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How to make cheap international call and text (SMS)
from Orange contract and Prepay

*All Information Provided in Good Faith and you should verify the information independently*

 

Orange Contract Mobile has the following features: [Information correct as of 4-Sep-06]

To BE COMPLETED.

  • Anytime tarriff which gives certain number of free minutes per month that can be used to ring Landline (i.e. number beginning with 01,02 ), 0870,0845, 0800 (and 0844 although this is not officially stated), other Vodafone, Orange, H3G, T Mobile (and its associated MVNO such as Virgin and Fresh)

  • An "Leisuretime All"  and "Leisuretime plus" tarriff  which gives lots of off peak minutes (leisuretime plus is no longer available to new connections since 1st August)

  • A 'Free Long Weeeknds Call' feature which is available on £35/month+ price plans (and also on PAYG, but to landline and O2 only, scroll down to PAYG section for more info). The feature allows you to make unlimited minutes of call per month during Sat,Sun and Monday to any UK mobiles or landlines number. (Fair use policy restrict unlimited to 2000 minutes).  Unfortunately, calls to 08xx numbers are NOT covered under this offer.

  • New plans from 1st August also has a rather high 20p/min flat rate charge to all landlines, UK mobiles, 0870,0845,0844 etc once your free minutes are used up.

  • O2 Price List for 0844,0845,0870 numbers :

Other Plan Features

Vodafone offers good value if you roam within Vodafone partner countries ( List of Vodafone Passport Countries ) and make lots of off peak calls which last about an hour (because of STC). Vodafone lower monthly line rental plans (<£30 does not appeared to be so attractive compared to other operator's offerings).

International Call

Therefore, using Vodafone with our 0844 / 0870 / 0871  dialling service would be UNSUITABLE.

The best way to make international calls from Vodafone would be to prepay and dial a 01/02xxx access numbers which then identify you via a PIN or by your phone number (CLI) and then allow you to make the international call.  The PIN can be obtained by making a purchase/topup using credit/debit card.

Our QX Call product cater for this purpose and you can begin making/receiving call in just a few (<4) hours and in 3 simple steps.

  1. Signup at http://www.qxtelecom.co.uk/qxcall

  2. We will email you with your PIN number within 4 hours (during 8am-8pm or by 11.30am next day, including weekends). You can also specifiy phone numbers that we will use auto-identify you with (if you make calls from these phone numbers, you will not be asked to enter the PIN)

  3. You can then dial 01277 770 300 and then enter pin if appropriate and then press using your keypad 00xxxxxxxxx and wait to be connected.

The total cost you pay is what Vodafone charges you for ringing 01277 770 300 (free if within your free minutes allowance) and the international call charges that we make for carrying your call from our London Switching Center to the international destination.

 For example: Calling China for 30 minutes during off peak hours (8pm), assuming that you have Vodafone Stop the Clock option enabled. Alternatively see the following table.

(i) Vodafone charges - free (your free minutes is reduced by 3 minutes and then Stop The Clock kicks in for the next 27 minute of the call)
(ii) QX Charges for carrying the call from UK to China - 30 x 2p = 60 pence.

For national calls, call to other mobile, dialling directly from Vodafone mobile would be the best option for most cases, provided that you stay within the bundle minutes allowance.

Once you have enabled Vodafone Passport, making call via QX Call to a 3rd country from when you are roaming will also be cheaper. For example:

International SMS

Vodafone charges 24p/message for sending SMS to international destinations.
It would be more cost effective to send an Internation SMS via QX SMS/VGSMail service at
http://www.vgsmail.com. Cost to send an international SMS is currently 4.2p/msg and you can see the delivery status online !

 

- Found an error? Please Tell us at qxdial@qxtelecom.co.uk -



TARIFF SUMMARY

SmartPlus tariff (with stop the clock, free weekends call) to call China

1st Min

2nd Min

3rd Min

4th Min

5th Min

...

Min 60

Min 61

During Peak hour (Weekdays 7.30am-7.30pm)

08701190200

30p

30p

30p

30p

30p

...

30p

30p

01277770300 + QX Call

30+2p

30+2p

30+2p

30+2p

30+2p

...

30+2p

30+2p

During Off peak hour (Weekdays 7.30pm-7.30am)

08701190200

10p

10p

10p

10p

10p

...

10p

10p

01277770300 + QX Call

10+2p

10+2p

10+2p

0+2p

0+2p

...

0+2p

10+2p

Stop the clock after 3 mins for 1 hour.The clock will start after 1 hour

During Weekends

. . . . . . . .

