Meanings
plural premium-rate telephone numbers
- A telephone number for which an extra charge is assessed to the caller, part of which is returned to the owner of the number.
Synonyms: 900 number
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA telephone number for which an extra charge is assessed to the caller, part of which is returned to the owner of the number.
Origin
In the original North American Numbering Plan, telephone numbers with the 800 area code were designated as toll-free, whereby the recipient of the call assumed all associated charges. Subsequently, telephone companies introduced 900 numbers, enabling the subscriber to impose additional fees on callers.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
premium-rate telephone number. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/premium-rate%20telephone%20number
“premium-rate telephone number.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/premium-rate%20telephone%20number. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “premium-rate telephone number,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/premium-rate%20telephone%20number.
Source: premium-rate telephone number on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.