For any person who actively uses mobile communications, the question of saving money on telephone payments always arises. You can save money in different ways: you can call less or choose a more favorable tariff, service, or mobile Internet option for yourself.
This can be done in the personal account of the telecom operator, which is not always convenient. Or using special USSD commands, SMS requests and calls to operator short numbers.
In this review, we will consider popular and useful commands and numbers for managing mobile communications for MTS, Beeline, Megafon, TELE 2 subscribers.
MTS USSD portal
It is important to know the most important USSD command of the MTS operator - `*111#`. This is the portal access code for managing your tariff plan and services. If you do not know other USSD commands, just remember this code, and you will be able to manage services, including with a zero account balance. The functionality of the portal almost replaces the “Personal Account”.
If you are using the portal for the first time and suddenly see unreadable characters on the screen, try switching to Russian using the command *111*6*1#.
Conveniently, outgoing SMS to 111 are not charged if you are in your home region, in intranet and international roaming.
Information, service, reference
Service numbers from the Tele2 operator are provided in order to obtain the necessary information about the tariff plan or service, balance, without the help of employees. The answer comes instantly. After entering the USSD command on Tele2, you just need to send the code using the call button. A short code usually consists of numbers, asterisks, and hash marks.
Name of service | Team |
Personal account balance | *105# |
Conditions of the tariff connected to the phone | *107# |
Name of the selected plan | *108# |
Cost of music selected along with the beep | *115# |
Prices for services and content | *125# |
Roaming prices within the tariff | *146# |
Availability of paid services connected by the subscriber | *153# |
Own phone number | *201# |
Setting up network access requires the correct approach. To obtain optimal parameters, you can enter *202#. Automatic Internet setup will occur when you use code 679 and press the call button.
A more flexible management process is provided in your personal account. But most subscribers prefer to enter a short number rather than search for the desired option on the website.
MTS service commands for balance control
The most popular USSD request for MTS is, of course, *100#, the balance check code. And if suddenly the number on the screen becomes an unpleasant surprise for you, ask the operator for a list of the last 5 paid transactions (code *152#) or a report on expenses for today (code *152*1#).
And if it’s convenient for you to have the balance of funds shown on the screen after each call, connect using the command *152*3#. The service is paid - 0.10 rubles per day.
You topped up your account through the terminal, but the money doesn’t arrive for a long time? You can control your deposits by requesting *152*4#.
Mobile subscription to number 0110
If it happened that money began to be debited from the account regularly, daily and in equal amounts, and the owner of the phone, it would seem, did nothing specifically for this, most likely a paid mobile subscription was issued to his number - read what this is below
Its essence is that the cellular user has somehow agreed to receive regular information for a fee, for example, you received an SMS on your phone from the above number with the text: “send SMS...”. At the same time, information such as: what kind of service, what kind of subscription, what kind of website, the cost of the subscription, how to delete a subscription or how to disable it is often not directly shown.
Someone, a partner of your operator, called a content provider in professional slang, supplies you with content for a fee:
- provides information
- provides a service by providing access to an online game, website, program, etc.
The operator finds himself on the sidelines, as he publicly warns on his website that yes, there is paid content, that it is provided by third-party organizations to which the operator itself has no connection.
No, except that he debits money from the subscriber’s account and he also provides the short number to the content provider.
In most cases, a short four-digit number 0110 is rented out by a mobile operator (Megafon, MTS, Beeline, Tele2), receiving a fee for it, and, as a rule, a percentage of the amounts paid by the owner of the phone in favor of the provider.
USSD requests from MTS with zero balance
MTS subscribers are never left without communication, because the operator provides them with several options for action when the money in their account runs out. For example, you can quickly top up your account from your bank card - the code *115# activates.
And if you don’t have time to look for a payment terminal, borrow money from the operator - dial *111*123# and use “Promised payment”, only your balance should not be less than 30 rubles. The operator will top up your account for 3 days with the amount you specify (up to 800 rubles).
Need to call someone, but your account balance is completely zero? Activate. Send the USSD command 110 to the number of the subscriber you are asking to call back #, and he will receive a missed call notification from you.
