How to register a Belgian service number

With a population of around 11 million, Belgium is an interesting market to target. With a Freephone or Premium rate number, you make it easy for your existing and potential Belgian clients to contact you.

Registering a Belgian service number is easier than you may think. In this article, we’ll go through how to get set up.
Many entrepreneurs have gone before you

For French or Dutch businesses, expanding to Belgium is a logical step. With almost 7 million Flemish speakers and nearly 4 million native French-speakers in this market, it is clear to see why.

Let us look at two Dutch companies who have had success with a Belgian Freephone or Premium Rate number.

A Dutch distributor of sports equipment has been using a Belgian service number for years. Through this phone number, the company receives orders from Belgian customers. Calls are routed to the distributor’s office in the Netherlands.
A Dutch producer of home electronics prints a Belgian service number in manuals of products sold in Belgium.

Not just for foreign businesses

Like all Premium Rate and Freephone numbers, Belgian numbers can route calls to anywhere, both inside Belgium or abroad. And smart Belgian business are already making use of that. One example of this is a Belgian utilities company that outsources half of the calls it receives to a customer contact center in a third country.

Intelligent routings based on our Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system and the many extra features it offers to route calls and provide customers with answers and support quickly make this an attractive solution for many businesses.

Are you inspired about what this could do for your business? Conquering the Belgian market begins with a Belgian service number. Let us take a look at how that works.
Types of Belgian phone numbers

Like many countries, Belgium offers different types of business and service numbers. First of all, there are the Freephone numbers which have an 0800 prefix. These numbers are well-known and popular with Belgian callers.

Next are the Premium Rate phone numbers with rates per minute or per call. The prefix shows in which tariff-category a number belongs and what costs are associated with it. This provides callers with a sense of security that gives them the confidence to call.

Premium Rate numbers that charge clients per call use the 0905 prefix, while lines that charge by the minute are assigned an 0900, 0902, 0903, or 0904 prefix. These last four prefixes charge different rates, with 0900 being the most affordable and 0904 numbers charging tariffs of up to € 2 per minute.

Apart from this, Belgium has the 078 prefix which charges callers the local rate while reinforcing a nation-wide brand appeal.

Lastly there are the local phone numbers, which express your connection to a local community and charges callers only local call tariffs.

Unlike other countries, the Belgian telecommunications authority (BIPT) does not let businesses choose their own numbers. This, unfortunately, makes it impossible to use vanity numbers in Belgium.

The registration process

So how does the registration process of a Belgian servicenumber work?

In broad outlines, as a business and future number owner you tell BIPT what type of number you want to register, what rate you would like to charge and what service you would like to provide using this number. BIPT will then review your application and assign you either a Freephone or Premium Rate number based on that information.

The process is, of course, a bit more complicated than that. That is why experienced providers like CallFactory always offer to handle the entire registration process for you. With CallFactory, we do this for our clients at no extra fee.
Setting up your Belgian phone number

Once your Belgian number has been assigned by the BIPT, you’ll need to have it connected and set up. As a CallFactory client, you will get instant access to our extensive package of extra features that allow you to configure the routing for incoming calls to your number intelligently to fit your precise business needs.

You will also get access to CallFactory’s online dashboard, where you can download your invoices, review your call statistics in real-time and set up daily, weekly or monthly statistics email reports. You can also use it to listen to your call recordings, or set up and manage any of the other extra features such as your virtual receptionist, voicemail, and many others.

CallFactory clients with Belgian phone numbers will also have access to our mobile apps, the agent login portal and the agent availability website plugin.

And, important to know for those businesses with a Premium Rate number, CallFactory pays out call revenues promptly each month.

As far as features and functionality are concerned, Belgian business phone numbers are as versatile as phone numbers in any other country, especially if your numbers are hosted by CallFactory.

Register your Belgian phone number today

Are you looking to expand your market and considerably increase your revenue? Do not wait any longer, but contact us today and start the registration of your Belgian servicenumber right now.