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Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any problems or questions about Pingo or using Pingo, we encourage you to look here first. This section is designed to answer most questions you may have. If you still have unresolved issues after you have read through the FAQ section, please contact . Click on the topic headers below or on the outline to the right.

    About Pingo®

  • What is Pingo?

    • Pingo was designed to provide you with the best call quality, convenience features, and customer service at the most competitive rates available today. With Pingo there are no hidden charges - no connection fees or disconnection fees, just a nominal monthly service charge - what you see is what you pay.

    Account Information

  • How do I add credit to my account (PIN)?

    • Log in using your Account and PIN #. Click on the "RECHARGE" link in the Members' Area. Select the amount you want to charge to your account, or you can also select auto-recharging at that time. You can use the same functions to add credit to sub accounts and to set them up as auto-recharge accounts.

  • How do I change my PIN?

    • Log in using your Account and PIN #. Click on the "EDIT ACCOUNT INFO" link in the Members' Area. Enter your old PIN # and new PIN # then hit the submit button.

  • How do I change my Account Number?

    • You cannot change your account number at this time unless you cancel your account and open a new one.

  • I want to cancel my account. What do I do?

    • Naturally, we think you need to think about it some more. Just kidding, but we would appreciate feedback about why you are leaving, so that we may have the chance to win back your business. If you are dissatisfied with Pingo service for any reason, you may cancel your account at any time by contacting customer service, and no additional charges will be applied. If you cancel during the first $5.00 USD of usage of your account (your $5 signup bonus), Pingo will refund your entire initial signup amount. Pingo does not provide refunds once you've used more than the initial US $5.00 (or equivalent in other currencies). If you find yourself in that position, you're better off using up the rest of your balance before closing your account.

  • Will I get confirmation when I make changes to my account?

    • Yes. Confirmation will be sent out to our subscribers to enhance the security of their information. Account change confirmations will be received by e-mail or regular mail.

  • How do I change the name on my account?

    • All requests for name changes need to be in writing and sent to Pingo Account Verification 20 Second Ave. Burlington Ma. 01803. Please include copy of the appropriate documentation.
    (Examples of documentation: Marriage certificate, Divorce decree)

    Billing & Surcharges

  • Where's the small print? Are there any connection or disconnection fees with Pingo?

    • We don't hide behind any small print. As explained on the Pingo web site, the only fees other than the per-minute charges are a 98 cents USD per month account maintenance fee, and a mandated payphone surcharge of 65 cents USD for calls made from payphones and certain other public phones in the US, and up to 99 cents USD in other countries. Some calls placed from mobile phones outside the United States may incur an additional per-minute fee, which will be disclosed on the RateFinder. Please click here for Pingo's detailed .

  • How does Pingo provide such low calling rates?

    • Thanks for asking! iBasis, the parent company of Pingo, is one of the largest carriers of international phone calls in the world, routing millions of minutes of calls every day for major phone companies around the world, as well as for some of the other providers of prepaid calling cards who don't have networks of their own. With an extremely efficient internet-based VoIP network, and constant effort to develop and negotiate the best connections all over the world, iBasis provides an inexpensive alternative for landline and wireless users to place domestic and international calls at the lowest rates per minute.

    Placing Calls

  • I signed up... what now?

    • Once your credit card or PayPal payment is accepted, you can begin using Pingo immediately! Unless you changed it during the sign-up process, your account number will be the same as your home phone number, and your PIN will be the 4 digit number you chose. Simply dial your local or toll-free access number (you can find all the Pingo access numbers on the Rates page). After the prompt, enter your 10 digit phone number followed immediately by your 4 digit PIN, and then enter your destination number (country code + area code + number).

    NOTE: If you registered your home phone, mobile, or other phone numbers as Pingo PINpass numbers, you'll be able to by-pass the 14-digit account number and PIN entry anytime you dial the local or toll-free Pingo access number from these phones. You can register up to 10 PINpass phones.

