topic Re: Understanding Volt bolt-ons better in Volt

Understanding Volt bolt-ons better

phonek — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 18:11:52 GMT

Can someone please clarify/confirm what's included with the O2 side of these Volt Bolt-ons and what's not, as the terminology O2 uses for it's products is somewhat confusing – at least to me it is, lol!

(VM Volt side of things gives you Double-Data broadband + upto three WiFi pods for free... but I'm already on gigabit BB and don't need the pods – so not much use for me AFAICT, unless I'm missing anything?)

(^ O2 email confirmation received.)

But what precisely do these O2 Volt Bolt-ons give you?

I have this data O2 Volt Bolt-on:

1. "Volt Double-Data Boost" inside the UK [for my account, that means 64GB instead of 32GB.]

Outside UK remains capped at 25GB/mth (or until you come back to UK, then go out again to refresh the amount back to 25GB, upto your overall monthly limit; ie. 64GB in my case). Only for use in all 75 destinations below and at a max. 2 Mbps speed. (is that all correct?)

But also I have these two travel O2 Volt Bolt-ons, which are confusing me:

2. "Volt O2 Travel Inclusive Zone".
3. "O2 Travel (for O2 Travel Inclusive Zone)".

Q1: As a Volt customer, what's the difference between bolt-ons 2 and 3 above?

Have I got it right that all (most) pay monthly customers get the Europe Zone 48 destinations included, so these two only relate to the (non-Europe Zone) 27 destinations of the Travel Incl. Zone?

Q2: More importantly, what calls/SMS are included in my whole airtime plan here then?

My understanding (for standard calls obviously, not premium or special numbers) is this:

- for Europe Zone:

A. in UK: O2 UK# to UK#'s - making and receiving calls+SMS = Included.

B. in Europe Zone (roaming): O2 UK# to UK#'s - making and receiving calls+SMS = Included.

C. in Europe Zone (roaming): O2 UK# to Europe Zone#'s - making and receiving calls+SMS = Included.

D. in UK: O2 UK# to Europe Zone#'s - making calls+SMS = Chargeable / receiving calls+SMS = Included.

Europe Zone = 48 destinations:

- for Travel Incl. Zone:

E. in Travel Incl. Zone (roaming): O2 UK# to UK#'s - making and receiving calls+SMS = Included.

F. in Travel Incl. Zone (roaming): O2 UK# to Travel Incl. Zone#'s - making and receiving calls+SMS = Included.

G. in UK: O2 UK# to Travel Incl. Zone#'s - making calls+SMS = Chargeable / receiving calls+SMS = Included.

Travel Incl. Zone = 27 destinations (non-European):

(= 75 destinations, total: Europe Zone + Travel Incl. Zone)

So is my info above all correct or is anything wrong on it, or indeed anything else worth knowing?

Re: Understanding Volt bolt-ons better

phonek — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 22:58:30 GMT

No responses, strangely? 😕

What's even the difference between these?:

O2 Travel (removed)

vs.

O2 Travel (for O2 Travel Inclusive Zone) (added)

Confusing?

Re: Understanding Volt bolt-ons better

MI5 — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 23:00:18 GMT

Volt gives you travel inclusive automatically, free use in the specified countries.

Anyone can opt in or out of standard O2 travel at £6 a day.

Re: Understanding Volt bolt-ons better

phonek — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:16:10 GMT

@MI5 wrote:
Volt gives you travel inclusive automatically, free use in the specified countries.
Anyone can opt in or out of standard O2 travel at £6 a day.
Volt Megaguide

Oh I see, rather confusing naming, lol!

So having both bolt-ons means this?:

Volt O2 Travel Inclusive Zone (means the extra 27 destinations of Travel Incl. Zone)

O2 Travel (for O2 Travel Inclusive Zone) (means without having to pay £6/day when used)

= per mth: 25GB data (unless you return to UK, as I mentioned above)

= per day: make 120mins calls / 120 SMS (unlimited receiving calls/SMS)

While for the 48 destinations of the Europe Zone, all pay monthly plans already get the same data limit as above (25GB, if they're data plan is that level or higher), but unlimited make & receive calls.

