If you can see extra charges on your bill, it might be because you’ve entered a TV competition, texted a radio show or made a charity donation through your phone.
Enter the number or service name below to find out more about the provider.
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Types of premium charges
Premium text services start with 6, 7 or 8 and are usually a five or six digit number. The services include entering competitions, donating to charity and voting on TV talent shows. You'll pay for the service through your mobile bill or from your Pay As You Go credit.
Services that use premium texts include:
Sending messages to radio stations
Chat services
Accessing low cost calls to international numbers
Entering TV competitions
Voting in TV reality shows
Charity donations
No more nuisance numbers. Once you’ve signed in to your My O2 account, you can block sending or receiving all text messages to/from premium rate numbers. So you won’t need to worry about any hidden charges.
Some premium rate services run as a subscription. They’ll automatically send a welcome text when you sign up, explaining how to cancel.
Here are a few steps you can take to unsubscribe or query charges:
The most common way to unsubscribe is to text STOP or STOP ALL to the number given in the premium message. This might be different to the number used to send you the message. It’ll be a five digit number. Within 24 hours, you’ll get a free text confirming that the subscription has been stopped.
If you’re still being charged for unwanted premium messages or want to query charges, it’s best to contact the provider directly.
Need more information about premium rate numbers? The Phone-paid Services Authority can help, as they’re the regulator for UK premium rate services.
You can also find useful videos on the Phone-paid Services Authority YouTube channel.
The Phone-paid Services Authority runs PhoneBrain, a child-friendly version of their main site to help kids understand premium rate services. It can be helpful for teachers and parents too.
Service numbers and access charges
When you’re making a service call to 08, 09 and 118 numbers, the charge is split into two parts. There’s the access charge, which is what we charge you, per minute, for connecting the call. Then there’s the service charge, which is decided by the organisation you’re calling – so they have to make you aware of the charge. The total cost of the call will be the access charge, plus the provider’s service charge.
If you’re making a service call, you should check the prices with the provider. They’re often operated by third parties, so we can’t let you know when their prices change.
If you use O2 premium rate and customer service numbers we'll let you know about any pricing changes in the usual way, in accordance with our terms and conditions.
You'll be charged for at least 1 minute when you call a premium rate number.
Check the table to find out the access charge per minute for calling service numbers. Bear in mind that these aren’t part of your inclusive minutes on Pay Monthly tariffs or your free minutes allowance on Pay As You Go tariffs.
| Service numbers | Pay Monthly access charge - per min | Pay As You Go access charge - per min |
|---|---|---|
| 08* | 83p | 65p |
| 09 | 83p | 65p |
| 118 | 83p | 65p |
These charges apply across all landlines and mobile phones - not just your O2 phone. Find out more.
Check the table to find out what you’ll be charged for other numbers. Calls to these numbers aren’t split into two parts – you’ll simply be charged per minute. And they’re not included as part of your inclusive minutes on Pay Monthly tariffs or your free minutes allowance on Pay As You Go tariffs.
| Numbers outside your allowance | Pay Monthly - per min | Pay As You Go - per min |
|---|---|---|
| 05 | 35p | Up to 75p |
| 076 | Up to 65p | Up to 65p |
| Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man - mobile (find out more) | 62p | 55p |
| 07 non-mobile and call forwarding services (find out more) | 55p | 65p |
0800 numbers are free. There are other free numbers as well. Find out more.
If you're on Pay Monthly, it's also free to call O2 Customer Service numbers.
You'll be charged for at least 1 minute when you call a premium rate number.
Charge to Mobile lets you buy digital content, like apps, games and music, and add the cost onto your phone bill or use your Pay As You Go credit.
You only pay for what you buy from the provider, but you might have to use your data allowance to download the things you buy if you’re not connected to WiFi.
Charge to Mobile is only available to UK customers, but you can still use it while you're in another country. The only thing we might charge extra for is data used while browsing and downloading Check out our guide before you travel.
Buying with Charge to Mobile
Choose what you want to buy. You'll get a payment screen describing what you're buying.
Confirm what you want on the second payment screen. If you’re using wifi, or you’re on a PC or tablet, you’ll be asked to type in your mobile number. The provider will send a security pin to your mobile, which you’ll need to type in.
Check the verification page. You’ll get a text message receipt from the provider with the details of your purchase, as well as the provider’s contact details.
You can find details of any charges in the 'Things you bought' section of your bill, within 'Recent charges' on My O2, where you’ll find the name of the provider.
Issues with charges or content
If you’re having an issue with the content you’ve downloaded or a charge that’s showing on your bill, it’s best to contact the provider. You can find their contact information on the welcome text sent to your mobile number.
The provider can explain how you’re subscribed to the service and how you are charged. If you’re not happy with the service the provider can unsubscribe you, which will prevent any further unwanted charges from that service on your O2 Bill.
We only work with providers we trust. We check every service we use to make sure it meets industry standards. But your purchases are subject to each individual provider's terms and conditions.
Charge to Mobile is a handy service to have but if it isn’t for you contact 202 who can add a Charge to Mobile bar to your account. Please note that you will still need to unsubscribe to any active services.
118402 is the O2 directory enquiries service. It's £1.50 per minute for O2 customers.
We can answer calls quickly to provide listings for local and national business and residential numbers in the UK. We can then either connect the call or send you a free text with the number you're looking for.
You’ll be charged on a per minute basis when calling 118402.
Other 118 Services
The total cost of your directory enquiries call will be our access charge plus your provider's service charge. You can find your access charge on this page in the Service number and access charges section above, or by looking at your O2 bill or checking your tariff.
These prices are effective from 3 August 2017.
More information
O2 does not endorse or promote other 118 services and we accept no liability for services provided by third parties.
If you make lots of directory enquiry calls you should regularly check the latest prices with the provider, as they’re subject to change. This is because premium rate numbers are often operated by third parties and we can't notify you when their prices change.
Last updated: 06/02/2025
