Virtual landline

A landline. No box on the wall.

A UK number, with no socket. They dial a landline. That is the cheaper rate.

If you are scared for someone inside, call Prisoners’ Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003.

Checked against the published rates.

Get your numberCheaper calls

To a mobile

5.50p a minute, weekdays.

To a landline

2.48p. About 2.1× the talk, same money.

The part that matters

Two kinds. One gets spotted.

Passed on

The call is forwarded

They take it, then send it to your mobile. Two lines. That is a divert. A prison can spot it.

On the phone

The number lives here

A call to it is a call to you. One line. Nothing is passed on. Nothing for a check to find.

Why it matters

HMPPS policy tells prisons to restrict requests to add 0800 numbers and numbers linked to call diversion and re-routing services. Such numbers can be used to reach people the prisoner is barred from contacting. The same paragraph says there are exceptions. It points to a separate manual for them. We have not been able to read it.

A number can be accepted and then pulled later. By then a family may rely on it. Weigh that risk before paying anyone. That includes us.

Interception, monitoring and security of prisoner communications policy framework, paragraph 7.9. HM Prison and Probation Service / Ministry of Justice, issued 11 August 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/interception-monitoring-and-security-of-prisoner-communications-policy-framework

The 11 August ruleHow the list works

Before you pay anyone

Five things to ask

  • A real 01 or 02?

    That is the landline rate. 03, 070 and 0800 are not. 0800 is restricted.

  • Is the call passed on?

    Ask. That is what a check can find.

  • Is unlimited really unlimited?

    Or a cap, then a charge per minute.

  • If the prison says no?

    A fresh number, or do you pay again?

  • Can you leave?

    One tap, or a term and a phone call.

What they cost

Per minute, or one price

Minutes cost less if you talk a little. One price costs less if you talk a lot. Since 11 August, the build matters more than the price.

NeatPhone, 9.6p a minute

About 6 minutes a day

Below that, their minutes cost less than £20 a month. Their number passes the call on. Prisons are told to restrict that. Ours passes nothing on.

ringyard vs NeatPhone

FoneSavvy, 8.95p a minute

About 7 minutes a day

Below that, their minutes cost less than £20 a month. Their number passes the call on. Prisons are told to restrict that. Ours passes nothing on.

ringyard vs FoneSavvy

Cellphone Rocks, 5p a minute

About 13 minutes a day

Below that, their minutes cost less than £20 a month. Their number passes the call on. Prisons are told to restrict that. Ours passes nothing on.

ringyard vs Cellphone Rocks

There are lower-cost options than any of this. Two are free. The full comparison covers them all. It includes the case for buying nothing. The job itself — a landline they can dial — is on landline for prison calls.

Questions

The ones people ask.

Talk to a person
What is a virtual landline?
A UK landline number with no socket in a wall. Calls reach the phone you already have. Prisons charge by the kind of number dialled. A landline is the cheaper rate.
How does a virtual landline work for prison calls?
They ask for the number to go on their phone list. The prison checks it. They dial it and pay the landline rate. Some services then pass the call on to your mobile. ringyard does not. The number lives on your phone, so it rings there.
Can I get a virtual landline for prison calls free?
Usually not. A virtual landline is a paid service. ringyard is £20 a month. The free way to get the landline rate is a landline you already have. That works if someone is home when they ring.
Why does a virtual landline make prison calls cheaper?
The rate is set by the number they dial. On the HMPPS rates a weekday call to a mobile is 5.50p a minute. A call to a landline is 2.48p. The same money buys about 2.1 times as many minutes. The saving is theirs, not yours. It stays in their account.
Are virtual landlines allowed in prison?
Each number is checked on its own. Nobody can promise a yes. HMPPS tells prisons to restrict numbers linked to call diversion. There are exceptions, in a manual we have not read. Know that before you buy.
Why did my virtual landline stop working?
A wrong digit. A check still waiting. A refusal. A move to another prison. Or a forwarded number that was spotted. The full list is on the stopped-working guide.

The number

£20.00 a month. That is all.

Unlimited, on the phone you have. No app. Nothing passed on. One scan.

Get your number