Premium-rate number

A premium-rate number bills the caller beyond the ordinary call rate, with a partial payout to the number holder: in France, the 08 90, 08 92 ranges and certain 3xxxx numbers work this way. The model has legitimate uses — funding a service, specialized helplines — and a heavy reputation, earned in the era of per-minute services.

For a local business, the rule is simple: never publish a premium-rate number as the way to reach you. Making a prospect pay to ask for a quote is the best way never to receive any; review platforms often call it out. A geographic number or a standard virtual number shows the same professionalism, minus the distrust tax.