Irish Phone Numbers & Online Orders – The Right Way to Write Yours

You’d be surprised how often a simple mistake in a phone number causes delays. Every week I see customers enter their number incorrectly at checkout, sometimes just one digit out, other times so far off the mark you'd swear they were writing an IBAN!

Most of the time, small businesses like mine can spot and fix the obvious ones. But sometimes we need to email you for clarification, which can delay your order being dispatched.

This post will show you the most common phone number mistakes I see and how to fix them in 10 seconds flat.

Why not check out this post on Amazon Health & Fitness Products for some great ideas after you've finished here

The Most Common Mistakes I See

Here are some of the more frequent (and occasionally wild) errors:

❌ +3530871234567 – Don't keep the zero after +353
❌ +353353871234567 – Double international code
❌ 087-123456 – Too short or incomplete
❌ 353871234567 – Missing the + or 00
❌ +353 8712 34567 – Spacing is fine, but format still wrong if zero isn’t dropped

Some of these look close, but close doesn’t cut it when a shipper is copying and pasting your number into the label or the courier’s trying to call you because he can't find your address. And yes, I’ve had numbers come through with 15+ digits or area codes from other countries altogether!

How to Enter It Correctly

Most Irish phone numbers look something like this:
01 123 4567, 066 123 4567, or mobiles like 086 123 4567.

When using an international code, the local zero (0) at the start is always removed - no exceptions.

Whether you’re in Ireland or ordering from abroad, here’s the correct way to format your number for a checkout form:

✅ If using the international format:

If you’re writing the number for someone, the version on the left is easier to read.
If you’re filling in an online form, use the version on the right (no spaces and only one symbol).

+353 87 123 4567 or on a website form +353871234567
00353 87 123 4567 or on a website form 00353871234567

👉 Drop the first zero after the country code. Both examples above are perfectly fine.

✅ If you're staying local (within Ireland):

087 123 4567 – That’s fine as long as you’re physically in Ireland

🚫 Don’t:

Keep the zero after +353 (like +353087…)
Add the country code twice
Use symbols like () or extra dashes

Tips for Typing it Right

Autofill and copy-paste can mess things up, always check what’s actually been entered
Don’t let your phone format it automatically (some devices add spaces or symbols)
Avoid using WhatsApp-style formatting like (+353) 87...

Rule of thumb: Pretend you’re typing it into your old Nokia. Just the numbers - no fluff.

You can always remove the autofill suggestions by doing a cleanout of your browser.

International People Get it Wrong Too

It’s not just Irish customers making formatting errors, I often get orders from English expats living in Ireland, and many of them slip up in a slightly different way.

They tend to leave an old UK number or landline from home but format it like this:

❌ 44 0 123 456 789X – Incorrect: includes both country code and leading zero
❌ 0044 0 123456789X – Incorrect: same issue
❌ +44 (0)123 456 789X – Looks smart, but still wrong!

Here’s how to get it right:

✅ +44123456789X – Clean and correct
✅ 0044123456789X – Also correct

👉 Just like Irish numbers, drop the leading zero from the local number after you add the country code.

If you’re using a UK mobile number (or any non-Irish one), it still needs to be formatted properly so couriers can dial it. Ireland-based couriers won’t be able to figure out a landline with a half-written country code and a few extra spaces.

Shipping Delays or Missed Deliveries – Why It Matters

If your number’s wrong:

You get no Notification or shipping stages
A courier can’t contact you
I can’t reach you for delivery updates or issues
Your parcel might sit in a depot, returned, or worse - lost in limbo

Even if everything else is correct, address, Eircode, name etc. A bad number can hold up an otherwise perfect order. I've had next-day deliveries held over due to a missing or incorrect digit or two.

Conclusion

It might seem like a small detail, but a correctly formatted phone number makes a big difference. Always enter your number without spaces or hyphens, and remember: the only symbol that should appear at the start of an international number is a plus sign (+).

Getting it right keeps your order on track, avoids unnecessary delays and ensures that either I or the courier can reach you if needed.

If you're ever unsure about the number you entered, no problem. Just send me a quick message and I’ll happily double-check it before your order goes out!

I hope this has been beneficial for you, if you were doing the wrong thing all along and this has helped you out then it has been worth my while writing it.

Good Luck with your future orders!

Thanks for reading, David

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💬 Blogger-Specific Ending Note

💬 Note from the Author
This post first appeared on my main website, but I’ve brought it here to separate my health, tech, and pop-culture posts from my woodturning work. I’ve also rewritten and split it into three parts to make it easier to follow. If you’ve enjoyed it, have a look through my other posts!
🔗 Want more stories, tips, and insights?
You’ll find woodturning advice, craft supply ideas, and reflections on life in Ireland over at my main site: David Condon Woodcraft.
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