How To Recharge Your China Mobile Card
Posted by Dan on February 23, 2009 at 12:20 AM
Unable to read either Mandarin or Chinglish well enough to recharge your China Mobile card? I recommend you read the China Ginger post, entitled, "How to recharge a China Mobile card in English," with step by step instructions (in English) on how to do exactly that. If this does not work, you can do what I usually do when I am in to China -- use someone else's phone or pay around $3.00 a minute on my AT&T iPhone.
Comments
Also, many vendors around universities and areas frequented by expats are used to foreigners and their struggles, and are quite happy to charge your phone for you.
Posted by: chriswaugh_bj | February 23, 2009 1:19 AM
you should have a secretary to run the errands. or, just hand over your phone to the top-up card peddler to finish the job.
Posted by: maoyuan | February 23, 2009 1:52 AM
Or just pop into a "Western" hotel and ask someone at the concierge desk to do it for you. That's what I did in Beijing.
Posted by: TJ | February 23, 2009 6:33 PM
Err, it's really a very simple process. Buy the card, type in the first number, press two for English. Follow the instructions.
Posted by: Stark | February 24, 2009 12:08 AM
There is a much easier way by utilizing SMS(text message). After obtaining the recharge PIN number, simply send a text message “CZ PIN number” to 10086. If done correctly, you will receive several replies from China mobile in Chinese. CZ is short for “Chu Zhi”, which means “recharge” in Chinese. You can also send “YE” to 10086 to check for your remaining balance. As “Yu Er” is “leftover balance” in Chinese. Hope this helps.
Posted by: Jeff | February 24, 2009 10:31 PM
I don't see the need for this. The instructions when you dial the recharge number include: "For English, press 2" and then the instructions are in English. But if someone can't handle this, the clerk who sold it to you is always happy to do it for you.
Posted by: Alex | February 26, 2009 7:16 AM