You can also ask your loved ones to top up your account by simply dialing 116 subscriber number # on your mobile phone - the called subscriber will receive an SMS message with your request. In these commands, the subscriber number can be dialed in any format. The same service can be activated through the universal number *111# by selecting “Top up my account” in the menu.
Voice numbers
Short voice commands can also be very useful for MTS subscribers. Using service numbers, users can solve any problem that arises. And also, using some of the numbers presented, you can order or disable options, resolve financial issues, switch to new tariffs, etc.:
- 0890 – MTS technical support;
- 8 800 2500890 – multi-channel MTS technical support telephone;
- 8 800 2500990 – technical support for corporate clients (multi-channel);
- +74957660166 – can be used to call the service center while in international roaming.
USSD services for managing services and tariffs
For owners of package tariffs of the Smart line, queries that allow you to find out the balances of packages are very relevant: to do this, just dial the useful command *100*1#. And to find out the remaining traffic when Internet options are connected, you need to dial *217#. However, now this command may not work on certain tariffs, and MTS offers to check the remaining traffic through your personal account. If you are participating in a limited-time promotion, you need to find out the remaining traffic and minutes via the command *100*2#.
How to add additional Internet traffic packages on any tariff? Activate the service using the USSD request *111*936#. There is no need to do this on the Smart line tariffs, where additional Internet is connected automatically.
If you like one of the MTS tariffs, you can use USSD short numbers to switch to it. For example, for the My Smart tariff the code is *111*3888#, for Ultra - *111*777*1#. If at some point you only use your phone for infrequent calls, you can temporarily activate the “Per Second” tariff using the code *111*881#. For each tariff, you can find a short number on the operator’s website by clicking on the red “I want this tariff” button.
Useful Beeline commands and numbers
Customer Support Center - 0611
. Call from a phone or Beeline SIM card.
Beeline voice numbers:
Telephone Account Balance Information: 0697
Find out the balance of unused packages of minutes, SMS, Internet - 0697
"My Beeline" - 0674
Interactive guide to - 0604
Interactive guide to information and entertainment - 0605
New items: tariffs, services, opportunities! — 0606
Information about available services with a zero balance - 0640 12
Find out about discounts in roaming - 0676
Connect and configure Mobile Internet - 0717
Blacklist service - 0603
Top up your account with a bank card - 0533
Directory of intercity and international codes - 0650 50
Top up the balance of another Beeline number - 0640 44
Find out the balance of another Beeline number - 06409
Send money to another number - 0640 46
Set up Autopayment - 0640 12
Programs that can make free calls within their network or call at low rates to landline and mobile numbers in Russia and abroad more details...
Mobile consultant
"Mobile consultant"
is an automatic voice system for informing Beeline subscribers. This answering machine can dictate to you the features of your tariff plan, tell you the amount of your bill, and allow you to connect or disconnect the service you need.
You can call the “Mobile Consultant” at the number - 0611
Rules for working with the Mobile Consultant:
To listen to the message again, press the number 9
;
Listen to the information from the previous paragraph, press #
;
go to the Main Menu, click *
.
USSD requests, Beeline commands.
After entering the command, press the green tube -
Call
.
Beeline main USSD menu - *111#
By moving through this menu, going into various sections, you can connect and disconnect services, set up mobile communications and the Internet.
Find out about connected paid services - *110*09#
How much do calls and internet cost on your tariff? *110*05#
Find out your number - *110*10#
Information about the balance on the phone:
Balance: - *102#
or #102#
Balance for postpaid subscribers, this request is free and available in roaming - *110*321#
Find out the balance of unused packages of minutes, SMS, Internet - *106#
, *107#, *108#
Information about remaining minutes/SMS — *110*06#
For postpaid subscribers, the amount of issued and unpaid invoices is *110*04#
Setting a “personal threshold” for expenses, for postpaid subscribers - *110*41*threshold amount#
For Beeline clients: Beeline Tariffs, Beeline Services, Mobile Internet, Beeline Roaming, Help Center, Sending SMS and MMS to Beeline, Service Centers, Coverage Map.
Popular services: Promised payment, Mobile transfer, Payment by bank card, Personal account.
