## The short answer
For most businesses, forwarding your calls to RingDesk doesn't add a noticeable cost - the forwarded part of the call usually comes out of your existing plan's inclusive minutes. But it helps to understand how it's charged.
A forwarded call has two parts
When you keep your own number and forward calls to RingDesk, each call has two legs:
- The incoming leg - the caller dialling your number. As always in the UK, the caller pays for this, not you.
- The forwarded leg - your number passing the call on to your RingDesk number. You pay for this, and it's billed by your own phone provider, exactly as if you'd made that call from your line.
RingDesk's own charge (your plan minutes) is separate from that forwarded leg.
Why it's usually inclusive
Your RingDesk number is a UK landline (01/02) or 03 number. So the forwarded leg counts as "a call to a UK landline" - the cheapest type. On most business phone plans with inclusive UK minutes, that comes out of your allowance, so in practice there's no extra cash cost, it just uses minutes.
When it can cost a little
- Your plan excludes call diversions from its inclusive minutes (some "unlimited" plans do - worth checking).
- You're on a metered or pay-as-you-go line that charges per minute.
- You forward to a mobile number (landline-to-mobile is dearer) - this is why we forward to a landline-type number, not a mobile.
If you're unsure, check the "call divert" or "call forwarding" terms on your provider's plan.
Want to remove the forwarded leg entirely?
If you take a lot of calls, you can port your number into RingDesk so calls arrive directly with no forwarding leg at all (and you can drop your old line rental). See Porting your number to RingDesk. For most businesses, though, forwarding is simpler and the cost is minimal.
### Related articles
- How RingDesk works with your existing phone number - Setting up call forwarding - Porting your number to RingDesk - Your number ownership — frequently asked questions - Can I send several phone lines to the same desk?