How much does it cost to call 0844 numbers?
Calling an 0844 number costs your provider's access charge (see the table - up to 98p a minute from some mobiles) plus a service charge of up to 7p a minute. Inclusive minutes never cover it. The service charge must be displayed wherever the 0844 number is advertised.
Verified against Ofcom rules and provider tariff guides, August 2026.
Access charge + service charge - not covered by inclusive minutes
The price splits in two: an access charge set by your own phone company (see the table - up to 98p a minute on some mobile tariffs), plus a service charge set by the organisation you are calling. The service charge must be displayed wherever the number is advertised. These calls do not come out of inclusive minutes.
Service charge: 0p to 7p per minute - displayed wherever the number is advertised.
Access charges by provider (August 2026)
Added to the service charge above. Set by your own phone company:
| Provider | Tariff | Access charge |
|---|---|---|
| EE | Pay monthly | 98p/min |
| EE | Pay as you go | 44p/min |
| Sky Mobile | All plans | 95p/min |
| Vodafone | Pay monthly | 90p/min |
| O2 | Pay monthly | 87p/min |
| Vodafone | Pay as you go | 84p/min |
| O2 | Pay as you go | 65p/min |
| Three | Pay monthly | 65p/min |
| Tesco Mobile | All plans | 55p/min |
| Three | New pay as you go | 45p/min |
| BT | Landline (current plans) | 31.05p/min |
| giffgaff | All members | 25p/min |
| Sky Talk | Landline | 15p/min |
Minimum-charge and dated-rise notes apply to some providers - check your provider's current price guide for the exact figure. Sources: Ofcom, gov.uk, provider tariff guides.
0844 cost questions
Are 0844 numbers free to call?
No. 0844 calls are never covered by inclusive minutes: you pay your provider's access charge plus the service charge set by the organisation you call. Service charge: 0p to 7p per minute
Do inclusive minutes cover 0844 numbers?
No, never. This is the single most expensive misunderstanding with 0844 numbers: the access charge and service charge apply from the first second regardless of any bundle.
How much is a 10 minute call to an 0844 number?
From a pay-monthly mobile with a 98p access charge and a top-band service charge, over £10. From a Sky Talk landline with the same service charge, nearer £2.50. The provider table on this page shows why the spread is so wide.
Why is an organisation using an 0844 number?
Revenue and legacy. The service charge generates income (or offsets phone system costs), which is exactly why Ofcom forced the charges into the open in 2015 and why most consumer-facing organisations have since moved to 03 numbers. Where you see 0844 today, it is often a legacy number - or a service that profits from the call itself.