Goodbye Vodacom4me
Vodacom launched a bright, new website earlier this year that has everything customers need in one place. As a part of this improvement it was announced that the old Vodacom and the existing Vodacom4me websites would be integrated to form the new Vodacom website. The company’s primary motivation was to “make customer interaction with Vodacom as straightforward as possible”.
Launched as a beta version towards the end of the second quarter in 2010, Vodacom’s new website received considerable criticism from users at first. However, changes have been ongoing, and new users should find it increasingly easier to navigate, due to the comparative simplicity of the new design.
Previously customers were directed to the Vodacom4me website to check their balances, convert airtime to data, buy SMS bundles, and so on. However, for the past few months these functionalities have were accessible from both the new Vodacom and the Vodacom4me websites, but with a warning that the Vodacom4me site would be closing down at some stage “soon”.
Vodacom’s websites
Vodacom’s primary website, www.vodacom.co.za has been in existence for many years, bearing in mind the company was launched in 1994. Although the website evolved over time, this year (2010) radical changes have been made, and in September a completely new website was launched at www.vodacom.co.za, offering:
- a simpler design,
- everything you need all in one website, and
- more answers to customer questions.
The new website has the same web address as the old one (www.vodacom.co.za), but Vodacom kept the old website going for some time after the launch, presumably to give those die-hards who find change difficult a chance to get used to the idea of change. Until the end of September 2010, you could opt for either site (http://old.vodacom.co.za/welcome.jsp will still take you to the old Vodacom website).
Vodacom’s old website
On the old Vodacom website, you were able to find information about:
- Vodacom Direct Deals on phones and data,
- Vodaworld and Vodashop phone deals,
- international roaming,
- broadband,
- Vodacom talking points,
- network upgrades,
- specific needs (for example for persons with disabilities),
- the Vodacom Credit Card,
- RICA, and
- help issues.
In addition they would announce issues, for example if a cell phone or chargers had problems, and news items including Vodacom’s Journalist of the Year Award.
The old Vodacom4me website
Vodacom4me used to be, and for the moment still is, where you can go to set up your cell phone for mobile internet and MMS. It is also where you can go for paperless online billing, to top up your phone online or to get new services from Vodacom. Not only can you view sent SMSs and send MMSs, but you can also pick up free SMSs and manage your own personal email address here.
Vodacom4me furthermore allows you to manage your address book, set up your calendar for the year, set “to do” items and be reminded via SMS. You can bookmark your favourite WAP and websites and also participate in competitions, check out your daily horoscope, see Lotto results, even get the latest news and find out about movie reviews and ratings.
When the company reported that Vodacom4me would be migrating to the new site (and becoming a part of it) it announced that anyone having registered on www.vodacom4me.co.za would retain their login credentials which would automatically be carried over to the new website.
The new Vodacom website
The new Vodacom website incorporates everything that previously existed on the two websites. Anyone who registered on the new beta site prior to the official launch can continue to use the same login credentials on the new site.
While the new website looks simpler (certainly in terms of design and presentation) complaints began to fly when the beta version (beta.vodacom.co.za) was launched and people tried using it. On June 3, 2010 MyBroadband (http://mybroadband.co.za) ran an article that claimed the Vodacom website had failed its subscribers. This was as a result of “numerous complaints” about both the new website and Vodacom4me. Complaints included:
- functionality breaking down when trying to access services,
- difficulty doing even the most basic tasks online,
- the new database being out of sync with the old one,
- difficulty to navigate the site, and
- flash-heavy pages (particularly for those using mobile phones to access the website).
At the time Vodacom stated that the Vodacom4me site would continue to run “parallel with Vodacom.co.za” until all functionality from theVodacom4me site had been replicated on the new site. They also conceded that there had been “teething problems” with the site, but were working hard to resolve them.
In summary
Vtime used to refer their clients to www.vodacom4me.co.za in order to manage their accounts, but this website and its functionalities have now been fully incorporated into www.vodacom.co.za. To check your usage and balance (data or airtime), follow these steps:
- Go to www.vodacom.co.za;
- Click on “View monthly statement” (under the “My Account” heading);
- If you have not registered for this service previously, click on “Register”;
- If you were previously registered on vodacom4me, your login credentials would have carried over to the new Vodacom site. If you were previously registered on Vodacom’s new site (beta.vodacom.co.za) before the launch, you will use your new login credentials. Enter your SIM number and password;
- See your balances and manage your account.
