Date: April 25, 2021 | Updated: September 23, 2021 | Author: Moblie-man
All subscribers of all operators are constantly looking for ways to save money when traveling abroad, and this is normal and correct. Moreover, the cost of calls in roaming is often prohibitively expensive. And one of these services from MTS for saving money in roaming is the “Zero Without Borders” option, the pros and cons of which I will tell you. Let's take a closer look at its terms and benefits to understand whether using this option is beneficial or not.
Is Zero Without Borders a necessary service?
Yes, of course! No, it’s not necessary!
Current version. Data updated September 23, 2021
: detailed description
By activating the “Zero without Borders” option for 170 ₽ per day, MTS subscribers receive 45 free minutes per day of incoming and 45 minutes of outgoing calls from Russia and to Russia to any numbers (landline and mobile), although in a limited number of countries (list below).
The fee for the first day is debited when the option is activated. Payment is made according to the time of the “home” region for every full or partial day, regardless of location, until you disable the option yourself.
It is free incoming and outgoing calls that are the main “trick” of the “Zero Without Borders” option. If you need calls and Internet, as in the home tariff, then connect “Zabugorishte”.
I, like probably the majority of MTS subscribers, go abroad mainly on vacation, and can easily get by with just calls, and the Internet is now available in most hotels and restaurants. Therefore, I consider “Zero Without Borders” the most necessary and convenient roaming option of MTS and I always connect it when traveling.
Description of service
The essence of the option is that for the subscriber who uses it, all calls to the number when traveling around the world, with the exception of some countries, are free. At the same time, the option does not have the ability to make profitable outgoing calls, although the savings on incoming calls can be significant.
It is worth noting separately that the described option was created specifically for use when in international roaming. It doesn’t work in Russia, and if a subscriber wants to save on communications within the country, he will need to activate another service, and you can find out which one at any mobile operator office.
In any case, when traveling abroad, you will first need to activate roaming, otherwise you will not be able to use cellular communications on the territory of foreign countries. Only after completing this action, it becomes possible to select an option to save on communications when traveling abroad.
Call minutes in popular countries
- The first 45 minutes of outgoing and 45 minutes of incoming calls per day are free;
- Incoming and outgoing calls from the 46th minute of each call will cost -39.00 ₽/minute;
List of popular countries for the “Zero without borders” option
Abkhazia, Australia, Austria, Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Hong Kong, Greece, Denmark, Egypt, Israel, India, Jordan, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Cambodia, Canada, Qatar, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Morocco, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Norway, UAE, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, USA, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Philippines, Finland, France, Croatia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Switzerland , Sweden, Estonia, South Korea.
How to connect “Zero Without Borders” via USSD combinations
To connect MTS via USSD request, you will need to enter one of these options:
- *444# (applied when the client is still within Russia at the time of activation);
- *111*4444#.
The same queries are used when you need to deactivate an option. You can also connect the function via SMS by sending the code “33” to 111.
Attention! If the activation procedure was successful, after some time the user will receive an SMS notification confirming the connection. In situations where this does not happen, you need to contact the company’s technical support by calling 8 800 250 08 90. Perhaps for some reason the user was unable to install the function on the number.
Call minutes in other countries
- Outgoing to the Russian Federation: 1st minute and from the 6th minute of each call - at roaming rates;
- Outgoing calls to the Russian Federation from the 2nd to the 5th minute of each call - 39.00 ₽/minute;
- Incoming calls from the 1st to the 10th minute of each call are free;
- Incoming calls from the 11th minute of each call - 39.00 RUB/minute
The subscription fee is debited from the MTS client's account upon direct activation of the service. In the future, the subscription fee will be debited in full every day, even if the subscriber does not make or receive calls, or even when returning to Russian territory. Be sure to disable the option if you don't use it!
Description from MTS
The function will help to significantly reduce the cost of using communications when traveling abroad. It only works when staying outside the territory of the Russian Federation and does not apply to intranet and interregional roaming. Upon arrival in other countries, the user can register in local networks to activate the service, and after returning home, refuse the function, since it is not automatically disabled.
