05 at a glance
- Type
- Corporate / VoIP
- Country
- United Kingdom (+44)
- Number format
- 05X XXXX XXXX
- From abroad
- +44 5
- Cost to call
- There is no single tariff for 05 numbers. Some providers charge them like landline calls, others charge more and may not include them in bundles, so check with your phone company.
The 05 range is used for corporate numbering and for location-independent internet phone services. Ofcom allocates 055 numbers for corporate numbering schemes and 056 numbers for VoIP and other location-independent services. The older 0500 freephone range was withdrawn in 2017, with holders offered matching 08085 numbers instead. Unlike 03 numbers, there is no rule that calls to 05 numbers must cost the same as a landline call, so pricing varies between providers. Calls from 05 numbers are relatively uncommon and may come from companies with private networks or from internet phone services. Caller ID can be spoofed, so verify unknown callers.
Because 05 numbers are less familiar, check what your provider charges before calling one back.
Who called me from 05?
The prefix tells you what kind of number it is (corporate and voip numbering), but not who is behind it. Numbers can be ported between networks and caller ID can be spoofed, so a familiar code is no guarantee. Search the full number to see its current carrier, line type and whether other people have reported it. Read our UK phone number guide for mobile prefixes, networks and the scams currently doing the rounds.