History UsefulNotes / NineHundredNumber

In the days before smartphones, there were special "premium rate" phone numbers that one could call to receive a specialized service, at a rate above the normal telephone fee. This service could be literally ''anything'': [[IntimateTelecommunications adult chat lines]], psychic readings, sports statistics, weather reports, stock reports, polls, even the chance to talk to a favorite celebrity or fictional character. [[note]] Or, at least someone pretending to be that person/character. [[/note]] (They are most known for [[ArousedByTheirVoice the adult chat lines]] or the {{Phony Psychic}}s, often advertised on late-night cable TV after the {{Watershed}}/UsefulNotes/SafeHarbor, as well as the ShockinglyExpensiveBill of a call.) The extra fee would be billed either per call or per minute to the customer either via their phone company, or billed to a credit or debit card submitted by the customer at the beginning of the call. They were colloquially referred to [[UsefulNotes/NorthAmericanNumberingPlan in the US and Canada]], at least, as "nine-hundred numbers", because when they first appeared, they used area code 900, dialed as 1-900-(the rest of the number). 900 was a "choke exchange"- that is, a code that was used to keep large volumes of calls from bogging down the phone systems. The code worked by ensuring that only a certain number of people per local exchange area would be able to get through at any given moment. They were intended to be no more expensive than any other type of long-distance call. (Local premium-rate phone numbers had the "976" prefix.)

* {{Music/Deftones}} has a song titled "976-Evil"

* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': Although ''well'' past the era of 900 numbers, Taddy Mason LLC has all the signs of being one of these: just $1.99 a minute for lonely people to talk to Taddy Mason. Needless to say, this caused [[BumblingDad Jerry]] to rack up a $700 phone bill.

* Ever wonder why Wrestling/GeneOkerlund was referred to as [[EmbarrassingNickname "Scheme Gene"]] during the Billionaire Ted skits? It was because of Okerlund's ridiculously shady bait-and-switch tactics to get people to call the Wrestling/{{WCW}} Hotline (1-900-909-9900), the most notorious being "Call now and find out which former 45-year-old heavyweight champion just died!", implying it was Wrestling/RicFlair (in actuality it was Jerry Blackwell). Why was he doing this? [[MoneyDearBoy Because he got 75 cents of every dollar made off the hotline]]. Both the [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} WWF]] and Wrestling/{{ECW}} also ran hotlines, but seeing as how those were mainly of the "Press 4 to hear a pre-recorded message from..." variety they didn't hesitate to take a [[TakeThat couple shots]] at WCW. The Flair/Blackwell stunt was the hotline's most profitable weekend ever. It also nearly got Mean Gene shitcanned (it's believed that Wrestling/HulkHogan saved him from the guillotine) when legitimate news outlets picked up on the story, and the coverage [[Main/OvershadowedByControversy didn't exactly paint WCW (and by proxy, Turner) in a positive light]]. The hotline ads are still intact on the WWE Network, usually with a "PHONE NUMBER NO LONGER ACTIVE" warning superimposed over the number itself on screen.

In the days before smartphones, there were special "premium rate" phone numbers that one could call to receive a specialized service, at a rate above the normal telephone fee. This service could be literally ''anything'': [[IntimateTelecommunications adult chat lines]], psychic readings, sports statistics, weather reports, stock reports, polls, even the chance to talk to a favorite celebrity or fictional character. [[note]] Or, at least someone pretending to be that person/character. [[/note]] ([[NeverLiveItDown They are most known for]] [[ArousedByTheirVoice the adult chat lines]] or the {{Phony Psychic}}s, often advertised on late-night cable TV after the {{Watershed}}/UsefulNotes/SafeHarbor, as well as the ShockinglyExpensiveBill of a call.) The extra fee would be billed either per call or per minute to the customer either via their phone company, or billed to a credit or debit card submitted by the customer at the beginning of the call. They were colloquially referred to [[UsefulNotes/NorthAmericanNumberingPlan in the US and Canada]], at least, as "nine-hundred numbers", because when they first appeared, they used area code 900, dialed as 1-900-(the rest of the number). 900 was a "choke exchange"- that is, a code that was used to keep large volumes of calls from bogging down the phone systems. The code worked by ensuring that only a certain number of people per local exchange area would be able to get through at any given moment. They were intended to be no more expensive than any other type of long-distance call. (Local premium-rate phone numbers had the "976" prefix.)

During TheEighties and TheNineties, it was not uncommon for 900 numbers to be advertised to children during {{Saturday Morning Cartoon}}s, offering them the chance to talk to their favorite character. However, in the mid-90's, after receiving complaints from parents whose children dialed the numbers with no idea that their parents would have to pay extra, laws were passed in the US concerning these numbers. (Other countries may have similar laws.) These laws require that:

PhoneInGameShows are a {{subtrope}} of this and HomeParticipationSweepstakes, and in many countries the dominant if not the only exception to the antepenultimate paragraph.

