Making International Calls From the UK, A Guide to

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Ian011
Ian011 Posts: 2,432 Forumite
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edited 17 September 2015 at 3:14PM in Phones & TV
There are many ways to make international calls from the UK with a variety of different call charges.



Landline and Mobile Operators

You can use your normal landline or mobile provider to make the call.

Some landline operators offer very cheap rates, even inclusive calls, to some popular destinations, while other destinations are very much more expensive. Other landline operators offer only extortionate rates, meaning callers will need to look elsewhere to save money on these calls.

Some mobile operators specialise in offering cheap rates for calling abroad, but their UK rates are not always very competitive. Other mobile operators may offer cheap rates to a limited selection of destinations and reasonable rates for calling UK numbers. If your destination is on the list, that's great. If not, you'll need to look elsewhere to save money on these calls.


Third-party Operators

If your normal landline or mobile operator charges extortionate amounts to call abroad, you'll need to change to another provider offering better rates or use a third-party provider in conjunction with your current arrangement.

There are a huge number of third-party providers, with a variety of call charges. They all have one thing in common. You first dial a UK access number and at the automated prompt you then key in the international number that you wish to call (often followed by the # key).

Using this system you have to pay for two telephone calls: the UK number that you dial first and the onwards international leg of the call.

There are a variety of number types used to access these services, some more suitable than others and depending on whether you call from a landline or mobile and whether you have inclusive calls or not.

It is up to the caller to work out which type of number to call to get the best deal. This will become much easier when the new call charge system for 084, 087 and 09 numbers comes into effect on all landline and mobile networks on 1 July 2015.


Instant-access 084, 087 or 09 number

084, 087 or 09 numbers with a Service Charge are ideal for this type of service. You do not have to purchase credit in advance. Call the service whenever you need to use it.

At present, the cheapest way to call these numbers is from a BT landline. Other landlines will charge a bit more and mobiles will charge a lot more, usually making it uneconomic. BT's retail call prices for 084, 087 and 09 numbers are capped by the NTS Retail Condition imposed by Ofcom. It ensures that almost all of what you pay to BT for the call is passed on to the international provider. BT makes no margin on call origination. This regulation ends on 1 July 2015.

From 1 July 2015, you'll pay your own phone provider the standard Access Charge for calling the 084, 087 or 09 number plus the additional Service Charge that is passed on to pay for the onwards international leg of the call.

Each international provider will advertise the Service Charge for each of their 084, 087 and 09 numbers. Your landline or mobile phone provider will advertise their Access Charge for calling 084, 087 and 09 numbers.

It will be easier to compare international providers by comparing their Service Charges. It will be easier to decide which landline or mobile network to use to call the UK access number, by comparing their Access Charges.

If the Access Charge part of the call cost is inclusive, you'll pay only the Service Charge part of the call cost to your landline or mobile provider. Don't count on inclusive Service Charges (e.g. for 0845 calls) remaining in place after 1 July 2015.

If the Access Charge imposed by your landline or mobile provider is high, you may be better off using a service with an 01, 02, 03 or 080 access number though this usually entails purchasing the international call credit in advance or paying through a separate monthly bill.


Instant-access 07 "mobile" number

There have been a number of dial-through providers using numbers which look like standard mobile numbers. They had high termination rates of up to 15p per minute to fund the international leg of the onwards call. These numbers were non-inclusive in mobile call plans and charged at variable and often extortionate rates by most mobile operators.

From 1 May 2015, Ofcom is imposing a 0.68p per minute price cap on termination rates on these number ranges (071 to 075 and 077 to 079).

Instant-access international dial-through and other value-added and interactive services previously making use of the high termination rates to fund their service will no longer be able to use mobile numbers for this.

They should move to the appropriate 084, 087 or 09 number range where they can properly declare their Service Charge, otherwise they will have to move to a charging model where credit is purchased in advance or paid through a separate bill.


