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0870 Migration Advice

Does your company currently operate an 0870 number? Are you aware of the imminent pricing changes planned for these numbers?

Until now, 0870 numbers have been charged at the so-called "National Rate". However, due to widespread public unease about the costs of these calls, the industry regulator (Ofcom) has announced that the costs will be drastically reduced.

For callers, this means much cheaper call costs to dial 0870 numbers. But for the owners of these numbers, the effect will be to remove any revenue they had previously been earning on their calls, and possibly even start producing some costs instead. For a business that relies on this revenue to provide their service, such a change could be catastrophic.

As a result, many companies that currently operate them are switching over to 0844, 0845 or 03 numbers as an alternative to 0870. If your company would like to follow suit, this page will help you decide which type of number to choose.

• 0844 Numbers
  If you currently rely on the revenue from 0870, and wish to continue earning money on your calls, this is the range to use. 0844 numbers are much cheaper than the old 0870 prices, but some do still charge enough for you to earn money on them. We can provide you with a 5p/minute 0844 number, from which you can earn up to 3p/minute.
  Click here to see some of the 0844 numbers we have available.
• 0845 Numbers
  The advantage of 0845 numbers is that they are well recognised and have more trust among the public than 0870 or 0844, which makes people more likely to call them. There is no revenue to be earned from 0845 numbers, but as long as you route calls to your landline, it equally won't cost you anything either, so if you're not looking to earn call revenue, then 0845 is the range for you.
  Click here to see some of the 0845 numbers we have available.
• 03 Numbers
  03 numbers are a brand new range. Ofcom have launched them in an effort to provide more transparent pricing for non-geographic numbers. Calls to them will be charged at exactly the same price as 01 or 02 numbers. Because of this, you may incur some costs to receive calls to these numbers. At the moment, these numbers are still new and people do not yet know much about them, but in the long term we expect these numbers to become quite popular with the public. If you want a number with a good public image and a long lifespan, 03 may be your best choice.
  Click here to see some of the 03 numbers we have available.

WARNING: Some telecoms companies are advising clients to switch from 0870 to 0871. We would advise strongly against this: As part of the same review under which 0870 prices are changing, 0871 numbers are being re-classified as premium rate numbers, and will thus fall under the same regulations as 09 numbers, making them impractical for use as general-purpose phone numbers. If you still prefer this option, we can offer you an 0871 number, but we would recommend you consider 0844 instead.