Access number calling, sometimes called dial-around, is the simplest way to cut the cost of calling abroad from a UK phone. Instead of dialling the international number directly, you dial a UK access number first, wait for the tone, and then dial the international number. The access provider carries the call abroad at its own, much lower rate. You keep your existing phone, your existing plan and your existing number.
Why direct international calls cost so much
When you dial an international number straight from a UK mobile or landline, your network charges its own international rate. Those rates are set high because relatively few customers call abroad and there is little competition on price. Unless you pay for a bolt-on, it is common to pay more than a pound a minute, and inclusive UK minutes do not cover it.
Why access numbers are cheaper
Companies like Planet Numbers buy international call capacity wholesale and in bulk, at a fraction of what your network charges you at retail. The access number simply gets your call to our network. From there we send it abroad over our own routes. It is entirely legal and it is how cheap international calling has worked in the UK for decades.
The three kinds of access number, and what you pay
A prepaid 01 number
Dial 0161 328 7777, then the international number. This is an ordinary Manchester number, so on most UK plans the call to us comes out of your inclusive minutes. The international part comes off credit you have topped up on your Planet Numbers account, from 1p a minute plus a 5p connection charge when the call is answered. Nothing is added to your phone bill. It is the cheapest option.
An 084 instant access number
Each country page shows an 084 number you can dial with no account. Your phone company bills the call on your normal bill at our advertised rate plus its own access charge. Easy for a one-off call, dearer for regular calling.
The 0845 and 0870 free numbers
Dial 0845 222 6666 (or 08700 477 477) then the international number. If your plan includes those numbers in its inclusive minutes, the call costs you nothing extra and we connect more than 100 countries at no charge. See how free international calls work.
What is an access charge?
Since 2015, calls to 084, 087 and 09 numbers in the UK have been split into two parts by law. The service charge is the part that goes to the company you are calling and is the rate it advertises. The access charge is set by your own phone company, goes to them, and should be shown on your tariff as a pence-per-minute figure. When we advertise an instant access rate, that is our service charge; your provider’s access charge is added on top. Our access charges page lists the main UK providers. None of this applies to calls on a prepaid account, which come only from your credit.
Does it work on mobiles?
Yes. Access numbers work from any UK landline or mobile, pay monthly or pay as you go. They do not work from abroad: dialling a UK number while roaming is charged at your network’s roaming rates.
Getting started
Look up the country you call on the home page or the A to Z rates list to see all three prices side by side, then pick the one that suits how often you call. Our guide to making cheap international calls walks through each option step by step.