We receive a call from a number starting with 05, or we need to dial one to reach a customer service based in Bordeaux or Toulouse. The reflex is often the same: check if this number will generate an extra charge on the bill. The confusion between geographic numbers and special numbers remains common, and the 05 area code frequently suffers the consequences.
Actual cost of a call to a 05 number based on your mobile or landline plan
The short answer: a 05 number is not charged extra. It does not belong to the family of premium-rate numbers (SVA) like the 08 numbers. A 05 is billed like a call to a regular landline, just like a 01, 02, 03, or 04.
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The nuance depends on the caller’s plan. With a mobile or landline subscription that includes unlimited calls to landlines in France, calling a 05 costs nothing extra. Without an unlimited plan, the call is deducted from the credit or charged by the minute according to the operator’s conditions.
So saying that a 05 is “free” is an oversimplification. The number itself does not generate any extra charge, but the cost depends on the plan. A caller with a prepaid plan without included calls to landlines will pay for the call. To learn more about Comme Vous Voulez, the distinction between the absence of extra charges and actual free service is detailed there.
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Area code 05 and premium-rate numbers in 08: what separates them concretely
Numbers starting with 08 follow a classification into three tiers defined by Arcep. Numbers from 0800 to 0805 are free for the caller. Those from 0806 to 0809 are billed at normal rates (cost of a local call, without service surcharge). Beyond that (081, 082, 089), we enter the premium rate, with a service charge billed in addition to the call.
A 05 number does not fall into any of these categories. It belongs to the category of geographic landline numbers, assigned by area:
- 01 corresponds to Île-de-France
- 02 covers the North-West
- 03 is assigned to the North-East
- 04 serves the South-East
- 05 covers the South-West, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, part of Occitanie, and some departments of Centre-Val de Loire and Pays de la Loire
A geographic number cannot legally be charged extra. The mandatory pricing signage (green, gray, or purple banners) only applies to special numbers, never to geographic codes.
Local 05 number used as a showcase: when regional image blurs the lines
We increasingly encounter businesses displaying a 05 number while their headquarters are located elsewhere. Cloud telephony solutions allow any organization to obtain a regional number without having an office in the relevant area.
This practice is legal and common. A company based in Paris can display a 05 to strengthen a perceived local presence in the South-West. For the caller, the number resembles that of a neighborhood store or a local artisan. In reality, the call may be routed to a call center located anywhere.
What it changes for the bill
Nothing. Whether the 05 is used by a plumber in Pau or by a national platform, the pricing remains that of a call to a geographic landline. The internal routing of the company does not change the price for the caller.
What it changes for trust
Associating a regional number with a local customer service is an image strategy. An internet user who sees a 05 may assume they will reach a nearby team. This is not always the case. A 05 does not guarantee a local contact or dedicated customer service.
Feedback varies on this point: some users believe that a geographic number inspires more trust than a 09 or a short number, while others do not pay attention to it.
Check the pricing of a number before calling: a practical method
When unsure about a number, the first thing to observe is the prefix. A ten-digit number starting with 01, 02, 03, 04, or 05 is a geographic landline, with no possible extra charge. A number starting with 06 or 07 is a mobile. The 09 numbers are non-geographic landline numbers, also not charged extra.
The doubt really only concerns numbers starting with 08 and short numbers (four, six, or ten digits starting with 3 or 1). For those, the site surmafacture.fr allows you to check the applicable rate. The pricing announcement must also be made at the beginning of the call before connecting.
- Number starting with 05: geographic landline, normal pricing, included in most plans
- Number from 0800 to 0805: free, no cost for the caller
- Number from 0806 to 0809: price of a local call, no service surcharge
- Number from 081, 082, 089: premium rate, service cost added to the call
To summarize: if the displayed number starts with 05 and has ten digits, there is no extra charge. The only variable remains the phone plan of the caller. A plan including calls to landlines absorbs the cost. A plan without this option charges by the minute, just like any other geographic code. The question is never “is the 05 charged extra” but “does my plan cover calls to landlines”.