Commercial telephony: corporate numbers and paid/free information numbers

You must apply to the Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority (Onafhankelijke Post en Telecommunicatie Autoriteit, OPTA) if you intend to use a corporate number or a paid/free information number in the Netherlands. An application for a regional number can be submitted to a telephone service provider, who will submit the application for the number to OPTA.

Corporate numbers (088)

Request a corporate number if, for instance, you prefer not to use different regional dialling codes for your various branches in the Netherlands. Using a corporate number can also make your company’s telephone number more widely recognised. Corporate numbers can be used for both mobile and landlines.

Free information numbers (0800)

In principle, consumers pay nothing when they call a free information number, but people who use a mobile phone to call an 0800 number will sometimes be charged. You can apply for either a short (i.e. eight-digit) or a long (i.e. eleven-digit) information number. A free information number must be used within six months of it being granted.

Paid information numbers (0900, 0906, 0909)

Anyone who calls a paid information number will be charged. 0900 numbers are intended for providers of serious information, such as a corporate helpdesk, 0909 numbers are intended for entertainment purposes and 0906 numbers are for services of a sexual nature. A paid information number must be used within six months of it being granted. Strict rules apply to the rates charged for paid information numbers.

Rates for paid information numbers

If your company operates a paid information number (e.g. a 0900, 0906 or 0909 number), you are free in most cases to determine your own rate. If you use a 0900 number for your customer service provision to consumers with whom you have a continuous contractual and/or financial relationship, you may not charge more than € 0.15 per minute for callers from a land telephone line. The maximum € 0.15 minute rate does not apply to customer service in relation to one-off purchases. You must ensure that callers are always told the rate that they will be charged for the call in advance. You can charge by call or by the minute.