International SMS Service

hasselbladsnapper on 25/03/2024 - 15:15

Planning a trip to Eastern Europe later in the year, as a senior citizen and not right up with OS phone and SMS use I would appreciate any suggestions for a SMS service across the different networks in that part of the world. As most banking apps seem to need you to respond to a security text, it seems mandatory to have this function available.

Any suggestions ? or indeed horror story's surrounding such international messaging!.

I am presently with Aldi Mobile, but i'm not intending to use the international roaming as its backed by Telstra, and the data might cost as much as the intended holiday.

I have considered an E Sim service, but that I expect would introduce another set of issues, first being not having your home base number available!.

Cheers to all and Thanks for any suggestions.

General Discussion

Comments

  • CodeXD on 25/03/2024 - 15:22

    You can get Amaysim sim card for $9 (you pay $18 and get $9 cashback from Cash Rewards) and confirmed by many people

    Amaysim works overseas for receiving SMS

    Do a search for overseas in that deal as well as the PAYG deal to read up on it.

  • Master Bates on 25/03/2024 - 16:44
    +6

    You should be able to receive SMS messages overseas without a roaming pack, despite them not advertising this fact.

  • Muffinman01 on 25/03/2024 - 16:45

    If your phone is compatible, you'll be able to run an eSIM while retaining your home number - this is what I usually do on overseas trips. The eSIM is used for data and doesn't have a phone number, while I leave my physical SIM in my phone for any SMS messages etc. What sort of phone do you have?

  • hasselbladsnapper on 25/03/2024 - 20:51

    Hi Muffinman and All. I have a Moto G54 dual - ESim & Micro Sim ….. I also have an IPhone 13Mini with ESim as well, but my research indicates that in Eastern Europe - Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia, Croatia the prime phones are Android!. With that in mind I thought the Moto would be less difficult to get an ESim or a local sim? would rather like to sort this out from Australia rather than bouncing around phone shops in these places. You would think there could be a global phone service without all these tricks & traps … perhaps a Musk style Starlink phone service?.

    Thanks to All

    • Muffinman01 on 26/03/2024 - 12:43

      Something like this should work. I have an iPhone 12 where I run an eSIM and physical SIM when I go overseas. There will be other providers out there at varying costs, but check and see if that one covers the countries you're going to.

      • hasselbladsnapper on 26/03/2024 - 17:06

        Muffinman - appreciate your thoughts and advice, I'm trying to not get "Bushed" when I'm trying to deal with my Banks, have visions of being stuck with the computer saying NO owing to no SMS or ability to reply. Eastern Europe is not quite like Germany or France, still I will have a further close look on the situation Cheers.

  • Love a bargain on 26/03/2024 - 00:09
    +1

    1. Receiving SMS will never cost you anything, whether at home or abroad (the logic being that you can't control it). So you should still be able to receive SMS on your Aldi sim without a roaming package (provide that telstra does have an agreement with at least one of the local operators).

    2. You are on a prepaid service. Aldi mobile cannot charge you more money than what you pay them. The worst that could happen is for the service that costs extra to be unavailable. E.g you can't accept a phone call while overseas because you don't have an active roaming add-on or enough credits.

    3. An e-sim is an e-sim. It doesn't matter whether it is added to an android or an apple phone. So it really doesn't matter which one is more popular where you're going to.

    4. There are b plenty of travel e-sims options on platforms like klook.

    5. There are also companies that would provide you with an e-sim and you can add various "subscriptions" (XGB/Y days for use in certain country/ countries starting on a particular day). Google travel e-sim or search on here.

    6. Some banks offer offline OTP options, usually via their apps.

    7. If your banks require you to respond by returning sms, a travel sim won't help you as the response has to be sent from your AU mobile number.

    • hasselbladsnapper on 26/03/2024 - 17:14

      Hi Love a Bargain, and dont we all!!.

      Thanks for your comprehensive suggestions, enjoying a pre Easter house painting session. I will follow up your suggestions over the holiday, just trying to ensure the SMS situation works, when you are on the road in places that seem not to have the same depth of secure banking, one needs to have as many options pre sorted as possible. So Thanks for your comprehensive suggestions and advice, I will investigate - Cheers

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