Is that all correct?

Re: Understanding Volt bolt-ons better

MI5 — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 08:07:05 GMT

Yes @phonek

Looks OK to me.

Re: Understanding Volt bolt-ons better

phonek — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 00:35:52 GMT

@MI5 wrote:
Yes @phonek
Looks OK to me.

Thanks again - although I should have added the SMS, like this:

While for the 48 destinations of the Europe Zone, all pay monthly plans already get the same data limit as above (25GB, if they're data plan is that level or higher), but unlimited make & receive calls and SMS.

Re: Understanding Volt bolt-ons better

phonek — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 16:42:05 GMT

Can smart enough to confirm or correct points C to G on the original post, though?

Re: Understanding Volt bolt-ons better

MI5 — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 16:54:39 GMT

Yes, C - G also correct @phonek

Re: Understanding Volt bolt-ons better

pgn — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 18:27:30 GMT

@phonek wrote:

A. in UK: O2 UK# to UK#'s - making and receiving calls+SMS = Included.
Yes. All carriers, all landlines, but: https://www.o2.co.uk/help/account-and-billing/other-numbers-and-charges
And beware of: https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Discussions-Feedback/Risks-of-googling-for-contact-numbers/m-p/1647065/highlight/true#M127434
Oh and O2's own 0845... PAYG Top-up number: https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Other-Products-and-Services/O2-Web-Top-Up-not-recognising-a-valid-O2-PAYG-number/m-p/1670098/highlight/true#M52659

B. in Europe Zone (roaming): O2 UK# to UK#'s - making and receiving calls+SMS = Included.
Yes. With the caveats in (A) above, again.

C. in Europe Zone (roaming): O2 UK# to Europe Zone#'s - making and receiving calls+SMS = Included.
Yes. But as O2 PAYG get no 5G, it can be simpler to rely on your 25GB monthly roaming data (for up to 63 days, I think it is) and use WhatsApp for all calls and messages. Obviously banks etc may use SMS instead of push-messages to send you OTPs, so SMS free to receive.

D. in UK: O2 UK# to Europe Zone#'s - making calls+SMS = Chargeable / receiving calls+SMS = Included.
Yes - all calls to any international number (including Ireland) from within the UK is chargeable, ditto for SMS. Note also Isle Of Man (IoM) and Channel Islands (CI) usually are all chargeable - Crown Dependencies and Crown Territories - check here: https://www.o2.co.uk/help/account-and-billing/calling-abroad-standard-rates and here: https://www.o2.co.uk/international/using-your-phone-abroad (so keep your phone set to manual roaming selection when trundling across the Irish Sea from Scotland or England to Northern Ireland, as if you latch onto Manx Telecom (IoM) signal, you'll be charged!)

- for Travel Incl. Zone:
E. in Travel Incl. Zone (roaming): O2 UK# to UK#'s - making and receiving calls+SMS = Included.
Yes. Watch out for countries with no 3G, use same guidance as given at (C) above.

F. in Travel Incl. Zone (roaming): O2 UK# to Travel Incl. Zone#'s - making and receiving calls+SMS = Included.
Calls in-country where travelling in that zone are included, calls to numbers outside of that country, regardless of whether the called country is a Travel-inclusive country or not, are excluded. (it's an international call again, as in (A)).

G. in UK: O2 UK# to Travel Incl. Zone#'s - making calls+SMS = Chargeable / receiving calls+SMS = Included.
Yes, see (A) above.

Generally, "receiving SMS" is usually always free, for standard SMS (and not short-code or premium SMS), wherever you are.

More generally, this is the best point of reference, errors and omissions excepted (e&oe)

Re: Understanding Volt bolt-ons better

phonek — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:14:10 GMT

@pgn - Many thanks again.

Great info – especially like the extra boxes of info/links to useful resources – post bookmarked! 😀

The worst thing is when you're caught out by charges because of some tiny thing, or something unknown or unclear.