Premium rate services are any calls or texts from private companies which cost more than the standard rate. Examples of premium services include TV voting (e.g. The X Factor), text charity donations, competitions (e.g. The Late Late Show) and other entertainment services.
Calls
Premium rate phone lines generally operate on 15XX numbers. Calls to premium rate services cost more than standard calls.
Texts
Premium rate text services are texts to and from five-digit short code numbers (e.g. 53XXX or 57XXX). Sending a text to a premium rate service will cost more than a standard text. It is important to note you will also be charged forreceiving these texts, and that some of these services are subscription services which send texts regularly.
Charges for these services vary depending on what service you are using, your service provider and what number you are calling/texting. For example, calling a 1513 number costs 70c per minute and 1590 number costs €3.50 per minute.
If you are receiving premium service texts, text back STOP to the five digit number that you are receiving texts from. It may take between 24-48 hours for the company to unsubscribe, after which you should no longer receive any messages from them.
ComReg havea handy tool on their websitethat allows you to look up unknown names or numbers on your bill and check if they are a premium rate service. You can also find more info about premium rate services atcomreg.ie/premium-rate.
To avoid being charged for premium rate services in the future, we recommend:
Carefully read the terms and conditions before texting to enter a competition, voting in a TV show or using a chatline or any other type of entertainment service.
Be wary of anything advertised as free that requires you to call or text to claim.
Keep an eye on your credit or allowances via yourMy3 account by clicking here, to ensure you are not being charged more than expected for your calls and texts.
Three customers now have the option to request blocking of receiving premium texts. Please note that this does not block premium calls. If you wish to avail of this premium text blocking service, contact us here on 3Community by clicking here.
Examples include:
TV Voting (e.g. Dancing with the Stars, The X Factor)
Quizzes and competitions (e.g. The Late Late Show, local or national radio competitions)
Charity donations
Digital content (e.g. music, videos, wallpapers, games)
