hi
i used the sim in a htc desire and used the hotspot to a laptop and i paid for the email klint and i had no problem ! but i tried sim ind a usb modem and a warning i fr (i think) not to use the sim ind usb modem!
chr

Hi all,

I'm back from Côte d'Azure.
Thanks to the tecnique mentioned above I was having a quite nice mobile connention.

I bought a SIM card with €15 in advance from the seller and created an account on Orange. Differrent from the instraction, the SMS for password was free, so that I could contract Internet option(€9) and Mial Option(€6) at once.
I noticed that, if you don't email heavily, it would be a nice tactics to hold Mail Option until entering France. In detail, buy SIM card with €10 and contract Internet Option alone, nagate mail sync, and buy €5 charge in France and contract Mail Option. This will save a bit.

Anyway, thx Sirocco!

Great to hear that you got it working as well, I agree that the mail option is not really necessary. Personally all my mail accounts are web based anyway, so I just save googlemail.com on my bookmarks and head there if I want to check my email.

Hello,

I am in the US preparing for an upcoming trip to France. I just purchased an Orange Mobicarte with 15 Euros of credit from the ebay seller indicated. I received the SIM card and inserted it into my basic unlocked GSM Motorola Razr V3 phone. I was able to select the T-Mobile network and have the phone power up successfully. This phone is not a smart phone so I am not sure if it has data options that need to be turned off. How do I find out what my telephone number is? I have tried the #123# method, then 3 "suivi conso" but it is not displaying it (it says Menu, Aide, Precedent and Acceuil).

I tried to call my own US cell phone, but I keep getting a "call failed" error.

The card I received from the seller did not indicate the phone number and the seller indicated that I should simply call another phone.

How do I dial my known cell phone here in the US? Do I need to put international country codes before the number?

I would really like to confirm my own number and credit on my Mobicarte before I go on my trip!

I really need some help...

thanks

Yes, like the seller says, just dial a phone that you can get to that shows caller ID. The ebay seller sets the cards up with international access switched on, so it should not be a problem to do so.

It never hurts to put the international codes in, so (since you're in the US) just dial +1 then the area code and phone number. The number of the SIM you've bought will start with 33 (country code for France) then have a 6 then xx xx xx xx.

So within France someone calling you would dial 06 xx xx xx xx
Calling you in France from the US someone would dial +33 6 xx xx xx xx

Thanks scirocco.

I finally got the phone to place a call successfully and subsequently view the SIM's phone number. Good news for sure! It also looks like I have the correct amount of credit (15 Euro) on the Orange system based on my use of the #123# menu. As I mentioned earlier, I just have a basic unlocked quad-band Motorola Razr V3 flip phone because I really only am interested in making/receiving calls or SMS. This particular thread mentions how folks need to turn off the data settings on their smartphones so that credit is not drained from the card. My phone does use what is called GPRS in a very rudimentary web browser (I haven't turned on or initiated a browser session), but I do NOT plan to use it.

Question #1: Do I still need to go to the orange.fr portail and create an account? I have already placed a call to my local phone to identify the number and vice versa, so it appears that the phone + SIM can send and receive calls. I am just wondering if the additional setup with the orange.fr portail is necessary since I am not using a true smartphone and don't plan on adding the mail or Internet Max options.

Question #2: I have looked pretty closely at the user manual, but if there are any experienced Motorola Razr V3 users who know of any other "data" settings I need to turn off, are there other settings that I am missing?

Question #3: What is the basic cost of using voice with the Mobicarte in France? I am under the impression that calls to landlines (04) are less expensive than calls to a cellular (06) and that the Mobicarte is not debited for incoming calls that I receive. Do I have the basic understanding correct?

Thanks so much to all the knowledgeable contributors to this thread!

Glad you got it working. The Mobicarte tariff sheet is linked below, but basically it's a caller pays system, so you pay nothing for incoming calls, even international. For calls to mobiles or landlines within France it's 0.54 euros per minute according to the tariff sheet. SMS are 0.135 euros each. International calls are much higher of course.