    To place a call:

    1. Check the Pingo web site for the appropriate access number for the location you're calling from. Pingo offers toll-free and local access numbers in the U.S. and toll-free access numbers in 34 other countries.

    2. For all calls, including domestic and international long distance, when prompted, dial the destination country code + the destination number, followed by the # key. For example, if you're calling the U.K., dial 44 (the U.K. country code) + the number, followed by #.

    3. If you make a mistake while dialing, just press the * key to start over.

    4. When you are done, you can press # # to make another call, or simply hang up.

    *Note: Pingo cannot be used to call U.S. toll-free numbers (800, 888, 877, 866) or toll numbers (900, 411, 555-1212).

  • Can I make calls from countries other than the U.S.?

    • Yes, you can. You can use your Pingo account, as well as share it with friends and family in ! Placing a Pingo call from one of our international access countries is simple; just use the access number assigned for that country and wait for the prompt. Then, dial the destination country code + city code + exchange, followed by the # key.

    Friends and family in many countries around the world (including the 35 where Pingo offers toll-free access!) can join Pingo and save simply by using an American Express, Visa, MasterCard or PayPal account. To reach Pingo customer service from outside the U.S. you'll need to email us at .

  • Can I use Pingo to make calls from any state in the U.S.?

    • You can use Pingo to call from all of the states except Alaska. Unfortunately, access from Alaska is prohibitively expensive, making it unfeasible for us to provide the Pingo service from that state. Pingo is available in all other states.

    Features

  • What is PINpass™?

    • PINpass is a feature that allows you to by-pass entering your account number and PIN (14 digits in all) when placing calls. PINpass can recognize up to ten (10) different phone lines belonging to your account. This makes dialing your account number and PIN for each call a thing of the past! Just dial the Pingo local or toll-free access number appropriate for your location from any PINpass phone and Pingo will recognize you. You can set-up PINpass by logging in to the member's area and clicking the "PINpass" link. We recommend that customers DO NOT register phones in dormitories, hotels, offices, hospital rooms, or any other phones that are regularly shared with many other people.

    When you call one of Pingo's access numbers from a PINpass phone, our system will automatically allow you to by-pass entering your PIN and to directly dial the destination number.

  • Can I use Pingo from my cellphone?

    • Absolutely! With Pingo, you can enjoy tremendous savings when you make long distance and international calls from your mobile phone. We recommend that you list your cellphone number as a PINpass recognized phone to take advantage of the added convenience, and that you disable international long distance service from your mobile carrier to prevent any additional charges. When using Pingo from your mobile, do not hit the "Send" button after dialing the number you intend to call. Just hit # to complete the dialing sequence.

  • I am interested in becoming a partner to resell Pingo. Who do I contact?

    • Pingo offers a very attractive affiliate program. For more information, click on the Affiliate Program link at the bottom of this page or email .

  • Can I use Pingo for my business? And what about accounts for my family members?

    • With you can create up to 999 sub accounts for your business colleagues and family members and then manage them from a centralized administrative account. You set the usage and spending limits on each sub account, and you can access call history for each account. You can decide which sub accounts should be auto-recharged and in what increments. It's great quality, savings, and control from Pingo Business!

  • How do I create sub accounts for my family members or business associates?

    • First create a Pingo account by going to our Sign Up page. Once you have created that account, you can easily create sub accounts by logging in and going to the Pingo Member's Area. From there you can create new sub accounts and change the settings on existing sub accounts. You can even transfer funds from one sub account to another.

  • Do I get a Refer a Friend bonus for each sub account I create?

    • The Refer a Friend bonus program does not apply to sub accounts, only to new Pingo accounts created with a $20 sign up.

    Offers & Promotions

  • I referred a friend to Pingo, but did not receive credit.

    • To receive a credit for referring a friend, it is important that you and your friend follow the instructions carefully. You must use the Refer-a-Friend page on Pingo to recommend them. Pingo will then send your friend an email message inviting them to join. Your friend must then use the link provided in the email message to go to the Pingo Sign Up page, and fill out the registration form directly. If they want to learn more about Pingo before joining, they can explore the site thoroughly, but they must return to their email and click on the referral link when they are ready to register.

