Questions
Everything parents ask us.
Is Santa the same as Father Christmas?+
Yes, the very same man. He answers to both on the phone, so use whichever your family says.
Is it really Santa?+
The grown-up answer: Santa's voice is made with AI. He listens and answers, so it's a real conversation. We built him carefully, here in Lancashire, to be warm, patient and impossible to rattle, to stay Father Christmas whatever he's asked, never to promise a present, and never to ask where you live. To your child, he's simply Santa.
What number does Santa ring?+
Your mobile: the one you check with a little text code when you book. It's the only number Santa will ever ring, so nobody can send him to anyone else. Answer it yourself and hand the phone over, or let your child pick up.
How long is a call?+
Long enough to remember, short enough for a small person to stay with him. The free first call is about two minutes, a paid call two to four, and the Christmas Eve call up to five.
What does Santa do with what I tell him?+
He uses it on the call, and nowhere else. We keep your child's first name and age, your notes, and the recording of paid calls (or of a free call, if you chose to keep it) so you can play it again. Nothing is sold or shared, and we'll never send you newsletters.
Will he promise a present?+
Never. He writes wishes in the big book and says the elves will see what they can do. What arrives on Christmas morning stays a surprise.
What if my child asks if Santa is real?+
On the call, Santa chuckles and gets on with the list; he never says he's anything other than Santa. What to say when they ask you is a bigger question, and every family answers it differently. Betteroo has a thoughtful, child-led guide. How to answer "Is Santa real?" (Betteroo)
Is it suitable for very young children?+
Yes. Under-fives get short sentences, simple yes-or-no questions and lots of ho ho ho. If they go quiet or babble, Santa rolls with it, and you can answer for them.
Can I be on the call first?+
Yes. Choose "a grown-up first" and Santa greets you, listens to anything extra you want him to know, then asks you to pass the phone over. He restarts with a big hello for the child.
What if nobody answers?+
Don't worry. If nobody picks up, the call goes back on your account by itself, and we'll text to let you know so you can book it again. If it goes to voicemail, Santa leaves a short message and the call goes back on your account too.
What if it didn't work?+
If Santa doesn't ring, or the call drops in the first minute, the call goes back on your account automatically. If something else went wrong, email us and we'll put it right.
Do I get a recording?+
Paid calls, yes. It appears on your account page a few minutes after the call, to play, download or send to the family. For the free call, you can keep the recording for £1 from your account page, any time in the 30 days after the call.
Can we ring Santa ourselves?+
Yes. Santa answers his own number for a two-minute hello, once per phone each Christmas. After that, Jingle the elf picks up and explains Santa's busy in the workshop. The number, and a poster for the classroom, are on the Santa's phone number page. For a proper chat, book a call and Santa rings you.
How do I make it feel even more real?+
Save Santa's number in your contacts with his picture, from your account page. When he rings, his face pops up on the screen.
Can I give a friend a free call?+
Yes. Your account page has a link to send to another family. Their first call is free anyway, and once Santa has rung them, a call is added to their account and to yours. Up to five friends a season.
Where do you ring?+
Any UK mobile. Santa doesn't mind where you are; the number is what matters.
Who makes this?+
PixelArc Ventures Ltd, a small company in Lancashire that builds phone assistants. Santa is our favourite.