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KiwiSurfer
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  #3509166 7-Jul-2026 14:32
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Your options are fairly limited if you choose to stay with Skinny.

 

From my perspective the easiest solution would be to port your number to a carrier that offers roaming in all those countries -- i.e. One NZ, 2degrees maybe even check if Spark themselves have a broader roaming coverage. You can always port back to Skinny when you return to NZ. Downside is you'll lose all credit, carry over, etc when you port away and won't regain those when you port back. However, this is pretty much guaranteed to work.

 

There is also VoWifi as a possible workaround, but it's always seems to me a fiddly and unreliable solution. But if you won't port to another carrier then this is pretty much the last viable option and one you may want to explore. Might not be the most reliable solution.




pdh

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  #3509296 7-Jul-2026 16:56
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KiwiSurfer:

 

Your options are fairly limited if you choose to stay with Skinny.

 

 

Yes - my comments on Skinny & SMS were 'more in sorrow than in anger'...

 

I think I can make do without sms 2FA in those countries - worst case is I have to route expenses through the wife's One SIM and her accounts ;-)

 

Thanks to everyone who made suggestions on the voice/data situation - and my plan to use Orange.

 

It looks like a solid plan - with a few tweaks provided by suggestions above.


Handle9
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  #3509298 7-Jul-2026 17:05
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I live permanently overseas. 

 

I have to send and receive SMS on skinny for my NZ bank. I don’t have roaming enabled and minimal credit. It works fine for me on iPhone and has since 2018




SpartanVXL
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  #3509333 7-Jul-2026 18:10
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pdh:

 

SpartanVXL:

 

If you search for guides on android, you can set up wifi-calling to work over the Orange sim’s data connection instead of just wifi. This lets you use your NZ plan overseas with NZ number.

 

Note that Spark don’t let you use wifi calling overseas and that includes Skinny under them iirc. One NZ do allow global wifi calling.

 

 

Thanks but I think this misses the point that I want to have a viable European number for local citizens and businesses to call or text.
I can use WhatsApp for friends over data - but not easily for commercial transactions.

 

Surely enabling WiFi calling via data on an Orange card - is going to enable me to make calls via One to NZ/Australian numbers.
If I tried calling a Polish number - or they me - it would invoke long-distance costs ? 

 


Just pointing out you can have both enabled if you wanted, especially if you’re getting a EU number with Orange anyway. Don’t need to pull the sim unless you’re really worried about charges. 


noroad
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  #3509662 9-Jul-2026 12:27
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pdh:

 

 

 

Yes - my comments on Skinny & SMS were 'more in sorrow than in anger'...

 

I think I can make do without sms 2FA in those countries - worst case is I have to route expenses through the wife's One SIM and her accounts ;-)

 

 

How many SMS only 2FA do you get/need that don't have another option? SMS is not a great primary option TBH


KiwiSurfer
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  #3509746 9-Jul-2026 15:39
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A lot of NZ banks rely on SMS as the only option for 2FA but this is slowly changing (e.g. I'm aware Kiwibank has recently started testing in-app auth apparently but I've yet to see this myself so for me SMS is still required for certain banking actions). There are also various big name apps/websites/etc that rely on SMS -- most do offer other options but there's still a few that don't or the other options are not very reliable so SMS is still the only practical option. Can't think of a name off the top of my head but I know I've had to fall back to SMS auth a few times this year for sites/apps that do have non-SMS options for various reasons. One may be Wise as I find their in app auth very hit and miss so sometimes if I am in a hurry it's easier to just opt for SMS as it works straight away. YMMV of course.


 
 
 

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shk292
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  #3509747 9-Jul-2026 15:45
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Handle9:

 

I live permanently overseas. 

 

I have to send and receive SMS on skinny for my NZ bank. I don’t have roaming enabled and minimal credit. It works fine for me on iPhone and has since 2018

 

 

I’m intrigued that you can send SMS when roaming at no cost, I thought there was a charge unless you had a roaming pack enabled


KiwiSurfer
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  #3509749 9-Jul-2026 15:48
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shk292:

 

Handle9:

 

I live permanently overseas. 

 

I have to send and receive SMS on skinny for my NZ bank. I don’t have roaming enabled and minimal credit. It works fine for me on iPhone and has since 2018

 

 

I’m intrigued that you can send SMS when roaming at no cost, I thought there was a charge unless you had a roaming pack enabled

 

 

Makes me suspect VoWifi or OP is using prepaid credit while roaming.


Handle9
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  #3509750 9-Jul-2026 15:52
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shk292:

 

Handle9:

 

I live permanently overseas. 

 

I have to send and receive SMS on skinny for my NZ bank. I don’t have roaming enabled and minimal credit. It works fine for me on iPhone and has since 2018

 

 

I’m intrigued that you can send SMS when roaming at no cost, I thought there was a charge unless you had a roaming pack enabled

 

 

All I can say is it just works. I find it curious that actual experience seems to be less relevant in this thread than theory but it is what it is.

 

FWIW these are the texts I've sent the last few months. All were from Singapore or the UAE. Wifi calling and roaming are off.

 

 

 


KiwiSurfer
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  #3509758 9-Jul-2026 16:01
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Zero rated SMS to a +44 number? I've looked at all the plans and add-ons and none include SMS outside of AU/NZ. (But maybe there is a grandfathered plan that does?) So possibly rules out VoWifi as that uses your domestic allowance.

 

The Skinny website says "If you have a roaming pack with minutes and text allowances, the allowance includes all person-to-person incoming and outgoing calls and texts to and from anywhere in the world." Again seems to point to roaming somehow.

 

Not impossible Skinny has made a mistake and you are somehow getting zero rated international SMS while roaming without a valid roaming pack. Maybe not a good idea to post about this if this is the case!


Handle9
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  #3509761 9-Jul-2026 16:08
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KiwiSurfer:

 

Zero rated SMS to a +44 number? I've looked at all the plans and add-ons and none include SMS outside of AU/NZ. (But maybe there is a grandfathered plan that does?) So possibly rules out VoWifi as that uses your domestic allowance.

 

The Skinny website says "If you have a roaming pack with minutes and text allowances, the allowance includes all person-to-person incoming and outgoing calls and texts to and from anywhere in the world." Again seems to point to roaming somehow.

 

Not impossible Skinny has made a mistake and you are somehow getting zero rated international SMS while roaming without a valid roaming pack. Maybe not a good idea to post about this if this is the case!

 

 

I did still have an active plan at that stage (I'd been in NZ just prior). 

 

I just tested and was charged $1.15 for sending an sms to my Singapore number. I was able to text back from my Sing number to my skinny number and receive it no problem and at no charge.


 
 
 
 

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snj

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  #3509906 9-Jul-2026 22:27
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KiwiSurfer:

 

Zero rated SMS to a +44 number?

 

 

iMessage activation uses SMS to a UK number, most providers zero-rate it so it's most likely that. I recall Vodafone (before they were One to date it) took quite a long time to get round to zero-rating that number.


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  #3509910 10-Jul-2026 03:29
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snj:

 

KiwiSurfer:

 

Zero rated SMS to a +44 number?

 

 

iMessage activation uses SMS to a UK number, most providers zero-rate it so it's most likely that. I recall Vodafone (before they were One to date it) took quite a long time to get round to zero-rating that number.

 

 

@KiwiSurfer Correct VodafoneNZ did zero rate SMS for imessage activation


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