Otherwise you can still opt to use Vodacom4me for just a little longer…it is still operational, but will be switched off soon.
Pitfalls of Prepaid DATA
Life is coloured with positives and negatives, and so it comes as no surprise that even though Prepaid data is cheaper than data on a Contract, it does have a few disadvantages. No worry though – if you are pre-warned you will quickly learn how to avoid the pitfalls and stay on top of your data game.
Rule 1: Don’t use airtime for data usage
One of the biggest mistakes that people make is to use Vodacom airtime credit for their data usage. What many people don’t consciously realize is that when they use airtime (Rands) for data, Prepaid Broadband Standard out-of-bundle rates apply. This means that they are forking out R2 per MB – which is a lot of money!
Then sometimes Prepaid Vodacom customers buy R500 airtime and convert only a part of that amount to a data bundle. This is also dangerous because as soon as the data bundle has been used up, the airtime kicks in and – you guessed it – out-of-bundle rates apply. Before you know it, all your money will be gobbled up.
TIPS:
- Buy data bundles instead of using airtime for your internet needs.
- Buy a data bundle that will be sufficient for your needs.
- Keep in mind: the larger the data bundle you buy, the cheaper your usage becomes per MB.
- Visit http://www.vtime.co.za/index.php/data-direct/about for a price list of the available data bundles.
Rule 2: Be vigilant about out-of-bundle rates
Prepaid Broadband Standard out-of-bundle rates are hefty – some people describe them as cruel. But it’s up to you to avoid them. There is nothing compulsory about out-of-bundle rates; they simply kick in when:
- your Contract money has been used up, or
- Prepaid data has been used up and you start using airtime funds.
As a Contract client, if you keep a careful note of what you are using (Vodacom will also send you warning SMS’s when you are close to and when you have reached your monthly data limit), you can either buy an additional once-off data bundle from Vodacom (dial 082 155), or you can switch your Contract SIM for a Prepaid SIM – which is a surprisingly cost effective exercise.
If you are a Prepaid client then you need to make sure you opt for the most effective bundle or bundles for your needs, and make absolutely certain that you aren’t using airtime for data.
TIPS:
- Visit Vodacom’s website and manage your account by registering and logging into their “My Account” services (e.g. check your current balance, etc.).
- Top up before you run out of data.
- Avoid out-of-bundle rates.
Rule 3: Check the validity period of the data bundle you buy
When you buy data bundles you will usually be told that they are valid for 60 days. This is true, but only if you buy at the beginning of the month. If you buy in the middle of the month, the package will only be valid for about 45 days (a month and a half). What this means is that whether you buy a data bundle on October 3 or October 23, it will expire on the last day of the next month – in this case at the end of November. It is not really an issue if you are going to use all the data in the shorter period of time, but if you don’t (and you are the October 23 client) then you could stand to lose money when your unused data expires.
TIPS:
- Remember the rule: Data is valid until the last day of the next month.
- Buy your data at the beginning of the month and it will be valid for 2 months.
- Buy sufficient data for 2 months’ usage and keep in mind: the bigger the data bundle, the lower the cost per MB.
Rule 4: Understand when and how you can use Advanced Data to your advantage
There is a big difference between Broadband Standard data and Broadband Advanced data. Not only is Advanced data faster than Standard data packages, but it is also competitively priced and will get you a lot more for your Rands. So if you use a lot of data, Advanced data is definitely the way to go if your local Vodacom tower and your modem supports it.
You must also be sure whether you are able to recharge with Broadband Advanced data on your SIM. If your SIM is registered as a Broadband Standard Top Up Contract, you can’t use Advanced Data. However you can change to an Advanced Data package. On the other hand, a Prepaid SIM can recharge with either Broadband Standard or Broadband Advanced data, as your needs change.
