If you're doing business in the UK and use telephone numbers starting
084,
087 or
09 you'll need to be aware of new Ofcom regulations which come into force on
1 July 2015.
Whenever someone calls one of these numbers, part of what is paid by the caller is retained by the caller's telephone provider and part is paid onwards to the benefit of the call recipient and their telephone provider.
From 1 July 2015, this call cost will be split into the two parts and each will be separately declared.
The caller's provider will declare their Access Charge. This will be a single rate for all calls to these numbers.
All users of 084, 087 and 09 numbers will no longer state what the call would have cost had it been made from a BT landline. Instead, they will be
required to declare the part of the call cost that they benefit from, whether directly or indirectly. This will be known as the Service Charge.
This applies to numbers shown on websites as well as in catalogues and in press and TV adverts and on leaflets.
Ofcom have a new website which explains the changes: [
ukcalling.info...]
There's a YouTube video at: [
youtube.com...]
The provisional Service Charge levels can be looked up here: [
ofcom.org.uk...]
e.g. for a number starting 0844 477, look in the spreadsheet for "8444 77" and declare the cost thus:
"
Calls incur a 7p per minute Service Charge on top of your phone provider's Access Charge."
or
"
Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone provider's Access Charge."
Depending on the number range and level of Service Charge involved, non-compliance becomes a matter for either Advertising Standards or PhonepayPlus.
Those businesses who are unable to justify imposing a Service Charge on callers can arrange to migrate their 084 or 087 number to the matching 034 or 037 number.
Calls to 03 numbers cost the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers and count towards inclusive allowances on landlines and mobiles.
Ofcom made these new numbers available in 2007 specifically for this purpose.
