Category: Free from mobiles

Are 0300 Numbers Free

We are often asked if calls to telephone numbers that start 0300 are free.

What are 0300 numbers?

An 0300 number is a special type of landline-rate phone number used by government bodies, the public sector, charities and not-for-profit organisations.

Unlike traditional landline phone numbers, 0300 numbers are not linked with specific geographic locations. However, the cost to call an 0300 number within the UK is always the same as calling a normal home or business landline.

0300 number call costs

A call to an 0300 number costs the same as a call to a normal home or business landline.

All numbers that start with 03 are charged at the same rate as standard landline numbers that start with ’01’ or ’02’. If your phone tariff offers inclusive calls to landlines, calls to 0300 numbers will also be included in the same way.

Call type Call cost

0300 number from a landline – Included in any applicable call packages, otherwise standard landline rates.
0300 number from a mobile – Included in talktime and bundled minutes, otherwise standard landline rates.

Are 0300 numbers free to call?

0300 numbers are not the same as freephone 0800 and 0808 numbers, but they can be called at no extra charge on many phone tariffs.

If your phone tariff offers free calls to landlines at certain times of day, or has inclusive calls or bundled minutes that cover calls to landline numbers, calls to 0300 numbers (and all other 03 numbers) will be included in these deals on the exact same basis.

All ’03 numbers’ work in the same way and are charged at the same rate. This includes 03000 numbers, 03001 numbers, 03003 numbers and all other numbers that start with the digits 0300, regardless of how the number is displayed or what the following digits are.

When free isn’t free

The key when calling a number beginning 0300 is to ensure that you are on the correct calling plan in the first place.

If you have inclusive calls to 01 and 02 numbers, this will also cover calls to 03 numbers.

If you are paying a per-minute rate for calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers you’re probably on the wrong call plan.

Most people make calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers as part of an inclusive allowance. Outside of that allowance, landline providers charge up to 12p per minute, e.g. weekday calls made when only a “weekend” plan is in force. Mobile providers charge up to 45p per minute, e.g. exceeding a contract’s monthly call allowance or pay-as-you-go without a call bundle.

It only takes about 45 to 60 minutes of calls per month on a landline with a “weekend” deal for the “anytime” deal to work out cheaper.

It only takes about 10 to 20 minutes of calls per month on a mobile paying a per-minute rate for the next contact up in size (e.g. almost double the minute for less than a fiver extra) or a pay-as-you-go call bundle (e.g. 100 minutes for £5) to work out cheaper.

This site is being updated to make it absolutly clear that calls to 0300 Numbers are NEVER actually free. However in practice you will NOT BE CHARGED ANYTHING FOR MAKING THESE CALLS.

Wilst you may not pay any additional charges to call 0300 numbers from a mobile as long as you have inclusive minutes- this does not translate to the actual call being ‘free’ as all 0300 numbers are chargable.

If you have any questions or queries please note them below and we will find out the answer and get back to you ASAP with a reference to the answer.

It has been pointed out that saying that te calls are ‘free’ is incorrect as their is technically a charge for calling a telephone number that begins with 0300. But all telephony providers allow you to call 0300 numbers from your plans allowance meaning that you do not have to actualy pay anything extra when making the call as they will be treated as being geographical numbers and as such will come out of your minutes.

Switch from 0800 to 0300 | What it means

To save on calls all you have to do is replace 0800 with 0300 at the start of a Telephone Number before calling.

BIS Regulation amendments dictate that traders, retailers and public transport companies have to adopt an 01, 02, 03 or 080 number for their customer scontact lines. Governmental offices have also been smandated by new Cabinet Office Guidance. The latest FCA regulations will shortly do the same for companies opperating in the financial sector.

The bottom line of this is that you can generally replace the shart of an 0800 number with 0300 to ensure that the call will not attract charges and will be taken from your inclusive minutes allowance.

For example The Department for Work and Pensions who had previously used 0800 608 8545 before making the switch to 0300 608 8545 during 2014.

A timeline of 0300 Changes

Ofcom published regulations on 12 December 2013 requiring all users of 084, 087 and 09 numbers to declare the Service Charge everywhere their number is advertised. The new rules came into force on 1 July 2015. Those who cannot justify the Service Charge must change their number to stop imposing it. Ofcom made matching 034 and 037 numbers available in 2007 for users of 084 and 087 numbers to migrate. Many are now taking that option. This mainly affects sales and enquiry lines.