Some approved Vodacom dealers have great offers that will save you a lot of money. For example, you can buy R1 000-worth of airtime from Vtime, and you will receive a R100 bonus. Better still, you can convert R469 to the Advanced MyGig 2.5 and leave the rest of the money sitting there in the form of airtime on your modem. Rule 1 will not apply in this case, because even when the data bundle runs out, the out-of-bundle rate will stay the same as the in-bundle rate. At 18c/MB, this is a great advantage of Advanced data! The only disadvantage for this particular scenario is that you won’t be able to benefit from Vtime’s Data Direct (i.e. you will have to do your own airtime-to-data convertion), but you will score R100 on the ongoing special and you will be capitalizing on Advanced Data’s cheap out-of-bundle rates.
TIPS:
- Make sure your local Vodacom tower, your modem and your SIM package supports Broadband Advanced data before you try it.
- Airtime (Rands) has a long validity period before it expires. The rule is that you add 3 more months to this validity period with every recharge you do.
- Broadband Advanced data’s in- and out-of-bundle rates are the same.
- Vtime offers a R100 bonus on R1000 transactions.
Rule 5: Be aware of recharge policies
Whichever company you buy airtime through will have very specific recharge policies. Understanding these policies and adhering to them will prevent disappointment.
Vtime Recharge Policies:
- Vtime has a No Refund policy. This means that you need to be absolutely certain that the cell number you provide for the transaction is accurate.
- Do not transact with the same amount within 48 hours.
- If you transact same bank to bank (ABSA, Standard Bank, FNB and Nedband accounts are available) you should receive your recharge within 10 minutes.
- However, if you transact from another bank (e.g. Capitec), please transact to Vtime’s ABSA account. Keep in mind that the inter-bank transfer of your money will delay the time of your recharge (up to 48 hours).
- The minimum transaction amount is R55 (but R110 for FNB clients).
- The maximum AIRTIME transaction amount is R1000.
- To buy AIRTIME, you need to enter your cell number and the suffix “AIR” as the Beneficiary Reference for your transaction, e.g. 0821234567AIR.
- To buy DATA, you need to indicate your choice for Standard or Advanced data by entering your cell number and the correct suffix as the Beneficiary Reference for your transaction, e.g. 0821234567SDAT for Standard data or 0821234567ADAT for Advanced data.
- You need to make an EFT for a specific data bundle amount (R99-R3620) if you want Data Direct (SDAT and ADAT).
TIPS:
- Buy Broadband Standard data bundles directly from Vtime and avoid typing in voucher PINs and doing airtime-to-data conversions.
- Only Vtime offers Broadband Advanced data bundles direct and pinless via EFT.
Advantages of Prepaid DATA
In a world where communications technology is constantly developing, cellphones have become the device of choice for billions of people. Not only do we use them for talking and sending text messages, but a growing number of people use their cellphones for accessing the Internet. For this reason it is essential to educate yourself in terms of both airtime and data options and costs, as well as how to manage your usage.
Vodacom is the leading service provider when it comes to data, and they have gone to great lengths to ensure that there are options that will suit an ever increasing and incredibly diverse market. But it’s up to you to decide which of the options suit you best – a Contract deal, a Top Up package, or Prepaid data bundles.
Understand the difference between Vodacom’s basic options
In a nutshell:
- A Contract data deal comes with a phone / 3G modem / laptop and is a set monthly subscription. For this you get a pre-specified data bundle and once you have used it, you are billed additionally (out-of-bundle rates), usually per megabyte. Some Contracts, for example those that come with a Blackberry, include Internet service browsing, email and social networking.
- Top Up packages also come with a phone / 3G modem /laptop and you pay a monthly subscription for a specific data bundle. Once you have used the data, you can top it up with Prepaid data, in that way controlling the amount you spend.
- Prepaid bundles do not come with a phone or 3G modem or laptop, but they don’t require any paperwork either. As long as you have a RICA- registered SIM and buy your own modem, you can buy airtime, MMS and SMS bundles, as well as data bundles, depending on what you need.
It is worth bearing in mind that generally, airtime on Contract is cheaper than Prepaid airtime, but Prepaid data is cheaper than Contract data.
Whether you opt for a Contract, a Top Up package or Prepaid data bundles, it pays to manage what you are using!
