What are 0300 numbers?
0300 numbers (UK phone numbers beginning with the prefix 0300) are non-geographic numbers, charged at local rate, reserved for government and charity helplines.
- NON-GEOGRAPHIC: 0300 numbers are non-geographic, national numbers – not related to any particular part of the UK, much the same as 0800 & 0808 (freephone) numbers and 0843 & 0844 low-cost business-rate numbers.
- LOCAL RATE: 0300 numbers are charged at local rate, just like 01 and 02 numbers, and are eligible for the same free & discounted minutes offers as their geographic 01 and 02 counterparts.
Call Costs
0300 numbers cost standard rate across all mobile and landline phones – this is the same as 01 and 2 numbers, and all other 03 numbers too. Since June 2015, UK calls to 0300 numbers have been legally required to cost the same amount as calls to 01, 02 and other 03 numbers irrespective of which phone you’re using and on which network. The cost of calling a standard rate (01/02/03) number varies from network to network, so a call on EE will cost different to a call on O2, however, in any given network they are not allowed to charge more for calls to 03 numbers (including 0300 numbers) than they do on calls to 01 and 02 numbers. The exact cost can be described as standard rate, which is a darn site less than premium rate, however you should always check with your network to find out the exact cost of calls to 0300 numbers based on your current contract or tariff agreement. Note that 0300 numbers are compatible with free inclusive minutes, unlike premium rate numbers which will always be charged (at a premium too).
How much do 0300 numbers cost on EE and O2?
| Network | Tariff | Call cost |
|---|---|---|
| O2 | Pay & Go | 30p/min |
| O2 | Pay Monthly | 35p/min |
| EE | Pay As You Go | 30p/min |
| EE | Pay Monthly | 50p/min |
Note that on top of the per-minute fee, calls also incur a one-off connection cost per call which is about equal to a minute’s call cost on both EE and O2.
See also
Examples of 0300 numbers
Examples of heavily-used 0300 telephone numbers include:
- 0300 790 6801 – the DVLA’s driver licensing enquiries helpline.
- 0300 200 3300 – HMRC’s income tax enquiries helpline.
- 0300 123 1044 – the NHS Smokefree helpline.
03 Number Guide
To learn more about 03 numbers in general, which include 0300 numbers as well as 0330, 0333, 0344, 0345, 0370, 0371 & 0372 numbers, view our comprehensive Guide to 03 Numbers. This guide explains what 03 numbers are, covers their strengths and weaknesses, and offers tips on where to buy them from and why.