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How to make a conference call from any landline phone

If you’re wondering how to make a conference call from your landline/office phone, you’re in luck. Not only is it straightforward, it’s usually free or at most, costs the same as a standard landline phone call.

There are two main ways to conference call from a landline phone:

  1. Dedicated conference call services (recommended method)
    This method involves using third-party service to generate conference dial-in details, which you then send to the people you want to have a call with, and arrange for everyone to dial-in from their landline/mobile phone at the agreed time. These services are often free for mobile and landline callers *if* they have inclusive/free minutes available on their phone contract.
  2. Three-way calling on landlines
    Unlike option 1, three-way calling is usually a paid extra, is limited to specific landline networks, and can’t connect more than three callers. BT customers can use BT’s three-way calling service for an additional cost.
Recommended method

Dedicated conference call services

How they work

  1. The organiser signs up to receive their conference dial-in details.
  2. The organiser shares the details with their conference participants, letting them know when to dial-in.
  3. When the time comes, everyone picks up the phone and dials in using the details provided.
  4. Each caller is instantly connected, and will stay connected until they hang up.

Short on time? Click here to generate instant conference details now.

Popular options

WHYPAY?
Our own service. A focus on simple, reliable telephone conferencing on an 03 dial-in number.
Trustpilot score: 4.8 out of 5

FreeConference.com
International service with video conferencing and telephone dial-in options.
Trustpilot score: 4.3 out of 5

PowWowNow
Historically used expensive 084 dial-in numbers but recently introduced an 03 dial-in number.
Trustpilot score: 2.9 out of 5

Trustpilot scores updated May 2021


Is it FREE?

The short answer – usually.
These services are free to set up, and because they provide you with an 03 telephone number, the phone call is usually free, but this depends on your own landline phone package. Each caller is responsible for checking with their own network provider, but for reassurance, iif you’re on a UK landline or mobile, conferences calls on 03 numbers can never cost more than a normal call to UK landline. This is stipulated by Ofcom, to help protect consumers from unexpected call charges. 🎉

Click here for more info on 03 numbers

Most UK landline networks include an allowance of free or inclusive calls/minutes in the contract. In the UK, calls to 03 numbers, must be included in this allowance on any landline network. Sometimes, free calls on landlines have to be made at specific times of the day, whereas on other packages they may be ‘unlimited’ – i.e. at any time, as often as you like. To work out the cost, each caller will need to check with their network to see what’s included in their landline plan.

Note: make sure you check if there is a limit on the duration of your free calls. Some networks limit free calls to 50 minutes or 1 hour.

Takehome
Conference calling on an 03 telephone number is just like making a call to a landline (01 or 02 number): The call is included in your free minutes/calls allowance (if you have one), otherwise, you can only ever be charged your standard call rate. Even if you don’t have a phone plan which comes with a free call allowance, you will still only incur the very small cost which your provider charges for landline calls. By checking the government’s information about call charges, you can see that this should not exceed 9p per minute.


I’m using an office phone, will it be free for my employer?

The rules described above about calling 03 telephone numbers apply to any type of UK line including business landlines, mobiles and even payphones. You may wish to check with your employer, but as long as you’re using a UK office phone your conference call will cost no more than a standard call to another UK landline.


What if I need to guarantee it’s free for everyone?

If you want to guarantee it’s free for all participants, you’ll need to use a conference call service that can provide you with an 0800 dial-in number. Alternatively, if your call is only with two other people, your landline provider may offer a three-way calling service (see below).

With 0800 conference call services, anyone calling from a UK landline or mobile won’t pay a penny for the call, however, as the organiser, you will pay a premium to pick up the cost. You may be charged on a per-minute per-caller basis, which can get expensive very quickly, but these services are available. Look for a conference call services that offers an 0800 or ‘toll-free’ UK dial-in number.

Three-way calls/call merging

Depending on your landline network, you may be able to set up a three-way call with two other people. Many landline phones offer this basic conference facility.

This is where you make a normal phone call to the first person, and once they’ve answered you dial the second person’s phone number to add them or ‘merge’ them into the existing phone call. Once this is set up, all three participants can communicate.

These services are provided by your landline network itself. They can include separate charges, on a per minute, per call, or monthly basis.

Get started: choose your network

BT (Additional calling feature – 69p/use or £5.82/month.)
Talk Talk – No longer available to purchase.
Sky – Optional extra – 69p/use or £2.50/month
Virgin Media – Optional Extra – Dial 150 and ask for pricing
EE landline – Feature removed early 2021
Plusnet – ‘Conference calling’ feature – 30p/use


Conference phones

If you find yourself holding a conference call where multiple people are huddled around a single landline, taking part in the call, you may wish to look at purchasing a conference phone. These phones can be hooked up to your existing phone system or connected to your mobile, and are designed to allow multiple people in a room, for example around a meeting table, to hear and be heard from a single, central phone.

Most conference phones work much like a normal landline and have a keypad and all the dialling features you’re used to. What they add, is better sound quality (both ways) so that you can have productive conference calls as a group in one place.

The best conference phones in 2021

If you’re thinking of purchasing a conference phone, take a look at TechRadar’s list of the best conference phones in 2021.


Conference calling is part of modern life

After all, there are lots of reasons outside of the business world why you might teleconference. Sportspeople have made great use of telecommunications. Many teachers and tutors are big fans of phone meetings. There’s also a growing trend towards teleconferencing in medicine, with the NHS particularly benefiting from WHYPAY?’s conference call services. You might soon be able to consult with your GP remotely! Essentially, there are many reasons why you might want to make conference calls from a landline phone. And luckily, it’s a simple process.

With WHYPAY?, placing a conference call from a landline won’t just be really easy, it is also completely free. While several providers claim to offer free teleconferencing, there are often hidden costs or extra fees further down the line. It can be hard to find a genuinely free conference call bridge. But it is possible. Although it might sound too good to be true, we’re here to explain how WHYPAY? can offer 100% free conference calling.

How to set up your landline conference call

Setting up the conference call is really easy. Just head to WHYPAY?’s homepage and hit the ‘Create a FREE Conference’ button. This will provide you with the dial-in number beginning in 03, your personal teleconference room, and a secure access PIN. It’s that simple! Your conference call room will be ready and waiting for whenever you want to use it. That’s really all you need to make a conference call from a landline. If you want to access extra features and benefits, you also have the option to create a totally free WHYPAY? account.

Create a FREE Teleconference

All that’s left to do is distribute the information to the people you want to join you on the conference call. Your WHYPAY? account makes this really easy. You even have the option to schedule conference calls that you want to hold regularly. WHYPAY? can invite participants and attach meeting notes for you, or if you choose to do it manually you just need to pass on the access number, the conference call room number, and the secure PIN. And of course, tell your invitees what time to join the meeting!

Your participants can access the conference call from a landline, or from their mobiles. Dialling in from their mobiles should still be free for the majority of people. Again, that’s because we use 03 numbers, which must be included in callers’ bundled minutes. So if they have a mobile phone contract, and any available minutes left on it, the call won’t cost them a penny. If they’ve used up all of their bundled minutes, it will still only cost 3p-55p per minute, depending on their network providers.

 

Joining the conference call

Once the time of the audio meeting comes around, you’ll be able to join the call quickly and easily from your landline. Just pick up the phone, and dial the 03 access number provided by WHYPAY?. When prompted, key in your conference call room and the PIN which helps guarantee your teleconference will be secure, and you’re in! The process will be just as simple for everyone you’ve invited.

With such a straightforward process, you’ll have plenty of time to get down to exchanging thoughts and collaborating ideas to further your project, whatever it might be.

Create a FREE Teleconference
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