Keeping track of Contract usage can be quite a challenge. For this reason, some people remove their Contract SIM from their phone or modem when they reach their monthly limit and replace it with a Prepaid SIM – thereby making use of the cheaper Prepaid in-bundle-rates. That way there is no danger of suddenly finding you are lumbered with steep out-of-bundle rates. Fortunately you will be warned when you have used more than half of your data, as well as when you are close to running out.
Another alternative for Contract clients to avoid out-of-bundle rates is to get a once-off data bundle telephonically from Vodacom. You need to dial 082 155 (corporate data clients must dial 082 1940) and the once-off data bundle’s cost will be added to your next monthly account. These once-off bundles will cost you the same as Prepaid data bundles and will also expire on the last day of the next month.
Unfortunately Vtime cannot recharge Contract clients with once-off data bundles.
If you decide on either a Top Up package or Prepaid bundles, you need to manage your data just as carefully. For example, a common mistake that Prepaid data customers make is to use airtime for their modem. Before they know it, they find there’s nothing left. That’s not surprising at R2 per MB (Broadband Standard Prepaid out-of-bundle rates)! The same principle applies if you opt to use R500 for airtime and a Standard data bundle, for example you buy a MyGig 1 for R279 and leave R221 on the SIM as airtime. As soon as the data bundle has been used, the airtime kicks in and you’re paying through the nose again. Note that Prepaid out-of-bundle rates (R2/MB) can only hurt you financially when you have airtime (or Rands) on your SIM in addition to your Prepaid data bundle.
When you recharge your modem SIM with a data bundle, you will receive an SMS on your modem that says, for example: “MYMEG 500 bundle purchased. 500.00MB is available in the NEXT SESSION and expires on 20111130. Your account has been debited with R159.00. Loyalty Points 16.” Your notice that another recharge is due comes in the form of another SMS, “You only have 3 MB left before costs will be deducted from your call account.” If you buy another data bundle, your internet session can continue. If you do not recharge soon after that SMS, you will receive the dreaded SMS saying, “Costs are now being deducted from your call account.” If there is any airtime or Rands on that SIM, it will disappear quickly due to the out-of-bundle rates. If you had nothing other than the data bundle on your modem SIM, you will soon see Vodacom’s Out-of-funds screen, saying, “Dear valued customer, You currently do not have sufficient funds to continue with your Internet session. Kindly recharge your account before attempting to reconnect. For assistance, please contact Vodacom Customer Care on 082 111 (free from a Vodacom cellphone).” Then there will be no more internet (until you recharge again), but luckily also no out-of-bundle rates!
The way you manage your airtime and Vodacom data depends on your needs. If you need to access the internet frequently, you might find that you often go over your bundle limit. In this case you should consider Broadband Advanced data instead of Broadband Standard. Have a look at the table at http://www.vtime.co.za/index.php/data-direct/about that has a quick, useful comparison of the different data bundles. You will see that the Advanced MyGig 2.5 bundle only costs 18c per MB. This is only 1c more expensive than the cheapest Broadband Standard data bundle. Another advantage of Advanced data is that in- and out-of-bundle rates are exactly the same. If you wanted to, you could buy R1000 airtime from Vtime (note that a R100 bonus will be added), convert R469 to the Advanced MyGig 2.5 and leave the rest of the airtime for when you run out of the MyGig 2.5 bundle. Whether in- or out-of-bundle you will only pay 18c/MB. The only disadvantage here is that you will have to do your own conversion for the data bundle, but it’s still an excellent option for small businesses. Just make sure you are in a Broadband Advanced area and that you have the correct modem!
When and how to buy Prepaid data
Websites advertising Prepaid data often state that bundles are valid for 60 days. This is true, but only if you buy it on the first of the month. If you buy a bundle on the 20th of the month, it will only be valid until the end of the next month. So, the rule is: your data is valid until the last day of the next month. You can exploit this rule to save yourself some money! Buy your data at the beginning of the month and it will effectively be valid for 2 months. Now buy enough data to last you 2 months and keep in mind that the larger the data bundle, the cheaper the price will be per MB!