* After that disclaimer is read, the customer must have a minimum 3-second period during which he/she may end the call without incurring any charges.

They have also been exploited by scammers. The scammer (variously) leaves a voicemail or sends an email stating to their mark that he/she has (variously) won a lottery, needs to settle a debt, has a family member in distress, inherited something, etc. and needs to call the following number. (Similar to the classic FourOneNineScam.) That number tends to be one of these numbers, so that the mark ends up being placed on hold, or routed to a fax machine, or sent to [[ForInconveniencePressOne an automated system that has them pressing buttons]]. The premium number in question tends to be one located in a country where the laws concerning premium-rate numbers are looser. The scammer then collects the per-minute fee racked up by his/her mark.

In the days before smartphones, there were special "premium rate" phone numbers that one could call to receive a specialized service, at a rate above the normal telephone fee. This service could be literally ''anything'': [[IntimateTelecommunications adult chat lines]], psychic readings, sports statistics, weather reports, stock reports, polls, even the chance to talk to a favorite celebrity or fictional character. [[note]] Or, at least someone pretending to be that person/character. [[/note]] ([[NeverLiveItDown They are most known for]] [[ArousedByTheirVoice the adult chat lines]] or the {{Phony Psychic}}s, often advertised on late-night cable TV after the {{Watershed}}/UsefulNotes/SafeHarbor, as well as the ShockinglyExpensiveBill of a call.) The extra fee would be billed either per call or per minute to the customer either via their phone company, or billed to a credit or debit card submitted by the customer at the beginning of the call. They were colloquially referred to in the US and Canada, at least, as "nine-hundred numbers," because when they first appeared, they used the exchange 1-900-(the rest of the number). 900 was a "choke exchange"- that is, a code that was used to keep large volumes of calls from bogging down the phone systems. The code worked by ensuring that only a certain number of people per local exchange area would be able to get through at any given moment. They were intended to be no more expensive than any other type of long-distance call. (Local premium-rate phone numbers had the "976" prefix.)

These phone numbers first appeared in 1971, but the first ''known'' usage was by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 for a phone-in TalkShow known as "Ask President Carter." In 1992, the US Congress passed a law that required the phone companies to block all 900 numbers that provided adult content, unless the consumer wrote the company and requested access to a specific number. (Which not many people, even those desperate for that type of conversation, were willing to do.) Many of the adult chatlines were rendered non-functional or switched to "toll-free" numbers instead, where they could bill customers via credit/debit card, [[LoopholeAbuse rather than going through the phone companies]].

* On ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Lisa dials one of these numbers to talk to a TeenIdol by the name of Corey. She racks up huge bills, and Marge has her stop calling the number.

** In another episode, Bart becomes famous for his CatchPhrase ("I didn't do it.") A phone line is set up so girls can listen to him say it. Or, rather, they can listen to Barney Gumble say it. Wrongly.

Premium-rate SMS texting services, which usually use a 5 or 6 digit number (instead of a normal phone number), are this trope [- [[RecycledInSpace WITH TEXTS!]] -], although these are also dying due to afforementioned apps (except for donating to charities and politicians in the United States). During their heyday, they were mostly known - nay, infamous - for the "clubs" (mainly Jamba!/Jamster) which lured one in with ringtones, wallpapers and games to one's cell phone... but it was a subscription service with recurring payments. These services were heavily marketed to children and teens.

* The company Jamba!/Jamster, the most infamous example of the SMS text message version of this trope, had its mascot Music/CrazyFrog and his later replacement Music/{{Schnuffel}}. Both are animated characters who perform music.

* According to [=CNBC=], [[IntimateTelecommunications phone sex lines]] [[https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/25/remember-naughty-1-900-numbers-lines-are-still-open.html still existed as of 2016]].

* Creator/ComedyCentral once ran a [[https://youtu.be/0yxUiPEh1RQ Punch Line]] where, for $1.50 a minute, callers could tell jokes, or listen to other callers tell jokes. They even had judges awarding $100 prizes daily for the funniest jokes left on the line!
--> '''Penn Jilette:''' [[{{Tagline}} The funniest way ''ever'' to spend a dollar fifty a minute!]]

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* According to [=CNBC=], [[IntimateTelecommunications phone sex lines]] [[https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/25/remember-naughty-1-900-numbers-lines-are-still-open.html still existed in 2016]].

* On ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'', Chaz is calling one of these numbers to get the answers to the crossword puzzle in the local paper. It's implied that he does this regularly.