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 enquiries, weather forecasts, competitions and voting (especially relating to television shows). Diplomatic services, such as the US embassy in London, have also been seen to charge premium rates for calls from the general public. In this case, the primary motive behind assigning a premium rate number may be to reduce the call volume from casual callers, a tactic also employed by tech support lines to also reduce call length.

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NPR Topics: Politics & Society

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