Orange also do deals such as 0.9 euros for 10 minutes in any one day, 10 euros unlimited calls over the weekend and 3 euros unlimited 9pm to midnight. You can see some of these in my picture in post 50 back on page 5 of this thread. You can access these on the #123 menu or on the Orange Portail.

There's absolutely no need to sign up for an Orange account if you don't want to. But it is a bit easier to sit back in the comfort of your home and get up to speed with their deals online than it is in the clunky old #123 phone menu. Depends on your level of reading French too.

I think with your basic RAZR phone as long as you don't open the browser or use any add-on apps like Google Maps you will not use any data. I used to have a RAZRV6 and that was how it worked.

http://boutique.orange.fr/doc/contrat3552.pdf

Thanks for the link to the tariff sheet.

That's great!

I think I might try and create an Orange account and verify that I can receive the SMS message. So according to the rate sheet, that will cost .135 euro to "receive" the SMS in the US, right?

I also want to make sure I don't accidentally sign up for things via SMS so I will look out for that as well. Any suggestions on how to handle the barrage of marketing SMS messages. I am assuming any message would have a fairly specific set of reply instructions that would prevent a person from accidently accepting something.

Other people in the thread have said that the SMS with the password for the Orange account was free. I thought I had been charged 0.5 euro for it, but I may be mistaken. If you look at p41 of the tariff sheet it says that it's 0.28 euros for a SMS from France to an overseas country, so the SMS shouldn't be any more than that, anyway.

As far as the marketing SMSs you may get from Orange are concerned, just close the SMS without replying and you won't inadvertently sign up for something. If you can read a bit of French the "No" reply option is usually pretty clear anyway.

The SMS was most assuredly free for me when sent to the US. Typically any SMS that is received does not cost anything with a French SIM. Only SENDING an SMS will be charged.

I have traveled with the mobicarte and received SMS/MMS while out of the country without any charges.

Just wondering if you ever resolved this? My card arrived this week but there is only 5 EUR credit on it rather than 15.

Also, I have been able to create an account on the orange portail but I can't access some parts of the account as I need to provide the required ID? I purchased the sim via the ebay seller referred to in this thread so I was wondering what other people's experiences were on this?

Thanks for all the very useful info in here :)

Pin # ?
 

Hi, I bought a mobicarte through 2004ibiza. There was a handwritten 4 digit PIN # with the card. What is that for please?

That's the PUK code for the SIM (Personal Unlocking Code). If you have the PUK code option turned on in your phone the phone will ask you to enter the password each time you turn it on.

Your phone probably has a setting where you can turn this off if you don't want it to bug you every time.

Thanks again to all the knowledgeable contributors to this thread. I just returned home from my trip to France and the phone/mobicarte worked flawlessly throughout the trip. I may be planning a return trip in September and I am curious to hear what one might do to keep the mobicarte/telephone number active in the next 3 months. I have a friend who is going to France on a trip in August, could I additionally loan the phone to him to keep things going? Any economical suggestions are welcome.

Thanks.

The number will remain active for six months from the date of the last recharge of ten euros or more. The credit will expire, of course, but that can be recharged any time as long as the number is still valid.

If you know you are going to be returning to France after some time, you can buy enough recharge vouchers while still in France to (a) to recharge to keep the number alive while out of the country and (b) to top up a few days before you return so that internet and everything is working again when you get there.

If you didn't buy recharge vouchers when in France then Ebay seller emy351 on Ebay UK can sell them to you, but you have to pay a premium over the face value. (She has to make some money out of it.)

Or you could just loan the phone to your friend as you suggest. :)

Problem with identity?
 

I purchased an activated card from the ebay.fr seller discussed on this thread. When the sim arrived I was able to SMS another local phone using it and create an orange.fr account. However, several days later when I log in I get the following message whenever I try to do anything useful like add Internet Max. Suggestions?

