What 0843, 0844 and 0871 cost — and why they exist

If you're called by — or asked to call — an 084x or 087x number, the call is meaningfully more expensive than a normal landline call. Here's how the pricing works in 2026, why these prefixes still exist, and how to find the free alternative.

#Access charge + service charge — how the new pricing works

Since July 2015, every call to an 084, 087, 09 or 118 number is split into two parts:

• An access charge from your phone provider — set by your provider, the same for every number on the prefix.
• A service charge set by the company you're calling — capped by Ofcom at the prefix level.

Both must be advertised wherever the number appears. So you should see something like 'Calls cost 7p per minute service charge plus your phone provider's access charge'.

#Typical service charges

On top of that, your phone provider's access charge is typically 6p–14p/min on landlines and 25p–65p/min on mobiles. So a 0871 call from a mobile can easily exceed £1/min once both parts are added.

#When 084/087 is still allowed for consumer contact

Since June 2014, the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations have prohibited regulated businesses from using 084/087 numbers for post-sale customer service (the so-called 'basic-rate' rule). That covers banks, financial services, package travel, distance-selling — most consumer-facing industries.

It does not cover unregulated services. So you'll still see 084/087 used by some ticketing lines, niche helplines and one or two contact-centres that contracted the number before 2014 and haven't migrated.

#How to find the free alternative

1. 1

   Check the company's own website

   By law (Consumer Rights 2014) they must provide a basic-rate alternative for post-sale support. It's usually buried — try 'Contact us', 'Customer services', then scroll.

2. 2

   Search SayNoTo0870.com

   SayNoTo0870 is a community-run database of free alternatives to 084/087 numbers, going back over 20 years.

3. 3

   Try 0345 or 0808

   Most large UK organisations have migrated to 0345 (UK-rate, in your bundle) or 0808 (free). Try the same digits with the new prefix.

#Bottom line

084 and 087 numbers are not scam-prefixes by definition — but they cost real money to call, the receiving organisation gets a per-minute revenue share, and almost every regulated UK consumer service has a free alternative. Find it before you dial back.