Semi-Toll-Free Numbers

From Virtual-Phone-Number

Some countries, notably in Europe, have different types of toll free numbers. There is a complete range that goes from the complete toll free (the user does not pay anything, not even mobile air time) to a shared-cost model, where the user pays for only the long distance portion, and the local portion of the call is absorbed by the number owner. Sometimes it even works the other way round: the company pays for long distance (if any), and the user pays for the local call.

The rationale behind this is that we do not want to give the user everything for free, as it induces jokes and unnecessary costs.

An interesting development is that some times these supposedly almost-toll-free numbers end up being quite expensive. Some times the company owning the numbers is paid by the phone company per minute, converting the numbers in fact in premium numbers. Some companies choose to pass this revenue on to the customer. You can therefore find, for instance, prepaid calling cards that offer amazingly low prices, way below cost. For instance, some cards in Spain offer rates to the US in the $0.001 per minute range (that is one tenth of one cent).