PagePlus Cellular: Reprogram Your Phone to Use Your New Number

WARNING: Do NOT contact customer service from the phone you are changing the number on and do not perform a number change mid-billing cycle. You will be dropped to a standard plan for the number change to occur and lose your current plan.

I own an LG VX-8550 (better known as the chocolate) and use it on through PagePlus Cellular. I had a phone number from the 661 area code, which is Lancaster, CA, but am now living in Los Angeles, CA. For some people using a cellphone with a non-local number might be fine. As a small business owner, clients want to deal with local people. So, after dealing with it for several months I finally decided that since I live in Los Angeles, I might as well have a Los Angeles number.

Changing Your Number is Free

The first thing I wanted to know was how much was changing my number going to cost me. Navigating the frequent questions on the PagePlus web site, I discovered that I could contact customer service at 1-800-550-2436 and they could change the number for you free of charge. Simply provide them with your current number and security code for your phone (default is the last four digits of your number). Then pick the area code you want. Unfortunately, you cannot choice the exact number as the computer will assign it to your phone.

I contacted customer service from a separate phone line from the phone I was changing, as I was instructed to do so by their customer service. I figured I would need to do something to the phone to have it use my new number, but the customer service person I spoke with did not tell me I needed to reprogram my phone or even how. After an hour with an unusable phone and having added a new monthly plan, I had to contact customer service through their web site to get the directions I am posting for others to use, as my phone no longer worked.

Important: Changing your number during a billing cycle will cause you to lose your current plan. The phone is switched to a standard plan in order to change the number. Wait until your phone runs out of minutes and call customer service to change your number. Then add minutes and reprogram your phone.

Reprogramming Your Phone

As stated, you will need to reprogram your phone once the number has been changed. This is so your phone can start using the new number. The directions are fairly simple to follow, just wish I had been given these directions when I first contacted customer service.

The easiest way to reprogram your phone through PagePlus Cellular is to allow the tower to reprogram your phone. Dial *22890 (star, two, two, eight, nine, zero) and press the send key. Listen to the message as it will inform you your phone is attempting to be reprogrammed. Hopefully, you will be like me and receive a message stating the phone has been reprogrammed.

If this method is not successful, you will need to visit a local PagePlus Cellular agent to see if they can manually reprogram your phone for you. Be aware that not all PagePlus Cellular agents are able to assist you in reprogramming your phone and there may be a fee involved with having the service done at those who are able and willing.

With any luck your phone will be reprogrammed to use the new number and you will be able to continue using the service provided by PagePlus Cellular, just as I am.