What is a ‘chargeable call’?

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Our expert says...

Hello Rosemary, I know how confusing phone suppliers’ terms and conditions can be, so thanks for getting in touch about chargeable calls.

Most home phone providers in the UK do not have a “minimum call threshold” that customers need to meet in order to receive inclusive calls. However if you have signed up to a special deal or installation offer, you should check with your provider. Below is some more information about what constitutes as a chargeable call, and some of the providers’ policies on free calls.

What is a chargeable call?

Any call that is made outside your calling plan is considered a “chargeable call” and you will be billed for it. These can be calls to international landlines or mobiles, calls to UK mobiles, or calls to any UK landline that is not covered by your call plan.

For example, if you have an unlimited evening and weekend call plan, any calls you make during the day will be chargeable calls, and will be charged at the day rate per minute for the duration of the call plus the provider’s one-off call connection fee.

Chargeable calls may also be calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers, or other 08 numbers, depending on your provider’s terms and conditions and whether these numbers are included in your call plan. Check with your provider to find out when you will be charged for a call, and how much you will be charged per minute. Our guide on phone numbers and call costs may also help.

Home phone providers’ call plan policies

The table below outlines some of the UK’s biggest home phone suppliers’ policies on inclusive calls and minimum call thresholds:

“Free” home phone features

Some providers, like BT (www.bt.com), offer free calling features as part of their tariffs. But in most cases, anything that is free, such as the calling features or line installation, will be subject to terms and conditions of use, like a fixed 12 or 18-month contract or a minimum chargeable call threshold.

For example, to get BT’s three free features, BT 1471, BT Answer 1571 voicemail and BT Privacy (which stops sales calls and shows you whose calling), you need to sign-up to these when you order your calling plan and make at least two chargeable calls a month. These chargeable calls can be any call that is made outside of your call plan.

I hope this helps you differentiate between free calls and chargeable calls Rosemary, and remember, if you are unsure whether you should be making a certain amount of calls a month to qualify for your free calls, speak to your home phone provider to check.

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If you have a general switching or provider query please email us at ourexpert@homephonechoices.co.uk