01, 02 or 03 access number

With these, you call via an ordinary 01, 02 or 03 number. You pay for the international leg of the call through a separate bill paid monthly or by using a pre-paid top-up voucher. You pay your landline or mobile phone provider the normal rate for calling the 01, 02 or 03 number. Increasingly, this will be an inclusive call though some landline and mobile providers specifically exclude calls to dial-through numbers from inclusive allowances.

Where a top-up voucher is used, this is usually gained either by making a brief call to an 09 number or to a mobile shortcode or by texting a mobile shortcode. This will be a number with a high Service Charge (e.g. £3 or £5) which is used to purchase credit with the international call-through provider and which is then associated with the telephone number that was used to purchase the credit. Another method of purchasing international credit is via a website where you pay in advance by debit card.

This credit is then used as you make international calls. These services are best used by those who have an inclusive allowance of calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers on their landline or mobile meaning that the only additional charges are those for the international leg of the call.

At present, these services are mainly used by those who call from mobile phones with the credit being purchased via a mobile shortcode.

The 09 top up number option isn't so popular as the maximum amount of credit that can be purchased in one phone call is only about £1.50 and the call could cost up to £5 if made from a mobile phone.

On 1 July 2015, the price cap on 09 Service Charges is being increased to £3.60 per minute or £6 per call and this may lead to these services becoming more popular for calls made from landlines. At the same time, excessive Access Charges when calling 09 numbers from mobile phones will be reined in. This will reduce the cost of topping up from mobiles but the mobile shortcode option is still likely to remain the most popular.


0800 or 0808 freephone access number

With these, you call via an 080 number at no charge and pay for the international leg of the call through a separate bill paid monthly or by using a pre-paid top-up voucher in a similar way to how the services using 01, 02 and 03 numbers work.

The rate charged by the international call provider will usually be about 2p or 3p per minute more than the rate charged when calling via other access numbers. The reason for the "surcharge" is simply that the international call provider has to pay the caller's landline or mobile provider a Call Origination Fee of several pence per minute because the caller paid nothing for the 080 phone call.

This option is best used by those who do not have inclusive calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers and where the "per minute" rate for calling them is more than the surcharge applied by the international call provider for calling via their 080 number.

Calls to 080 numbers become free from all mobile phones on 1 July 2015.


Mobile shortcode access number

Another method occasionally seen is the use of a mobile shortcode. There are several variations.

One is where a high-rate mobile shortcode is used for topping up the international account in advance and a different mobile shortcode is used to make the international call. To use the service, international call credit has to be bought in advance, either by sending a text message to a high-rate mobile shortcode or by calling a mobile shortcode with a high 'per-call' rate. This will charge £5 or £10 to your mobile phone bill. The international call is then made via another, much lower rate or free, mobile shortcode. The UK leg of the international call is billed by your mobile provider and the international leg uses the credit that was bought in advance.

Another variation is where the same mobile shortcode is used both for topping up and for the international call. To use the service, international call credit has to be bought in advance by sending a text message to a high-rate mobile shortcode. This will charge £5 or £10 to your mobile phone bill. The international call is then made via the same mobile shortcode. The UK leg of the international call will be either low-rate or free and is billed by your mobile provider. The international leg uses the credit that was bought in advance.

The third variation is where a number of mobile shortcodes are advertised each with a different call rate and a list of countries that can be called via that particular number. The call charge appears on your mobile phone bill as normal and covers both the UK leg and the international leg.


03 access number on weekdays only and with no further charges

Where an international call provider offers an 03 number but does not charge anything further for the international leg of the call, they are taking advantage of the 0.56p per minute termination rate for 03 numbers to pay for that. Notice that they only offer the service during the day, not at night or at the weekend when the termination rate drops to only 0.2p per minute. There's also only a very limited number of destinations. These services are useful for calling landlines in Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man and throughout Europe, but only during working hours.


Indirect access number (from landlines)

This option is available on some landlines. You first dial a four or five-digit access number starting with a '1' followed by the international number you wish to call.

The call will be billed by the international provider at their advertised rates. The usual arrangement is to set up a separate monthly Direct Debit to pay these bills.

The most well-known services are 18185, 18866 and 1899 - all run by the same company.


