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?
Can I use the phone number I had with a different carrier with PlatinumTel?
Yes, you may port your existing phone number from a different carrier to PlatinumTel. This process can take 24-72 hours. To port your number to PlatinumTel, you need to contact PlatinumTel Customer Service at 866-CALL-ME-1.
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 5 cents per minute on Real Paygo plans
and 10 cents per minute on Hybrid plans. PlatinumTel also offers an Unlimited Talk and Text plan.
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 card onto your PlatinumTel Android Unlimited Talk and Text account will in fact add $60 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, and the Unlimited Talk Plans .
How many different types of prepaid cards does PlatinumTel offer?
- Airtime Top-up Cards/PINs: Available in $10, $20, $30, $45, $50, $60, and $100 denominations, these cards and/or PINs work across multiple products depending on the plan offered. For example, a $30 card gives you 300 minutes, 300 SMS, 30 MB of 3G Web, and 30 days of unlimited nights and weekends service on PlatinumTel Hybrid, while the same card gives 600 mintutes and 180 days of service on the Real Paygo plan. The same $30 card gives those subscribed to the Unlimited Talk and Text plan 20 days of service.
- 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 and $10. For example, the $10 SMS top-up comes with 1500 messages on the Hybrid plan.
- Data Add-on Cards/PINs: PlatinumTel offers Data add-on top-ups in the amount of $5 and two types of $10 cards/PINs: $10 Data card for Hybrid (giving the user 100 Megabytes for 30 days), and the $10 Data card for Unlimited (giving the user 2 Gigabytes of web access and picture messaging for 30 days)
How about other billing information, such as 411 Directory Assistance and International dialing?
- 411 Directory Assistance is billed at $1.29 per call in addition to regular airtime across all plans
- 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
You can also check your balance by sending a text message to 9080 with the word "BAL" in the body of the message. Text messaging rates apply.
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 Real Paygo or Hybrid account, and a minimum of $1.5 on your Unlimited Talk and Text 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.
- 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
- Tethering or misuse of Unlimited Data capabilities. Unlimited Data services are extended to subscribers for use directly from their handset. Connecting your laptop or desktop computer to your PlatinumTel phone to access the Internet is not allowed.
- Any violation of PlatinumTel's terms and conditions
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 Real Paygo subscribers, the minutes are good for 365 days on all plans.
You should not confuse minute validity with access days or service days. If minutes are valid for 90 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.
If your Real Paygo account is inactive for a consecutive total of 60 days, the account will be disabled.
Bring Your Phone Number to Us
Can I transfer my existing phone number to Platinumtel
What is Local Number Portability or LNP?
What is the process to port my number?
- Eligibility check to determine if the number is in our calling area,
- Signing of the LOA (letter of authorization) authorizing PlatinumTel to port the number on your behalf, and
- Port request, which is sent to the old service provider to verify if you are eligible to port (account needs to be active and information provided should be accurate).
How long will the process take?
Do I have to deactivate my account with my old service provider?
Will I be able to use my existing handset?
Will features convert from one carrier to another?
Do I continue to pay my existing carrier during the port in process?
What information will I need in order to bring my number to PlatinumTel?
- Phone number being ported,
- Full name,
- Home address,
- Account number (if applicable)
- Password (if applicable)
Free Services
Does PlatinumTel include free services when my account is created?
- 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?
The cost for 3G use differs based on the plan or product you subscribe to. Please visit our prepaid plans page for 3G use rates.
What are Kilobytes?
Kilobytes are a measure for the size of a web page being visited or digital item being downloaded. The larger the page (the more text, pictures and videos in contains) the more Kilobytes are used.
What is a 150 Megabytes
150 Megabytes is the total of 3G web services that may be used when loading $45 on to your Unlimited Talk/Text account. 150 Megabytes = 153600 Kilobytes. Once the 150 Megabytes is depleted, you will incur regular data browsing charges. For additional web access allotments, you may load additional Data PINs onto your plan.
My 3G service is not working properly, what should I do?
Please contact a Customer Service specialist at 866-CALL ME-1 from a phone line other than your PlatinumTel line to walk through troubleshooting steps. We will be happy to assist you.
For plans with fixed per-Megabyte rates, how will I get billed if I use a few Kilobytes at a time?
The minimum amount billed for data usage is 1¢. To be fair to our customers, we do not round up data billing, instead your usage is accrued until there is enough data usage to bill a full 1¢.
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 $.25 per download.
How can I add 3G services to my account?
3G services are added to your account at the time of activations. Should you need to block 3G services from your account, you may contact our Customer Service Department at 866-CALL-ME-1.
How much does it cost to send and receive pictures?
Visit our plans page for picture messaging rates as they are different for each plan
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.
- Chat with one of our friendly Customer Care Specialists by clicking the "Chat With Us" link found at the very top of the web site.
- 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)
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