Contracts and carriers

[1995hoo]

....

Or maybe you're a business and need a phone line to conduct credit card transactions.

there's gotta be a way to do that online or via a cell phone.  I knew someone in 2000-2001 who was working on connecting a card reader to a cell phone - wonder where he got with that, but it's been about 12 years so someone must've gotten somewhere.

I've seen people use credit-card readers that are attached to iPhones or iPads via the connector where you plug in the cable. The most frequent places I've seen that sort of thing has been at events like wine festivals and the like where it's impractical or impossible to have a conventional machine.

[DaBigE]

....

Or maybe you're a business and need a phone line to conduct credit card transactions.

there's gotta be a way to do that online or via a cell phone.  I knew someone in 2000-2001 who was working on connecting a card reader to a cell phone - wonder where he got with that, but it's been about 12 years so someone must've gotten somewhere.

I've seen people use credit-card readers that are attached to iPhones or iPads via the connector where you plug in the cable. The most frequent places I've seen that sort of thing has been at events like wine festivals and the like where it's impractical or impossible to have a conventional machine.

I think Jen from Shipping Wars tried to use one of those for one of her deliveries. The guy's card ended up being declined, IIRC.

[agentsteel53]

I've seen people use credit-card readers that are attached to iPhones or iPads via the connector where you plug in the cable. The most frequent places I've seen that sort of thing has been at events like wine festivals and the like where it's impractical or impossible to have a conventional machine.

I have as well - but I believe those use TCP/IP as opposed to connecting directly to the cell network.  basically, you get a reader that swipes the number, as opposed to having to key it in, but after that it's just like a web portal.

correct me if I'm wrong!

[kphoger]

I'm most frustrated by Verizon's unwillingness to let me switch to a smartphone without signing up for a data plan.  I would love to switch to a GSM-capable device for roaming in México, but finding one that is both cheap and not a smartphone is a difficult task.  I currently have an old Blackberry (GSM-capable) that my wife used to use, but I can't switch to that without paying extra for a data plan.

I'm actually thinking about buying a prepaid SIM card online with a Mexico City phone number (how the company does this legally I don't know, since the equivalent of a SSN is required for purchasing a SIM card in México), then buying an unlocked GSM-capable phone on eBay, and putting the two together.  It may end up being cheaper than either buying a new non-data GSM-capable phone from Verizon or adding data to my current plan.  The main disadvantage to that would be that Americans would have to dial an international number to reach me, and Mexicans would have to dial long-distance–basically, it would be expensive for everybody but me.

[mcdonaat]

I use my HTC Trophy as a global phone; Verizon unlocked it for me, and I can just as easily hop onto AT&T or T-Mobile for phone service if I need to. I find it useful for maps, and also for checking on Facebook updates or just old-fashioned calling.

[hbelkins]

I use my HTC Trophy as a global phone; Verizon unlocked it for me, and I can just as easily hop onto AT&T or T-Mobile for phone service if I need to. I find it useful for maps, and also for checking on Facebook updates or just old-fashioned calling.

I thought phones were restricted to being either CDMA or GSM. Didn't know you could switch between CDMA carriers (Verizon) and GSM (AT&T or T-Mobile.)

[on_wisconsin]

I use my HTC Trophy as a global phone; Verizon unlocked it for me, and I can just as easily hop onto AT&T or T-Mobile for phone service if I need to. I find it useful for maps, and also for checking on Facebook updates or just old-fashioned calling.

I thought phones were restricted to being either CDMA or GSM. Didn't know you could switch between CDMA carriers (Verizon) and GSM (AT&T or T-Mobile.)

AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon all use the same LTE (4G) standard these days.

[mcdonaat]

Caught me by surprise when I opened the back and took the battery out... lo and behold, a Verizon 3G SIM card in place. I took the SIM out and powered the phone back on, and it still worked... might have been a placeholder or something. Any Verizon or Sprint global phone uses a SIM card slot, it's what makes it global, and this does include the iPhone 5GS or whatever it's called (supposedly the iPhone 5, which is the sixth generation iPhone).

[kphoger]

I use my HTC Trophy as a global phone; Verizon unlocked it for me, and I can just as easily hop onto AT&T or T-Mobile for phone service if I need to. I find it useful for maps, and also for checking on Facebook updates or just old-fashioned calling.

Funny, I called the Verizon store and they said they wouldn't unlock my phone.

[cpzilliacus]

Caught me by surprise when I opened the back and took the battery out... lo and behold, a Verizon 3G SIM card in place. I took the SIM out and powered the phone back on, and it still worked... might have been a placeholder or something. Any Verizon or Sprint global phone uses a SIM card slot, it's what makes it global, and this does include the iPhone 5GS or whatever it's called (supposedly the iPhone 5, which is the sixth generation iPhone).

The Verizon Wireless 3G phones run on their CDMA network and do not need a SIM card.  But if you have a Verizon "global" device (I have a "global" Blackberry), then it has a SIM card, wich will allow it to work on GSM networks outside of the United States (apparently the "preferred" network is Vodafone, which makes plenty of sense, since Vodafone owns 49% of Verizon Wireless).

Verizon 4G LTE phones do use a SIM card.

[cpzilliacus]

I use my HTC Trophy as a global phone; Verizon unlocked it for me, and I can just as easily hop onto AT&T or T-Mobile for phone service if I need to. I find it useful for maps, and also for checking on Facebook updates or just old-fashioned calling.

I thought phones were restricted to being either CDMA or GSM. Didn't know you could switch between CDMA carriers (Verizon) and GSM (AT&T or T-Mobile.)

You can't, but Verizon Wireless offers many phones that run on their CDMA network in North America and Vodafone's GSM network in other parts of the world.

[kphoger]

I use my HTC Trophy as a global phone; Verizon unlocked it for me, and I can just as easily hop onto AT&T or T-Mobile for phone service if I need to. I find it useful for maps, and also for checking on Facebook updates or just old-fashioned calling.

I thought phones were restricted to being either CDMA or GSM. Didn't know you could switch between CDMA carriers (Verizon) and GSM (AT&T or T-Mobile.)

You can't, but Verizon Wireless offers many phones that run on their CDMA network in North America and Vodafone's GSM network in other parts of the world.

My wife's old GSM-capable Blackberry, for example, is able to roam in Parras (Coahuila, México) on the Telcel (read: América Móvil) network, whereas my CDMA-only LG thingy has zero service.