The subscription fee for using “Zero Without Borders” will be 95 rubles daily. At the time of activation, this amount is charged immediately, and on other days, withdrawal occurs at the beginning of a new day. In this case, discounts are established only for calls, and for SMS, MMS and gigabytes of the Internet you will have to pay at the rates of the roaming tariff activated on the number.
There is one more important point that must be taken into account before connecting. According to the terms of MTS “Zero Without Borders” in 2021, the function provides the opportunity to receive up to two hundred minutes of calls in 30 days; after they are exhausted, an amount of 25 rubles will be charged per 60 seconds of communication. To request information about the remaining allocated time, use the combination *419*1233#.
Attention! “0 without borders” does not apply to some countries, so before traveling abroad, you should find out whether it is possible to use this function in a specific part of the world.
Pros and cons of the “Zero without borders” option
pros
- 45 minutes of outgoing + 45 minutes of incoming calls per day is enough for most subscribers when traveling and on vacation (I do not take into account those who go abroad on business trips, they usually have corporate tariffs with their own conditions);
- 170 ₽ per day - a fairly reasonable cost for roaming;
Minuses
- Changing the conditions of the option, taking into account the simultaneous closure, namely an increase in price from 95 to 145 rubles, and then to 170 rubles, associated with the addition of outgoing calls (previously there were only incoming calls) will not be to everyone’s taste. Many, when going on vacation, agreed with family and friends to call them and it was convenient. Now there is no such choice: to connect only incoming and/or outgoing. The operator needs money, and more
- The list of “Popular” countries does not include, for example, Belarus and Azerbaijan, but many of our compatriots go there.
- The option is not automatically disabled when returning to Russia. I didn’t follow up - the money was withdrawn from the account.
other services
If, in addition to calls, you are also interested in data transfer, then pay attention to “Zabugorishche”, which can be used on “Smart” (except “mini”), “Ultra”, and “X” tariffs, and other packages, including the “All” line MTS” and “WE MTS” tariffs. The conditions of the option depend on the country of use. So, in popular countries (about forty countries), incoming calls are free, and home packages are used for calls to Russia and the Internet.
In other countries, “Zabugorische” acts as a mix of the “Zero without Borders” and “BIT Abroad” options. The second service provides a traffic package for a fixed cost per day. The price depends on the country of use, and will be 390 or 410 rubles per day. note
that both services are mutually exclusive, and when the second one is connected, the first one is deactivated. Also, if the “Foreign” option is used for a month, and then “Zero without Borders” is activated, then it is worth considering how many incoming minutes have already been used. Because the “Zero without Borders” limit, which is limited to two hundred per month, will be reduced.
Eventually
Even after such significant changes, I consider connecting the “Zero without Borders” option, which is called a “must have” (mandatory), when traveling on vacation to countries that MTS has designated as “Popular”. 170 ₽ per day will help you simply forget that you are in the territory of another country in roaming and practically not limit yourself, within reasonable limits of course, in communication.
I don’t see the point in comparing prices for calls with or without connecting the option. In general, there is nothing to compare 45+45 unlimited minutes with, and everyone can see the cost of calls for themselves on the MTS website.
For which tariffs is this option available?
“Zero Without Borders” can be connected to SIM cards with any tariff conditions, except for corporate packages.
To activate it after entering another country, you need to check whether international access services in roaming or the easy roaming function are active on the SIM card. When none of them are installed, it will be impossible to register in the networks of foreign companies, and this precludes the launch of Zero Without Borders.
Important! “0 without borders” will not take effect if other functions designed to save on communication outside Russia are activated on the SIM card. When one of them is connected, the others are automatically deactivated.
How to connect or disconnect
You can connect or deactivate the service in the following ways:
- In your personal account on the operator’s website (instructions for registering your personal account are here);
- Through the “My MTS” mobile application;
- Using the command *111*4444#.
Let me remind you once again about the importance of disabling the option in a timely manner, because without performing the deactivation procedure, the daily subscription fee will be charged even when the subscriber returns to the territory of his home region.
