Glossary · Numbering
Freephone number (0800)
In one sentence
A freephone number is a number that is free for the caller, such as 0800 and 0808 in the UK or 1800 in Ireland. The business pays for the call, so it suits helplines and campaigns where cost could put callers off.
Also known as : freephone number · freephone numbers · freephone · toll-free number · toll-free numbers · 0800 number · 0800 numbers · 0808 number · 1800 number
What is a freephone number?
A freephone number costs the caller nothing: the business that publishes it pays for every call instead. In the UK that means the 0800 and 0808 ranges; in Ireland, 1800; in the US and Canada the same idea is called toll-free. It is one of the non-geographic number ranges, so it says nothing about where the business is located.
It is as much a sales tool as a technical one. Removing the cost of the call removes a reason not to ring, and signals that the company actually wants to hear from people. You find freephone numbers on product packaging, energy bills, charity appeals and support pages.
How it works
- The business reserves an 0800 or 0808 number from its provider.
- The number is pointed at a destination: a phone system, an IVR or a call queue.
- When a customer dials it, their own provider doesn’t charge them; the business’s provider bills the business per minute instead.
- Call reports (volumes, times, unanswered calls) show whether staffing matches demand.
Like every non-geographic number, a freephone number has no line of its own. It is always routed, which means you can move teams, sites or providers without changing it.
Example
A boiler manufacturer in the Midlands prints an 0800 number on every unit and installation guide. Homeowners call about breakdowns and settings, mostly from mobiles and often in the evening. The IVR offers “1” for a breakdown and “2” for servicing questions; out of hours, callers leave a message and an engineer rings back the next morning. Every Monday the service manager reviews missed calls to decide whether to staff Saturday mornings in winter.
What it means for your business
Freephone moves the call cost onto you, so budget for the volume and length of calls and keep an eye on unusually long ones. It may not be reachable from abroad: for international customers, pair it with a geographic number or a freephone number in each country. And it is only worth publishing if someone answers: plan staffing and opening hours before it goes on the packaging.
Freephone numbers at Universal Telecom
We supply freephone numbers in the UK and other countries, routed to the virtual PBX or your own PBX. Available countries and number types are listed under global numbering.
Frequently asked questions
Are 0800 numbers free from mobiles?
Yes. Since July 2015, UK 0800 and 0808 numbers have been free to call from mobiles as well as landlines. Before that, mobile networks often charged for them.
Can people call a UK 0800 number from abroad?
Often not. Many freephone numbers only work from within the country where they are issued. If you have international customers, also publish a geographic number or a local freephone number in their country.
What is the difference between freephone and toll-free?
None in practice. Freephone is the British and Irish term; toll-free is the North American one, used for 800, 888 and similar US and Canadian numbers.
Related terms
- Non-geographic number (03, 08)
A non-geographic number is a number not linked to any area, such as UK 03, 084 or 087 numbers. 03 numbers cost the same as a local call; 084 and 087 add a service charge set by the business.
- Geographic number
A geographic number is a landline number whose area code points to a place, such as 020 for London or 01 for Dublin. It signals a local presence and is charged as a standard national call.
- Virtual phone number
A virtual phone number is a real phone number with no physical line behind it: calls are routed over the internet to a mobile app, a softphone or a phone system, wherever you are.
- IVR (interactive voice response)
IVR (interactive voice response) is the automated phone menu that greets callers and routes them based on the keys they press, such as “press 1 for sales, press 2 for support”.
- Call queue
A call queue holds incoming callers when every agent is busy and connects them in order of arrival as soon as someone is free, playing music and announcements while they wait.
- Missed call
A missed call is an inbound call that nobody answered: the caller hung up while it rang or while waiting in a queue, or reached voicemail without speaking to anyone.
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