Premium rate telephone numbers have in the past attracted negative publicity because they were associated with fraudulent schemes such as bogus prize draws or premium services such as sex chat lines. But more recently, consulates and embassies have started introducing 190X numbers for incoming calls, and now individuals, communities and charities are discovering premium rate telephone numbers to be an ideal income generator for themselves. Here are some examples:-
Individuals – Register your premium rate telephone number with insurance companies, banks, credit card companies and all those other annoying people who call you up on the telephone and try to sell you something. You keep them on the phone as long as possible!*
For charities and communities, organize a free-ad web site or a news letter where the vendor’s telephone number is replaced by a premium rate telephone number which is linked to the vendor’s phone. This not only help to protect the identity of the vendor (who still deals with the incoming call and any transaction), but also raises valuable income for your organization.
Individually or collectively you could offer helpline facilities, host a recorded message service (for the weather, today’s horoscope, recent lottery winning numbers etc.) or simply form a community amongst yourselves where the proceeds generated from talking on the phone to each other are donated to a charity chosen between the participants of the group.
*Under current legislation, the maximum amount you can charge per minute is $5.50 with a ceiling of $38.50 per call. You will not get to keep all the $5.50 per minute for yourself, as income is shared with the service provider.
Details of premium rate services can be found by contacting companies such as www.mediatel.com, www.doatec.com or www.promotel.net or from your local service provider.
This is a guest article contributed by Melissa Tamura, who writes about online accounting degrees on the Zen College Life blog. She would love to hear from you at melissatamura@gmail.com