And one more thing: if connected, the “Zero without Borders” option will be automatically deactivated, since these roaming offers are mutually exclusive.
Additional option conditions
In order to properly use all the advantages of this service, you must first, even before connecting, study all its features. The fact is that there are additional conditions for using this option that the subscriber needs to know. Among the most important are the presence of restrictions by country. Thus, the described option is not valid in Turkmenistan, the Maldives, South Ossetia, Cuba, Andorra, the Seychelles, Cayman Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Oman, Iran, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, St. Lucia, Madagascar, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Guam, Aruba, Barbados, Montserrati, Haiti, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Tanzania, Algeria, Anguilla, Dominica , as well as on aircraft and ships, in satellite systems when actually located in other countries. If the MTS subscriber is located in the above states, roaming conditions apply, which can be found in the section: “Travel around the world” or “Intercity and roaming”.
The conditions for providing the described option provide for the use of a package of first incoming calls in the amount of ten free minutes, while in fact the operator can provide you with no more than two hundred minutes per month. After the provided volume is exhausted, the cost of incoming calls will be twenty-five rubles per minute. This situation will remain until the end of the month, when it will be possible to activate the option again.
The operator provides the subscriber with ten free minutes per day, while the first minutes of the conversation are still paid. As a result, all incoming minutes per day are summed up. The subscription fee is debited from the balance daily, regardless of the location where the subscriber is located, until the option is disabled.
The operator may establish other conditions for using this option, which can be clarified at MTS offices or by studying reference materials posted on this topic on the Internet.
Some outdated tariffs do not provide “Zero without borders”, so you can activate “Zero without borders around the world”.
Disable correctly
Having returned from traveling abroad, you should disable this already unnecessary zero on MTS, because the service will continue to withdraw money from your account. You can do it like this:
- Send a message with text 330 to number 111.
- Make a call to the combination *111*4444#, but select the second option.
- Again, contact the MTS salon for help.
- Use the Internet, namely your personal account, where you can disconnect.
- Contact the MTS contact center, where they will help you with this issue.
Reviews
Surprisingly enough, when it comes to the MTS company, reviews of Zero Without Borders are generally more positive than usual. The main thing is to carefully read the connection conditions, subscribers advise!
The above option, according to reviews, is convenient where there is a good signal, and is really beneficial. However, in case of an unstable signal, the service is connected with a delay.
Judging by how the “Zero without borders mts” option, its description and reviews, arouse massive interest among travelers, it’s worth thinking about and weighing the pros and cons, and, perhaps, connecting it for the duration of your voyage.
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Connection via a call to the MTS operator number
The function can also be installed with the help of technical support consultants. To do this, you need to contact them at 88002500890 and wait for the operator to respond. After passing the identification procedure, during which you need to provide the passport details of the SIM card holder and the code word, the service will be activated.
Attention! For connecting options with the help of Hotline consultants, funds may be debited from the SIM card account. Before the operator begins to perform the necessary manipulations, it is necessary to inquire about the cost of this service.
It is possible to activate the function via voice service. You will need to enter 0890, click on send a call and follow the instructions received, moving through the items in the presented menu.
The “0 without borders” option will help you avoid unnecessary costs for negotiations on vacation or on business trips outside the country. However, we should not forget that upon arrival in Russia it must be immediately deactivated, otherwise money will continue to be debited from the account.
How to make sure the service is disabled
The MTS subscriber refused the terms of the tariff, but he continues to be overcome by doubts. Was the operation successful? There are several ways to check:
- Using USSD code. By dialing the combination *152# + the “Call” key, you must select the second item in the pop-up window. In the menu, find the Options button and wait for an SMS message that will list all connected tariffs. If there is no service in the list, then the refusal has been completed and entered into force.
- While in the Russian Federation, you can call 0890. By selecting the connections and services function, you can listen to all active options for this telephone account.
- If you have free time, a visit to the sales office or a dialogue with the operator will ease your soul. They will tell you in detail about current tariffs, new products and promotions.
