Premium rate services
Premium rate services offer content that is charged to your pay monthly bill or deducted from your pay as you go credit. These services can be calls, texts or picture messages and they are usually priced higher than normal calls or texts. They include:
- TV vote lines
- Ringtone and logo downloads
- Chat
- Horoscopes
- Charitable fund-raising
- Sports results
- Directory enquiry services
Some services require subscription, which means you may be charged a monthly fee or you'll be sent a number of chargeable messages every month.
Before you subscribe to a premium rate service you should be sent a welcome message with details about the service and how to unsubscribe. To unsubscribe from a service, the usual process is to text the word STOP followed by the name of the service to the service's shortcode. Or you can send STOP or STOP ALL. See more on premium rate services.
How we protect children
We offer a call barring service that you can use to stop your child's mobile from calling premium rate numbers or texting premium rate shortcode services. This can be activated at point of purchase or by calling Customer Services on 150 from your T-Mobile phone.
It's a good idea to be aware of the money your child could be spending on premium rate services and set a sensible budget.
Questions and complaints about premium rate services
PhonepayPlus is a regulatory body that investigates complaints about the advertising, content and overall operation of premium rate services.
If you have a query about a premium rate service you should contact the service provider, or if you believe that you've been the victim of a premium rate scam, please contact PhonepayPlus.
To check whether a number on your bill is premium rate, try the PhonepayPlus premium rate number checker.
PhonepayPlus has also recently launched a website called Phonebrain aimed at educating children and parents about premium rate services.