Popular questions: How to find out the remaining traffic, How to find out your number and tariff, How to check your balance, Transfers from Beeline to Beeline, How to top up your account with a loan.
MTS USSD requests for managing SMS messages
The MTS operator offers advanced message management using the new SMS Pro service. The subscriber can set up message forwarding, auto replies, group contacts and much more. You can activate the service using the code *111*2320# (service with a daily subscription fee). To ban MTS informational and advertising messages, dial *111*374#.
For those who communicate a lot via SMS, it is more profitable to buy message packages. This can also be done using USSD commands. For example, to periodically connect SMS package 100 you need to dial *111*0100#, package 300 - *111*0300#. Previously, it was possible to activate unlimited messages using the code *111*2230#, for which a daily subscription fee of 10 rubles was charged, but now the service is archived.
The “Night SMS Drive” option for unlimited messaging only at night can be activated using the code *111*2133#.
Short numbers
Created: 2007-09-03 Updated: 2012-04-22
Want to know what a “short number” is? Call 4664*! (* call cost - 5 UAH/minute)
In this article:
- Where do short codes come from and what are they used for?
- How calls to short numbers and SMS to short numbers are switched
- How to charge calls/SMS to short numbers. How does “cutting the dough” happen?
- How to get a short number and build your own lunar module, provide services with blackjack and whores
Where do short codes come from and what are they used for?
Services that exploit the base instincts and aspirations of a person (get the illusion of sex over the phone, listen to the race forecast, find out the weather forecast or horoscope) appeared, perhaps, earlier than any type of telephone communication. It (telephone communication) gave a powerful impetus to the development of these services, making them more accessible to the general population. Mobile communications have made these services available almost always: a person does not even need to look for the nearest phone to gain access to the desired information, because He always has his phone with him.
However, providers of such services quickly found out that there are not enough “beautiful” numbers (such as 555-0000) for everyone, and the client cannot keep “ugly” numbers in his head for long enough. What is there! - even “beautiful” numbers disappear from your mind during the day, especially if you have to dial them “with all the regalia” in the form of a country code and network code.
The solution would be a number that is short enough so that the client can remember it for a long time and repeatedly access the service without unnecessary reminders in the form of repeated advertising.
Service providers quickly reached an agreement with mobile operators, and so-called short numbers
, which is now universally associated with naked women and immeasurable spending on a mobile phone.
How calls are switched to short numbers
When you call a short number, the switchboard that services your call “replaces” the short number you dialed with some “long” one. Which one is indicated in its broadcast table. As a rule, at this long number there is a multi-channel PBX and a division of young ladies providing you with services, or an automatic answering machine that replaces these young ladies.
Since number conversion is performed by the switch that serves the calling party, specific short numbers are available only within the network of a specific operator. If the advertisement says “short number XYZ for subscribers of networks A, B, C”, then this means that the service company got involved and staked out the same short number from three operators. In principle, the same applies to SMS.
How calls to short numbers are charged
The CDR about the call will contain both numbers - the one dialed by the subscriber and the one to which the call was forwarded. The billing system will “know” that a call to such and such a short number is charged at a special (premium) rate.
In the case of IN charging, all outgoing calls/SMS always and unconditionally go through the IN platform, which can “see” the short number and withdraw the corresponding amount of money.
As you can see, everything is simple with calls
How SMS messages are switched to short numbers
When you send an SMS (any), it goes to the SMSC, which decides what to do with it - deliver it to the recipient immediately or a little later, transfer it to another SMSC, etc.
SMSC can be configured in such a way that it will “give” all SMS addressed to a short number to some third-party system.
This third party system is hosted by the service provider. It is she who, in response to the SMS “KARTINKA 1432”, sends you an MMS with the desired picture, or does something similar.
There are several ways to send SMS to a third-party system. Which one will be chosen in each specific case depends on the policy of the mobile operator and the capabilities of the system providing the service.
The most popular ways to send an SMS with a “request” are:
- connection via the “native” SMPP protocol (simple message passing protocol);
- connection via the sms2email gate (SMSC sends the SMS body via email, and the service system receives and processes it);
- connection through some kind of “homemade” gate, located at the operator company and working according to its own “homemade” protocol.
