Abstract: An interactive, specialized dialing system for local control of access to a telephone line and for providing encoded information relative to an account of a user. The system includes a memory for storing program instructions, a microprocessor for directing requests for program instructions from the memory means and for responding to instructions stored in the memory for generating command signals, an interface device for interfacing with a standard telephone line, a transceiver for receiving encoded signals in standard form from the line and for decoding the signals and supplying the decoded signals to the microprocessor and also responsive to command signals from the microprocessor, for providing encoded signals in standard form to the interface device for transmission on the telephone line. The system is adapted to be interrogated by a user employing a handset coupled to the telephone line.