How it works
The Plain Exchange is a classified ads service for Ohio's Plain communities that runs on plain text messages. No smartphone, no app, no internet needed — any phone that can send a text works. The commands below all go by text — send them in reply to any text from us.
Get the ads
Have a friend who already gets the ads invite you — they text JOIN and your number (see how) — or get the ads by email. You’ll get each ad in its own message as it comes in, each with its own ad number, between 7am and 6pm, Monday through Saturday. It’s free, though message and data rates may apply from your phone company. Reply STOP any time to quit, or HELP for help. See the text message program terms and privacy policy.
An ad with pictures comes as one picture: the ad’s words, its ad number and its first 3 pictures together, with the seller’s number written under it so your phone can call or text it. Reply PIC 1234 (the ad’s number) for the ad and every picture on it.
Get the ads by email
Prefer email? The email edition carries the same ads with the pictures right in the message, twice a day. Sign up here — every email has an unsubscribe link.
Post an ad
Text your ad in reply to any text from us starting with the words AD. Say what you’re selling, the price, and how to reach you. Ads are free right now — text or picture — until we say otherwise (normally a plain ad is $20 and a picture ad $30). Keep it under 250 characters.
AD NEW Horse cart for sale, $1,000 OBO. Good shape. Call 330-555-0142. Mt. Hope.
Every ad is read and approved by a person before it runs. Once approved, your ad goes out to subscribers with the next batch — with its first picture, if it has one, marked with your ad number — and is listed on this website for 30 days. You’ll get a text with your ad’s number when it’s in. Your first post comes with $30 of ad credit on the house — enough for your first few ads.
Manage your ad
Sold it? Text SOLD 1234 and the listing is marked sold. Forgot your ad numbers? Text MYADS.
Paying for ads
Ads come off your ad-credit balance; checking, browsing, and receiving ads are free. Text BAL any time to see your balance. Add money on this website under your account — once a card is saved there, ads can top up automatically when your balance runs short (the confirmation text always says so). You can also write to us through the website to set up payment by phone or check.
All the commands
| Text this | What happens |
|---|---|
| SUBSCRIBE | Start getting the ads by text. Free. |
| STOP | Stop getting the ads. Reply START to come back. |
| HELP | Get this list of commands by text. COMMANDS works the same. |
| INFO | Who runs The Plain Exchange and how it works, in a few texts. |
| AD your ad text | Post an ad. Attach pictures if you have them — up to 8. |
| PIC 1234 | See ad number 1234 and every picture on it. The number alone works too. |
| STATUS 1234 | Check if an ad is still available or sold. |
| SOLD 1234 | Mark your ad sold (your ads only). |
| MYADS | List your ads and their status. |
| UNSOLD | See what is still for sale in your categories: one text lists each category with its number and how many ads it holds. Then reply UNSOLD and a category number (like UNSOLD 6) for that category's ads, every one of them; UNSOLD OTHER for the ads with no category. |
| INSTANT OFF | Stop getting ads as they come in. Instead you get one text every morning with the day's new ads in your categories, and UNSOLD anytime you want to look. INSTANT ON brings the instant texts back. |
| DIGEST OFF | Turn the morning digest off (DIGEST ON turns it on). With the instant texts off and the digest off, ads come only when you reply UNSOLD. |
| PAUSE ON | Take a break: no ads as they come in and no morning digest, but you stay signed up and UNSOLD still works. PAUSE OFF puts everything back the way you had it. |
| SETTINGS | See how you get the ads — as they're posted, the morning digest, or paused — and which categories you get. |
| BAL | Check your ad-credit balance. |
| CAT | See which ad categories you get, with the numbered menu to change them. You get every ad unless you pick some. |
Commands work with or without a slash, capitals or not — ad new works the same as AD NEW. Print this page and keep it by the phone.