Good news for Prepaid data clients is that they can recharge with Broadband Standard or Broadband Advanced data bundles as their needs change. This is not the same for Top Up clients, however. If you have a Broadband Standard Top Up package, you can only recharge with Standard data bundles. If you want to switch over to Advanced data, you will have to adjust your Top Up Contract to an Advanced package first.
If you find that you can monitor your usage, and know when you need to top up your Prepaid data – and your airtime for that matter – you can set up regular weekly or monthly payments in advance. If you buy Data Direct from Vtime, all you do is to indicate your choice for Standard or Advanced data by entering your modem cell number and the appropriate suffix in your Beneficiary Reference (e.g. 0821234567SDAT for Standard data or 0821234567ADAT for Advanced data), EFT the amount of a specific data bundle and they will recharge your modem SIM directly and pinless. It is an easy, effective option and an excellent example of the advantages of using Prepaid data.
Posted in News | 
airtime, convert airtime to data, data bundles, Data Direct, in-bundle-rates, out-of-bundle rates, Prepaid, RICA | 
2 CommentsPitfalls of Prepaid AIRTIME
Whether you are buying a cellphone for the first time or changing your options, it is important to understand what costs you are going to have to cover. Vodacom offers a variety of deals which fall into three basic categories – long term Contracts, Top-up Contracts and Prepaid options. Each of these has advantages and disadvantages and you will need to assess which is best for you.
If you decide to choose Prepaid, you need to be aware not only of the benefits, but also the possible pitfalls. By recognising these, you will find that you can manage your cellphone bills and be sure you don’t spend unnecessary money on cellular calls.
Understand the implications of Prepaid
Prepaid airtime is quite simply airtime that you buy and then use as you need it. You don’t need a Contract or any type of long term commitment. All you need is a RICA-registered SIM that you recharge whenever necessary.
Recharging Prepaid airtime is simple and there are various ways that you can do it. The best known method is to buy a voucher from a shop, supermarket or Vodashop and then key in the long pin number provided. If you register successfully with Vodacom, you can use your credit card to buy airtime. But the most convenient method for people who use internet banking (EFT) is to either buy airtime from their bank or from an approved Vodacom dealer like Vtime that is available 24/7 every day of the year.
The major South African banks (e.g. ABSA, FNB, Nedbank and Standard Bank) sell airtime and they supply a one-time password every time you recharge with them. You also need to type in your cell number with every transaction. Normally you will receive the airtime immediately and directly on your phone. So, if you prefer to transact via internet banking, simply add Vtime to your list of beneficiaries (i.e. set up the transaction information once) and you can recharge airtime directly to your SIM, without a pin, within just a few minutes.
One of the major benefits of EFT versus vouchers is that vouchers have an expiry date (e.g. the validity period for a R29 voucher is 90 days), whereas EFT recharges are actually valid for longer (with regards to airtime). The rule is basically that with every recharge you do, you add 3 more months to the validity period of whatever your current airtime balance is. Therefore, if you recharge regularly (adding 3 months of validity period with every recharge you do), it almost becomes a never-ending story! This means that you can top up with as much or as little as you wish via EFT, taking advantage of great deals like Vtime’s “buy R1000-worth of airtime and get R100 free”.
Disadvantages of Prepaid airtime
In life everything has advantages and disadvantages, and Vodacom is the first to point these out in terms of the packages and deals that the company offers. When it comes to Prepaid AIRTIME:
- Prepaid is more expensive than Contract subscriptions.
- The cost per SMS is higher with Prepaid than with Contract subscriptions – but then you can buy cheap SMS bundles and actually save money.
- If you don’t use your phone for a period of 215 days (roughly 7 months), your number will be disconnected.
Other potential pitfalls include:
- Running out of airtime when shops selling vouchers are closed. In such a case, Vtime will come to your rescue!
- Using airtime for data is extremely expensive (R2/MB). The solution is simple – don’t do it – rather buy a data bundle for your internet usage.