Thanks for your help!

This is exactly the same problem I had about 4 weeks ago. I emailed the seller and he was able to resolve the problem in about 5 working days. He said it wasn't the first time it had happened and he knew what to do to resolve it.

The expected 15 Euros credit was only showing as 5 Euros on the portal until this was resolved.

I was then able to use the card in a mifi type router (namely a 'zoom') for 17 days without any issues on both an iphone and an ipad.

Whilst in France I also bought an orange recharge for my return visit next month and will take the email option as well next time as I'm only there for a week. It was a great solution for me so thanks for the information in this thread.

I got to France with this never resolved. The Orange store was unable to add my identity to the SIM card because of something wrong with the way the card was in the syste. I eventually purchased a new card, activated it, waited 20 hours for the identity flag to be set (they checked my passport at the store) and bought internet max. Does anyone know if it takes exactly 48 hours or UP TO 48 hours to be activated? Is there a way to tell if it is active yet? It does show up in the account website.

Also for others reading, if you want to use the website interface, the initial password takes about 20 hours to be sent to you as a SMS even if you are in France.

hi Ibought recharge voucher from emy uk ,and it work ok!
but price is a bit high
Face 5€+1€ 7 days price £10 (generally in stock)
10€+2€ 12 days price £15 (generally in stock)
15€+5€ 20 days price £25 (generally in stock)
note euro/Pound
to ad recharge voucher from out side FR :
Dial #124*rechargecode# Send. Immediate text confirmation(not sms) of the recharge.
recharge voucher is send ind mail so ther is no ekstra shipmint.
Chr

To answer my own question, I was able to start using Internet Max right away, once I could buy it, regardless of what is said on this forum and by Orange themselves. Not sure why that is in this case.
Another question, when I use up my 500MB, can I simply buy Internet Max again for another round? (I am here on business so it is not just FB that is eating into my quota...)

You can use internet straight away, but the cost will be deducted from your credit balance at whatever the base data rate is. The cheap Internet Max rate isn't guaranteed to kick in immediately although in practice it may not take the full 48 hours.

And no, Internet Max is a per-monthly deal - you can't have two in the same month. The 500MB is not rigidly enforced by all accounts so unless you are tethering or streaming loads of videos you may be okay.

I already have my Orange Mobicarte that I used successfully for a trip I completed this spring. It worked great but I am planning a trip in September and I want to make sure I can add value for my upcoming trip. I am within the 6 month window for the SIM card to be valid, but I am wondering which of the following options would work for adding value to the phone so it will work for my upcoming trip:

1. Buy a card from the UK Ebay Seller
2. Can I add Euros via my Orange Web Login?
3. Can I have a friend buy a recharge card who lives in the UK (not France)and send me the number via email?
4. Does the Orange recharge card have to be purchased in France?

Thanks in advance,

jb9

I fear you can't recharge French Orange mobicartes with British recharge vouchers. At least the French Orange website doesn't mention such an option. Instead you need to buy a recharge code from France which you should be able to enter through the USSD menu (dial #123#) while roaming.

1. Buy a card from the UK Ebay Seller? Yes, this will work, she sells Orange France recharges.
2. Can I add Euros via my Orange Web Login? No, not unless you have a French credit card.
3. Can I have a friend buy a recharge card who lives in the UK (not France)and send me the number via email? Not unless he has some way of buying an Orange France recharge.
4. Does the Orange recharge card have to be purchased in France? Ultimately, yes. The UK ebay seller gets a French associate to buy the recharges and send them to her. She then just sends you the recharge code by email, not a physical piece of paper. Works fine.

