Report on using Orange Mobicarte in France

[jb9]

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.

[scirocco]

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.

[104001]

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.

[flychr]

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

[jsteinhu]

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...)

[TraceyJ]

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

[scirocco]

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.

[jb9]

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

[scirocco]

Originally Posted by jb9

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:jb9

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.

[inquisitor]

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.