03 numbers: UK-wide numbers charged like landlines
03 numbers are not premium: they cost the same as a call to a landline and are included in bundled minutes. 030 is reserved for public bodies and not-for-profits.
Ofcom's plan says calls to 03 numbers are charged at up to the rate of a UK geographic number and count towards inclusive minutes. 034 and 037 exist so that firms can move from matching 084 and 087 numbers without customers paying more.
Public bodies and many companies use 03 numbers (Report Fraud's own number is 0300 123 2040), and a scammer can fake one on your screen. If a call from an 03 number asks for your details, hang up and ring the organisation on the number printed on your card or on its official website.
What it costs to call
| Number | From a landline | From a mobile |
|---|---|---|
| 03, 0345 | up to 16p a minute | 3p to 65p a minute |
| 030 | up to 10p a minute | 3p to 40p a minute |
03 numbers in Ofcom's data
Ofcom lists 13,726 blocks: 3,454 allocated to 272 providers and 10,266 free, protected or quarantined (files of 2026-09-04).
| Range holder | Blocks |
|---|---|
| Vodafone Ltd (C&W) | 549 |
| BT | 428 |
| TalkTalk Communications Limited | 299 |
| GCI Network Solutions Limited | 234 |
| Gamma Telecom Holdings Limited | 184 |
Example format: 0300 123 2040 (Report Fraud). Type any number into the number checker to see its range; paste a message into the scam text checker.
Frequently asked questions
- Are 03 numbers free?
- They are free only if they fall within your inclusive minutes. Otherwise they cost the same as a landline call.
- Is 0300 a premium number?
- No. 030 numbers are for public bodies and not-for-profits, charged like landlines.
Sources
- Cost: 03, 0345: GOV.UK, Call charges and phone numbers (costs "approximate"; check with your provider): "03, 0345 | UK-wide numbers | up to 16p | 3p to 65p" — https://www.gov.uk/call-charges, read on 2026-09-29
- Cost: 030: GOV.UK, Call charges and phone numbers (costs "approximate"; check with your provider): "030 | Not-for-profit organisations, charities and public bodies | up to 10p | 3p to 40p" — https://www.gov.uk/call-charges, read on 2026-09-29
- Numbering plan: Ofcom, The National Telephone Numbering Plan, version with effect from 22 April 2025 (read from the Internet Archive copy of 27 Sep 2026): "030: Non-Geographic Numbers: used by public sector bodies and not-for-profit bodies; 033: Non-Geographic Numbers; 034: used for migrating numbers from matching 084 numbers; 037: used for migrating numbers from matching 087 numbers" — https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/phones-telecoms-and-internet/information-for-industry/numbering/other/national-numbering-plan.pdf, read on 2026-09-29
- Range data: Ofcom numbering data files S1, S3, S5, S7, S8, S9 (ofcom.org.uk, Download numbering data) as downloaded by Ofcom on 2026-09-04, copied unchanged from the Number::Phone data-files mirror, commit b842859. Ofcom: "We publish data on which UK telephone numbers are available for allocation or are allocated, and aim to update these files every Wednesday." — https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/phone-numbers/numbering-data; mirror: https://github.com/DrHyde/perl-modules-Number-Phone-data-files, read on 2026-09-29
Last updated 2026-09-29. Independent information service. Number data from Ofcom shows the original range holder; numbers can be ported or spoofed. Not affiliated with Ofcom, the FCA, the ICO or any police service.