Using 084, 087 and 09 numbers is fast becoming a disadvantage for businesses. Consumers are wising up to how much these cost to call. Many already actively avoid companies that use them for their sales lines and for pre-sales enquiries.

Consumer protection laws are gradually restricting their usage for post-sales activities. The recent regulations from BIS cover retailers, traders and passenger transport companies. The FCA will shortly produce similar regulations covering the financial sector. Further regulation will follow for the package travel industry.

There's more to come. From 26 June 2015, all users of 084, 087 and 09 numbers will be required to clearly declare the Service Charge element of the call cost wherever their telephone number is advertised. Ofcom published those regulations in December 2013.

This will make it clear they are financially benefitting from the call, and by how much. It should become much easier to avoid companies advertising inappropriate telephone numbers for ordinary day to day contact. Those new rules should see a further decrease in the number of these lines being used for sales and pre-sales enquiries.

Telephone numbers with an additional Service Charge will return to being used mainly for chargeable services that are paid for as the call is being made. This includes cheap international call gateways, subscription-free conference calling, "dial a ...." recorded information services, chat lines, voting on radio and TV shows, and donating to charity where the Service Charge is the donation.


Numbers where you pay only your own telephone provider to connect and convey the call:
01, 02, 03, 071-075, 077-079 (080 is free)
(The standard termination rate for calls to landlines is a small fraction of a penny per minute. For calls to mobile phones it is currently around half a penny per minute and is being further reduced on an annual basis.)
The above group also includes 0870 numbers, but only from 1 August 2009 until 26 June 2015.

Numbers where you pay your own telephone provider to connect and convey the call and pay an additional sum to the benefit of the called party and their telephone provider:
070, 084, 087, 090, 091, 098
(The enhanced termination rate currently varies from 1p per minute or per call to £1.50 per minute or per call depending on the first six digits of the telephone number called. From 26 June 2015, the replacement Service Charge [for calls to 084, 087 and 09 numbers] will vary from 1p/min to £3.60/min or from 1p/call to £5/call, again depending on the telephone number called.)