Extending the expiry date of the sim card
 

I'm currently in France using my orange sim for the second time this year. The orange portail indicates that my number will expire on 13 May 2013, exactly a year after I purchased it. Do I need to buy a further top up while I'm here so that I can keep my card active beyond 13 May or is there no point buying a top up, ie will it expire anyway, irrespective of me adding credit early in 2013? It will work out cheaper in the long run rather than me starting again with the ebay seller if it will work.

Thanks to anyone who knows the answer :)

The Mobicarte requires a minimum top-up of 10 euros every six months after the credit has expired to prevent the number from expiring. If you are in France and can buy a recharge, suggest you buy a 10 euro recharge voucher and take it home with you. You can do the recharge in your home country using the #123 menu on the phone. If you do it just before 13 May then the number will stay alive for another six months after that.

The vouchers last for ages if not used; the clock doesn't start ticking on the credit until you actually add it to the account.

I am currently in France and also managed to get Orange Mobicarte working. France is the most difficult country I have encountered for visitors to purchase and activate SIM cards. Without the information in this Forum, I would not have succeeded. I have a few refinements following my experience. See below,


Mobicarte Orange PREPAID SIM info
Orange Mobicarte is €9.90 for card, and €9 for 500MB for use up to 1 month- Min top-up €10 - so total €19.90. "BP Mois internet Max" add-on (after 500MB speed gets throttled). It seems like the best option for short term visitors to France, who require Data.

Preparation:
Before purchasing the Orange SIM, take the following important precautions.

• Switch off all packet-data before activitating new SIM. This is necessary because default tariff on a new SIM charges for data at an exorbitant out-of-bundle rate. You need to avoid using data/voice/SMS until you have changed your tariff from the default to the Internet Max tariff.
• Disable any Lost/Stolen phone apps that cause an SMS msg to be sent when you insert a new SIM.
• Disable email clients - as email protocols are charged out-of-bundle (webmail - eg gmail ok)
• Disable Skype/Viber/VOIP Do not activate - as they can invalidate bundle.
• No Tethering!

Purchasing & Registration of card on default Tariff:
Registration of card can take up to 24 hours - before which the next step below won't work! After setting up my registration, the shop assistant inserted the €10 top-up for me. The Orange shop logged my passport details on registration, but they made a serious mistake - they didn't send a copy of my passport to HQ. The shop assistant admitted to never having done a registration for a non-national before. She assured me that the registration was ok and would be completed after lunch! My registration was blocked because of this failure by the shop assistant. I sent an email afterwards to <blois.contrats@orange.com> with a photo of my passport and my Orange phone number, to get unblocked. I tried several other shops - and none were familiar with the process for non-residents. My advice would be to assume that all Orange shop assistants are clueless in this regard - and send an email with a copy of your passport to the above address, just in case. This means you will need other Internet access (WiFi etc) because your Orange Internet will not be working until this step is complete.


Tariff change to Internet Max:
Tariff change can take up to 48 hours - but only took a short time for me! On the default tariff, you are charged out-of-bundle rates for data, so do not switch on packet data until you have followed the process below and changed the tariff.

Dial #123#
You get a startup USSD menu showing the credit on your prepaid account. You need enough credit on your account to buy the €9 data plan.

Choose 1-Menu
Choose 4-Bons plans
Choose 3-Internet et emails
Choose 3-Option Internet Max
Choose 2-Souscrire (Subscribe).
Choose 1=Valider (Confirm).
That should be it. Officially the option may take 48 hours to come into effect, however in reality it can take less.

One really frustrating thing about this process is that Orange sent no messages to indicate progress/failure with the subscription process at any time. You can work out which stage you are at by probing for subtle changes in the USSD menus following the #123# command, or by setting up your on-line account on Orange : téléphones, forfaits, Internet, actualité, sport, video, and checking account settings

The Orange APN was set up automatically when I inserted the Orange SIM card.

Is the mobicarte only for phones?

Can you use with Mifi devices?

What is the throttled speed?

