Have a question? Call Us at: 800.908.2337 or Text us using the Text Bar at the bottom of this page.

FAQs

1. How do I send a page?

1. Call your pager phone number

2. After the beep tones or voicemail greeting, type in the phone number that you would like to display on the pager, then press the pound sign on your telephone keypad (#). You will hear a series of fast beeps, you may then hang up.

3. If the pager has voicemail and you would like to leave a voice message, wait for the tone, leave a short message, then hang up. Do not press the pound sign (#) if leaving voicemail. Only press # if typing in a number.

last updated - 2011-04-09 02:27:51

2. How do I use, setup, retrieve my Voicemail, Custom VoicePrompt, Numeric Retrieval and Page Forwarding?

Voicemail and Numeric Retrieval instructions:

1. Dial your pager phone number.

2. Enter 0 while operator is speaking.

3. Enter your 4 digit access code after operator voice asks for it.

4. Enter 11 for greeting mode.

5. Enter 30 to begin recording.

6. Press 1 to stop recording

7. Enter 40 if you would like to listen to your new greeting message.

The above steps (4,5,6,7) are required only to set up the message that your callers will hear (custom voiceprompt) when they dial your pager number.

To listen to your messages follow steps 1,2, and 3 then hit 3 to hear messages you may also hit the * key on your phone for a help message that lists all available options.
When your pager beeps with your own pager phone number, this is your indication that someone has left a voice message. If a caller just wants to leave a numeric message, they do not have to wait for your entire greeting to play, they can begin dialing their phone number as soon as your greeting begins.

If you would like to change your voicemail access code: enter your current access code, dial 173, then your new 4 digit access code and finally #. Your new access code will then be active.

If you would like to access numeric retrieval, follow steps 1,2 and 3, then dial 14, then 3 to listen the numeric pages that were sent to your pager.
The system will retain up to the last 15 numeric pages sent.

If you have the page forward option enabled, follow steps 1, 2 and 3, the dial 16, then dial 6 and enter the pager number to be forwarded and the # sign ( only enter the last 7 digits of the pager number ) To cancel page forward follow steps 1 - 4 and press 3 to cancel call forward.
 

last updated - 2009-11-26 11:46:01

3. How long does it take to receive my pager once I order and pay for it?

If paying by credit or debit card. Your order will usually ship within 7 business days.

Order processsing time varies based on the number of orders within our order processing que, the time of the year including holiday shipping volume and the number of orders that are designated for next day air, express mail and 2nd day air as well as large quantity orders

Once shipped, it may take another 4 to 7 days for your pager to arrive via our first class mail shipping option.

Some areas of the USA are still experiencing shipping delays at the post office. It is not unusual for shipping to take additional time beyond 7 days.

If you are in a rush but do not want to pay a lot for shipping, you may choose priority mail which usually takes 2 to 3 days from the day we ship. 
If you need your pager immediately, choose 2nd day or next day air, we will try our hardest to ship the same day if we receive your order by 4pm. Next day air orders take priority over all orders in our system. 

If mailing in a check or money order, first we have to receive the check/money order, then there will be an automatic 10 business day hold while we wait for your payment to clear.
Then the normal processing and delivery time. 
This is the slowest possible way to order, so as long as you are not in a rush, no problem.

last updated - 2013-11-15 08:01:13

4. I just switched to a new iPhone or updated the IOS on my existing Iphone and now my virtual pager is not working with the pager app. What do I need to do?

The latest version of the pager app allows your pager phone number to simply transfer to the newly installed app as long as you log in with the email address and password originally set up on the pager app 

last updated - 2020-01-12 08:05:20

5. I placed an order online. I used my credit/debit card. The funds were put on hold by my bank, yet you declined my order. How come?

If paying by credit/debit card or paypal... Please make sure the billing address entered is exactly the same as your credit/debit card billing address or payment will automatically be declined.

If an incorrect address is entered, a payment authorization hold of up to 10 business days may be placed on your credit/debit card by your bank even though the sale will be declined.

