What’s the difference between an 807 prefix and 903? Confused? We explain the differences between commonly used numbers in Spain
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Telephone number prefixes in Spain can be confusing when it comes to the cost of using them, in particular those numbers which begin with 800 or 900. Some will be free, but others charge premium rates and you could end up with a hefty telephone bill at the end of the month. You might assume that the cost for an 800 number is the same as for 803 but this is not the case. Here is a guide for the most common numbers:
There are just two free prefixes in Spain: 800 and 900; but these are not always available because businesses are able to block them to callers from outside their region.
Free or costly?
There are just two free prefixes in Spain: 800 and 900; but these are not always available because businesses are able to block them to callers from outside their region as they in fact are paying for the call (auto reverse call). You might be offered another number but it won’t be free.
Are 800 numbers free?
In addition to the 800 numbers found above, there are others such as 803, 806 and 807. These are numbers for particular kinds of services from leisure to business and even adult ones. However, you will find that the digit which follows these is what matters as it signifies whether the call will be free or not. As a rule of thumb, the higher the 4th digit, the higher the cost – so be careful if you are about to call one of these numbers.
Telephone number prefixes in Spain can be confusing when it comes to the cost of using them.
What about 900 numbers?
These are frequently used in Spain. 901 is a number where the company and the caller each pay half of the cost of a call, so effectively it will be the same as a local call for the caller – although this rule is not applied to calls made from mobile phones, which will cost rather more.
902 is slightly more expensive than 901 and is equivalent to the basic cost of a call between Spain’s provinces. Again, we would recommend only using these numbers from a landline to avoid much higher charges.
905 numbers are commercial, used for things like competitions and games. You need to be really careful with these as the cost becomes higher and higher depending on the 4th digit.
905 numbers are commercial, used for things like competitions and games. You need to be really careful with these as the cost becomes higher and higher depending on the 4th digit; in some cases this cost can be four times as high as a basic call – so don’t ring any number over 9051 or 9052, unless you are looking forward to an unpleasant surprise on your phone bill.
Spanish 118 numbers
There are 118 numbers in Spain as in Britain, but there is no control over these so you could be paying an absolute fortune for using them. Telefonica (Movistar) owns the number 118118, and this is the only 118 number that has a special pre-determined price.
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Different telephone companies
You have a variety of telecommunication companies in Spain; the leading brands are Movistar, Orange, Vodafone and Yoigo and these are represented in practically every town in the country. It is well worth shopping around, as you can find tariffs vary a lot and you will need to look for one that best serves your personal needs. For mobiles, check the cost of connection and call. Most packages will offer local calls for free either all week or just at weekends. Think of how you use your phone before signing up and before calling 800 or 900 numbers.
