In December 2019 Comreg made significant changes to the charges for Non-Geographic Numbers (NGN) such as 1850 numbers.
Before Dec 1st 2019 – the cost of an 1850 could not exceed the retail charge for a 5-minute call at the originator’s standard rate for calling geographic numbers. So it usually cost around 30c from a mobile and around 7c from a landline.
Since 1st of December 2019, a call to any of 1850, 1890, 0818 or 076 (NGN) numbers must cost no more than the cost of calling a landline number.
From December 2021 the 0818 prefix will replace ALL 1890 , 1850 and 076 prefixes. This will be in place by the end of November 2021. Read more here about Cost of 0818 Calls
Included in Bundles
Since Dec 1st 2019 – if landline calls are included in your bundle of call minutes then 1850 , 0818 and other NGN calls will now also be in the bundle.
No separate charge will apply for any NGN call (unless you have used up your bundle of call minutes).
Whilst these changes are generally good news for all customers, calls to 1850 numbers may impact some users slightly. The cost of a call to an 1850 number was changed from being a flat charge to a per minute charge from the 1st of December 2019. If you do not have a call bundle you could end up paying more than you did before December 2019.
If you have a bundle or contract that included all landline calls – then you will pay less from dec 2019.
Cost of Calls to 1850 Numbers (Flat Rate Charge) before Dec 2019
Eir Landline 6.7c
Sky 6.9c
Virgin Landline 7c
Vodafone Landlines 20c
Postmobile 20c
Vodafone Mobile 30c
Three 30.49c
Virgin Mobile 30c
Eir Mobile 30c
Tesco Mobile 35c
Charges for calls to 1850 numbers after Dec 1st 2019 will be the same as calling any landline number in Ireland. (Charged per minute)