If for any reason the email address entered is incorrect, we will cancel your order and refund. As an online retailer, we communicate important information via email including order details, tracking information, service alerts, billing and other important information. If you gave us a wrong email address from the start, we will not be able to communicate with you and therefore, will not be able to fulfill your order.

In addition, to protect against credit card fraud, DirectPage is only permitted to ship to the billing address of your credit/debit card.

This security policy has saved innocent customer's thousands of dollars over the years from internet fraud. Since most credit card thieves don't live at the actual billing address of your credit/debit card, our policy prohibits us from shipping to an alternate address. Unless their is "friendly fraud" involved where a household member uses a credit/debit card without authorization of the credit/debit card holder, our policy protects most purchases from credit/debit card fraud.

Occasionally, we receive legitimate orders where the billing address is different than the shipping address. If this is the case and you are unable to allow shipment to the billing address, please pay by check or money order and once payment clears, we will allow shipment to an alternate address or contact your card issuing bank and add the shipping address to your card profile and then notify us by phone at 1-877-472-4370 ext 1 of your bank contact and their phone number with extension for manual authorization.

Finally, some customers think that we are unable to ship to a po box where their credit/debit card statements are mailed. DirectPage does ship to po boxes via US Mail, Priority Mail and Express Mail so this will not cause a problem.
 

last updated - 2010-02-08 11:53:37

6. What is junior voicemail, custom voiceprompt and numeric retrieval mean? I see you offering them free with a prepaid annual service plan as a special.

Voicemail works like an answering machine and enables your caller to leave a verbal message, the pager will alert you as soon as message is left on your voicemail. You would then call from a phone to listen to the voicemail message.

Numeric Retrieval allows you to listen to the last 15 numeric pages that were sent to your pager, great if you accidentally erased a page or were outside of your coverage area.

Custom VoicePrompt allows you to record a custom greeting up to 15 seconds in length that your callers will hear when they call your pager phone number as opposed to the generic voice prompt that says "Please enter your numeric message at the sound of the tone" Also includes Numeric Retrieval.

Junior VoiceMail holds up to 5 messages for up to 12 hours (storage time is paging carrier dependent) with a 15 second message length and 15 second outgoing greeting
 

last updated - 2013-11-15 08:02:05

7. What's the difference between 1 way numeric, 1 way alphanumeric, 2 way and virtual pagers?

1 way numeric allow you to receive a message with just numbers. A page is sent from any touch tone phone and the numbers dialed in will appear on the pager. They are called 1 way because the pager can only receive a message but cannot respond or "text" back.

1 way alphanumeric pagers allow both numbers and letters to appear on the pager display. Numeric messages are sent by phone the same way 1 way numeric pagers receive messages. The pager also has it's own email address and a message with words or words and numbers can simply be emailed to the pager with up to about 200 characters and spaces. They are called 1 way because the pager can only receive a message but cannon respond or "text" back.

2 way pagers can do everything that 1 way pagers can do, but they can also respond back via text message (if enabled) or via email. The original 2 way pagers work on their own proprietary 2 way paging network and do not rely on cellphone towers. The downside is that they are very sensitive to signal reception and may or may not be able to send and receive as you move around. Coverage is limited to major cities and some suburbs of those cities. The time it takes to send and receive a message is also very slow compared to text messaging on cell phones.

Our newest 2 way pagers are from Zipit Wireless and the reception is very good and coverage is much more vast compared to traditional paging. The Zipit Wireless devices also work on in building wi-fi networks in the event a cellular signal is weak inside a building, the Zipit devices can automatically switch between cellular and wifi.

Virtual Paging can be programmed as either 1 way numeric, 1 way alphanumeric or two way via the Zipit Confirm app for iPhone or Android phones. Essentially, pages are sent to a phone as either a text message or an email instead of a pager. Since there is no physical pager, we call this virtual paging as your phone becomes your pager. The benefit is that you no longer need to carry a pager and a phone but you still have the privacy and urgency that a separate pager phone number offers. Virtual paging has become our fastest growing category as most people carry a cell phone and do not need a separate device to receive paged messages.

last updated - 2014-08-09 05:32:42

8. How do you know what area code and exchange I need for my pager?

We base the local number and coverage area on the city/state that we are sending the pager to.
So for example, if you live in Los Angeles, California, we will assign a local number for Los Angeles along with Southern California coverage, but if you live in Los Angeles and want a local number for another city/state or coverage for another city or state, contact us before ordering to make sure we can program the pager just the way you want. If you need help, we are just a phone call away at 1-877-472-4370 ext 2 for customer support.

last updated - 2009-09-09 04:06:00

9. Do you have a glossary of terms related to pagers?

DirectPage Glossary...

