Digital Select Ltd
Understand UK premium-rate telephone numbers, common ranges, commercial uses, customer pricing, call barring and key operator responsibilities.
Premium-rate services allow eligible content, goods or services to be paid for through a telephone bill. Relevant UK ranges commonly include 09, 118, 087 and some 084 numbers, while certain five- and six-digit mobile short codes can also carry charges.
Suitable uses can include paid information, entertainment, voting, competitions, specialist support and low-value digital purchases. Phone billing can reduce checkout friction and make a service accessible without a payment card.
Calls to 084, 087, 09 and 118 service numbers use an unbundled tariff: an access charge set by the caller’s telephone provider plus a service charge associated with the called service. Pricing information must be clear wherever the number is promoted.
Consumers should review the number on their bill or message, check advertised pricing and speak to their phone provider. Ofcom’s premium-rate service checker can provide available service-provider details.
Telephone providers may offer account-level call barring for premium-rate or service-number ranges. Businesses and consumers should confirm the exact ranges covered, because restrictions and management controls vary.
Service design, advertising, pricing, customer support, consent and complaint handling should be reviewed against current Ofcom requirements before a premium-rate service goes live. Digital Select can discuss the technical number and routing options for an appropriate service.
Explore premium-rate number services