We tried using PnP Mobile — and it was a total pain
Analytico recently tried setting up some PnP Mobile SIM cards for testing but could not due to problems with the operator’s RICA system.
PnP Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) running on the MTN network in South Africa, which allows users to link their Smart Shopper cards to earn free data when shopping at Pick n Pay.
The SIMs are available at Pick n Pay stores’ mobile counters and cost R9.31.
We bought a SIM card and went through the process at the mobile counter to RICA using proof of address and ID.
The process went quickly, and the lady helping us confirmed that the RICA was successful.
When we returned to the office, we inserted the SIM into a device and immediately got an SMS with our new number stating that we could now start making calls.
When we tried making a call, we heard a recorded message stating: “Service has been suspended, please contact your service provider”.
We then tried doing a balance check using *136# as indicated on the SIM card packaging.
This came back with a message stating that we can only use the SIM once it is RICAed and telling us to return to where we bought it with ID and proof of address.
Therefore, the implication was that the RICA had not yet been processed.
Pick n Pay later confirmed this when we contacted them for comment. The retailer said the RICA on our first SIM was processed more than an hour after we got it.
We went to another Pick n Pay store nearby to try and rectify the issue, but from what they could see, the SIM was successfully RICAed on their system.
They did offer us a new SIM for free, which they also RICAed, and confirmed on their system that it was successful.
We returned to the office, and the second SIM had the same problem as the first.
We found that PnP Mobile has an Android app that claims to support self-RICA, so we decided to try that.
To use the app, you must log in with a Pick n Pay account.
We first tried an existing account, but the app got stuck on the login screen.
We then registered a new account but were still unable to log in.
Since the person conducting this test was able to RICA and use multiple other SIM cards from different MVNOs on the same day, it was unlikely the problem was a broader RICA issue.
However, MTN had recently changed its RICA procedure, and PnP Mobile is an MTN-based MVNO.
MyBroadband contacted Pick n Pay for comment, and it appears the SIMs were finally activated within minutes after we had completed our tests.
Therefore, it was likely not due to MTN’s changes.
Pick n Pay asserts the RICAs were both completed by 11:46, suggesting something else went wrong in the activation chain because we conducted our last test just before noon, at 11:58.
We asked Pick n Pay how long customers should wait for a SIM to become active after receiving the SMS stating that it has been activated.
The retailer explained that providing an exact timeframe isn’t possible and that customers don’t frequently experience the delays we saw on the two SIMs we bought.
When we tested one of the SIMs a week after first buying it, it was working.
“To fully activate a PnP Mobile SIM card on our MVNO platform, customers need to successfully RICA the SIM card and insert the SIM into the device so that the cell phone number is sent to the customer,” Pick n Pay stated.
“Until these steps are complete, the customer will be unable to use the SIM card, which includes loading airtime or making calls, for example.”
Pick n Pay said RICA typically only takes a few minutes to go through.
“But there can be exceptions which are unfortunately beyond our control. Our customers don’t often experience delays though,” said Pick n Pay.
“Our records show that the SIM cards bought by your analyst were successfully RICAed by 11:46 and 11:45, respectively, on 3 March 2023.”
Regarding our issue with the PnP Mobile app, the company assured us it was fully functional.
“We did experience an issue recently where new users were unable to log in to register, but this has since been rectified,” it said.
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