Frequently Asked Questions
General Service Questions
What is the PlatinumTel Prepaid Wireless service?
The PlatinumTel Prepaid Wireless service is comprised of voice and data wireless services available to customers on a prepaid basis. This means that you pay for the service and the airtime in advance.
What are the benefits of getting a prepaid wireless plan?
A prepaid wireless plan with PlatinumTel means that the customer does not have to commit to long-term contracts. You also will not have to commit to a deposit. The service is available to everyone over thirteen years of age. With prepaid cell phone service, you will also be able to control and limit your spending.
How is PlatinumTel different from other prepaid wireless providers?
PlatinumTel offers "clean service", what you see is what you get. We detail our rates very clearly for you in the plans section. Also, PlatinumTel offers multiple prepaid cell phone products that cover a wide array of usage patterns. So whether you are the casual cell phone user, use your cell phone heavily, or need it only for emergencies, we have a plan for you.
I've read somewhere that PlatinumTel is an MVNO, what does that mean?
PlatinumTel is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, or MVNO. An MVNO is a network operator that does not own the underlying network. PlatinumTel has arrangements with major Host Network Operators (HNO) that grant PlatinumTel access to these HNO's networks to carry voice and data traffic over. Not having to manage the physical network, PlatinumTel can concentrate its efforts to better service its subscribers.
How do I get PlatinumTel Prepaid Wireless Service?
Rating and Billing
What is the per-minute rate?
Rates might vary based on different products and markets. To view the current rates for your market, please visit
our plans page. Per minute rates can be as low as 10 cents per minute on Hybrid plans (which offer unlimited
nights and weekends), or as as 6.7 cents per minute on Dot10 plans.
For products offering Unlimited Nights and Weekends, off-peak calls are free.
What is a PlatinumTel Dollar?
As you add airtime to your account, you will notice that on some of the top-up cards you will receive a higher dollar value than you loaded. For instance, loading a $50 top-up card onto your PlatinumTel Dot10 account will in fact add $70 to your airtime balance, instead of $50. Thus, we refer to the money that you end up with on your account as "PlatinumTel Dollars". This is good for two reasons: 1) we can bill you by the penny, allowing us to offer you more services without the complication of billing fractions of minutes. 2) You get bonus minutes!
What are peak hours? What are off-peak hours?
Peak hours are between 7:00 AM and 8:59 PM Monday through Friday. Off-peak hours are between 9:00 PM and 6:59 AM Monday through Thursday, and 9:00 PM Friday through 6:59 AM Monday. Peak and off-peak periods only apply on Night and Weekend plans such as the PlatinumTel Hybrid.
Do I get billed extra for Long Distance and Roaming calls?
Absolutely not. PlatinumTel offers nationwide prepaid cell phone service; domestic Long Distance and on-net Roaming are available to PlatinumTel subscribers at no additional charge.
How do I get Unlimited Nights and Weekends on PlatinumTel Prepaid Wireless?
Unlimited Nights and Weekends are available on the PlatinumTel Hybrid product.
How many different types of prepaid cards does PlatinumTel offer?
- Airtime Top-up Cards/PINs: Available in $10, $20, $25, $35, $50, and $100 denominations, these cards and/or PINs work across multiple products depending on the plan offered. For example, a $35 card gives you 275 minutes and 30 days of unlimited nights and weekends service on PlatinumTel Hybrid, while the same card gives 450 mintutes and 120 days of service on the Dot10 plan.
- Cash Top-up: This option is available at participating retailers and allows the customer to load any refill amount between $10 and $150.
- SMS Add-on Cards/PINs: PlatinumTel offers SMS add-on top-ups in the amounts of $5, $10, $15 and $25. For example, the $10 SMS top-up comes with 500 messages. For more detail, visit the SMS Add-on page.
How about other billing information, such as 411 Directory Assistance, text messaging and web usage?
- SMS or Text messages are billed at a rate of 1 minute per message sent or received, even during unlimited nights and weekends hours (unless you have loaded an SMS Add-on card/PIN.)