    Of course, if they are already a member they cannot be referred twice.

    If you believe your friend followed the directions correctly, and you still did not receive your credit, please email us with your account number, your friend's name and account number, and date and approximate time when they signed up. Unfortunately, to provide a fair referral system, we do not give retroactive credit for referrals if we cannot verify this detailed information. Doing so could open the referral program to abuse.

  • What are coupons and promotional codes?

    • From time to time Pingo and its partners offer special promotional discounts and bonuses to encourage Pingo sign-ups, usage, referrals, and the like. Each promotion has a code that is provided to recipients of the offer. Entering that code in the designated fields ensures that the user receives the intended bonus or discount.

    If you are coming from a link that automatically applies a discount, just enter your sign-in information. Information about your discount will appear on the left side of the page. The discount offered will automatically be subtracted from your sign-up or recharge amount. If you have a coupon or promotional code, simply enter it into the coupon field on the sign-up page. Bonuses differ from discounts in that they are automatically added to your account if you meet the criteria for earning those bonuses. For example, a $2 Sign-up or Recharge discount would result in an order for $20 worth of Pingo time only costing you $18, while a $2 bonus would result in your $20 order expanding your account balance by $22.

    Combining Offers:

    Sometimes you may have an offer from a referring partner that provides you with a discount. These discount offers are automatically applied to your order if you come directly from this partner, and will be detailed on the left side of the sign-up page. If that offer can be combined with other coupon offers, then a field will be provided on the sign-up page for you to enter your coupon.

    Some coupons and offers may or may not be combinable with standard bonuses. If they cannot be combined, you must choose which bonus you'd prefer to use. If you choose to accept the standard bonus over the promotional coupon offer, simply leave the coupon field blank, and you will automatically receive the bonus discount.

    Note that a valid coupon discount may not be granted if it is not applicable to your purchase, or if it has expired. Some coupons may be limited to one use and therefore may not be applied to your purchase even though they are valid offers. Some coupons can only be applied to a new purchase.

    Website Errors

  • I am having trouble signing up...

    • There may be a few reasons that your transaction was not successful. One reason may be due to the high number of people recharging/signing up simultaneously. With the high volume of people trying to recharge/sign up, sometimes our system cannot handle the traffic, resulting in a declined transaction.

    If you are using a credit card (rather than PayPal), please make sure it's a valid American Express, MasterCard, or Visa card. Also, please make sure that the billing address of the credit card matches the address you entered when you opened your Pingo account. Failure to exactly match this information will result in a declined transaction. Please contact your bank to make sure there is no issue with your card. Pingo allows only one transaction in a 24 hour period, so please wait at least a day before attempting your sign up again.

  • I am having trouble recharging...

    • See "I am having trouble signing up ..." above. Also, if you signed up with a credit card (rather than with PayPal), check to see if your billing address has changed, if you are over your credit limit, or if your card has expired. If all else fails call your credit card company first to see if there are any unresolved issues with them before you contact Pingo customer support.

  • I am having trouble logging in...

    • There may be a few reasons that your login was not successful. One reason may be due to your cookie settings. See "What do I do if my browser will not allow the session?" below to set your cookies correctly.

    Another reason that your login was unsuccessful may be due to the security setting on your browser (i.e Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc.).

    For Internet Explorer 5.5 and above:
    To check the privacy setting on your browser, please look at the lower right hand corner of the browser. If there is an eye icon with a stop sign (next to the lock icon) on the login page, it means the privacy setting on your browser is blocking our Pingo.com page.

    Please double click the icon. A privacy report window will pop up. In the 'restricted web site' selection, right click on all the Pingo links and select "Always accept cookies from this site". Please verify that you have done this for all the links under Pingo.com.

    For Netscape 6 and above:
    If the lower right hand corner of the browser has an eye icon with a document symbol next to it, on the login page, it means the privacy setting on your browser is blocking Pingo.com page.

