0870 at a glance
- Type
- Non-geographic
- Country
- United Kingdom (+44)
- Number format
- 0870 XXX XXXX
- From abroad
- +44 870
- Cost to call
- Access charge set by your phone company plus a service charge of up to 13p per minute and/or 13p per call. Not included in inclusive minutes.
0870 numbers were widely used during the 1990s and 2000s as 'national rate' numbers by companies, travel firms and public services, and became the subject of a public campaign because of their cost from mobiles and their exclusion from bundles. Since 1 July 2015 a call to an 0870 number is made up of your provider's access charge plus a service charge set by the organisation; for 087 numbers the service charge is capped at 13p per minute and/or 13p per call. Many organisations have moved to matching 0370 numbers, which cost the same as a landline call. Calls from 0870 numbers can be spoofed.
Before calling an 0870 number, check whether the organisation publishes a matching 0370 number or a geographic alternative.
Who called me from 0870?
The prefix tells you what kind of number it is (service number (087)), 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.