FAQs for getting started and setting up your device - Telstra Pre-Paid

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Pre-Paid Mobile Voice - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Contents

FAQs for getting started and setting up your device

How do I set up an Exetel service?

Purchase your Plan

Our full range of plans are available to order online for $16, $22, $28 and $34.

Keep your mobile number or get a new one

If you are bringing your existing mobile number to Exetel, check with your current provider that there aren’t any fees or charges for leaving. If you’re on a contract or postpaid plan, we’ll need your account number to organise the transfer.

Activating your new service

Before getting started, make sure:

  • You have your Driver’s Licence, Passport or Medicare card for ID
  • That your phone is by your side if you’re transferring your number as we’ll SMS you a

code to verify that you own the number and authorise the transfer.

When you’re good to go:

Follow the simple online instructions

Can I transfer/port my existing number to Exetel?

Transferring your existing number is easy. You'll need to supply the name of your current provider, your account number (for a postpaid/contract account) and the date of birth that is on the account.

To confirm that you're the owner of the number that's transferring, we'll send a unique code via SMS to it and you'll need to enter this into our website during the activation to authorise the transfer. This is a legal requirement.

How long does it take?

It can take up to 2 business days to complete, although most ports are completed on the same day, often within a few hours.

Porting hours apply so if you activate on a weekend, you may need to wait longer before the transfer completes.

On the day your number is due to be transferred, your old SIM card from your previous provider will stop working. When this happens, insert your new SIM card into your handset and wait for it to start working. This can take from 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

Things to remember:

  • Make a note of any important messages or voicemails on your old phone before the day of the transfer or save them using the backup functions available on your website.
  • If you're on a post-paid plan, you need to check with your existing provider if exit or termination fees apply when porting out.
  • You will not be able to port your number if it's been disconnected. Make sure you tell your current provider NOT to disconnect the number before or while porting.
  • You'll need to be able to receive a SMS code to the number transferring

What are porting/number transfer hours?

These are the times that mobile service providers are obliged to process mobile ports, they affect all mobile providers industry wide.

Porting days are Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm (AEST) and 10am to 6pm Saturdays (AEST).

  • Sundays and most national public holidays are not porting days which means that a mobile service provider is not obliged to process a port request, however, some ports may still be processed outside of the normal porting hours.

We cannot guarantee when your port will, or will not, take place. It is quite possible that a mobile port that is submitted outside of these hours could still be processed so you should only submit an order to port your number to Exetel when you are ready for your service to move over.

How long will it take to activate my new service?

New number

If you’ve requested a new mobile number, your service should be activated approximately 1 hour after you click the Activate button in My Exetel, but sometimes it can take longer, up to 4 hours in some circumstances and on rare occasions, 7-10 days.

We'll send you an SMS and an email to let you know that your SIM card activation is complete, so put your new SIM card into your handset, copy over your contacts and wait for the SMS from us.

Transferring existing number

If you’re porting (transferring) your existing mobile number from another supplier, the service changeover can take 24 to 48 hours and is subject to ‘porting hours’.

The best thing to do is keep your old SIM card in your handset until it stops working, you will still be able to use your old SIM card until the port completes and your number moves to the Exetel network.

  • Please note: A loss of service on the day of port is normal. This happens when your old provider is sending the number to us and generally lasts around 2 hours.

Porting hours are:

  • Monday-Friday: 08:00-20:00 AEST
  • Saturday: 10:00-18:00 AEST
  • Sunday: Closed

My activation order has been flagged suspended for identity check what do I need to do?

The Telecommunications (Service Provider – Identity Checks for Prepaid Mobile Carriage Services) Determination 2017 is a regulation that requires Exetel to perform an identity check to verify all customers prior to the activation of their service.

We will attempt to verify your identity electronically against a government database using your Australian Driver's Licence, Medicare Card or Passport. If your order is suspended when activating, we have been unable to verify your identity by this means as the details you provided do not match with the Government database for the ID you used.

Our secondary method to identify you is to confirm that you hold an account with a financial institution. We will seek authorisation for $1 to verify the account is active. We will credit your account on your first invoice. Pre-paid credit cards cannot be used for identification, in line with Government requirements.

How do I configure my phone for Exetel?

If you have just activated a new Exetel SIM card, or ported your number to Exetel, you may find that your phone doesn't work with Data and/or SMS messages. Usually, turning your phone off and on again will help fix this as your phone will re-set to the new network settings.