Address Book Input name, address, and phone numbers into the pager's memory.

Alarm Clock Alarm can be set to alert at a pre-selected time.

Alphanumeric Text and Numbers instead of just numbers

Auto On/Off The pager can be set to turn off daily at a pre-selected time for a specified duration. After this duration, the pager will automatically turn on again. User Selectable

Auto Backlight Backlight turns on automatically when the pager detects insufficient light. Backlight turns on automatically when the pager detects insufficient light.

Auto Retry Automatically resends your message up to 3 times when the line is busy.

Automatic Signature Capability Program your Smart Pager to automatically add your name to every message being sent.

Batch Paging Sends multiple pages in one phone call, limiting phone line usage.

Battery Gauge An icon in the display will specify the battery voltage level.

Bookmark Set a bookmark when reading an Information Update; upon re-entering, the message will begin where the bookmark was set.

Button Operation Allows you to play, reverse, fast forward, pause, lock and delete messages all with dedicated buttons.

Call Status Detects busy signals and monitors message delivery progress.

Caller ID If the sender's name and number is programmed into your pager's memory, the pager will ID the sender for you.

Canned Messages Canned messages are short messages that you preprogram in the pager. When you receive a message, you can reply with one of the canned messages, such as 'yes', 'on my way', etc.

Character-to-Number Translator Easily enter phone numbers that use text. Just type in the actual letters and the it will automatically translate it to the appropriate number.

Custom Power Up Prompts A programmable prompt (i.e. typically a carrier name) that is displayed for approximately 2 seconds when the pager is turned on.

Dash Insertion The pager will insert a dash after the area code (i.e. after the 3rd digit in a 10-digit message).

Date Stamping The incoming message will be stamped with the date when it is received. The date will be displayed at the end of the message.

Day of Week The day of the week will be displayed on the standby screen.

Dedicated On/Off Button Allows you to turn the pager on and off easily with one button.

Display Message Number The number of the message received will appear in the icon display.

Disable All Alerts All audible and vibration alerts are disabled; therefore, the pager will never alert.

Duplicate Message Detection Duplicate Messages are stored in the same memory slot as the original message - saving memory space for new messages. The latest timestamp is used and a Duplicate prompt is displayed when the message is read.

Erase All All read, unprotected messages may be erased at once.

Error Correction Automatically corrects message errors.

Event Alarm Messages saved to the event list can have a daily or one-time alarm set at a specific time to remind you of the event.

Event List Save messages with specific times and dates that you want to remember such as birthdays or anniversaries.

FLEX

last updated - 2009-07-07 09:53:53

10. How do you send an email text message to a DirectPage one way alphanumeric pager or how do you send a text using a 2-way pager?

Frequencies 929.6125 and 929.6625:

10 digit pager phone number @usamobility.net


Frequency 929.9375 

10 digit pager phone number @amsmsg.net or @myairmail.com

To send an sms text message using a Motorola T900 or Sun Telecom T52 2-way pager:

You may send text messages to cell phones by using the following format and entering it in the pager as a wireless address sms:cellphone #. For example, to send a message to cell phone number 212-555-1212, enter as a wireless address: sms:2125551212

Be sure to type sms: <<<<(that's a colon after the letters sms) before the 10 digit cell phone number with no space just as it's typed above.

last updated - 2020-02-21 09:41:29

11. How come I am receiving a bill for pager service? I paid for the service when I purchased my pager!

You will automatically receive a renewal bill that is due one month before service is scheduled for disconnection.

If you no longer need service, just send us a short email with your account and/or pager phone number as well as your name and address requesting service disconnection.

