Programming Calling Cards into Cellular Phones

Programming Calling Cards into Cellular Phones

Result: Have your local access number and PIN entered with the push of a speed-dial button on your cellular phone.

Why: Programming a calling card into your cell phone means that you do not need to fumble around for local access numbers or your PIN, which can be a time-consuming task. In order to do this, you will need to know a little about advanced phone book entries on your cellular phone. The problem with placing a basic phone book entry (i.e. a series of numbers) is that there must be an “inserted pause” between the access number and the PIN.

How it will work:
1. User presses speed dial #
2. Phone dials xxx-xxx-xxxx (access number) [PAUSE] xxxxxxxxxxxxx (PIN number)
3. User hears: “Please dial your destination number”

If you always dial the same long distance number you can append another [PAUSE] after the PIN number is inserted and then store in the long distance number to be called. Advanced phone users can even create multiple phone book entries to enable dialing different long distance numbers with the same stored calling card.

Which calling cards work best:

High dollar value calling cards:
You’re taking the time to program the card into your phone and want it to last a long time.

Calling cards with no connection fees:
Assuming you want to make multiple calls

Calling cards with free state-wide or province-wide local access.
No matter where you are in the province, your new speed dial will work and you won’t be paying an 800 number premium on the card. Such cards include: CiCi and Gold calling card, which are both available at Phone Card Depot.

How to Create Advanced Phone Book Entries:

Example Phone: Motorola StarTAC 7868*
*this proceedure is similar for most new cellular phones as well.

Action: Enter the calling card’s local access number
Result: The numbers appear on the display

Action: Press FCN (Menu or Func) then use the directional pad to select “Insert Pause”
Result: The number “0” or the letter “P” is typically inserted into sequence

Action: Enter the PIN number (the sequence of numbers to follow the pause)
Result: The numbers are added to the sequence

Action: Press “STO” or “menu -> store number”
Result: The calling card and PIN will be stored in memory

Using Pause Dialling
Action: Enter the memory location and press send (or select new number from address book)
Result: You will hear: key tones, [PAUSE], key tones, “Enter your destination number”

Troubleshooting
“Incorrect PIN” messages may be caused after you try your speed-dial if the pause is not long enough. In this case, you likely need to put one (or two) more pauses in the sequence. i.e. Local Access [pause] [pause] [pause] PIN because the pause may not be long enough.

Some cellular phones have a limit on how many numbers can be added to the dialling sequence. If you run out of space you will have to “memory link”. This is just a fancy word for “store the rest in another memory slot” so, for example. Enter just the local access number in one speed-dial, then enter the PIN as a completely different speed dial entry. You will need to activate the second speed-dial entry (the one with the PIN) manually once the first speed-dial entry (the one with the local access number) is finished dialling.

Enjoy.