hobo needs international mobile phone numbers various and impromptu

[HermesHermes]

I'll save the complicated explanations for later.

Is there a way to get changing phone numbers in many countries for short or long term use, at reasonable price and no hassle? I mean so that financial institution in country A can reach me in country B.

 

I am a Canadian and the prices for basic plans (let alone roaming) are, on my pension anyway, bloody expensive. I travel six months per year. I just buy a new SIM wherever I am. It used to be doable. But for about 2 years banking has become problematic. Others companies too, but mostly banks - OTPs and other hysterical security measures of jumping through hoops. They have to recognize the device, have the number on file, yada yada. It's a major headache for me. I can't even log in on my laptop and get my OTP or push code on my other much more mobile device. I've had similar problem with Amazon.

 

Right now I have to deal with Wise - send them a photo of me holding my passport, wait a few days. this techno-police never ends and I am getting fed up. I just want simple and international, so I can be anywhere and be able to bank and shop without wasting time satisfying businesses security fears.

 

Ideally, what I'd like is anonymous phone numbers that can be customised for use on any country. But I am willing to compromise and just have privacy. Or at least utility and flexibility.

 

I don't understand why banks don't just use physical tokens or fingerprint recognition or some such. I hate being tied down to a computer-phone. But this is the trend - you can't function without being tied at the hip to a smartphone. I think that there are considerable downsides from a personal freedoms and political perspective, but for now my concern is more prosaic - what works for being a roamer that is cheap. It has to be liw stress. I can't be reregistering a phone number every country I visit, with four different banks. Email is dead. But, I like email. There are what seems like six million messaging apps.

 

[BritManToo]

Two SIM slots in every phone, I have 2 phones at around 3kbht each, how many countries do you need?

(1 for my UK bank, 1 for my Thai bank, 2 spare)

 

No need to carry any of the phones around.

And the apps only need the SIM in them when you register with the bank.

[HermesHermes]

Are you saying that the SIM need not be paid up to date, just in the phone?

 

And re: 'how many countries do you need?' I am an almost non-stop traveller. In a typical six months I will be in 5-8 countries, mostly but not all in Asia. It becomes a juggling act of physical SIMs. I would rather have one internationally usable number. My shoes work in every country, why not my phone?

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, HermesHermes said:

Are you saying that the SIM need not be paid up to date, just in the phone?

 

And re: 'how many countries do you need?' I am an almost non-stop traveller. In a typical six months I will be in 5-8 countries, mostly but not all in Asia. It becomes a juggling act of physical SIMs. I would rather have one internationally usable number. My shoes work in every country, why not my phone?

I doubt you have bank accounts in 5-8 countries.

[HermesHermes]

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I doubt you have bank accounts in 5-8 countries.

Several Fintecs, bank accounts in three countries, stock broker - it adds up in account maintenance. And I intend to expand more.

 

I would rather have one number that I can use with everyone and anywhere. This works with email, why is telecommunications so balkanized by countries?

[BritManToo]

6 minutes ago, HermesHermes said:

I would rather have one number that I can use with everyone and anywhere. This works with email, why is telecommunications so balkanized by countries?

The new world order wants us to remain in our country of birth.

Maybe allowing us out for 2 weeks holiday a year.

[AlwaysThere]

12 minutes ago, HermesHermes said:

Several Fintecs, bank accounts in three countries, stock broker - it adds up in account maintenance. And I intend to expand more.

 

I would rather have one number that I can use with everyone and anywhere. This works with email, why is telecommunications so balkanized by countries?

 

So why not get ONE number? It doesn't need to be Canadian, does it? I don't see a problem. You don't need to pay for Roaming to receive a text message, so why not use a Thai SIM, activate International Roaming and disable Data Roaming at source?

[HermesHermes]

Just now, BritManToo said:

The new world order wants us to remain in our country of birth.

Maybe allowing us out for 2 weeks holiday a year.

Perhaps. Whenever I do financial transactions I get notices (well, sometimes...) "suspicious transaction!" Like everyone stays home or is supposed to. I view governments like landlords, if you don't like the terms or rent, then move (or in my case, wander).

[HermesHermes]

1 hour ago, AlwaysThere said:

 

So why not get ONE number? It doesn't need to be Canadian, does it? I don't see a problem. You don't need to pay for Roaming to receive a text message, so why not use a Thai SIM, activate International Roaming and disable Data Roaming at source?

Actually for some purposes, it does: eligibility to open and maintain stock brokerage accounts, apply for certain visas, etc.

 

Since one can have email address alias why cannot one have telephone aliases?

 

It seems to have something to do with different licenses to do financial transactions, residency, etc. Free market is a myth. There are many national markets. Trade and money is intimately tied in with governments. Not saying I like this, but it is what it is.