Joe Mobile

[wolfbln]

Originally Posted by andy

Good point.

I'd been thinking about that foreign payment card issue, trying to find some discussion on the forum or the FAQ about it - nothing I've seen yet - and was coming back to edit my post.

There are one or two Belgians asking that it appears that French residency is required, but not all the questions are getting answers as the other readers perhaps don't know (though the staff should be able to say something).

Maybe I'll ask on there later, or join the Virgin forum to ask.

If not, I just added a bundle to mine yesterday just to keep it alive, even though the chance of a visit next month is only 5 to 10%. I might ask for a refund.

This was the "revolutionary" with JoeMobile. They allowed some non-French payment systems to be associated with their contracts.
Generally, the providers are very strict in France: French contracts only with a French payment system (Carte Bancaire or French credit card).

There are many options like Simyo, B&You and Virgin offering good prices on contracts, but are all inaccessible for foreigners.

And their pay-as-you-go SIM cards are really not an option.

According to the active French community in the prepaid WIKI, you are left with these choices (not having a French bank card):
- Bouygues (prepaid card)
- Free (contracts and prepaid) with limited coverage
- Lebara mobile (prepaid)
- Lycamobile (prepaid)
- Orange (prepaid = Mobicarte and Let's go)
- SFR (prepaid and contracts).

With "contracts" i mean "forfaits", which can be cancelled anytime by free will. The French hybrid between pre- and postpaid.
With the end of JoeMobile, France becomes once again a very inaccessible country for foreigners to get a good rate for your mobile.