The majority of our customers depend on their DirectPage pager service and do not want service interrupted, therefore we send renewal bills allowing enough time for our customers to schedule payment ahead of time.

If the renewal payment is not received, we will disconnect your pager automatically with no further obligation other than overcall fees if any.

last updated - 2009-09-09 04:06:50

12. I never received a renewal bill and you shut my pager off, how come?

DirectPage makes every effort possible to contact you for service renewal.

First, at least 20 days before your bill is due, we send an E-Bill or Payment Invoice which allows you to pay by credit/debit card directly through the invoice and at your OPTION, allows you to set up your account for automatic payments.  If you choose printed bills to be mailed to you via the US Post office for an additional fee of $1.20 per billing cycle, they are sent out at least one month before your bill is actually due.   Accounts set up for 12 or 24 month prepaid billing will receive their e-bill, payment invoice or mailed printed bill at least 3 months before the billing due date to allow time for account changes that may be required.

2nd, At least twice before the billing due date, we send an emailed "friendly reminder" message reminding you about your pending due date. Customers set up for e-mailed payment invoice will receive at least 2 more reminder emails if they have not paid by the due date.

3rd. If we do not receive payment by the due date, we send a "did you forget to pay your pager renewal?" email reminder followed by service suspension and service disconnect emails if still not paid.

4th, We also send a hard copy friendly payment reminder to your physical mailing address if we have not received payment by the 5th of the month payment is due.  Customers that receive emailed payment invoices will only receive a printed mailed reminder if we determine that you have not opened your emailed payment invoice.

And lastly, if payment is still not received and payment arrangements are not made beforehand, service will be disconnected on the 10th of the billing due month

Now, if you have moved and/or changed your email address or have a spam blocker that is blocking e-bills sent from DirectPage and you have neglected to notify us of your address change and/or email address change, these would most likely be reasons why you did not receive your DirectPage renewal notice and result in your pager being disconnected.

last updated - 2022-12-07 08:24:01

13. I am going on vacation, will I be able to receive pages outside of my home coverage area?

If you have a local pager service and are traveling, give us a call before you go and we can verify if your pager will work in the area that you are traveling to.

If we are able to provide service, we will need to change your coverage area when you arrive at your destination. Call us toll free at 1-877-472-4370.

last updated - 2009-09-09 04:08:46

14. I am just not happy!

The pager I ordered does not function the way I thought it would.

I expected my pager to take the place of my cellphone and it just isn't doing what I thought it would.

My pager doesn't get all of the pages sent to it when I am 20 feet under the basement in my building's ventilation system.

I don't understand why my batteries don't last forever.


DirectPage has been selling pagers to businesses and consumers for over 35 years and although we have thousands of satisfied customers that renew service year after year...Amazingly enough...Even with the best of intentions, we have found that we just can't please everyone all of the time. Regardless if it was a misunderstanding, miscommunication, or just the setting of unrealistic expectations. Bottom line, if you are not satisfied for any reason, send back your pager within 30 days of receipt and we will refund your purchase (less shipping and 15% restocking fee).

Don't sweat the small stuff, if the beeper doesn't work the way you hoped, send it back. It's that simple. (by the way, from the sublime to the ridiculous...We have actually heard each of the comments listed above at least once :)

last updated - 2013-11-15 08:06:33

15. I'm in New York City with local coverage, my husband is in Chicago. Will I get paged if my husband calls me from Chicago?

Yes, the person paging you can be anywhere in the world, as long as they are calling you from a touch tone phone and your pager is in it's home coverage area, the pager will get paged.

Now if you are traveling along with your pager, you will need extended range or Nationwide coverage.

last updated - 2009-07-07 09:56:54

16. How come there is a 10 day hold on check and money order payments?

Quite simply, checks and money orders can be reported lost, stolen, be fraudulent or have insufficient funds.

Over the years, DirectPage has had cashiers checks, certified checks, company checks, personal checks as well as money orders returned unpaid for various reasons.

We hold orders for 10 business days from receipt of payment to protect our financial interests.

