Prepaid top-ups online

[RTuesday]

Originally Posted by kuba.g

I can't find the fees at Babblebug. What does it mean to recharge "8.00 USD converted to Spain’s currency"....

It's a while since I used Babblebug. At the time there were about 11 pesos to the US$, and they charged US$10 for 100 peso refill, so there was a small markup.

So I presume US$8 for Simyo ES for example would give you nearly 6 EUR on the phone, but you'd need to ask them to confirm (maybe it's only 5 EUR, which makes it not a very good deal).

Ezetop's site is much clearer, they show the amounts the phone will receive when you enter a number and carrier.

With most of these multi-carrier recharge sites you're paying a bit extra just for the convenience. Worth it sometimes to stop a sim expiring.

[JoelBurns]

Originally Posted by RTuesday

Worth it sometimes to stop a sim expiring.

RTuesday,

I have a Telcel microSIM for my unlocked iPhone4 which I used almost exclusively for Amigo Banda Ancha (internet data) plus a few SMS when I was too lazy to or couldn't find a paperclip to swap in my AT&T SIM. I then used my iPhone as a mobile hotspot for my laptop, iPad, etc. (after I couldn't get a standard Telcel data SIM to work in an unlocked Mifi hotspot, but that's another topic).

I travel to Puerto Vallarta for a week or two around New Years every year and want to keep this SIM active (so I'm set as soon as I arrive, no taking a taxi and waiting in line at Telcel for an hour, etc.).

The clerk said I had to top up every 4 months to not lose the phone (elsewhere on this forum people report 6 mo). I think he said something in there about 100 pesos, but my Spanish isn't that good.

Do you know if there is a minimum amount required to keep the SIM/number active?

If not, I see my options as (let me know if wrong):

• Pay a minimum recharge every 60 days of 50 pesos (US$3.65) on telcel.com (or 30 pesos on topup-mobile.com it appears) and assume those balances roll-over thus leaving me a balance of 300 pesos (via telcel.com) when I return next year.
  Pay a minimum recharge every 4 months to just keep the SIM and phone number active then buy the voice/data plan I need on the day of the trip.

Unfortunately telcel only offers weekly, bi-weekly or monthly automated online recharging requiring me to set myself 6 or 3 calendar reminders a year in the above scenarios.

Thanks in advance RTuesday (and others) for your advice on the minimum to keep the SIM active. I'll look for another thread on getting the Mifi mobile router/hotspot working with Telcel.

Joel

[JoelBurns]

Originally Posted by JoelBurns

RTuesday,
Telcel
Joel

I missed that this was in the Europe folder and am moving my post over to Americas.