The Cuban company ETECSA offers a variety of additional services in order to economize the user's consume and adapt it to each user's specific needs.
This functionalities are self-manageable: it is not necessary to visit the phone company offices, since these are requested through your cell phone.
Balance Transfer
In Cuba, it is possible to transfer balance credit between cell phones, as long as it is made between prepaid Cubacel users. It can be activated any of the following ways.
Some services, like the Nauta Package and the VOZ and SMS Plan, are enabled for a better planning -and saving, while you're at it- of the use of your phone balance.
The long way: Type *234# and use the Call button. Out of the two options given, you must select option number 1 in order to make a transfer.
After this, follow the options shown on screen.The short way: Type in a single step the following sequence:
*234*1*RECIPIENT number*Keycode*Amount to transfer# and use the Call button.
The personal Keycode is a password that keeps others from making a transfer without the owner's permission. By default, this password is 1234, but it must be changed to ensure safety 🔐
The specified amount is subtracted from the person who orders the transfer, along with an extra charge of 0.30 CUC. No more than one transfer can be made in a single day. However, the recipient can receive any number of transfers, as long as they don't come from the same issuing user ;-)
An important detail: the balance credit transfer is only subtracted from the donor's main balance. If the donor has a promo bonus, the transfer will not be subtracted from it.
Bolsa Nauta
Especially aimed for Nauta email users, the Nauta Package allows for a more economical data package, letting you use up to 5 MB for only 1.50 CUC within 30 days.
The cost of this service is subtracted from your phone balance, just like Nauta email, which relies on your balance recharges.
VOZ and SMS plan
The ETECSA VOZ and SMS plans are a different kind of personalized packages that you can purchase with the credit in your balance and use them to call and text.
In this case, the amount you save depends on how much of the package you use.
It is also valid for 30 days.
Amigos Plan
The Amigos Plan allows you to add up to 3 frequent contacts and enjoy a 0.15 CUC discount in every calls done during regular rate time gap (7:00 AM to 10:59 PM).
In order to use this service, you must first pay an activation fee (1CUC), that is always deducted from your main balance. You will be able to recharge your credit with a Cubacel recharge.
An important aspect to clarify is that purchasing these plans doesn't make much sense if you already have an active promotional bonus, since the cost of the call will always be subtracted from the promotional bonus first, then the VOZ Plan, then the Amigo Plan and lastly, from the main balance.
Regarding text messages, the priority order is bonus first, then SMS Plan, then main balance.
Nauta Email
This is an ETECSA service that offers the user a [email protected] email address to communicate via email inside and outside of Cuba.
You could just go to the navigation room at ETECSA and access this email, but most people in Cuba prefer to just configure it on their cell phones, since it is such a commodity to have access to your email from home at any time as long as you have enough credit.
In order to check your email from any place using your cell phone, you must fulfill this 5 requirements:
Have a cell phone with data transmission (GPRS)
Have an app installed for email or navigation
Activate (at a ETECSA commercial office) you Nauta email and GPRS for your cell phone.
Change the settings on your phone for the new email account
Have enough credit on your phone line
The activation fee of your Nauta email in ETECSA is 1.50 CUC. After this, you will have to pay 1 CUC for every megabyte of data sent or received. If you ever need to use a large amount of data, it might be better for you to go to a navigation room and use your Nauta account.
The maximum storage capacity in your email is 50 MB. If you surpass that amount of data in your inbox, you will not be able to send or receive any more messages.
Besides, some people install special message managers for Nauta email, which work just like a chat software, for example; CubaMessenger and Nauta Messenger.