Premium-rate numbers
The cost isn't read in the number of digits.
A premium-rate number bills a service on top of the price of the communication. In France, these numbers fall under value-added services and their rate must be announced to the consumer before any commitment. The trap lies less in the principle than in the way certain fraudulent messages push you to call a number back without stating its price.
In summary
- A premium-rate number bills the service in addition to the communication.
- The rate must be announced before the call is billed.
- Receiving an SMS never costs anything, whatever the sender.
- Calling back an unknown number seen in an SMS is the reflex to banish.
The most useful rule is also the most reassuring: in France, receiving an SMS is free. An incoming message can never be billed to you, even when it comes from a premium-rate number. The cost only appears if you call back, or if you reply to a value-added service that has announced it.
It's exactly this mechanism that the so-called call-back scam exploits: an intriguing message, sometimes a simple one-ring call, pushes you to call back a number whose price is mentioned nowhere. The right reaction is to not call back and to report the message to 33700.
The 08 prefixes are linked to these services, but they don't cover every case and an ordinary-looking number may turn out to be premium-rate. The safe method remains to never call back an unknown number that pops up in a message you weren't expecting.
Frequently asked questions
Does receiving an SMS from a premium-rate number cost anything?
No. In France, receiving an SMS is free, whatever the sender's number.
How can I tell if a number is premium-rate before calling?
The rate must be announced before billing; failing a clear indication, the most prudent thing is to not call back and to report the message to 33700.
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