A Please Call Me is a free text your network sends on your behalf, asking someone to phone you back. It works with no airtime and no data, on prepaid and contract. All you need is the right code.
The codes
Dial the code for the network your SIM is on, followed by the other person's number and a hash:
- Vodacom*140*number#
- MTN*121*number#
- Cell C*111*number#
- Telkom Mobile*140*number#
So an MTN user asking 082 555 0142 to call back dials *121*0825550142#. Our code builder fills it in for you.
Why your network decides, not theirs
The code goes to your own network, which then sends the message to any number in South Africa. That's the part people most often get wrong: if you're on Vodacom and your friend is on MTN, you still dial Vodacom's *140*.
Not sure which network a number is on? The prefix checker tells you. It's useful for buying someone the right airtime, but you don't need it to send a Please Call Me.
Step by step
- Open your phone's dialler, the same screen you use to make a call.
- Type your network's code, for example *140*.
- Type their number in full, starting with 0. Leave out spaces.
- Finish with # and press call. A short message on screen confirms it was sent.
When it won't send
- Check the digits. A SA cell number is 10 digits starting with 06, 07 or 08. If you copied a +27 number, swap the +27 for a 0.
- Use your own network's code. Dialling another network's code from your SIM won't work.
- Daily limits. Each network caps how many free requests you can send a day. Cell C, for example, lists seven call-me-backs a day.
- Signal. USSD needs a cell signal, though not data. Try again once you have a bar or two.
Or skip the codes altogether: the Please Call Me SA app shows your contacts with their networks and sends the right code when you tap a name.