Non-geographic telephone numbers are numbers that do not relate to a standard area code such as 0800 (freephone), 0845 (local call rate) or 0870 (national call rate). Not only do they add a professional look to your business but they are also very affordable and in some cases free.
How much does it cost?
Let’s start with 0800 numbers. These are freephone numbers in the UK so when you call them you do not pay anything on your telephone bill instead the company you are calling is responsible for the cost which is usually calculated at around 2p to 5p per minute. 0845 Number are charged at a local call rate to the caller and can usually be registered by your business for a small one-off fee (anything of £20 and up). There is typically no revenue stream for these numbers with any revenue shared amongst the telephone service providers.
Finally 0870 numbers are charged at a national call rate to the caller and the company will usually receive a percentage of the revenue generated by the calls, this is usually paid quarterly to the company. Depending on the desirability of the number registering a new 0870 number can be completely free or cost anything up to a few hundred pounds.
How does it work?
The way it works is simple. When you register your new number you allocate a physical telephone number that all calls will be routed to, once this is in place any calls to the new non-geographic number will be seamlessly diverted to your nominated line without the customer hearing any automated messages.