In todays world of electronic commerce, most consumers and businesses have access to a credit or debit card which is more convenient and faster to use as well as offers protection and built in safeguards for both the consumer and the merchant.

It's your choice how you would like to pay. Just keep in mind that checks and money orders will delay your order by a minimum of 10 days from the time we receive payment.
 

last updated - 2009-09-09 04:10:16

17. What is the modem number I need if I want to send an alpha text message?

One way alpha pagers on the USA Mobility network with an email address ending in "usamobility.net" use modem number 1-800-250-6325.

It is necessary to use the full 10 digit pager phone number when using alpha dispatch software that utilizes the dial up modem number.

If your pager is on the American Messaging network with an email address ending in amsmsg.net, use modem number 1-888-206-7243.

last updated - 2013-06-26 15:24:40

18. I checked coverage for my zip code and it says there is no coverage available. If I choose regional or full regional coverage...will my pager work?

In a word...No.

If you choose regional, full regional or for that matter, nationwide coverage, paging service will be expanded to the areas that offer coverage within the region you choose. However, if there is no paging coverage in an area to begin with, the pager will still not receive pages.

A paging transmitter needs to be in the area for a pager to receive, if there is no transmitter, there will be no coverage regardless of the expanded coverage option chosen.
 

last updated - 2009-07-07 09:58:17

19. Is there any way I can keep my existing pager number if I switch to DirectPage?

Everyday we receive calls regarding keeping an existing pager phone number and transferring service to DirectPage. Does this sound like your situation? "I've had my old pager number for 20 years and it's printed on the side of my truck, my business cards and everyone and their brother has my pager number"

If you have an existing pager phone number through another paging provider, we may be able to obtain your pager phone number under the following conditions:

The underlying paging service must be through the paging carrier USA Mobility also known as Arch Wireless, Metrocall and Weblink Wireless. If the number is active through a paging reseller that is still in business, the paging reseller must be willing to transfer your existing pager w/ service to DirectPage, this is at the option of your existing paging reseller and is not mandatory by law.

Once your existing paging reseller contacts USA mobility to initiate the transfer, it may take a minimum of 2 business days for the transfer to occur.

Once the transfer occurs, DirectPage will be able to transfer your pager number to a new DirectPage Pager unless the pager phone number is on "rationalization".
Rationalization is if the pager number is scheduled to be relinquished to the phone company. Rationalized pager numbers cannot be transferred to new pagers or reactivated once they are deactivated.

If your existing paging company has gone out of business, contact DirectPage and advise of the situation.
DirectPage may be able to obtain your old pager phone number if in fact your old paging company has closed and the number has not yet been transferred to another paging company. Unlike cellphones, pager numbers are not portable under the number portability act, therefore unless the circumstances above are met, we will not be able to capture your old pager phone number. An alternative to use if we cannot obtain your old pager phone number is if you have voicemail on your old pager phone number, simply leave the old number turned on for a few months with an outgoing voice greeting advising callers to call your new DirectPage pager phone number.

last updated - 2009-09-09 04:11:12

20. I purchased my pager online in January of last year and got a bonus month of service for doing so, why am I getting a bill three months early? Shouldn't I be do in February?

DirectPage sends renewal bills for 12 and 24 month prepaid service at least three months before the billing due date. This allows you more than sufficient time to make service changes, billing changes, cancel or add services well before the payment due date.

We also calculate a 10 day grace period into the due date.
Therefore, if for any reason you are running late, your service will not discontinue the very next day after the due date.
In over 30 years of dealing with the paging business, we know that for whatever reason, payments are not always made on time.

Regardless if it's due to budgeting issues, lost or forgotten bills or payments/bills that get lost in the mail, we have found that billing ahead of time and allowing a grace period works best.

Using the question above as an example, the bill sent on November 1st is due February 1st, if not paid after several notifications by email and mail, pager service will suspend on the 11th of February.
This allows plenty of time from billing receipt to billing due date before permanent discontinuance of service.
 

last updated - 2022-12-22 09:38:48

21. What happens if my pager breaks or stops receiving, what options do I have?

We have two categories... Malfunctioning Pagers which is a pager that is in perfect physical condition with no liquid damage that just isn't functioning properly incuding non receiving, missing segments in the LCD display, alerts not working including non audible beep alerts or non working vibrate modes or if the light fails to come on.

