texting abroad (vodaphone) is there a bolt on or something?

vikki_louise

Hello, I'm in the uk on vodaphone and a friend is in Ireland. Im on pay as you go and most of my credit goes on texting them (they are also on vodaphone). Is there any kind of bolt on or package to make it cheeper at all? I tried to google it but only found info on texting home from abroad. Thank you, :money:

Annie._2

It depends on whether its Northern or Southern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK, if your friend is on Vodafone UK, text will be charged at the standard rate and you will not pay anything extra.

If you are texting Southern Ireland, the text will cost 24p.

There is not a package available for International texting.

MarkLS12

I don't think Vodafone have an add on for cheaper international texts.
There are a few options to bring down the costs.
1. You could change to the GiffGaff network (owned by O2) which charges 8p for texts to Ireland.
http://giffgaff.com/index/pricing


2. Use something like Fishtext or Vyke if your phone is compatible. They are apps which run on your phone and use mobile internet to send texts, it costs about 1.5p per text plus data charges (prob 50p a day with Vodafone)

3. look at sending texts from your computer, rather then your phone, you can do this with Fishtext for about 1.5p a text, you may be able to find cheaper.

redux

Get your friend to send you an Irish SIM card and then register it online

They all allow a bundle of free web-based text messages per month, and from O2 and Vodafone these can even be international as well as to Irish numbers

I'd suggest you get the Irish O2 SIM for preference, as it will stay valid if you spend something on it once a year, and this might be just one incoming call of a few seconds, costing 2c

Then some people have written small Java programs for your mobile phone which log in to your account and send the text for you, amongst them one called Cabbage

You needn't use the Irish SIM in your phone, in fact don't - just use the data connection of your UK one, about 1 or 1.5k of data per message, and your friend needs to remember to send to your UK number, not reply directly to the ID on the message, using Cabbage as well of course

A problem is that Vodafone charge 50p a day for data, and there doesn't seem to be a smaller pro rata charge for only very modest use. If you swapped to Asda or 3, you'd send about 30 messages for a penny worth of data, or on giffgaff data is free until May

ivinsp

how about sending your friend an o2 payg sim and they can sign up for the Ireland bolt on for £1.99 a month to receive calls free and you can use any inclusive texts


http://www.o2.co.uk/explore/tariffs/boltons/paygoboltons

jammin_2

Ann_S wrote: »

Southern Ireland

..hasn't existed since 1922. The name is Ireland.

jammin_2

ivinsp wrote: »

how about sending your friend an o2 payg sim and they can sign up for the Ireland bolt on for £1.99 a month to receive calls free and you can use any inclusive texts


http://www.o2.co.uk/explore/tariffs/boltons/paygoboltons

Good find. Are these bolt-ons available for pre-pay customers or just post-pay customers?

ivinsp

it's listed on the o2 t&c website so I assume it's available for contract as well

http://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/tariffsandboltons

Lehman

I also tried Vyke.com and Voipbuster.com for texing. Very cheap and convenient.

jon_r_2

i use localphone for international texts very reasonable South Africa 2.6p a text for example