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Since the introduction of toll free phone numbers, which are known as 0800 numbers in the UK , many businesses have realised their commercial potential and have utilised them as an effective business tool. Although 0800 numbers are free to call from any UK landline the recipient of the call must cover the costs, so these phone lines are not free for businesses to run and in fact they can be quite expensive indeed. However, despite the cost of running 0800 numbers of businesses their popularity has not dwindled and they are used effectively by many companies throughout the UK .

However it is not just businesses and commercial ventures that make effective use of 0800 numbers. They are also frequently utilised by non-profit organisations too, such as charities and similar groups. For example many charities such as the Samaritans and Child Line run free 0800 numbers so the people who need help targeted by these charities can contact them free of charge. These non-profit organisations will manage to fund their 0800 numbers through donations and some of the firms that provide 0800 numbers to their clients will offer special discount rates if the lines are being used for charitable purposes.

Many of these firms that are able to provide businesses and other organisations with 0800 numbers will also be able to provide them with a variety of other specialist phone lines too including premium rate lines that can be seen as the exact opposite of 0800 numbers.