Premium-rate telephone numbers are telephone numbers for telephone calls during which certain services are provided, and for which prices higher than normal are charged. Unlike a normal call, part of the call charge is paid to the service provider, thus enabling businesses to be funded via the calls. While the billing is different, calls are usually routed the same way they are for a toll-free telephone number, being anywhere despite the area code used.
The issuing of these numbers to service providers is typically regulated by a national body, such as ICSTIS (the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services) in the United Kingdom, to ensure certain community standards are adhered to both in terms of content and price. Charges are presented as part of the normal telephone bill.
Adult chat lines (phone sex) and tech support are a very common use of premium-rate numbers. Other services include directory inquiries, weather forecasts, competitions and voting (especially relating to television shows). Diplomatic services, such as the US embassy in London or the UK Embassy in Washington, have also been seen to charge premium rates for calls from the general public.
These telephone numbers are usually allocated from a national telephone numbering plan in such a way that they are easily distinguished from other numbers. Telephone companies typically offer blocking services to allow telephone customers to prevent access to these number ranges from their telephones. In some states, telephone companies are required by state law to offer such blocking.
Most media who sponsor 900 number programs do so by working through a 900 number service bureau. A 900 number service bureau works through the carriers to gain approval for the 900 number program, then operates the equipment that processes the consumer's 900 number calls. MCI is currently the only 900 number provider in the United States that provides both transport and billing for 900 numbers. In an effort to keep its overhead down, MCI maintains relationships with only four service bureaus in the country who have direct billing relationships -- MVA, ICN, Spark Network Services, and Advanced Telecom Services. Computer criminals have used premium-rate numbers to defraud unsuspecting Internet users. One scheme involved inducing users to download a program known as a dialer that surreptitiously dialed a premium-rate number, accumulating charges on the user's phone bill without their knowledge.
A now-uncommon premium-rate scam involves television programming that induces young children to dial the number, banking on the notion that they will be unaware of the charges that will be incurred. One variant, targeted at children too young to dial a number, enticed children to hold the phone up to the television set while the DTMF tones of the number were played. This type of scam was especially popular in the late '80s to early '90s in the United States before tougher regulations on the 900 number business forced many of these businesses to close.[1]
North America
A 1-900 telephone number, in the North American Numbering Plan, usually has the form 1-900-###-####, as is often called a 900 number or a 1-900 number ("one-nine-hundred"). Area Code 900 was first used in March 1977, for incoming calls to a nationwide talk radio broadcast featuring the newly elected President Jimmy Carter, hosted by anchorman Walter Cronkite.
Earlier, 976 numbers used 976 as a local prefix, though it was not assigned to a specific telephone exchange like other prefixes. These numbers were dialed as any other local number, such as 976-1234.
A call to either one of these numbers can result in a high per-minute or per-call charge. For example, a "psychic hotline" type of 1-900 number may charge $2.99 for the first minute and 99 cents for each additional minute.
Initially, consumers had no choice regarding the accessibility to 900/976 numbers on their phones. However, in 1987, after a child had accumulated a bill of $17,000, the California Public Utilities Commission subsequently required phone companies to give customers an option to prevent the dialing of 900/976 numbers.[citation needed]
It is interesting that many people still have the stereotype belief that most 900 numbers are used for heavy breathing adult entertainment lines. While this application was prevelent in the early years of the industry, today's 900 number is far more sophisticated with the use of 900 numbers for such things as software technical support, banking access, and stock tips. In fact, while adult entertainment 900 numbers have been prevented on AT&T and MCI 900 since 1991 (except for a short time in 2000 when AT&T "looked the other way" in regards to adult services), the industry still suffers from the stigma attached to the early days of the industry when television had an onslaught of late television commercials with girls in hot tubs.
Some uses of 1-900 numbers:
- video game tips
- horoscopes/psychics
- dating and party lines
- voting (e.g. for TV shows)
- contests
- recent winning numbers (i.e. New Jersey Lottery)
- gambling tips
- phone sex
- Wrestling hotlines
Sometimes, these have 800 number standards, but charge a toll.
