Help me figure out Vodafone Ireland data pricing
Dec 20, 2014, 9:54 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: STL
Posts: 1,546
Help me figure out Vodafone Ireland data pricing
I'm trying to obtain a Vodafone Ireland nano sim card before I travel there, so I can turn on my phone upon landing and have data, and not have to worry about buying one. I've never bought a foreign SIM when traveling before and am on a standard AT&T monthly plan here in the states, so some of these European PAYG plans confuse me a bit. I only care about getting data on my unlocked iPhone 5, I don't need talk or text
Is my understanding correct that if I buy this sim:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VODAFONE-IRE...item416fd180db
and then looking at this page:
https://www.vodafone.ie/pay-as-you-go-plans/
If I add €15 top up credit to my phone, I can text TENNER to whatever number to get the base plan with free Vodafone texts (which I don't need, but looks like it's required and doesn't cost anything) and then get the €15 3GB data bolt on package - meaning I'll have 3 gigs of data to use in Ireland for a grand total of €15, plus the cost of the SIM. And I can do all this before I leave, so the second the plane lands, I can turn on my phone and have data.
Is my assumption here correct? Also, can I top up on Vodafone's website with an American credit card, or will that be an issue? Thanks
Is my understanding correct that if I buy this sim:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VODAFONE-IRE...item416fd180db
and then looking at this page:
https://www.vodafone.ie/pay-as-you-go-plans/
If I add €15 top up credit to my phone, I can text TENNER to whatever number to get the base plan with free Vodafone texts (which I don't need, but looks like it's required and doesn't cost anything) and then get the €15 3GB data bolt on package - meaning I'll have 3 gigs of data to use in Ireland for a grand total of €15, plus the cost of the SIM. And I can do all this before I leave, so the second the plane lands, I can turn on my phone and have data.
Is my assumption here correct? Also, can I top up on Vodafone's website with an American credit card, or will that be an issue? Thanks
Dec 21, 2014, 6:23 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,304
Opting into TENNER just gives a free "bonus" texts to other Vodafone users when topping up 10 EUR on more. You could top up 15 EUR without texting TENNER and have 15 EUR credit to purchase the data bolt on without the free texts. It encourages people to top up with a certain minimum amount and offers different rates when opted in to top up "bonus".
https://www.vodafone.ie/pay-as-you-go-plans/charges/
I usually wait to activate a new local sim until I arrive in destination country. Some sims can be activated outside of the home network while others can't. Those which can activated while roaming, beware of the charges of incoming calls from recycled number or accidentally leaving the data on. I believe Irish sim cards activate fairly quickly, so doing it during arrival to gate shouldn't be difficult.
If you activate it outside Ireland, I'd suggest topping up when you arrive or just before departing for Ireland to preserve the credit balance.
After you power up the phone in Ireland, also check the APN settings is set correctly to live.vodafone.com.
http://prepaidwithdata.wikia.com/wiki/Ireland
If you want to keep any remaining credit for future travel, be sure to opt out of any recurring charge plans prior to leaving Ireland. I don't believe Vodafone.ie data bolt on is a recurring charge but I've learned via experience to check that detail if I want to preserve any remaining credit for a local sim. Recurring PAYG charges will go through even if a sim isn't active on the local network.
https://www.vodafone.ie/pay-as-you-go-plans/charges/
I usually wait to activate a new local sim until I arrive in destination country. Some sims can be activated outside of the home network while others can't. Those which can activated while roaming, beware of the charges of incoming calls from recycled number or accidentally leaving the data on. I believe Irish sim cards activate fairly quickly, so doing it during arrival to gate shouldn't be difficult.
If you activate it outside Ireland, I'd suggest topping up when you arrive or just before departing for Ireland to preserve the credit balance.
After you power up the phone in Ireland, also check the APN settings is set correctly to live.vodafone.com.
http://prepaidwithdata.wikia.com/wiki/Ireland
If you want to keep any remaining credit for future travel, be sure to opt out of any recurring charge plans prior to leaving Ireland. I don't believe Vodafone.ie data bolt on is a recurring charge but I've learned via experience to check that detail if I want to preserve any remaining credit for a local sim. Recurring PAYG charges will go through even if a sim isn't active on the local network.