FAQ: Learn More About #250

What is #250?

This is what #250 is all about…

#250 is a speed dial that works on all major mobile phone carriers in the US and Canada.  All callers connect to our platform that prompts the caller to say the keyword they were ask to use in an advertisement.

The combination of the #250 number and a simple-to-remember keyword (much easier to remember than some random 10-digit toll-free or other number) allows us to:

  • Immediately connect the caller to the advertiser’s customer representative or front desk; or,
  • Send the caller an SMS TXT message with links to the advertiser’s website, click-to-dial number, or even mobile coupons. The caller may even be offered the opportunity to opt-in to receive future offers via TXT.

How much does it cost?

Curious about the investment?

There is a fixed monthly fee per reserved spoken keyword and per designated market area (DMA) based on the relative size of the population of the DMA.  While each advertising campaign is different based on the size of the DMA(s), a general rule of thumb is that it usually correlates to about 5-10% of the charge for radio air time.  If your campaign is planned for nationally-syndicated programming, the monthly charge is higher than a single DMA, but the quoted amount will be a fixed monthly fee.  If you would like a price quote for your contemplated campaign, we would be pleased to discuss pricing for your campaign.

Can I use my car’s Bluetooth to dial #250?

This will depend on your specific Bluetooth.  It works on most Bluetooth setups, but make sure you say “Dial Pound Two Five Zero” to have the best chance for success.

Can Siri on my iPhone dial #250?

No.  Siri is not currently programmed to recognize the # (pound) key as part of a phone number.

However, most automotive Bluetooth systems do understand the pound sign, so you can, for example, press the Bluetooth button on your steering wheel and say “dial pound two five zero.”

#250 doesn’t work when I dial it. How come?

First of all, #250 only works on mobile phone, so it you tried from a landline phone, it wasn’t supposed to work.

#250 works on all the major mobile carriers, nationwide, as well as several of the smaller regional carriers.  If you are using a very small carrier, it may not work.  It is also possible that #250 might not work if you are roaming off your primary carrier’s network.

Does it cost me anything to call #250?

No special fees.  It will consume regular air-time in your mobile calling plan.  If you have an unlimited calling plan, all the better!   You may be asked permission to send you a one-time text message from the advertiser.  If you say “yes,” you’ll receive that text message and be charged (or not) according to your mobile calling and texting plan.

I tried #250 and it did not recognize what I was attempting to say.

Occasionally the #250 listener cannot quite understand what you say.  This is usually caused by one of the following situations.

  • Keyword not set up. In order for #250 to act on a spoken keyword, that keyword must be set up in the system beforehand.
  • Background noise. If you are in a loud setting such as a sporting event, noisy restaurant or a car with a lot of people speaking, the listener may have difficulty deciphering your voice from the noise.  Turn down your radio or cup your hand over the phone and try again.
  • If you are attempting to use your cell phone on speaker mode, make sure you wait for the greeting to complete before attempting to speak the keyword. Some cell phones naturally mute the microphone while sound is coming through, which occasionally results in only part of the spoken keyword coming through.  Waiting for the greeting to complete prior to speaking the keyword should resolve this.

Why couldn’t I just get my own Short Dialing Code such as #450 and do this on my own?

There is nothing to prevent you from doing that, but the amount of work involved in going to every major mobile carrier and all the regional cell carriers and finding the same mobile speed dial that happens to be available on ALL of those carriers is prohibitive.  In fact, because mobile speed dial numbers are not formal service/product offerings for the mobile carriers, they are extremely fragmented, which means there are likely very few mobile speed dial numbers available that happen to be “provisionable” on every carrier.  Additionally, just securing the mobile speed dial number is only one piece of the puzzle.  The #250 platform is highly integrated, combining the mobile speed dial number with a programmable Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) platform to provide extreme flexibility for a wide variety of user preferences.

Why do I need #250 when Siri can answer my questions?

Siri is awesome but…

Siri is a great utility that works only on iPhones and, while that utility is capable of helping to find phone numbers, it produces a long list of possible phone numbers rather than the specific number the advertiser needs you to call to get the information or offer they were talking about in the advertisement.

The same principle applies for Google Voice Search, Microsoft Cortana, Amazon Alexa, etc.

And… not all handsets or mobile browsers will allow you to “click to dial” the phone numbers shown on your screen.  And… you have to be looking at your screen, which is not a great idea while driving.

Makes more sense to dial #250 with your car’s Bluetooth, say the keyword, and get connected to the advertiser – all while keeping your eyes on the road!

Can Alexa (Echo) dial #250?

Yes, and no.  Echo cannot dial #250, but you can ask Alexa to dial 1-888-725-0250 which will connect to our platform, and you’ll hear the usual greeting and prompt to say a keyword. You’ll be connected to the advertiser just as if you had dialed #250 from your mobile phone.

Register Your #250 Keywords Now!