However, issuing a request is not enough - you also need to receive a response from the service system and deliver it to the subscriber.
The answer I can give is:
- SMS with text (horoscope, weather forecast, joke)
- SMS with WAP-PUSH link (a special SMS that initiates a WAP connection to the address specified in the body of the SMS). Thus, as a rule, ringtones and Java games are “given away”.
- MMS with picture
As a rule, the same interface is used to send SMS as for receiving them (i.e. if we receive them via SMPP, then we send them via SMPP, etc.)
To connect to the MMSC, either some “native” protocol (MM3, MM7) or gates of varying degrees of customization are used.
How to charge SMS to short numbers
Firstly, with very rare exceptions, a fee is charged for sending the request
to a short number (based on CDR records from SMSC), and not for obtaining the expected result.
Why? Because, as a rule, the logic of the service provided is hidden from the mobile operator. He provides transportation, and the service provider company handles the rest. It is she who decides what the process of providing services should look like - what and in what quantities is sent in response to a request, how quickly, etc.
Charging a fee for delivery of the result assumes that the mobile operator is aware of the “flow of events” associated with a particular service, and has on its side some kind of system that monitors the development of events: whether the client has not reached his “dialogue” with service to the point where it can be charged?
It is clear that changing the way the service is provided will require modifications on the part of the mobile operator. This is inconvenient for neither the operator nor the service company. Therefore, fees are charged “at the entrance” and not “at the exit”.
Naturally, in the event of failures in the “service company – mobile operator” connection, with this approach to pricing, the client does not receive the paid service. This, however, has little effect on the popularity of “short numbers” among the subscriber base.
How does “cutting the dough” happen?
The subscriber calls or sends SMS to a short number.
CDR about this event is included in the rating/billing or charged to SCP.
Accordingly, the subscriber pays X rubles to the operator (or his balance is reduced by X rubles, which is not significant).
Once a month, the mobile operator does “content provider billing”, counting the number of calls/SMS to short numbers of each service company. Based on these calculations, the amount of money that the mobile operator transfers to the service company is formed. Thus, the service company is relieved of the need to do (and certify) its billing.
For providing a short number (since the number of positions in the broadcast tables is limited), SMS or voice transport and “billing”, the operator retains a part of the income, sometimes quite significant.
How to get a short number and provide services
The most difficult question
Firstly, you may need licenses/permits to carry out the type of activity that is usually hidden behind short numbers, but this is a separate conversation that we will not touch on.
As for getting a short number and connecting to an operator, a simple rule applies - the larger the mobile operator, the more difficult it is to connect to it “directly”. You may have to deal with intermediary firms that are solely engaged in connecting service offices to operators through their information systems/signal flows.
You will have to pay a certain amount of money monthly for a short number, so if the service is not popular, it will be unprofitable.
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Dedicated or shared short code?
The limited number of suitable and convenient short numbers has given rise to the phenomenon of shared short numbers. As opposed to dedicated numbers, which are yours and yours alone for the entire rental period, shared numbers can be used by multiple companies at the same time. How does the system determine which company the request is addressed to? Code words or prefixes are used to identify requests. For example, a message with code word “A” to number 2222 is sent to one provider, and with code word “B” to the same number - to another.
There are both advantages and disadvantages to using shared short codes. Among the advantages are low cost compared to dedicated numbers, speed of receipt (if the provider already has an agreement with the operator, you can use the number immediately). However, restrictions on the request text make the service less convenient for subscribers; the choice of tariffs for such a short number will also be limited. However, shared short numbers are a good solution if little traffic is planned, the project needs to be launched very urgently, or the project is a pilot; its task is to evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign as a whole with minimal risks for the invested funds.
An interesting solution to the lack of comfortable rooms was proposed in the West and then began to be used in Russia. Instead of a combination of numbers, you can use a combination of letters: for example, the word beer (beer) is easy to remember. In numerical terms (on the phone keypad) beer will be the number 2337, which at first glance is not the most successful. Using such words can be effective for marketing campaigns for products and services.