Phone cards

A variation on the above options is that the first 10, 15 or 20 minutes of the international call has to be made via an 09 number. The call costs about £1.50 per minute from a BT landline which purchases credit for later use (almost all of that amount appears as credit). After the initial time is up, you are given a cheaper 01, 02, 03 or 080 number to call along with a PIN to access the service.

This is the type of deal often found on phone cards being distributed outside tube, railway and coach stations. The huge problem with this system is that the initial phone call to the 09 number will cost a LOT more, e.g. anything up to £5 per minute when made from a mobile phone, but with absolutely no extra credit accruing on the international account.

The situation may improve a little when call price transparency is imposed on 084, 087 and 09 call prices by Ofcom on 1 July 2015. The excessive costs of calling 09 numbers from mobiles will be reined in.

Another problem with these cards is that the credit will expire if it isn't used within a relatively short period. Additionally, there is no way to add more credit while you are already in a call.



Summary of main options

Instant-access 084, 087 or 09 number

UK leg: Pay your landline or mobile provider's Access Charge for calling the 084, 087 or 09 number, this varies depending on the landline or mobile provider used
International leg: Pay your landline or mobile provider the Service Charge for the international call, this rate varies depending on the exact number called.


01, 02 or 03 access number

UK leg: Pay your landline or mobile provider's standard rate for the call to the 01, 02, 03 number, these numbers work best when the call is inclusive
International leg: Pay the international provider the advertised call rate via a premium call top-up, debit card or separate monthly bill.


0800 or 0808 freephone access number

UK leg: The call is free from landlines and (from 1 July 2015) from mobile phones
International leg: Pay the international provider the advertised call rate plus the "freephone surcharge" via a premium call top-up, debit card or separate monthly bill.


Indirect access number (from landlines)

UK leg: No charge from your landline provider
International leg: Pay the international provider the advertised call rate via a separate monthly bill.



Calling abroad can be very cheap or very expensive. The huge variety of options needs careful study to work out which is best for you.



See also
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5219756
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5220589
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5292529
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Comments

  • Paxo44
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    On 21 August I made a 53 minute telephone call to the USA via Telediscount as I have done may times before at an advertised cost of 1p per minute which should have cost 53p plus a small service charge. I have just received my BT phone bill and find that I have been charged £5.92 for the call as BT have added service charge of 9.53p pm to the call. They explain that since 1 July 2015 Ofcom have allowed this to make the cost of calls to 084, 087 and 09 numbers clearer ( I think they mean dearer ! ) The Telediscount numbers you place in front of the USA number to make the call starts with 0844 so any call will cost you over 10p pm instead of the advertised 1p pm. They are still advertising the calls at 1p pm so beware of Telediscount and any other third party call provider advertising cheap calls if you are making them via your BT landline and they start with any of the above numbers
  • Ian011
    Ian011 Posts: 2,432 Forumite
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    edited 17 September 2015 at 11:40AM
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    I find it surprising that there are some people that didn't see any of the Ofcom newspaper adverts or hear any of the Ofcom radio adverts about the change to call costs in the months leading up to 1 July 2015, missed the notification of change from their landline or mobile provider, missed the multitude of articles on many consumer websites both before and after the date, missed the newspaper articles about the changes around the date they happened, missed the TV coverage on the day, and missed the masses of forum threads all over the internet.

    It's equally surprising that a few telecoms companies do not appear to have complied with the new rules on how call costs should be declared. There was an 18 month notice period given by Ofcom.

    Call costs from a BT landline changed not because of the new split charge system but due to the lifting of an old regulation called the 'NTS Retail Condition'. Prior to 1 July 2015 this regulation ensured that BT made zero margin on originating calls to 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers. When anyone made a call to one of those numbers from a BT landline almost all of the money was passed on and paid to the benefit of the called party and their telecoms provider. This rule ensured that BT's call prices for 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers were always lower than those of other networks or mobile operators. Since 1 July 2015, BT's share of the call cost has been 9.58p per minute and declared as the Access Charge. Before that it was almost zero. The amount passed on is now declared as the Service Charge. For 0843, 0844, 0871 and 0872 numbers the amount is generally unchanged. For 0845 and 0870 it is now the same as other 084 and 087 numbers. Previously it was lower.
  • Roger1
    Roger1 Posts: 1,603 Forumite
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    I find it surprising that there's no mention in the OP of indirect services such as 18185. There are others.

