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What is a call connection fee?

What is a call connection fee?

Dear Simon, I read recently that some home phone providers are putting up their call connection fees. What is a call connection fee and how much does it cost?

Best wishes,

Laura Gillard, Redhill, via email, Updated: Wednesday 5 January, 2011

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Our expert says...

Hi Laura, thanks for your email to Homephonechoices.co.uk.

Call connection fees, sometimes called call set-up fees or minimum call charges, are charged by all home phone providers, except Vonage.

These fees are charged for all calls made outside of your calling plan at a one-off cost - regardless of the call’s duration. For example, if you are on an unlimited evening and weekend calls package with TalkTalk (www.talktalk.co.uk), every call you make during the day (i.e. outside of the evening and weekend period) will cost an additional 12.5p, as well as the cost of the call.

Recently, BT (www.bt.com), Direct Save Telecom (www.directsavetelecom.co.uk) and cable phone line provider Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com) all increased their call connection fees.

Have a look at the table below to find out how much your provider charges for each call you make outside of your inclusive calls.

Call connection fees

The table below shows the UK’s biggest home phone providers and the one-off call connection fee they charge for all calls made outside of your calling plan:

Home phone provider Provider details Call connection fee
AOL www.aol.co.uk 11.13p
Auracall www.auracall.com 9.5p
BE broadband www.bethere.co.uk 9p
BT www.bt.com 13.1p
Direct Save Telecom www.directsavetelecom.co.uk 10.5p
O2 www.o2.co.uk 9.2p
Orange www.orange.co.uk 7.15p
Plusnet www.plus.net 12.5p
Post Office www.postoffice.co.uk 9.6p
Primus Primus review 12.9p
Sky www.sky.com 11p
TalkTalk www.talktalk.co.uk 12.5p
Tesco Home Phone www.tescobroadband.com 8.2p
Virgin Media www.virginmedia.com 12.24p
Vonage www.vonage.co.uk No call connection fee
YourCalls.net www.yourcalls.net 9.5p

Hope this helps you understand call connection fees Laura, and helps you save money on your landline bills.

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