If your phone doesn't reset and you need to configure the settings manually, please use the information below.

Internet/data APN settings

The APN Data Settings for Exetel mobile are listed below: You will need your APN settings to be set to this for internet and MMS services.

Combined Data and MMS setting

Name: Mobile Data
APN: mdata.net.au
Proxy: (blank)
Port: (blank)
Username: (blank)
Password: (blank)
Server: (blank)
MMSC: http://mmsc.mdata.net.au:8003
MMS proxy: 10.1.1.180
MMS port: 80
MMS Protocol: WAP 2.0
MCC: 505
MNC: 01
Authentication: (blank)
APN type: default,dun,supl,mms
  • Note: Only add these settings to your phone or device if the network settings aren't auto-detected.

SMSC details

The SMSC or Short Message Service Centre, is the number of the outgoing "gateway" that your phone forwards SMS messages to for delivery.

  • The SMSC for Exetel is: +61418706275
  • Note: your phone should already be provisioned with the SMSC, so you should only need to apply for this number if your phone is not correctly sending SMS messages to the SMSC.

How do I activate/register my Exetel service?

To activate your Exetel service online, click Activate on our My Exetel customer portal. If you get stuck, you can call our customer care team on 13 39 38.

If you’ve requested a new mobile number, your service will normally be activated in about 30 minutes time, however, this can sometimes take longer. If you’re transferring your number, the service changeover can take 24 to 48 hours and is subject to porting hours.

Why is my SIM card delayed?

When you activate your Exetel SIM card, if you are requesting a new number (and not transferring an existing number) then it is usually activated in around 1 hour. It can sometimes take longer, and you may need to wait up to 4 hours.

There are some occasions where a SIM card activation can be delayed for much longer periods of time. This is a very rare occurrence and we apologise if you are one of the few people affected by a delay. Unfortunately, the delay is due to an issue with the carrier and is outside of our control.

Please be assured that we do monitor all orders on a daily basis and we work with our carrier daily to have your SIM card activated as soon as possible, however, these delays can sometimes last 7-10 days. We appreciate your patience whilst we work to have your SIM card activated and apologise for any inconvenience.

Can I transfer my number onto an active service?

If you’d like to transfer (port) your number to Exetel, you must do so when you activate your service. If you have already activated your SIM card and you requested to receive a new number, we are not able to port your number onto that SIM card, you'll need to purchase a new one.

Do I have to have my identity verified again if I'm already a customer?

Yes, we verify the details of every single SIM card activation, which means you need to go through the process for every single SIM card you activate.

Can I transfer my number if I'm still within a contract period?

You might incur charges with your existing provider so you should check to see if there are any termination charges before you request to port your number.

What happens if I don't provide my credit debit card details for the identity check?

If we've been unable to verify your identity electronically and you do not wish to provide your payment card details, we will not be able to activate your service. This is in accordance with the Telecommunications (Service Provider - Identity Checks for Prepaid Mobile Carriage Services) Determination 2017.

I have received my new SIM card, what do I do now?

If we have sent you a new SIM card and you need to transfer your service on to it, log into your My Exetel account, head to SIM replacement in the Manage Account section and follow the simple steps.

I just ported my existing service number, how long will it take to complete?

If you’re porting (transferring) your existing mobile number from another supplier, the service changeover can take 24 to 48 hours and is subject to ‘porting hours’. The best thing to do is keep your old SIM card in your handset until it stops working, you will still be able to use your old SIM card until the port completes and your number moves to the Exetel network.

Please note: A loss of service on the day of the port is normal. This happens when your old provider is sending the number to us and generally lasts around 2 hours. Porting hours are:

  • Monday-Friday: 08:00-20:00 AEST
  • Saturday: 10:00-18:00 AEST
  • Sunday: Closed

If you submit a request to port your number outside of the hour's list above, we will attempt to process the porting of your number to Exetel, however, we cannot guarantee that it will be processed by your carrier until the next business day. Note: mobile porting may be affected by public holidays where there is either no porting or reduced porting hours (10:00-18:00 AEST).

Are there any charges for transferring my number to Exetel?

There are no charges for porting to Exetel

Can I choose my number when activating a new service?

Yes, It’s possible to choose your number when activating an Exetel service.

Why do I need a Verification Code to transfer/port my number to Exetel?