    It's difficult to beat these rates - in our case we pay 4p connection fee plus 1.5p per minute for our many calls to Switzerland. (Other destinations at lower/higher rates.) Settlement by post paid credit/debit card, so no messy vouchers.

    One thing to watch is unannounced rate rises. Until recently, our Swiss rate was 4p connection + 1p per minute, so almost a 50% price rise but still competitive.

    https://www.18185.co.uk
  • Ian011
    Ian011 Posts: 2,432 Forumite
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    Roger1 wrote: »
    I find it surprising that there's no mention in the OP of indirect services such as 18185. There are others.
    Added a brief section about this option.

    Surprising that it had taken five months for someone to point out this obvious omission. :rotfl::T:beer:
  • Roger1
    Roger1 Posts: 1,603 Forumite
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    Ian011 wrote: »
    Surprising that it had taken five months for someone to point out this obvious omission.
    It took me a couple of minutes. :)
  • SallySunshine
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    Feeling rather foolish tonight:(:(
    Rang a Spanish landline from U.K using Dialwise a few times in the last few days.
    Advertised at 1p per minute, and had used them some years ago

    Usually just e-mail or what's app or Facebook message but really needed to have a live conversation.
    Blithely told her we'd use Dialwise as it was cheap.
    Ironically got my BT bill today, and horrified to find out I'd been charged around 12p per minute.
    Since I'd never rang abroad for nearly 10 years I never read or took notice about the changes as posted above.
    So an extra £8 for 4 calls.
    Probably need to do at least 3 more in the next few days so will probably sign up for 18185.
    Not too keen leaving my credit card details though as I can't see me using this service after a week.
  • Ian011
    Ian011 Posts: 2,432 Forumite
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    edited 12 November 2016 at 11:03PM
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    These are the requirements that users of 084, 087, 09 & 118 numbers must comply with:
    http://ask.ofcom.org.uk/help/telephone/businesscalling and
    https://www.cap.org.uk/Advice-Training-on-the-rules/Advice-Online-Database/Chargeable-08-numbers-General.aspx

    If dialwise failed to properly declare the call charges "1p per minute plus your phone provider's Access Charge", you can complain to ASA.

    For the future, find a dial-through provider advertising 03 access numbers with no further payments. Call the 03 number using your inclusive allowance.

    If you have a landline with inclusive calls to 0845 or 0870 numbers, you may also find some dial-through providers that can be used without incurring any charges.
  • SallySunshine
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    It was probably my fault for not noticing that I had to dial an 0844 no first.
    I do have an inclusive package that gives me at least 0845 no free.
    Because I only got my BT bill on-line today, that's when I noticed the charge, otherwise I'd have kept using the Dialwise no.
  • Ian011
    Ian011 Posts: 2,432 Forumite
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    Anyone with an inclusive call plan will find that it covers numbers starting 01, 02 and 03 (except 01 numbers allocated in Jersey, Guernsey or Isle on Man).

    In many cases it will also cover calls to numbers starting 071-075 and 077-079 (except 07 numbers allocated in Jersey, Guernsey or Isle on Man).

    There are a diminishing number of landline providers offering inclusive calls to numbers starting 0845 or 0870. Even where such a call plan is in place, most have small print that says that calls to dial-through providers are excluded. Make a short test call to discover whether this is the case, or not.
  • SallySunshine
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    That's why I saw on a old topic/thread , about 18185, they do seem to give a straight no for BT, and another add on no. for other providers.

    On the thread it seems that a direct debit was necessary and lots of people seemed to use the service for U.K. calls which perhaps isn't used so much now.

    The company does show debit/credit payment methods so I need to check that out.
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