Published by BIS on 13 December 2013, Regulation 41 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 requires retailers, traders and passenger transport companies to use 01, 02, 03 or 080 numbers for post sales helplines. The new rules came into force on 13 June 2014. Where an organisation hasn’t complied, Regulation 41(2) gives the right to a refund of all call costs over and above whatever an equivalent call to an 01, 02 or 03 number would have cost.

The Cabinet Office published guidance for central governmwnt departments, their agencies and other bodiesbacross the wider public sector landscape on 26 December 2013. This suggested they stop using 084 and 087 numbers and instead used 01, 02, 03 or 080 numbers. Most departments have complied by switching to 0300 or 0345 numbers. This includes HMRC, DWP, and most local authorities.

The FCA has recently published similar regulation for the financial sector. From 26 October 2015 banks and insurance companies must provide numbers starting 01, 02, 03 or 080 for customer.contact. This spells the end of usage of expensive 084, 087 and 09 numbers.

Is it Free to call 0300 from Sainsburys Mobile?

Yes, it is free to call 0300 from Sainsburys.
With the latest changes to UK Call costs and charges Sainsburys have confirmed that they will treat 0300 numbers in the same way as they treat telephone numbers that begin with an 01 or an 02 in that they will be charged as being geographical calls and this means that if your are on contract or Sainsburys Pay As You Go calls to 0300 Numbers are within you inclusive price plan and as long as you have inclusive minutes left you wont rack up any additional charges.

Is it free to call 0300 from THREE | 3?

Yes, it is free to call 0300 from THREE | 3.
With the latest changes to UK Call costs and charges THREE | 3 have confirmed that they will treat 0300 numbers in the same way as they treat telephone numbers that begin with an 01 or an 02 in that they will be charged as being geographical calls and this means that if your are on contract or THREE | 3 Pay As You Go calls to 0300 Numbers are within you inclusive price plan and as long as you have inclusive minutes left you wont rack up any additional charges.

Is It Free to Call 0300 From GiffGaff Mobiles?

Calling 0300 on GiffGaff Mobile.

Yes, it is free to call 0300 from GiffGaff.
With the latest changes to UK Call costs and charges GiffGaff have confirmed that they will treat 0300 numbers in the same way as they treat telephone numbers that begin with an 01 or an 02 in that they will be charged as being geographical calls and this means that if your are on contract or GiffGaff Pay As You Go calls to 0300 Numbers are within you inclusive price plan and as long as you have inclusive minutes left you wont rack up any additional charges.

Is It Free To call 0300 Numbers from Plusnet?

Yes, it is free to call 0300 from Plusnet.
With the latest changes to UK Call costs and charges Plusnet have confirmed that they will treat 0300 numbers in the same way as they treat telephone numbers that begin with an 01 or an 02 in that they will be charged as being geographical calls and this means that if your are on contract or Plusnet Pay As You Go calls to 0300 Numbers are within you inclusive price plan and as long as you have inclusive minutes left you wont rack up any additional charges.

Is It Free To call 0300 Numbers from Asda Mobile?

Yes, it is free to call 0300 from Asda Mobile.
With the latest changes to UK Call costs and charges Asda Mobile have confirmed that they will treat 0300 numbers in the same way as they treat telephone numbers that begin with an 01 or an 02 in that they will be charged as being geographical calls and this means that if your are on contract or Asda Mobile Pay As You Go calls to 0300 Numbers are within you inclusive price plan and as long as you have inclusive minutes left you wont rack up any additional charges.

Is It Free to Call 0300 Numbers From TalkMobile?

Calling 0300 on TalkMobile.

Yes, it is free to call 0300 from TalkMobile.
With the latest changes to UK Call costs and charges TalkMobile have confirmed that they will treat 0300 numbers in the same way as they treat telephone numbers that begin with an 01 or an 02 in that they will be charged as being geographical calls and this means that if your are on contract or TalkMobile Pay As You Go calls to 0300 Numbers are within you inclusive price plan and as long as you have inclusive minutes left you wont rack up any additional charges.

0345 Mobile Costs | Chargeable

Whilst all Mobile Phone Service Providers treat 0345 Numbers in the same way as they treat Telephone Numbers that begin with 01 or 02 and allow you to call these numbers within your inclusive minutes allowance they are not free to call from Mobiles, meaning that if you have used your bundled allowance for the month calls to 0345 will become chargabe.

Whilst calls to 0345 Numbers from Mobiles will be chargable at local rates, these charges do sometims differ between providors. Below you will find an up-to-date list of the rates that mobile phone companies charge for out of plan calls to telephone numbers that begin with 0345.