08701190200

10p

10p

10p

10p

10p

...

10p

10p

01277770300 + QX Call

0+2p

0+2p

0+2p

0+2p

0+2p

...

0+2p

0+2p

Free weekend calls (if spent £5 during the week)

01277770300 + QX Call

10+2p

10+2p

10+2p

2p

2p

...

2p

10+2p

Stop the clock after 3 mins (if spent less than £5 during the week)



 

SMART STEP tariff (5p/min on 0870, free weekend call, stop the clock not available to this plan) to China

.
. . . . . . .

Min 1

Min 2

Min 3

Min 4

Min 5

...

During Peak hour (Weekdays 7.30am-7.30pm)

. . . .

08701190200

30p

30p

30p

30p

30p

...

. . . .

Smartstep reduced rate not applicable 08xx calls

01277770300 + QX Call

30+2p

30+2p

30+2p

5p+2p

5p+2p

...

. . . .

Smartstep reduced rate kicks in

.
. . . . . . .

During Off peak hour (Weekdays 7.30pm-7.30am)

. . . .

08701190200

5p

5p

5p

5p

5p

.
. . . .

Call to 0870 is charged at 5p/min flat

01277770300 + QX Call

30+2p

30+2p

30+2p

5p+2p

5p+2p

. . .

If you have made 3 minutes of call earlier in the day, those will count towards the 3 minute before reduced rate kicks in

. . . . . . .

During Weekends

. . . . . .

08701190200

5p

5p

5p

5p

5p

.

01277770300 + QX Call

0+2p

0+2p

0+2p

0+2p

0+2p

.
.

Free weekend calls  (if spent £5 during the week)

. .
. . . . . . .

01277770300 + QX Call

30+2p

30+2p

30+2p

5p+2p

5p+2p

.
. . . .

Smartstep reduced rate kicks in

.

 

Vodafone Contract Anytime (with Stop The Clock) to call China

. . . . . . .

Min 1

Min 2

Min 3

Min 4

Min 60

Min 61

During Peak hour (Weekdays 7pm and 8am)

08701190200

15-18p

15-18p

15-18p

..

15-18p

15-18p

01277770300 + QX Call

Free minute+2p

Free minute+2p

Free minute+2p

..

Free minute+2p

Free minute+2p

. . . .

Stop the clock does not apply to peak time calls.

. . . . . . .

During Off peak hour (Weekdays 7pm and 8am) AND Weekends

. . .

08701190200

15-18p

15-18p

15-18p

. . .

01277770300 + QX Call

Free minute+2p

Free minute+2p

Free minute+2p

0p+2p

0p+2p

Free minute+2p

. . . .

Stop the clock kicks in and call to 01277 is now free

Call to 01277 is now chargable again

 

SMS

To UK

International

.

QX VGS SMS Service

SmartStep

12p then 9p

24p

.

UK

4.2p

SmartPlus

12p

24p

.

International

4.2p

Contract / pay monthly

Usually included  in free text bundle

24p

. . .


How to Make cheap International call (and send international SMS) from Vodafone Prepay SmartStep and Smart Plus

*All Information Provided in Good Faith and you should verify the information independently*

Vodafone Prepay Mobile has the following features: [Information correct as of 4-Sep-06]

  • Link to Vodafone website regarding PAYT price plans or HERE.

  • SmartStep >  For calls made to landline (01/02xx numbers) and other Vodafone, 30p/min for first 3 minute of the call and then 5p/min for any further calls made during the day. Call to 0870,0845 amd 0800 are always charged at 30p/min day and 5p/min off peak & weekends. SMS to other UK network is 12p/SMS forst first 3 SMS and then 9p/SMS. International SMS is charged at 24p/SMS

  • SmartPlus >  For calls made to landline (01/02xx numbers) and other Vodafone, 30p/min during peak hours and then 5p/min for call made during off peak hours. Call to 0870,0845 amd 0800 are charged at 30p/min day and 10p/min off peak. SMS to other UK network is charged at 12p/SMS. International SMS is charged at 24p/SMS

  • Both SmartStep and Smartplus charges 35p/min to ring mobile from other network. Charges to 0844 / 0871 numbers are also 35p/min.

  • GPRS usage is charged at a whooping £7.50/mb.

  • Peak (daytime) hours are Mon-Fri 7.30am - 7.30pm. Weekends are 0:00 Saturday to 23:59 Sunday. Evening is any other time.

