0345 Numbers

Question 1

Are 0345 numbers free to call?

Accepted Answer

Not technically free, but effectively free for most people. Calls to 0345 numbers cost the same as calls to standard 01 and 02 landlines, and Ofcom requires all UK providers to include 03 numbers in call bundles on the same basis as landlines. If your plan has inclusive minutes, as virtually all UK mobile and landline plans do, calling a 0345 number costs you nothing extra. Without inclusive minutes you pay your standard landline rate, never a premium.

Question 2

How much does it cost to call a 0345 number?

Accepted Answer

The same as calling an 01 or 02 landline. If your plan includes minutes, the call comes out of your allowance like any landline call, so most people pay nothing extra. On pay-as-you-go you pay your provider's standard landline rate. 0345 numbers cannot charge a premium and cannot share revenue with the organisation you are calling - Ofcom prohibits both across the whole 03 range.

Question 3

What area code is 0345? Where is it from?

Accepted Answer

0345 is not an area code and is not from anywhere. It is a UK-wide non-geographic number in the 03 range. Unlike 0151 (Liverpool) or 020 (London), a 0345 number tells you nothing about where the organisation is based.

Question 4

Why do banks use 0345 numbers?

Accepted Answer

Largely history. When Ofcom created the 03 range, it reserved matching numbers so organisations on the older, more expensive 084 ranges could migrate without changing the memorable part of their number: an 0845 number could become the same number starting 0345. Banks, insurers and utilities that had built their contact numbers on 0845 moved across to 0345, which is why the prefix is so strongly associated with them.

Question 5

Is 0345 a scam number?

Accepted Answer

No. 0345 is a regulated UK range used overwhelmingly by large legitimate organisations, and Ofcom prohibits premium charging on it, so a 0345 number cannot run up your bill. That said, scammers can spoof any number type, including 0345 - and because banks genuinely call from 0345 numbers, spoofing bank numbers is a known scam tactic. Judge the call by what the caller asks for. If someone claiming to be your bank asks for security details, passwords or to move money, hang up and call the bank back on the number printed on your card.

Question 6

Who called me from a 0345 number?

Accepted Answer

Most likely a bank, insurer, utility, government contractor or other large organisation - the 0345 range is dominated by them. There is no public directory of who owns each number, but searching the full number online usually identifies the organisation, and you can check what any UK number format means with the free ONSIM UK phone number checker.

Question 7

What is the difference between 0345 and 0845?

Accepted Answer

The cost to you. 0845 is a legacy service range that can cost significantly more than a landline call, made up of an access charge set by your provider plus a service charge. 0345 costs the same as a landline call and is included in bundles. Many organisations kept the same digits and simply moved from 0845 to 0345 - if you see both published, always dial the 0345 version.

Question 8

What is the difference between 0345, 0330 and 0333 numbers?

Accepted Answer

Functionally nothing - all three are UK-wide numbers in the 03 range with identical caller pricing and Ofcom rules. The difference is who uses them: 0345 blocks were largely reserved for organisations migrating from 0845, so they belong mainly to banks and large institutions, while 0330 and 0333 are the ranges generally available to ordinary businesses.

Question 9

Can I get a 0345 number for my business?

Accepted Answer

Usually not as a fresh number: 0345 blocks were largely set aside for organisations migrating matching 0845 numbers, so open stock is scarce. If you already hold a 0345 number it can usually be ported to ONSIM and managed like any 03 number. If you want a new national number that behaves identically to 0345, ONSIM supplies 0330 and 0333 numbers from £5/month + VAT.

Question 10

Are 0345 numbers free on EE, O2, Vodafone and Three?

Accepted Answer

If your plan includes minutes to UK landlines, yes - all four networks (and every other UK provider) must treat 03 calls exactly like 01/02 landline calls in bundles. That is an Ofcom rule, not a network policy, so it applies regardless of who you are with.

Question 11

Can I text a 0345 number?

Accepted Answer

Generally no. 0345 numbers are voice numbers, and SMS to UK landline-range numbers is not reliably supported across mobile networks. Organisations that want texts will publish a mobile number or another channel.

Number type	Cost to caller	In bundles?	Typically used by
0345 (national rate)	Same as 01/02 landline	Yes, required by Ofcom	Banks, insurers, utilities, large organisations
0330 / 0333 (national rate)	Same as 01/02 landline	Yes	Businesses of any size - the generally available 03 ranges
0300 (public sector)	Same as 01/02 landline	Yes	Government, NHS, councils, charities
0845 (legacy service rate)	Access charge + service charge, often well above landline rate	No	Being phased out - dial the 0345 version where published
0800 / 0808 (freephone)	Free from UK landlines and mobiles	Free to call	Sales and support lines, business pays inbound

The "0345 area code" that is not an area code

Why your bank calls from 0345

What callers pay: 0345 in context

Want a 0345-style number for your business?

0345 number FAQs