It is clearly intended for phones. I used it in an Android SGS2. I didn't try it in any other device - I suspect it would work from an access perspective, but the limitations on tethering would render it useless in a dongle or MiFi device. On the last day of my trip, I decided to try tethering to see if it was just a threat - or if the restriction is for real. I set my phone to become a WiFi Hotspot and tethered my Android tablet to it. Tethering was blocked. This has never happened to me on any other network. Even though I was using another Android device, I was blocked. I also tried Skype and it was also blocked, as stated. I guess that Orange must be using some form of Deep Packet Inspection to identify the applications?

It might be worth trying to use a VPN to get around this blocking? The VPN client would need to be active in the phone so as to hide all data payload from Orange's deep-packet-inspection. They might not block VPNs because they are validly used by business users accessing their corporate networks? I don't know whether it is possible to get WiFi tethering to hook into a VPN tunnel?

Despite the limitations - once it was set up - I found the Mobicarte excellent for my stay in France. The Orange coverage and capacity is generally very good. I had WiFi in hotels in the evenings - so mobile use was mainly for maps, apps and web-browsing during the day. Gmail app. worked fine.

I was able to tether freely on Orange in France when I was there in 2009. I can't remember if I tethered any time after that. I guess they tightened up their detection since then.

I would be curious to find out if anybody has tried using a VPN to circumvent the detection. If anybody has a chance, try it and post the results here.

If the mobicarte is only intended for phones, what can i use for my ipad2 , with os5, to have 3 g service while on the road in france? My ipad is " jailbroken".

Can the ipad 2 be set up same as you describe for iphone. Ebay sim states ipad2 with o5 won't work or did i misunderstand.

Orange do not appear to have any Prepay options for Dongles or Tablets.
I think you would need to sign up to Bill pay. They do have a Bill pay option "sans engagement" for €9 per month. I guess you could cancel after 1 month?

Another option is to get a prepay card from another country which offers cheap roaming for data. Vodafone Ireland are the cheapest I know in Europe. They offer 50MB for €3 per day of Internet usage on Prepay. You can get a prepay SIM from Vodafone Ireland for €10 with €10 credit. Beats any other roaming offer hands down.

Recharge information
 

I have successfully used mobicarte in France about six months ago. My problem is I am not sure when I last recharged my phone and so I am not sure when my number will expire.
Would greatly appreciate it if someone could tell me where I might find info regarding dates of recharging or time until line expires.
I have tried to work through the #123# menu, but with limited french, had no luck.
Thanks

Do I need to jailbreak my iphone 3gs from AT&T before I can go through these steps?

There is some information available from the #123 menu.

#123# (call)
Select 5 (suivi conso)
This will give you the amount of credit left and the date of expiry of the credit. But it doesn't display the expiry date of the line.

I'm not sure what that selection will display if your credit has all expired. It might display the expiry date of the line.

Orange also have quite a user-friendly user portal on their website. It gives all the same info as the #123 menu - but is easier to follow. It gives the date of expiration of credit and of the number as well as the amount of credit left. It is very easy to register and uses cookies so you don't need to enter your password each time you return.

Thanks for the detailed information, drama_queen!

Although I will never use French Orange with what they offer at the moment - prepaids from abroad are much better for one-time-usage in France.

An update, months later I have not received a refund from the popular France ebay seller. He admits that they didn't set up the SIM properly, after I mailed it back, and has promised a refund several times but claims paypal/ebay problems. He is certainly not a scammer, but I am out ~$45 none the less. So, there is that.

Voicemail setup with Mobicarte
 

Hello,

The folks on this forum have been so helpful in the past, I was wondering if someone might be able to help me setup Voicemail with the Mobicarte. I tried the last time I was in France (I think my greeting got set), but I never really needed it so I didn't want to mess around with my phone too much. Can anyone offer instructions (that work based on experience) for how to set up the Voicemail after dialing 888 in France? Basically, I am interested in the keystroke flow for the following:

1. setting a greeting
2. checking one's messages

thanks,

jb9