Travel Technology - UK SIM: Why top up only with UK credit card?

I'm going to the UK on Friday and have a Three SIM all ready. But I can only top up with a UK credit card online - or with a Top Up card paid for in cash in person. The funny thing is that my UK friend tried to put her credit card on the account and top up, and it still wouldn't take.

Why do UK mobile providers require a UK credit card?

Some vendors require a credit card from their country, likely for fraud prevention issues.

Have you tried every card you have? Last year I managed to buy a Spanish train ticket with a BankDirect debt card enrolled in Verified by Visa (adds a password for online purchases). I'd tried a large number of other cards without success.

Phones and phone cards are a bit special. Key reason might be that mobile networks only sign contracts for territory one country at a time currently. Because prices for phones and network time/data can differ greatly for the same product/service between countries, legally they must - and of course are very interested in - preventing arbitrage. So it's perfectly natural for networks to restrict the origin of methods of payment to the territory for which they have the relevant network licence.

Additionally as mentioned by other poster above there are quite serious fraud issues when accepting foreign credit cards, or cards of certain types, for some products and services (not just mobile but many other products).

As I mentioned in another thread here recently, it is extremely easy once in the UK to obtain top-ups at every supermarket, newspaper shops (eg WH Smith) most petrol stations and many other outlets (eg Boots pharmacies). Even SIMs are pretty easy to get hold of. Just say at the cash desk which network you want and how much £.

I topped up a UK tmobile SIM with a US credit card earlier this year

Which UK sim, which CC, and where did you do the topup (her or in the UK)? There should NOT be any problem doing it in the UK with a US issued CC. Online is another story.

I topped up a UK tmobile SIM with a US credit card earlier this year

Online from the US. Is there more than one UK tmobile?

Sorry. I read it too quickly and thought you did not specify the carrier.

I have heard of some people with American Express and may be Discover having success topping up UK sim cards online from the US

Online from the US. Is there more than one UK tmobile?

To cut back on fraud
Exchange fees they may have to pay

T Mobile in the U.S. won't accept anything but a U.S.-domiciled CC online. Can phone in however.

Thanks all...but if I'm not mistaken, the cardmember pays the forex fees, not the merchant.

Also, I had a friend in London try it. She added her UK credit card to my account online and it wouldn't take. I had also tried my SPG Amex after calling Amex and adding my friend's UK address to my account as an alternate address on the account.

I'll just buy a Top Up card or visit a Three store when I get there...

I'm going to the UK on Friday and have a Three SIM all ready. But I can only top up with a UK credit card online - or with a Top Up card paid for in cash in person. The funny thing is that my UK friend tried to put her credit card on the account and top up, and it still wouldn't take.

Why do UK mobile providers require a UK credit card?

It's not just the UK. Canadian mobile operators won't take non-Canadian credit cards either. Foreign credit cards are not accepted by US mobile operators either though if you have a foreign credit card you can still use PIN vendors like callingmart.com .

I have a UK T-Mobile sim and can top up online with my US Amex card.

It's not just the UK. Canadian mobile operators won't take non-Canadian credit cards either. Foreign credit cards are not accepted by US mobile operators either though if you have a foreign credit card you can still use PIN vendors like callingmart.com .

I had a Rogers contract SIM for 3 years that was being paid by my US credit card. I still have an Orange UK contract SIM card (OVP Virgin -- essentially PAYG with a statement) and pay it with my US card.

I'm going to the UK on Friday and have a Three SIM all ready. But I can only top up with a UK credit card online - or with a Top Up card paid for in cash in person. The funny thing is that my UK friend tried to put her credit card on the account and top up, and it still wouldn't take.

Why do UK mobile providers require a UK credit card?

This drives me nuts whenever I'm in the UK. I have to schlep to the Vodafone, Virgin, Carphone Warehouse, or other store, in person to top up my phone. I always have problems trying to get train tickets in advance as well. In both cases, I have had an "account" with my actual contact information, but still can't use the card. I haven't tried in the past two years, a friend got my train tickets for me and I reimbursed them. I don't understand why I can walk up to the clerk at the phone store and use my card, or go to the train ticket machine and buy a ticket, but can't do the same on line or via phone. I wonder if it is as difficult for folks from the UK trying to do the same thing here?

I wonder if it is as difficult for folks from the UK trying to do the same thing here?

Yes, no to go off topic but HA doesn't accept anything but NAFTA-based credit cards.

This same issue happens in India. The Indian prepaid SIM providers won't allow online re-charging using a non-Indian credit card. I managed to find a way around this by using a third party top-up service.

They are called EZEtop. Check them out. I'm not sure if it works for UK based SIM providers, but it works for Airtel India with my US credit card.

Why do UK mobile providers require a UK credit card?As already mentioned, it's not a UK-only thing. Ever tried to buy online from T-Mobile USA with a UK card, for example? (No, I didn't think so. ;))

I made the mistake of buying a Nook e-reader online. I can't buy e-books online from B&N as a European :confused: and I can't buy e-books elsewhere as the Nook is dedicated to B&N.

Anybody want a redundant Nook? :D

I made the mistake of buying a Nook e-reader online. I can't buy e-books online from B&N as a European :confused: and I can't buy e-books elsewhere as the Nook is dedicated to B&N

This is OT, but you have a couple of options.
-You can trick B&N into letting you buy ebooks with your non-US card (like using a dummy US billing address).
-You can buy ebooks from other sellers that use ADE (Adobe Digital Editions), like Kobo or Google Play, and then sideload them into the Nook.

Thanks for the useful tips, andreadbc. :)

I may have to get a Tmobile SIM. I generally have been very happy with my Three prepaid SIMs... but every time I need to top them off I need to either have my brother (who has a UK credit card) top it off for me, or go to a store and get a voucher. Half the time the store will just give me a new card instead of a top-up voucher (charging me just the price for the top-up), since apparently that is less work for them.

But being able to recharge it with a US credit card would be a nice plus.

All these restrictions exist as an attempt to limit fraud.

Merchants in general are not able to verify the addresses of the cardholders if they are out of their respective countries (the exception being some AMEX accounts). Therefore, they are much more exposed to fraud (any fraud is paid be them, not the card issuers) and some decline to accept foreign (to them) cards.

Just a quick bump, I couldn't use my US Visa cards (Chase and BofA) on T-Mobile UK's website, and found this thread when looking for an answer.

However, as previous posters mentioned, (ironically) BofA AmEx works fine.



Keyword spam for the search engines to help find the thread :)
Pay as you go top-up refill credit card American failure

Hate to necro this thread again, but I too was having this problem. Best bet is to buy top-up vouchers from Tesco or any other convenience store. You can also ask that they not be actually redeemed so that when you are out of the country you can top up using those later on. I just learned this today. It's good for keeping a number active when not in the country.