Help understanding Blau voice/sms options
 

I have a Blau SIM and I plan to use it almost entirely for internet data. I will get the 3GB or 5GB data package. But I'd also like to have just a little bit of voice and SMS in case I want to contact someone within Germany — 30-60 minutes and 50 texts would be plenty. I will be there for 22 days.

If I get a package such as this one with 200 minutes, 200 SMS, and 200MB data, can I also get a 3GB data package for a total of 3.2GB data?

If I do not get a voice/SMS package, can I still use voice/SMS? How much will they cost to German landlines and mobiles? I cannot find this on blau.de.

Hi. Welcome to the German tariff jungle.

Blau has different tariff lines:
In the "Basic" (also called 9c) line, you can add data-only packages of e.g. 3 or 5 GB.
In the "Smart" line, you have the included voice, text and data.

Both lines can't be mixed. So you can NOT book a data-only pack on a combined smart pack at the same time.

If you are on a smart pack and run out of (high speed) data (>200 MB), you can always add another 200 MB for 3 EUR to avoid being throttled.
You can add data as well on the data-only packages ahead of time on the basic line.

Take care: There have been reports, that you dont get get an SMS before speed will be throttled - but you will notice that anyway.

If you buy the basic line without included voice or text, you will still get these on the default rate 9c per minute for domestic voice (landlines and mobiles) and text. This is also the rate for overuse (in voice and text) on the smart pack.

You can't combine packages with Internet but you can just have regular money
For calls.

Example you can Topup 20€ and activate package 3GB 14.90€ And than you will have e 5.10€ for regular calls by 0.09€ minute
If you will need more you can Topup in million places in Germany in supermarkets, müler etc.

Also these packages are unlimited with options to reset speed
Example you can purchase 3GB bundle but in case you reach 3GB your speed will be limited and no more charge but if you will want to reset speed you can send a SMS JA to number 66402 and it will cost 9€ and you will have quick speed again till the end of your cycle

If you subscribe to a data-only pack (as opposed to a voice/sms/data pack), calls will be charged according to the "9 Cent Tarif":
http://www.blau.de/tarif/9cent

Calls to all German and American networks would be billed at € 0.09/min.

Thanks everyone! I'm glad I asked because I would not have expected the Basic and Smart options to be mutually exclusive. Nine cents per minute sounds fine since I doubt I will use more than 10 minutes or so, but I'll definitely use a lot of data.

Indeed. But I'm happy to pay these data rates compared to AT&T's price of $120 for 800MB.

I'm having trouble adding a package. I added some credit a couple weeks ago, then a bit more on Saturday. It will allow me to add options (eg data packages) that are less than €15, but it says I don't have sufficient credit for anything more expensive. At the top of the page it says my credit is €45 which is correct, and obviously plenty to pay for a €19.80 package.

I know blau takes a while to update your balance, but it's been two days. Any tips?

Here's the next screen.

Check your credit by dialing *100# which will display your realtime balance. This is free of charge even from abroad.

Your screenshots are not available for some reason. I remember that there was a very strict file size limitation on this forum.

Regarding your issue with ordering the "Internet-Flat 5 GB", did you subscribe to any other tariff option recently? You should be aware that most of these bundles have a 30 days term during which you cannot switch to another bundle. However there should be a separate option to double your data allowance for the remaining billing period if you are indeed on a certain tariff option.

Just did that — €44 and change. (I did a little web browsing just as a test, otherwise it would be €45.00)

The mobile web site shows the same €44 figure, but the desktop web site still shows €15.

BTW I'm still in the US. I wanted to add the data before I leave so it'll work as soon as I arrive.

Screenshots:
http://imgur.com/bTh3KTV
http://imgur.com/hZTdEZd


I don't think I added any tariff, at least not on purpose. On the dashboard on the right where it lists my name, number, credit, etc it says this:

Aktueller Tarif: 9 Cent Einheitstarif

Tarif-Optionen:
Smart- & Allnet-Optionen: buchbar
Internet-Optionen: buchbar
Sprach- & SMS-Optionen: buchbar
Auslands-Optionen: buchbar
blau Kostenschutz: aktiv

The 100MB and 1GB options are both available (they cost less than the €14.81 credit the desktop site thinks I have). It's only the more expensive 3GB and 5GB plans that say I can't add them because my credit is low ("Ihr Guthaben reicht für die Optionsbuchung nicht aus").

Is there a code I can text to Blau to add the 5GB package? Maybe that will work even though the site thinks my credit is low.

That looks good (in the sense that there's no active tariff option), except for your balance on the customer portal which obviously lags behind. You should wait a couple of hours and retry ordering through the app or their website and if both fails your only option left is ordering your bundle through the voice-guided menu available at 1155, however I'm not sure if calls to this number are being charged when calling from the US. So better wait until you step on German soil before you burn your credit quickly. Depending on how well your German is, you may also find it difficult to cope with the spoken instructions. I was able to find a two years old forum post where someone described the key sequence for ordering the 5GB data pack:
call 1155, press "8", "1", "1", "2"
However I'm note sure if that is still valid as the tariff portofolio has seen changes since then.

Thanks a lot, I appreciate all the legwork! I only know beginner's German but I should be able to pick out the words for internet and five so hopefully I'll manage. If all else fails, I'll order the 1GB package and top it up for €3 at a time which should get me 4GB for under €20 which is fine by me. I expect to use about 3-4GB.

Better don't do that! If you order the 1GB bundle you cannot order any other data bundle for the remaining billing period of 30 days. During that time you can only reset your data counter for € 3 (so-called Highspeed-Reset). This, by the way, can be repeated multiple times, however these resets do not extend validity of your data allowance.

I think that is okay for me. I need 3-4GB for about 25 days and then I will be leaving Germany. So I was going to do the following:

1. Buy 1GB — €9.90
2. Add another 1GB when I run out — €3
3. Add another 1GB when I run out — €3
4. Add another 1GB when I run out — €3

Total: 4GB for €18.90, for 30 days. Is this correct, or am I missing something?

True, it is more expensive than the 5GB package, but it accomplishes what I want and the price is reasonable to me. I will wait until I arrive in Germany (in about 12 hours) and check the web site one last time.

That's correct. You can do it like this. Have a good flight!