We're here to protect your mobile service.

Unauthorised transfers of mobile numbers between Telcos are rising and may lead to fraud and identity theft. To protect you, we've implemented a process to verify number ownership prior to the transfer. This involves sending a code to the number you're transferring which must be confirmed by you before the transfer can proceed.

This is the safest, quickest and easiest way to transfer your number and why you should only activate when you have your phone. We can't send the code to another phone number or an email address as we need to verify that you, as the owner of that service, are the only person authorising the transfer.

Why do I have to provide my credit/debit card details to activate my SIM card?

By law, we're required to confirm your identity when activating a mobile service. We'll verify the ID details you provide against the database of the issuing Government body. If the details don't match exactly, the verification will fail and we'll need to identify you in another way.

The alternative method of verifying your identity is by confirming that you hold an account with a financial institution. You’ll need to provide details of a credit or debit card in your name and we’ll seek authorisation for $1.

The $1 charge will be debited from your account and then it will be credited on your first invoice.

Can I specify a time to port / transfer my number?

Unfortunately not, as soon as you submit your SIM activation with a request to port/transfer your number, the process commences straight away.

What services will transfer when I port / transfer my number to Exetel?

If you have any stored messages on your SIM or any voicemails saved, these will not be transferred. Make a note of them or save them using the backup function on your handset. Any phone numbers/contacts stored on your SIM will need to be saved into your Mobile’s phone book before the number is ported, as these will be lost during the porting process. Some 3rd party SMS services such as ring tone subscriptions will continue after you have ported your number. Should you wish to stop these, please check with the 3rd party operator on how to do it.

What happens when I use all my data? Do I get charged for excess data?

For your Exetel Mobile Plan, data will be deducted from any included data allowance and Data Bank balance until it is fully depleted. Once this happens, you won’t have any access to data and will need to add a Data Bolt-on to your Mobile Plan, or recharge or change your Mobile Plan.

It is over 48 hours since I requested to transfer my number and it still hasn't happened, what do I do?

If your number still has not ported to us within this time, please contact us on 13 39 38 and we’ll investigate.

Can I stop or cancel a port / number transfer once requested?

There is no way to stop or cancel a port once it has been actioned but you can request a reversal from the new provider once it’s completed. If your Exetel service has been ported to another service provider, call our support team on 13 39 38 and we’ll endeavour to get your service returned to us.

Will I be charged for diversions to voicemail when I'm overseas?

No, there’s no charge for these diversions

What do I do when my number transfer/port fails?

The most common reason why porting fails is due to a mismatch between the information provided to us and that held by your current provider.

We check the following when porting:

1. Mobile number
2. Date of birth
3. If on post-paid, the account number

We recommend you check the details with your current provider and verify that your number is still connected and active as we cannot port a disconnected number. Once you've done this, you'll need to start your activation over again. For further assistance, please call us on 13 39 38.

My service has taken longer than 24 hours to transfer, what do I do?

Typical mobile porting usually completes in under 3 hours, but can take up to 2 days to complete (not including Sundays). If your service has taken longer than 1-2 days to complete, please contact our customer support team on 13 39 38.

How do I port/transfer my Exetel service to another provider?

We’re sorry to lose you as a customer but if you’ve decided to leave us, please contact your new provider to arrange the transfer of your service. They will need your mobile service number and date of birth but it’s best to check with them in case they have additional requirements.

What handsets are compatible with my Exetel SIM?

As a minimum, your device must be compatible with 3G 850Mhz to use Exetel. All calls will be made and received on this frequency as Voice over 4G or LTE (VoLTE) is not possible. To take advantage of 4G for data/MMS/SMS, ensure it’s compatible with 700, 900*, 1800, 2100*, 2600* MHz

  • supported in limited locations only.

If you are unsure about the compatibility of your device, the best place to check is in the user guide that was supplied when you purchased the device or with the handset manufacturer directly.

What Government document do you need to activate my service?

If you are an Australian resident you can provide either your driver's license information or your Medicare card information to enable us to verify your identity. If you are not an Australian resident, you can provide your passport information instead.

How do I get a refund on my Plan?

Exetel does not provide refunds on recharges or Plans that have been purchased. If you have purchased the incorrect Mobile Plan, please call our sales team on 13 39 38. If you cancel your service or move to a different provider, you will forfeit any remaining credit you have.