How much does it cost to call a 0900 number?
The maximum rates for 0900 numbers have been legally established by the government. Thus, calling a 0900 number may never cost more than €1.00 per minute or €1.20 per call, plus your usual call charges.
The exact amount of those usual call charges depends on the contract you have with your telecom provider and can be inquired about with them.
For most per-minute rates, there is also a maximum charge per call. It is therefore certainly not the case that you, as a caller, can be charged unlimited amounts.
In practice, most number owners choose a low rate, often less than €0.15 per minute. If a number is used for customer service for existing customers, no charge may be applied beyond the normal call rate.
The law also precisely stipulates how the number holder must communicate the call costs. When you call a 0900 number, you will always first hear a message informing you of the exact costs.
These messages vary depending on the rate, as follows:
If no extra charges are applied, you will hear: ‘for this information number, you pay your usual call charges’
If the rate is less than or exactly €0.15 per minute, you will hear: ‘this information number costs x per minute, plus your usual call charges’
If the rate is higher than €0.15 per minute, you will hear: ‘this information number costs x per minute with a maximum of y per call, plus your usual call charges’
For a number with a per-call rate, you will hear the message: ‘this information number costs x per call, plus your usual call charges’
If a starting rate per call is charged, that will also be mentioned separately in the rate announcement.
Every rate announcement occurs prior to the call and cannot be charged.
Can a 0900 number also be free?
A 0900 number can and may use a rate of €0. In that case, you still pay the usual call charges, making the call cost the same as a normal phone call; a call to a landline number.
This is currently how 0900 numbers are used for customer service. Whether it concerns a utility company, a bank, or your cable TV provider, customer service must be offered at normal call rates. At the beginning of the call, you will also hear a message stating: ‘for this information number, you pay your usual call charges’