Consumers in the US have specific rights regarding 900 number calls, as laid down by the Federal Trade Commission. [1]
South America
Telephone numbers of the form 0600-xxx-xxxx and 0609-xxx-xxxx are premium rate numbers. The 0609 series is for entertainment (fixed rate), while 0600 is for services (the rate depends on the particular number).
In Brazil, there is only one premium prefix: 0500, and this number is only used by Brazilian Internal Revenue Service (Receita Federal) to file for the Annual Federal Income Tax exemption, charged at a premium rate per call (not per minute).
A long time ago, 0900 was available, but now is no longer allowed. As there are no longer premium numbers, TV shows now use mobile numbers to receive calls and generate revenue to their program.
Europe
The 0900 prefix is used for premium rate numbers that charge per minute and the 0901 prefix is used for premium rate numbers that charge by call.
Premium rate numbers in Belgium have the area codes 0900, 0901, 0902 and 0903 (the higher the number, the higher the price per minute).
Numbers starting with 900, 906, 909 and 976 are premium rate numbers. Other numbers beginning with "9" are allocated to certain organizations, such as 972 (Czech railways), 973 (Ministry of Defense), 974 (Ministry of Interior), 95x (other Ministries, government organizations, certain commercial subjects).
Numbers starting with 0700 and 0600 are premium rate numbers. The 0700 series is for entertainment, while 0600 is for services. Several other premium codes exist, sometimes confusing consumers, who may not know if they are calling a premium number or not.
Numbers starting with 08xx are special rate numbers. They range from toll free numbers (080x) to premium numbers (089x) (called Audiotel by France Telecom). There are also various moderately priced numbers (from about 0.03 to 0.15 €/minute) in the 081x and 082x ranges. Most of these numbers are not reachable from outside France.
There also exists special 4 digits numbers in the form of 32xx, for which billing rules can be the ones from any 08xx number, to the provider choice.
The split rule between different premium rate number is not clearly defined (premium rate information number and premium rate entertainment number).
The regulator (ARCEP, previously ART) has also issued new range for Telephony over xDSL in the 087x range which might confuse consumers, as calls to these numbers are billed as local calls nationwide. They will be superseded by the 09xx range in the future.
Dedicated premium-rate lines nowadays begin with the prefix 0900, the infamous 0190 prefix having been terminated on December 31, 2005. However, some premium services also use lines with the prefix 0137, which is supposedly reserved for planned simultaneous call-in events, such as televoting.
Premium rate numbers begin with the prefix 15. These numbers provide a range of services from weather forecasting to adult dating. 1559 numbers are reserved solely for sex lines, and require a PIN, issued by your network operator, to access.
All 15x numbers have officially quoted rates, set by the prefix, although telecom providers can charge an additional fee for carrying the call. 151x numbers are charged on a per-call basis, all others on a per-minute basis. In general the prices increase as the prefix number increases, within the call type range.
Regtel is a body which monitors the premium rate services industry in Ireland. Although an independent body, it can impose sanctions, ban advertisements and ban services offered by providers. It is funded by a levy on providers.
Premium numbers in The Netherlands start with 0900 (general purpose), 0906 (erotic entertainment) and 0909 (games and lotteries) followed by four or seven digits. When one dials such a nulnegenhonderd nummer it is enforced by law that the caller gets informed about the per minute rate. Opta is the governing body that regulates premium rate services in the Netherlands.
Any telephone number starting with 82 (mostly 820/829) is charged at premium rates (82x xx xxx).
Numbers starting with 70, 30 and 40 are reserved for premium-rate services. 700, 701, 707 and 300 are "general" premium-rate services (usually charged per minute), 707 and 400 are assigned for tele-voting, mass-calls and so on (usually charged per call). Other numbers (702-706, 709, 301-309, 401-409) are reserved for future assignments. There are some other numbers in "shared costs" or "dial-up services" ranges, which are charged at a quite high rates (comparable with lower cost premium rates): 8015, 8016, 207, 208.
