Best NZ carrier for annual NZ visitor

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timmmay

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#268016 23-Feb-2020 20:53

My father in law visits NZ every year. He wants to have a phone for the odd text and in case he needs to make a call, but it's very low use - not a smart phone.

They have a Vodafone NZ SIM but effectively you need to pay $20 a month for prepay.

Is there a carrier that's better for this situation? Say, top up and the credit lasts a year or so until you use it?

Scott3

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#2426035 23-Feb-2020 21:09

? Vodafone credit lasts a year

http://help.vodafone.co.nz/app/answers/detail/a_id/4987/~/when-does-prepay-credit-expire

timmmay

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#2426048 23-Feb-2020 21:39

With Vodafone my fil says he was told it only rolls over if your balance is over $20. They also suspended his account a month after he last topped up. The minimum top up he can find in a store is $20. So he's had to spend $40 even though his actual use is about $5 worth.

DimasikTurbo

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#2426051 23-Feb-2020 21:51

You need vodafone pay and go plan. I have a spare phone at home on this plan, i top it up only when balance is around 0 and i really forgot when i did it last time. It is used only for occasional calls 30c per min.

https://www.vodafone.co.nz/prepay/pay-and-go/

Linux

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#2426056 23-Feb-2020 22:24

As above VodafoneNZ Pay and Go prepaid plan

Vodafone also do $10 top ups online but this does not extend the expiry date of the prepaid number it has to be minimum $20 to push out the expiry date another 12 months

unowho08

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#2426119 24-Feb-2020 04:56

Go with Skinny for the following reasons:

Don't signup for a plan, just stick with their standard rates of 20 cents per minute/text/MB to use on a casual basis
Minimum top-up of $5 every 12 months to retain your phone number and rollover the existing credit on your account
Can port his existing number to Skinny to retain it
SIM card was only $2 last time I had to buy one at New World
You can easily manage it through the Skinny app so you get the reminder to do the top-up before the 12 months is up

I have this exact setup as I visit family in NZ once every year or two (I live in the USA) and the Skinny app sends a reminder notification when my account is about to expire so that I can add $5 credit via credit card top-up.

hobsonlea

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#2426623 24-Feb-2020 20:48

Ditto on skinny. I’m a kiwi but out of the country for most of the year. Need a mobile when back.
I find the $66 plan for one month then I can roll over the 30gb on the $16 plan ..

timmmay

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#2426789 25-Feb-2020 11:02

I like Skinny, the Spark network is good and the pricing is sensible. Their website doesn't make it obvious that you can just add credit, it only describes the monthly plans. So basically you just get a Skinny SIM, add credit, and it expires in 12 months?

Vodafone are out as far as I'm concerned. They weren't helpful, and the information they gave him wasn't the best for his circumstances.

Skinny it is, thanks all :)

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hobsonlea

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#2426802 25-Feb-2020 11:25

Yes when.overseas no need for a plan, txts use credit but.i.only get a couple while away

Yabanize

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#2427011 25-Feb-2020 17:36

timmmay:

I like Skinny, the Spark network is good and the pricing is sensible. Their website doesn't make it obvious that you can just add credit, it only describes the monthly plans. So basically you just get a Skinny SIM, add credit, and it expires in 12 months?

Vodafone are out as far as I'm concerned. They weren't helpful, and the information they gave him wasn't the best for his circumstances.

Skinny it is, thanks all :)

It's under mobile plans, and then NZ rates

https://www.skinny.co.nz/pricing/rates/

also

https://support.skinny.co.nz/article/no-top-up-within-12-months-230.html

Handle9

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#2427125 25-Feb-2020 21:05

timmmay:
I like Skinny, the Spark network is good and the pricing is sensible. Their website doesn't make it obvious that you can just add credit, it only describes the monthly plans. So basically you just get a Skinny SIM, add credit, and it expires in 12 months?

Vodafone are out as far as I'm concerned. They weren't helpful, and the information they gave him wasn't the best for his circumstances.

Skinny it is, thanks all :)

This is exactly what I do. I'm back a couple of times a year. When I'm back I through $20 on to activate a $16 combo then the Sim sits with $4 on it for the rest of the year.