  • Stop The Clock is available for SmartPlus only

  • Vodafone Passport is available for both SmartStep and SmartPlus

  • 10% topup credit is given bu Vodafone when one topup using credit/debit card via Vodafone website or by calling 2345 Vodafone topup line.

  • Free weekends text to UK mobile when you spend > £2.50 during Mon-Fri every week and Free weekends text and call to UK numbers when you spend > £5 during Mon-Fri.

International Call

International call can be made cheaply via QX Call (our prepay service) on SmartStep and Smartplus. On SmartStep, one cal also make international call by dialling 0870 119 0200 during off peak and weekends. See illustration in the table above.

International SMS

Using our www.vgsmail.com service, you can send international SMS online for just 4.2p/min.

 


Other useful Vodafone FAQ
  1. SIM Card
    1. What is Vodafone Default  SIM PIN ? [A] 0000
    2. What is Vodafone FDN/PIN2? [A] Vodafone has PIN2/FDN disabled on the sim cards.
    3. If have entered my SIM pin several times wrongly and it is now locked. What should I do? [A] You need to get a PUK code from Vodafone Customer Service.  You do not appeared to be able to unblock yourself via the online site just yet (as Orange let's you retrieve it online).
  2. SMSC Number: +447785016005.

  3. WAP and GPRS

    1. Vodafone Contract APN: wap.vodafone.co.uk, internet
      You need to be provisioned for GPRS although all new connections now comes pre-provisioned with GPRS.

    2. Vodafone prepay PAYT APN: pp.vodafone.co.uk

    3. username: web, password: web
    4. Session type: Continuous / permanent
    5. Authentication: Normal
    6. Security: Off
    7. Port number: 8799
    8. Email SMTP server: send.vodafone.net, SMTP server: smtp.vizzavi.co.uk
    9. DNS: 212.183.137.012
    10. wap.vodafone.co.uk and pp.vodafone.co.uk APNs  both allow internet access. Internet APN allows a few more things such as VPN to be established over the GPRS/3G connection.
    11. Or you can use Vodafone auto-OTA GPRS configurator at http://wapota.vizzavi.co.uk/

       
  4. Topup and Credits

    1. Check your prepay credit balance, dial *#1345#  free from your mobile

    2. Dial 2345 from prepay phone to topup

    3. You can topup via ATM, eTopup Swipe Card, e-Voucher, Topup transfer from a contract phone or using credit/debit card via 2345 IVR or via www.vodafone.co.uk. Topup using credit/debit card > £15 currently attracts a 10% bonus.

  5. Customer Care

    1. 08700 776 655 (overseas: +44 7836 191919) or by dialling 2345 and then follow prompt. A 25p/call charge is applicable if the call is connected to a human customer care agent (unless you are sneaky and tried around registering a new credit card options and that will get you to a person also). Use 08700 776 655 to remote stolen handset.

    2. Alternatively, you can email Vodafone by clicking HERE

  6. Voicemail

    1. Turning off voicemail: 1210; Turn on Voicemail: 1211;

    2. Turn on All Call Divert to voicemail: 1212 (e.g. when you go away for holiday and don't want your phone to ring first before diverting to voicemail. This is because once your phone start ringing when you are abroad, and then you reject the call or the call goes to voicemail after some delay, you will be charged the cost of redirecting the call from the foreign country back to UK voicemail ), Dial 1213 to cancel.
    3. Default Voicemail pin is 3333
    4. To change voicemail notification, dial 121, and then press the number for "Mailbox Setting" (This is currently 7 if you have unified message enabled). You shall then select message notification and you can choose from one of the following methods:
      1.  SMS Alert
      2. Voice Alert and deliver (i.e. Vodafone rings you back and play the voicemail message to you)
      3. Voice alert only.
  7. Roaming
    1. Vodafone prepaid (prepay) roaming charges - see www.vodafone.co.uk/abroad. Unless you are in Vodafone Passport roaming areas, the cost is lilkely to be prohibitive (in the region of 75p/min to receive call and £2/minute to ring from say, France to Germany).
    2. Contract roaming - see www.vodafone.co.uk/abroad also.  You need to get your roaming bar lifted before you go abroad and that is subject to credit checks.
    3. If you roam in Vodafone Passport countries, you will benefit from far cheaper roaming rates (see above contract/SmartStep/Smartplus section)
    4. Usage of Vodafone Live or Internet access is extremely costly when abroad (£10/mb for most non Vodafone partner country !) and should be avoided if possible.

     

Any other question?  Try the FORUM and we / other member will try to answer you query.