- 411 Directory Assistance is billed at $2 per call in addition to regular airtime
- International Dialing: rates vary depending on destination using the International Dialing service offered by PlatinumTel. For more information, visit the International Rates page or contact the PlatinumTel Prepaid Wireless Customer Service Department at 866-CALL-ME-1.
Account Status and Information
How can I check my airtime balance?
To check your airtime balance or load more airtime, dial #ADD (#233) from your PlatinumTel phone (airtime rates apply), or dial 866-2-REFILL from any landline. You can also check your balance online by creating a PlatinumTel online account
Is there a minimum balance required to keep my account active?
In order to keep your account active, you must maintain a minimum balance of $1 on your account.
Why would my account get suspended?
- Your access days have expired. Access days are the days of service that you have prepaid for. Access days vary depending on your plan and the top-up card denomination you loaded onto your account.
- Your airtime balance is below the required minimum of $1.
- Fraudulent activity is suspected on the account such as cloning or extremely high usage (This is for your own protection). In this case, contact our Customer Service at 866-CALL-ME-1
Do my minutes carry over from month to month?
This depends on the product you have subscribed to. If your are on the PlatinumTel Hybrid plan, then the minutes
carry over for 90 days. For Dot 10 subscribers, the minutes are good for 120 days on all cards except the $100 card,
where the minutes are good for 365 days.
You should not confuse minute validity with access days. If minutes are valid for 120 days, you are still required to
have access days to use the minutes.
When will you cancel my account?
PlatinumTel extends a grace period of 30 days to its customers to redeem a new top-up card or PIN to maintain their service. If, after the expiration of your access days, you let a period of 30 days or longer elapse without loading another card or PIN, your account will be cancelled. In this case, if you still want to maintain PlatinumTel Prepaid cell phone service, you must visit a PlatinumTel retailer and will be assigned a new wireless number.
Free Services
Does PlatinumTel include free services when my account is created?
- Answering Service or Voicemail: (airtime rates apply if you check your voicemail directly from your PlatinumTel phone).
- Call Waiting: this service gives you the ability to receive a call even when engaged on another call.
- Call Identification: find out who is calling you.
- 3-Way Calling: this service gives you the ability to talk to two parties at the same time (airtime rates apply for both calls)
- Online Account Management: this service allows you to check your balance, view your call records, view your load history, add and remove services, as well as keep your information updated. To create your free online account, click here
3G Services
What are 3G Services?
3G Services are services that utilize a 3rd Generation network to transfer data to and from your PlatinumTel wireless handset. 3G is faster than existing 2G technologies on other networks (such as GSM EDGE). PlatinumTel currently offers 1xRTT and EVDO speeds available on capable handsets
What kind of 3G Services can I get on a PlatinumTel prepaid cell phone?
PlatinumTel offers web browsing, Picture Messages, Ringtones, Game and Wallpaper downloads. Subscriber must have a 3G-capable handset to enjoy these services
Do all phones support 3G services?
Not all handsets support 3G services. Visit our Phones section for a list of 3G-capable devices.
How much does it cost to use 3G Services?
There is a monthly recurring fee of $5.00 to get access to 3G services. You are then billed $.0025 per Kilobyte as you use 3G web services (that's one penny per 4 Kilobytes).
How much does it cost to download Ringtones, Games, and Wallpapers?
The cost varies depending on the download. Ringtones range from $2.00 to $4.00, while games cost a bit more. There is an additional surcharge fee of $.75 per download.
How can I add 3G services to my account?
To add 3G services to your account, please contact PlatinumTel Customer Service at 866-CALL-ME-1 or do so yourself by creating an online account.
How much does it cost to send and received pictures?
This depends on the size of the picture. You will only be billed for data usage when sending and receiving pictures.
Can I manage the pictures I send to my family and friends online?
Contact Information
How can I contact PlatinumTel?
- Talk to one of our friendly Customer Care Specialists by calling 866-CALL-ME-1.
- Send us a message using our Online Contact Form.
- Serve yourself by calling our Automated Interactive Voice Response System at 866-2-REFILL.
- Send an email with questions about our service to Customer Service.
- Send an email with sales questions to Sales.
- Send an email with general questions to General Inquiries.
What are your customer service hours?
Customer service is available during these times:
Monday - Saturday: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM (Central)
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Central)