Santa call FAQ: the questions parents ask before calling Santa

You fill in a two-minute form with your child's first name, age, wish, a good deed and any notes. You get a North Pole phone number and a short code by email and text within seconds. Your child dials it whenever you're ready, and Santa answers by name and has a real conversation using those details.

Your child calls Santa. Santa never rings your house unexpectedly, so the call happens on your schedule with the camera ready.

Live. Your child speaks, Santa listens and replies. Santa's voice is powered by advanced voice technology, so he can answer in real time at any hour. There's no actor on the line.

One time, no subscription: Call $29 (one live 5-minute call), Family $49 (no time limit, audio recording, printable Nice List certificate), Keepsake $79 (everything in Family plus an HD video and a Christmas Eve call). Each extra child is $15.

Five minutes on the Call plan, with Santa finishing his goodbye in time. Family and Keepsake have no time limit; most calls run seven to ten minutes.

The essentials are first name, age, wish and a good deed. One surprising extra detail, like a lost tooth or a pet's name, makes the biggest impression. See 40 ideas for what to tell Santa.

Yes. Add each child for $15 with their own details, and Santa talks to every one of them by name about their own wish and good deed.

About 3 to 9 is ideal, with four to seven the sweet spot. Toddlers enjoy listening with a parent; older kids enjoy testing Santa with questions. See Santa calls by age.

Santa leads the conversation and brings up their wish and good deed himself, so even a child who only nods gets a full, personal call. Speakerphone with a parent nearby helps.

Any phone that makes calls: cell, landline or a grandparent's phone. There's no app to install.

Any day and any hour until Christmas Eve, including December 24 itself.

No. The number arrives within seconds of ordering and nothing ships, so even Christmas Eve orders work.

Yes. Many families call right after dinner on Christmas Eve. The Keepsake plan includes a Christmas Eve call on top of the first call. See how to plan a Christmas Eve call.

Yes, you're welcome to film your child. Family and Keepsake also include an audio recording of the call to keep.

Each order includes one call per child. Keepsake adds a Christmas Eve call, and you can book a return call where Santa remembers what you talked about last time.

No. Santa is excited about the wish and says the elves will do their very best, but he never promises a specific gift.

Santa stays in character and stays away from adult topics, money, payment and politics. If a child asks something off topic, he steers back to Christmas.

Santa answers warmly and simply, in character, then carries on with the fun. For older doubters, see when kids start doubting Santa.

No. Santa only needs a first name. We ask for your email and phone number at checkout so we can send you Santa's number, and payment is handled by Stripe.

Yes. Email info@callsanta.us to access, correct or delete your data. Our privacy policy lists the services we use.

No, it's a phone call your child takes part in. If you'd like a video too, the Keepsake plan includes an HD video. See Santa call vs Santa video.

Yes. Free hotlines like Santa's Hotline at +1 (605) 313-4000 let kids leave Santa a message, and NORAD's 1-877-HI-NORAD tells you where Santa is on Christmas Eve. They don't talk back by name. See Santa hotline numbers.

Email info@callsanta.us with your order email and we'll make sure your child gets their call.

Yes. Schools, PTAs and local stores can share CallSanta and receive a share of each booking. See callsanta.us/partner.