- With most providers you can only recharge predetermined amounts, for example one of the options with FNB requires a recharge of R110. This doesn’t have to be a disadvantage, because with Vtime you can recharge any amount from R55 to R1000 (FNB clients must adhere to a minimum transaction amount of R110). Remember to indicate your choice for AIRTIME by entering your cell number plus the suffix AIR as the Beneficiary Reference of your transaction, e.g. 0821234567AIR.
- Vtime promises to deliver your airtime within 10 minutes. However, please note that if you transact from, for example Capitec to Vtime’s ABSA account, you may wait up to 48 hours, due to the interbank transfer time delay.
- Vtime does not allow you to buy the same amount of airtime within 48 hours. Actually this is not a problem, but rather just something to be aware of. You can still recharge for R110, R111, R112…whenever you need to!
- If you don’t enter your cell number correctly when you buy online, someone else might get lucky. With a voucher you get a second chance. This solution is simple – get it right first time and save money.
Know your Prepaid facts and you’ll find that Prepaid pitfalls are minimal when compared to the advantages you can benefit from.
Advantages of Prepaid AIRTIME
There is no doubt that cellphones have changed our lives. But even more so, Prepaid airtime has changed more lives in South Africa than anyone would ever have thought possible, simply because it is accessible, easy and effective.
In the early days of cellphones, in the 1990s, if you wanted a cellphone you had to have a Contract. This meant credit approval and a long-term commitment that often resulted in a higher expenditure than anticipated – simply because it was difficult to monitor talk time. It was also impossible for employers who supplied irresponsible employees with cellphones to limit talk time and therefore control monthly billing. Talk to anyone who employed a sales rep who couldn’t distinguish between clients, social calls and family crises!
Prepaid, introduced in 1998, changed all that, and today more than 21-million people in South Africa regularly use Prepaid airtime on the Vodacom cellular network. Employers needing to limit calls can now provide the cellphone facility, and easily put a lid on talk time.
Understand the difference between Vodacom’s basic options
In a nutshell:
- A Contract deal comes with a phone and a set monthly subscription. For this you get pre-specified airtime and once you have used it, you are billed additionally, usually per minute.
- Top Up packages also come with a phone and you pay a monthly subscription that is very close to the amount of airtime you get. Once you have used the airtime, you top it up with Prepaid airtime, in that way controlling the amount you spend.
- Prepaid airtime does not come with a phone, but they don’t require any paperwork either. As long as you have a RICA- registered SIM, you can buy airtime, MMS and SMS bundles, as well as data bundles, depending on what you need.
Why people choose Prepaid
Generally, Vodacom’s Prepaid options are quicker, simpler and more attainable. All you need is a cellphone and a starter pack – although you will need to register the number with RICA. There aren’t any credit checks, which means anybody qualifies, and you don’t have any further costs other than airtime. All you do is top up your airtime when you need to. Better still, if you want to make use of other cellphone services like voice mail, SMSing and CLIP, you can. You can even use Prepaid roaming facilities that are available in some of our neighbouring countries.
You also have the benefit of rewards offered by Vodacom including Yebo Millionaires and Talking Points for every recharge, which come in the form of discounts on airtime, free SMSes, MMSs, data bundles and even free cellphones.
People who choose Prepaid usually do so because:
- they don’t want a long term contract;
- they aren’t sure of budgets and need to limit expenditure – Prepaid allows them to budget better;
- they only use the phone for emergencies or not very often;
- they are visiting South Africa on holiday.
While Prepaid data is cheaper than data on contract, Prepaid airtime is slightly more pricey than contract subscriptions.
Vodacom Prepaid products and options
Vodacom has several Prepaid possibilities to choose from, for example:
- Vodago SmartStep which offers per minute billing,
- 4U which has per second billing, and
- Yebo4Less which is the most recent product to be launched, giving customers discounts on all their calls within a specific area, as they move around.
When and where to buy Vodacom Prepaid airtime
The beauty of using Prepaid airtime is that you can buy it whenever you need it – and when you can afford it. If you keep checking your airtime availability, you will know more or less how much you have left. Otherwise you will get a message on your cellphone (when you make a call) shortly before it is about to run out.
When it comes to recharging, you have several options including vouchers which you will buy from shops, supermarkets and Vodashops all over the country. You can even buy Prepaid at the movies these days! The banks offer an electronic funds transfer option using electronic banking. Otherwise you can buy airtime via an approved Vodacom dealer like Vtime that offers all the benefits of EFT and more.
