0345 vs 0800: which is cheaper from a UK mobile?

Two of the most common non-geographic UK number types are 0800 and 0345 (or 0344, 0333). They're often used interchangeably by businesses, but the cost to call them is different — and so is the experience for you. Here's the side-by-side.

#0800 — free to call

0800 (and 0808) are free to the caller from any UK landline or mobile. The receiving organisation pays the network for incoming calls. Wholesale routing is typically 4–10p per minute, paid by the business. See How 0800 numbers work for the full breakdown.

#0345 — same cost as 01/02 numbers

0345 (along with 0344, 0343) is a 'non-geographic UK-rate' prefix. Calls cost the same as a 01 or 02 landline call — and crucially, they are usually included in mobile inclusive minute bundles. The same is true for 0333 and 0303. See 0345 numbers explained and 0333 explained.

#Why the difference matters

0800 sounds friendlier but pre-2015 was free only from landlines, which is why mobile-heavy customers historically preferred 0345. Today both are functionally accessible to all UK callers without surprise costs.

Businesses tend to pick 0345 because it's cheaper for *them* to receive than 0800 (no per-minute freephone wholesale fee). 0800 is more common for high-volume consumer brands and helplines where the toll-free signal matters for conversion.

#Bottom line

From a consumer perspective in 2026, 0800 = free, 0345 = effectively free if you have any reasonable mobile bundle. From a business perspective, 0345 is cheaper to receive and is the right default for support lines. From a scam perspective, both prefixes are abused regularly — so always look the number up before you ring back.