divert those charges to pay their employees.
In Uk, Banks, insurance companies and sometimes hospitals use these numbers and earn profits that they utilise in their finances.
Are 0845 number Free?
The simple answer 0845 number is not free. As you know, 0845 is the UK’s business number with unique features.
Although it may help businesses in many ways, it may be detrimental to your call costs. As these service numbers do not consume package minutes, they may hike your call tariffs.
If due to ill fate, you call on such a number, you will end up blaming yourself for not calling it. No matter how expensive they are, it’s not illegal to have an 0845 number for your company. They are officially recognised numbers, and there are a lot of them in the UK.
Imagine you need to call for an emergency, and the number is 0845. You may find yourself in utter despair if you don’t know its charges. For that matter, you first need to know some of the most commonly used non-geographical numbers in the UK.
The numbers that you should keep on your radar while calling any type of service are 0843, 0844, 0845, 0873, and 09 onwards. Once you know these numbers, you can decide whether you have to call or not. You know that in the UK, you will find different service providers. Now each of them poses different charges for calling.
Generally, you can split those charges into two parts. The first one is the service charges, and the second one is the charges you pay to your company for calling.
When you call on any 084-onwards number, the company you called charges up to 7pence/minute. But the rates differ according to the code. On the other hand, your service provider gets the access charges way more than you think.
Below is the list of different call companies along with their non-geographical service charges.
| Service Providers in UK | Charge on Non-Geographical Number |
|---|---|
| Sky | 15p |
| Tesco Mobile | 25p |
| Post Office | 14p |
| BT | 1.96p |
| Pulse Net | N/A |
| Giffgaff | 25p |
| O2 | 65p |
| EE | Up to 67p |
| Vodafone | 55p - 65p |
BT was the UK’s first company to cut down calling costs on such numbers.
Why are 0845 numbers so expensive?
Since you need to call frequently on 08 numbers, you fear getting excessively charged as they are rated as a ‘‘Business” number. You can simply call your service provider and ask for different packages. You may or may not get any reasonable package. But chances are there you find something worth using for you.
Call companies don’t want to lose their customers; moreover, they have created different strategies to give their services in the best possible way. Thus, to avoid any hassle, you should find a package with your phone company.
How to get a 0845 UK number?
Business numbers in the series of 08, and especially, 0845 are considered essential for businesses. Due to their benefits, people are always looking for such numbers. You can also get such a number very easily.
One way is to find a UK service provider that gives a number with an 08 code. However, you can also go for this platform which gives you virtual non-geographical numbers of your business.
Business rate and inbound phone numbers have advantages as well as disadvantages for people living in the UK. You may feel vulnerable when you have to call the NHS in case of emergency only to see that you get charged a massive amount for that call.
Conclusion:
0845 numbers, however, provide several benefits if you are running a business. To illustrate, you can bring your business to a national presence. You may also shift your business anywhere without the fear of losing the number. Sometimes it becomes imperative to call on a service number. You have faced a lot of scenarios in your life. So, you simply can’t throw the idea of calling a non-geographical number out of the window. Then, what will you do? Will you call the number on standard rates with the same service provider that charges you hefty fees?
You may also get the chance to earn revenue from the calls. Yet, it’s not easy to maintain an expensive number like that. So, you can choose Vonage, RingCentral, and many more. So, you can get the best virtual numbers that provide the same services with fewer expenses. However, you get charged reasonable amounts when you call on such numbers.
Well, it’s your choice. You can go for it if you think you have enough money to waste. But what if you want to explore some other cheap options? Okay, let us tell you how you can get rid of the money you spend on these numbers.