Tutor
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5 Messages
International Roaming questions/data charges
Hi so i am going on vacation for a week and have a couple of questions.
1. I have an ipad with cellular data and i turned off data roaming as well on my iphone. Should i turn off cellular data as well? On my Ipad i just plan on playing games like supernauts, hearthstone, and deer hunter 2014 and using safari too. Same on my iphone pretty much should i turn it off?
2. Is it safe to use a pre paid phone card? I am going to jamaica and i want to call back to my house/family. I should not be charged if im correct? Im not using an AT&T card but another one that i got from CVS pharmacy. I should only lose money from the prepaid card.
3. If someone calls me from the US like a friend without using a card or anything will he be charged? Will i be charged with just recieving the call? Or only if i pick up? How does it work with messaging/?
4. This is an important one, one of my family members were on vacation in D.R ( dom republic) and another family member from the US called them using a phone card and they accepted the call. A week later after they came back they got a message saying they have been charged over 250 dollars for international data calling. Does this mean that if someone calls you using a prepaid card, that the person accepting the call will be charged? They had data roaming off but not cellular data off. Thanks.
Accepted Solution
Official Solution
Rayosun
Professor
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1.9K Messages
10 years ago
To avoid roaming fees entirely, you can use the calling card by calling from a landline to the U.S. If you call with your cell phone with the AT&T SIM card still in it from another country, you will see roaming fees.
The best way to avoid this on your cell phone is by 1) putting in a prepaid SIM card from a carrier in Jamaica during your time there, 2) put your phone on airplane mode so no connections can be established or searched (meaning people cannot call nor you can call them).
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Rayosun
Professor
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1.9K Messages
10 years ago
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mistafresco
Tutor
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5 Messages
10 years ago
hi thank you for your response the pre paid card i bought tho was for international calling and it says on my family members phone that they were charged 250 dollars for international calling fees i dont understand why?
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Rayosun
Professor
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1.9K Messages
10 years ago
Great question. The reason for this because while they had a prepaid calling card, the phone was roaming off a international partner tower, thus they incurred roaming fees, for connecting the call, charging by the minute.
If your device is unlocked, you can buy a prepaid SIM card when you reach your destination of travel so that you don't see any fees.
Make sense?
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mistafresco
Tutor
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5 Messages
10 years ago
Oh ok, so i have to make sure though that i am calling with the card, not the person in the US correct? And is there anything i can do about the fees? It is a lot and I thought that there would be no charge since i used the international phone card but i was wrong.
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mistafresco
Tutor
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5 Messages
10 years ago
Oh ok , i under stand now fully thank you for your help!
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cousintim
Professor
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1.7K Messages
10 years ago
When traveling outside the US, I use the iPhone Skype app connected over WiFi. I also keep a credit of a couple of bucks on my Skype account.
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