    Please double click the icon. A privacy setting window will pop up. Click on the privacy setting option. In the 'restricted web site' selection, click on cookies, then select "Enable cookies for the originating web site only". If this does not work, please follow the same procedure and select "Enable all cookies".

  • What do I do if my browser will not allow the session?

    • Cookies may not be enabled. Here are basic instructions for enabling cookies on different systems.

    Internet Explorer 4 Users
    From your browser window click on the "View" menu at the top of the browser, scroll down and highlight the "Internet Options" menu item. This will bring up a dialog box with a number of tab buttons at the top. Click on the "Advanced" tab and then scroll down within the window until you've reached the "Cookies" section. Click the "Always Accept Cookies" option and then click on the "OK" button to accept the change and close the dialog box. Cookies should now be enabled.

    Internet Explorer 5 Users
    From your browser window click on the "Tools" menu at the top of the browser, scroll down and highlight the "Internet Options" menu item. This will bring up a dialog box with a number of tab buttons at the top. Click on the "Security" tab. Select "Internet" content zone. If "Security level for this zone" has a slider, then set it to "Medium", or if not click the "Custom Level" button, and scroll down within the window until you've reached the "Cookies" section. Click the "Allow per-session Cookies (not stored)" option. Set this to "Enable" and then click on the OK button to accept the change and close the dialog box. Cookies should now be enabled.

    Internet Explorer 6 Users
    From your browser window click on the "Tools" menu at the top of the browser, scroll down and highlight the "Internet Options" menu item. This will bring up a dialog box with a number of tab buttons at the top. Click on the "Privacy" tab. Move the slider so it is NOT set to "Block all cookies". Click the "Advanced" button and check "Override automatic cookie handling". Check "Always allow session cookies" and click on the OK button. Click the OK button that now is in focus to accept the change and close the dialog box. Cookies should now be enabled.

    Netscape 4 Users
    From your browser window click on the "Edit" menu at the top of the browser, scroll down and highlight the "Preferences" menu item. This will bring up a dialog box with a menu cascading down the left hand side of the window. Click on the "Advanced" menu option. In the right hand side of the dialog box click the "Always Accept Cookies" option and then click on the "OK" button to accept the change and close the dialog box. Cookies should now be enabled.

    Netscape 6 Users
    From your browser window click on the "Edit" menu at the top of the browser, scroll down and highlight the "Preferences" menu item. This will bring up a dialog box with a menu cascading down the left hand side of the window. Click on the "Privacy & Security" menu option. This should expand the menu. Click on the "Cookies" menu option. In the right hand side of the dialog box click the "Enable all cookies" option and then click on the OK button to accept the change and close the dialog box. Cookies should now be enabled.

    Netscape 7, 8 and 9 Users
    From your browser window click on the "Edit" menu at the top of the browser, scroll down and highlight the "Preferences" menu item. This will bring up a dialog box with a menu cascading down the left hand side of the window. Click on the "Privacy & Security" menu option. This should expand the menu. Click on the "Cookies" menu option. In the right hand side of the dialog box click the "Enable all cookies" option and then check the box "Limit maximum lifetime of cookies to:" and select "current session". Click on the OK button to accept the change and close the dialog box. Cookies should now be enabled.

    AOL 7.0 Users
    From your AOL menu, click on the "Settings" menu, scroll down and highlight the "Preferences" menu item. This will bring up the "Preferences" window. Click on the "Internet Properties (WWW)" hyperlink. This should open a new dialog box. Click on the "Privacy" tab. Move the slider so it is NOT set to "Block all cookies". Click the "Advanced" button and check "Override automatic cookie handling". Check "Always allow session cookies" and click on the OK button. Click the OK button that now is in focus to accept the change and close the dialog box. Cookies should now be enabled.

  • I'm getting a "Page cannot be displayed" error, what do I do?

