[binary]

Hi, as per the thread title this is a pretty basic query - when requesting a PAYG topup voucher in a shop, I assume you still need to specify which network or MVNO it is for - the money has to be allocated to go into one or other of the operators' piggy banks after all.

I'm curious for two reasons...

(1) There are quite a few MVNOs out there now, so I was wondering how well shopkeepers and store cashiers cope with some of the more obscure ones? (Or do they fail to cope with them?)

(2) Vectone and Delight Mobile (under 'Where can I topup'?) - and possibly others, I haven't checked - refer to "multifunctional top up vouchers" - what do they mean by this?

Is it just that the credit can be used for straightforward airtime but can also be used to buy bundles, or does it mean something else? It almost suggests that the vouchers can be used across a number of different operators.

[drabble]

Vectone and Delights definition of their multifunctional top-up voucher:

Multifunctional Top-up Voucher is a payment mechanism that we permit you to purchase and thus use the Services which may be purchased in physical or electronic form;

I have not seen scratch off top-up cards in ages, whilst I am sure they might still exist, I think Lyca was the last I've seen, these days you will get a printed till voucher from even the smallest shops this way they can sell top-ups even for the more obscure MVNO's assuming their terminal is up to date.

[rightonpard]

With the Paypoint terminals they just click the option for "Mobile Topups" and have a list of the most common networks, and an "other" button - if they press that and type in the first few letters of the name - it usually pops up...

[david16]

The thing is if you know who the MNO of the MVNO you are on a PAYG package, a top up voucher of the relevant MNO should work.

[InfamousTeal]

I work in a garage with a PayPoint machine, all the networks are just listed in the system, with the most common at the beginning.

The only phone shop in our town is O2, and there's no other town for miles, so naturally the entire town is on O2. Therefore everybody asks for an O2 one.

I once got asked for a Lycamobile one, because I'm interested in mobiles etc I knew what it was, but not sure the other staff in there would understand

[moox]

IIRC some MVNOs like Tesco Mobile will accept O2 vouchers. I guess it depends on the level of integration with the host network. Some, like the soon to be deceased Sainsburys Mobile, seem to more or less Vodafone PAYG with a different tariff.

If you buy credit you should be able to buy a bundle with it (it is normally a requirement that you topup first), or you can use it to pay the normal per minute/text/megabyte rate. You just have to be aware that if your phone starts downloading something it might eat up part of your topup before you have a chance to buy a bundle