Lastly, you can use a credit card to buy directly from Vodacom if you qualify and pass their relevant credit and other checks, and are happy to share your credit card details on what they call a “secure line”.
Why EFT is the best way to buy Prepaid airtime
Recharging electronically is safe and quick. Using a credit card can be risky, and if you use vouchers, make sure you utilize the voucher before the expiry date printed on it!
The major banks – e.g. Standard, FNB, Nedbank and ABSA – all allow their clients to buy airtime online as does Vtime, an approved Vodacom dealer, and you will get your cellphone recharged within ten minutes.
See http://www.vtime.co.za/index.php/about/tips for more good reasons why you should buy your Prepaid from Vtime.
Prepaid purchasing options
Cellphones are no longer just for talking or texting. Nowadays most of us also browse the web with it. Well, whatever you are using your cellphone for and however you are accessing the internet, it is important to know that Vodacom offers more than just Contract deals. They also offer Prepaid and Top Up packages for talking (airtime) or for surfing the Net (data bundles). Plus there are several ways to recharge your Prepaid.
When you run out of Prepaid airtime or data, what do you do? You can recharge with Vodacom, at Vodashops or with other Vodacom approved dealers. You can buy data bundles directly at some places, or you can buy airtime and convert it into data.
When you opt for Prepaid, the question is, “What are your purchasing options and which one suits your lifestyle the best?”
Vodacom Prepaid AIRTIME
Lots of people choose Vodacom Prepaid AIRTIME because they don’t want to get locked into a Contract. Even though Contract airtime is cheaper than buying Prepaid airtime, many people find they save money because they are forced to manage their talk-time. With a Contract it is very easy to run up a huge bill because, unless you keep checking usage, you won’t be aware of how much airtime you have used. With Prepaid, you can decide what your budget is, and then when you have spent it, you either reconsider and buy more, or rely on people phoning you.
All you need to be able to utilise the Prepaid airtime option is a Prepaid or Top Up SIM which should, of course be registered with Rica. You can buy airtime from:
- Shops and supermarkets, in which case you’ll be given a slip with a long pin number you have to enter.
- A Vodashop, which will also supply you with a long pin number.
- The major commercial banks like ABSA, FNB, Nedbank and Standard Bank online when you do internet banking. Every time you initiate the purchase they will SMS you an OTP (One Time Password) encryption number. The recharge is loaded to your phone within a few minutes.
- Vodacom using a credit card, providing you are registered with them and you are happy to share your credit card details via a “secure line”.
- Online using a secure and convenient EFT (electronic funds transfer) from an approved Vodacom dealer like Vtime, in which case your phone will be recharged directly and pinless within a few minutes.
Vodacom Prepaid DATA
The reasons why people choose Prepaid data are generally the same as why they choose Prepaid airtime, with one big exception: Prepaid data is cheaper than Contract data. Unfortunately too many people still think that it is enough to simply buy airtime to fund their internet usage. This is a big mistake, because at R2/MB (Prepaid out-of-bundle rates) your airtime will be gone before you can say, “But I recharged with R300 just the other day…” Rather buy Prepaid data bundles and enjoy the cheaper in-bundle-rates.
A lot of people buy airtime and convert it into a data bundle for their modem SIM. This is probably because their outlet of choice is a shop or bank. Shops and supermarkets only sell airtime and sms bundles, as do most of the banks. Only FNB offers data bundles directly, but only Broadband Standard bundles.
There are other options, however, including the Vodacom credit card option and EFT from approved dealers, which is a particularly easy and effective option. Generally approved dealers only offer airtime (which means you’ll have to still convert it to data). Nivo is an approved Vodacom dealer that sells data bundles directly online via a credit card, and doesn’t utilise a pin. But they also only offer Broadband Standard data bundles.
Vtime is currently the only Vodacom approved dealer that offers both Broadband Standard and Advanced Data bundles online via EFT. These data bundles are available pinless and go directly to your modem SIM. It really makes life simple, because it is so easy, effective and absolutely effortless.
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