PSE help - MTN USSD to check balance on inaccessible SIM

maumau

maumau

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Is there a USSD code for checking balances on SIM cards that are not in phones/tablets. I have one in my alarm, one in a camera in tree and one in a remote commander in the ceiling. It's irritating not to know how much data is still on the SIM.

Please help if you can, MTN's on strike. Thanks

Also is roaming default on prepaid airtime and data?

This old thread doesn't answer my question:

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...bundles-with-sim-in-data-card-usb-modem/page2
 
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Tks Jans, that website is a quagmire but I'm happy to search for an app to check balances, appreciate your advice.

The local MTN shop says I must phone 173 to activate roaming. The website says data roaming is default on prepaid but doesn't mention calling SA from abroard, only phoning out from here.

The most promising number so far is *111# so I'll check that out.

Sometimes MTN reps hang out here and I was hoping one of them would know. Don't want to PM anybody.
 
jansdejager said:
roaming is never worth it. get a local sim. you'll probably have to fill in a form etc etc
Click to expand...

Yes, i'll do that I'm tired of jumping through hoops. On advice from people on this forum I would never, ever roam on a contract SIM so I was going to load a couple of hundred rand on prepaid but 'll take a phone with no SIM and use airport wifi.

Tks again jans.
 
ask somebody to set up call forwarding to your new number. I think you still get charged that way. don't think you can do that without the simcard tho. Here is a how-to

divert.png

This description from the mtn website makes this seem possible

International call forwarding fraud


This occurs when a subscriber has either lost or had their SIM card stolen. The fraudster then diverts the SIM to an international mobile or fixed line number or international switchboard, without the knowledge of the subscriber.
Click to expand...
 
/****s pants

•Data roaming can quickly exceed 10MB as downloading presentations, pictures, music and videos are typically very data-intensive. Note that 10MB could cost between R10 and R5000 depending on the zone you are roaming in.
Click to expand...

from mtn website

on second thought just try out your spare prepaid sim and see how much it costs for laughs :p
 
maumau said:
Yes, i'll do that I'm tired of jumping through hoops. On advice from people on this forum I would never, ever roam on a contract SIM so I was going to load a couple of hundred rand on prepaid but 'll take a phone with no SIM and use airport wifi.

Tks again jans.
Click to expand...

also if you don't want anybody to pay to call you I've used this trick before: set up Skype to forward incoming calls to your local sim abroad. then anybody can call you on Skype and you'll just charged their intl calling rate which is very reasonable.
 
Hahaha jans, great that you found all that info - it's not easy to find.

After reading about the SIM fraud I'll definitely go prepaid to restrict expense. Love the Skype trick. You've been very helpful jans, thank you :)
 
maumau said:
Is there a USSD code for checking balances on SIM cards that are not in phones/tablets. I have one in my alarm, one in a camera in tree and one in a remote commander in the ceiling. It's irritating not to know how much data is still on the SIM.
Click to expand...
Go to www.mtn.co.za (not the mobile website) and register with the cell phone numbers you want to track the balances of. After logging in click "my details" on the right and then click "overview" on the left. It will show all your balances for that number. There is a drop down menu to choose which number you want details of.

This would apply to prepaid simcards. One can use mtn active for contract numbers.
 
Tks Barge, that would be the perfect solution, I only wish it were that simple.

AFAIK registration requires acceptance of a one time password/message to the SIM. Mine are in a tree, a ceiling and an alarm control box.
 
And I suppose those devices don't have a built in means of communicating with the sim cards? *141# USSD code displays the balances if sent from the device.
 
If you can communicate with the device there is still airtime then? You just need an app that pings each device and recharge them when not responding, or alert you to recharge. Activating the bundles will be tricky, but one solution is to buy bundles for your sim from an mtn shop? You can also find out if your bank will load data bundles directly from atm/app. This seems to be limited to VC maybe.
 
Thanks for the ideas. I can load airtime, data and sms bundles via Internet, but everything expires after a time, sms bundles expire after 2 months and I think data does too.

With MTN if you top up on 2nd or the 25th it expires at the end of the second month. At the moment I have to constantly top up, not knowing if there's a balance on the device or not.

Very frustrating! I long for the old days where we dealt with real live people who could make decisions and weren't just minions.

On my phone and tablets it's possible to extend the expiry date by adding R10 or R20. So the balances and dates are always changing.
 
If you have the puk card maybe you can convince someone in an mtn shop to link those up for you? Say they're your kids and they're at school.
 
jansdejager said:
If you have the puk card maybe you can convince someone in an mtn shop to link those up for you? Say they're your kids and they're at school.
Click to expand...

I like the way you think :)

Hmmmmm, I've been dealing with the same MTN shop in worldwear for years. There's a very helpful lady there who might help because she knows I bought and RICA'd the SIM cards there.

That is an excellent idea jans. I'll give it a go when I get back from holiday early next month and post the outcome here for future reference.

Appreciate your help.
 
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