Premium numbers are in the 090xxxxxx-098xxxxxx range. Currently, only the 0900 block is used. [2]. Prior to 2002, all numbers starting with 89 were premium rate numbers. Some of those number remain as local premium numbers, and the 02xx89xxxxx block remains reserved.
809 is probably the only premium prefix. Note that usually in Russia one needs to dial 8 before the area code, so premium numbers are usually written as 8-809-something, where "something" is seven digits.
In Spain, the charged-at-premium numbers begins with 80 or 90 (except the 800, 900 and 909, which are free, the 901 which is shared cost, the 902 which is like a provincial call and the 908 which is like a metropolitan call). The most popular prefixes are 803 (porn hot-lines) and 806 (services), also are used 807 and 905. Previously all the numbers starting with 90x (except 900, 901 and 902) were charged at premium rates but the 906 had been moved to 803, 806 and 807 and the 908 and 909 prefixes were created for Internet dialup services. All those numbers have 9 digits.
Also there are other range for information services (weather, white pages, etc...), there are all the numbers starting whith 118, they can have 5 or 6 digits with a variable cost per number. 11823 is free from Telefónica's telephone cabins. Previously 11823 was 1003.
Numbers starting with 0900, 0939 and 0944 are premium rate numbers.
Numbers starting with 0900, 0901 and 0906 are premium rate numbers.
- 0900 - Business & Marketing
- 0901 - Entertainment
- 0906 - Erotic services
See also Bundesamt für Kommunikation
Any telephone number starting 09xx, is charged at premium rates, in a similar fashion to a 900 number in North America. Previously the main virtual prefixes for premium rate phone calls were 0898 and 0891 along with some others (such as 0331, 0660, 0897). In the 1980s, when premium rate was introduced, the main prefixes were 0055, 0066 and 0077. Premium rate services in the UK can range from £0.10/min up to £1.50/min. Drop charge rates are also available which can cost the caller £0.10/call up to £1.50/call.
ICSTIS is the governing body that regulates premium rate services in the UK. They are responsible for investigating complaints, and to ensure that information and service providers comply with a Code of Conduct. Although an independent body, ICSTIS can impose sanctions upon providers found to be in breach of the Code of Practice, including a levy and a ban on the service.
Late night TV game shows in the UK such as the Mint, and also BBC's Blue Peter and Channel Four's Richard & Judy programme, were recently (early-to-mid 2007) investigated for phone call irregularities relating to premium rate dialled numbers[2].
Oceania
In Australia, the prefix is 190x. Of these 1900 was the initial prefix and is the most common; since then 1901 and 1902 have also been allocated. 1901 is specifically reserved for services of a sexual nature. Previously (before the introduction of eight digit numbering), the prefix 0055 was used for this purpose, and as a result 190x numbers are occasionally referred to colloquially as 0055 numbers (pronounced double-oh, double-five).
In New Zealand, the prefix starts with 0900. The service is used by phone sex companies and charitable organizations.
Using international-rate calls as premium-rate numbers
As an alternative to official premium-rate numbers, service operators have been known to use kickbacks from high-rate international call tariffs to charge for their services. In these cases, the calls may never leave the country of origin, even though the number has a country calling code (or an NANP area code) specifying a country with high incoming call rates.
Since these kinds of numbers have confused international jurisdiction, they are also sometimes used for fraud.
Notes
- ^ Jane and Michael Stern, Jane & Michael Stern's Encyclopedia of Pop Culture: An A to Z Guide to Who's Who and What's What, from Aerobics and Bubble Gum to Valley of the Dolls (1992).
- ^ BBC News - The phone-in shows under scrutiny
Valuable Resources
List of MCI 900 Number NXX's available in the USA.
List of 900 Number NXX's available in Canada
900 Number Book "Opportunity is Calling: How to Start Your Own 900 Number"