    • Internet Explorer Users
    From your browser window click on the "Tools" menu at the top of the browser, scroll down and highlight the "Internet Options" menu item. This will bring up a dialog box with a number of tab buttons at the top. Click on the "Advanced" tab. Scroll down within the window until you've reached the "Security" section. Check the "Use SSL 2.0" and "Use SSL 3.0" checkbox. Then click on the OK button to accept the change and close the dialog box. The SSL security setting should now be enabled. If it doesn't work, repeat the above step again and also check "Use PCT 1.0" and "Use TLS 1.0" check box.

    Netscape 4 Users
    From your browser window click on the "Security" button at the top of the browser. This will bring up a dialog box with a menu cascading down the left hand side of the window. Click on the "Navigator" link option. In the right hand side of the dialog box click the "Enable SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) v2" and "Enable SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) v3" option and then click on the "OK" button to accept the change and close the dialog box. The SSL security setting should now be enabled.

    Netscape 6, 7, 8 and 9 Users
    From your browser window click on the "Edit" menu at the top of the browser, scroll down and highlight the "Preferences" menu item. This will bring up a dialog box with a menu cascading down the left hand side of the window. Click on the "Privacy & Security" menu option. This should expand the menu. Click on the "SSL" menu option. In the right hand side of the dialog box click the "Enable SSL version 2" and "Enable SSL version 3" option and then click on the OK button to accept the change and close the dialog box. SSL security setting should now be enabled.

  • I'm getting "The identity certificate uses an unknown signature algorithm" error, what do I do?

    • This issue occurs when using a Mac and Internet Explorer version 4.5 or below to access the secured part of our website (Signup/MyAccount). To correct this issue, upgrade to a web browser with support for newer encryption technology, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 Macintosh Edition from the Microsoft web site (). Newer versions of other browsers will correct the problem as well.

    Limitations, Problems & Technical Issues

  • I signed up for auto-recharge, but it did not work. Why?

    • Please make sure that the expiration date on your credit card has not passed. Be sure that credit is available, and that nothing else, such as your billing address, has changed. If so, please enter a manual transaction to charge your account, and revise the information. This will update our system for all future charges. If you still have problems, please contact your bank to make sure there are no issues with your card.

  • Why do I get an error when I try to open an account?

    • Currently we accept payment via American Express, MasterCard, and VISA credit cards and PayPal.

    Please make sure that the billing address you put into the Pingo sign-up form matches the billing address of the credit card you used. And be sure that your expiration date is correct, and that the Security Code, which is found on the back of your card, is correct.

    Also, you can only open one account per person. If you are trying to open a second account under the same name, or using the same credit card, you will not be allowed to.

    If you are still having a problem, contact your bank and ensure that there are no credit or other issues with your card.

  • My account has been closed, but I don't know why.

    • If you are having trouble logging into your account, please contact customer service for assistance.

  • I signed up. Should I have received any information from you?

    • You should have received a confirmation email message from Pingo shortly after signing up. If you do not receive an email, it could be for one of the following reasons:

    1. You typed your email incorrectly when you signed up - please log in to the website with your account number and PIN and check your member profile.

    2. Your email program on your computer has blocked our email, suspecting it to be "Spam". (We'll get over it.) Please check your "junk" email folder to see if this email was filtered. If so, please list our email address as being acceptable, so that we can continue to communicate with you.

    3. For some reason, your submission was not accepted. This could be due to issues related to your credit card. There's more about this in these FAQs.

    If you have not received an email, try logging into your account on the website using your account number and PIN. If you are successful, than you can be assured that your account has been created.

  • Sometimes I get a message that my "account is in use". What do I do?

    • On occasion, your most recent call may not be terminated correctly. Therefore the account will stay "in use" for a period of time, until the system recognizes that your previous call has ended. You can either wait, or contact customer service directly and they will reset your account for you. Rest assured that the system does not charge you for this time if this problem occurs.

  • I sent an email to customer service, but have not yet heard back.

    • As stated on the contact page, we will respond to emails within 4 hours. For immediate assistance, customers in the U.S. and Canada can call customer service directly at: 1-888-878-8838.