0330 vs 0800 vs a local number: which should a UK business choose?

A UK business can use three main kinds of number: a local number (01 or 02), an 0330 number and an 0800 freephone number. They all ring the same phones. The differences are who pays for the call and what the number says about your business.

Local numbers (01 and 02)

A local number shows where you are: 020 for London, 0161 for Manchester, 0121 for Birmingham. Customers trust a local number, and calls cost them the normal landline rate, usually nothing extra on a bundle.

Best for: businesses that serve one town or region, and anyone who wants to look local. With Silux Call your first local number is included with every plan, and extra numbers are £5.99 a month.

0330 numbers

An 0330 number is national: it is not tied to a town. Ofcom rules fix 03 numbers at the same price as calling an 01 or 02 number, and most mobile and landline bundles include them, so for most callers they cost nothing extra.

The business pays nothing per incoming call. That makes 0330 the cheapest way to look UK-wide. Best for: businesses that sell across the country, work from home or expect to move office.

Silux Call 0330 numbers are £4.99 a month (ex VAT), with no setup fee and no contract. Choose an 0330 number.

0345 numbers

An 0345 number works exactly like 0330: UK-wide, the same local-rate cost for callers, and nothing per call for you. 0345 is the range banks, utilities and councils use, because Ofcom created it to replace 0845, so it makes a business look established.

Silux Call 0345 numbers are also £4.99 a month (ex VAT), no setup fee and no contract. Choose an 0345 number or read 0330 vs 0345 numbers.

0800 freephone numbers

Calls to 0800 and 0808 numbers are free from every UK mobile and landline, a rule that has applied since July 2015. That removes any reason for a customer not to call, which is why 0800 numbers suit sales lines, helplines and adverts.

The catch is that the business pays for each call. Every provider charges for 0800 calls in some way: a bundle of minutes, a per-minute rate, or both.

Silux Call 0800 numbers are £9.99 a month (ex VAT) with £100 of call credit to start. Calls cost 3p a minute from landlines and 9p from mobiles, charged by the second. We email you when 90% and 95% of the credit is used, and the number pauses at £0 until you top up. Choose an 0800 number.

Side by side

• Who pays for the call: local and 0330, the caller (normal rate); 0800, the business.
• What it says: local, "we are near you"; 0330 and 0800, "we serve the whole UK".
• Cost with Silux Call: local, first number included; 0330, £4.99 a month; 0800, £9.99 a month plus call credit.
• 0345: the same as 0330 for callers and for you (£4.99 a month), with the look of a bank or utility.

Can I have more than one?

Yes. Many businesses keep a local number for existing customers and add an 0330 or 0800 number for adverts or a website. Every number on your account can ring the same people, or have its own greeting menu and opening hours.

Avoid 084 and 087 numbers: callers pay an extra service charge, and many customers will not ring them. We do not sell them.