Any of the above is covered under our FREE Maintenance Plan, where we will send out another pager FREE of charge including return postage for sending back your malfunctioning pager.

The 2nd category is lost, stolen, damaged pagers. This includes any pager with physical damage including broken housings, LCD displays that have cracks or look like there is an ink blotch, dog bites, dropped, liquid damage including drops in the toilet, swimming pool, ocean, etc. Lost or Stolen pagers.

If any of these unfortunate occurrences happen, then you may either order a replacement pager from our online replacement pager category and any service remaining from your lost/stolen/damaged pager will carry over to the replacement pager, renew another year and choose a FREE pager from our FREE pager categories and if you have any remaining months left from your previous prepaid period, these months will be carried over and added to the new prepaid period. You may also add our NO FAULT PROTECTION plan for an additional $18/year and just pay a $10 replacement fee for most of our pagers. (some pagers have a higher deductible under this plan

If a pager holster is lost or broken or the back clip breaks, Directpage has replacement parts available for a nominal charge.

last updated - 2009-11-12 06:59:19

22. How will I know for sure if a DirectPage pager will work where I am?
The pager I had from another company didn't work and I had to return it.

Pagers receive signals on a specific frequency. A frequency is like a tv channel or radio station frequency. Either the signal penetrates the area and buildings you are in or it doesn't or does so partially. If the signal is strong, you will get your pages, if not, you won't receive pages or only intermittently.

If you know that you are in a problem reception area, the best way is to check with a friend or colleague that has a pager which receives pages consistently. If so, ask them for the frequency number on the back of their pager.

The frequency is always in this format: three digits, decimal point, then four more digits. Example: 929.6125 Then let us know what the frequency is before ordering. If we handle it, we will send you your pager on the frequency that you specify.

If you do not know anyone with a pager, then the only way to check is by trying the pager out once you receive it. If it does not receive pages consistently and we try a reset, then you may return the pager for a refund within 30 days of receipt.
 

last updated - 2009-09-17 09:18:12

23. How does your pager trade in program work?
Do I need to send back by old pager first before you send me my new pager?

When ordering a pager with annual service from DirectPage, you will see our pager trade in option. If this option is selected, we will send your new pager in a postage paid self addressed padded envelope. Simply remove the new pager, insert your old pager, seal the envelope and mail it back to us via US mail.
Once your old pager arrives at our distribution center, we will add 3 additional months of service to your paging account which will make your pager renewal bill due in 15 months instead of 12 months.
You may trade in one pager for each pager with annual service that you are ordering on a 1 trade to 1 pager ordered basis. Example: If you are ordering 5 pagers with annual service, you may trade in 5 pagers.

last updated - 2009-09-18 05:43:11

24. Can I have my landline or cellphone phone number ported to my pager or for that matter, port my existing pager phone number to my cellphone or landline?

No. When the number portability rules went into effect, pager phone numbers were exempt.
Therefore, pager phone numbers cannot be moved to landline or cellphones and landline and cellphone numbers cannot be moved to pagers.
However, you can call forward a landline or cellphone number to a pager phone number, but you cannot call forward a pager phone number to a cellphone or landline phone number.

last updated - 2009-09-22 04:12:58

25. I have the pager app on my iPhone and I renewed service with DirectPage for another year, but I'm getting a message that reads "subscription expired" on the pager app. How come?

Effective February 1, 2015, the pager app subscription will be renewed automatically when you renew your paging service with DirectPage. If your pager app subscription expires beforehand, simply let us know by calling 1-877-472-4370 ext 2 or use the contact support link located at the top menu of DirectPage.net. We will need to know the 7 digit pager number located in the top right of the pager app. We also refer to this number as the pager app pin number as not to confuse it with the actual pager phone number that is called from a phone. We will renew the app on our end. You do not need to renew through the app any longer as long as you have paid service with DirectPage.

last updated - 2015-03-13 17:25:07