Notice - 17/10/18
Direct Carrier Billing
We’re undertaking a comprehensive review of customers affected by this activity and will be providing refunds to those customers affected, taking into consideration the fact that some customers may already have been refunded.
Customers that want to raise a complaint regarding a premium SMS/direct carrier billing service, please use our online complaints form → https://offer.optus.com.au/for-you/support/complaints1.
- Enter your name and preferred contact method
- Tell us when you’d like to be contacted
- Please make sure you answer, “direct carrier billing,” under the question “which account are you experiencing issues with.”
- Leave us with a description of your issue
- Submit your complaint
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What is premium SMS?
Premium SMS is delivered to your mobile phone and provided by third party content providers. These services can include information and entertainment content such as the purchase of ringtones, games, promotions and competitions.
There are two types of content purchases, those that involve a one-off charge (non-subscription), such as a game download, or those that charge on an ongoing basis (subscription), such as a Netflix subscription.
How to subscribe or purchase premium SMS
You can enter a subscription service, make a purchase or enter a TV network competition by:
• Sending an SMS from your mobile phone, then positively responding to a return SMS (which contains service cost / frequency information)
• Participating in charitable giving by seeing an advertising campaign managed by a charity then sending an SMS with a code word (to their specific PSMS number)
• Visiting a website, then positively responding to a return SMS (which contains service cost / frequency information)
• Sending an SMS to enter a TV network competition You will then receive a confirmation subscription via SMS with access to your content, customer service helpline and opt-out details.
How to check content usage
Any subscription or one-off third party content purchase that you have agreed to will appear on your Optus bill.
While Optus doesn’t supply content purchased from a third party provider, you do have a $200 default monthly spend limit (per calendar month) that can be adjusted and/or suspended. The spend limit applies to all Premium SMS and Direct Carrier Billed content including content purchased via the Google Play™ Store.
Remember, you are responsible for all calls, messages and purchases on the bill and for all content charges even if they are made by your family and friends.
You can check your third party usage and manage your content spend control using the My Optus app.
Once you've opened the App you can follow these steps:
- Click on Service from the main menu
- Click on Service Setting at the top of the screen
- Click on Notification and Services
- Click on toggle to turn Content Services on/off
What it looks like on the bill
Premium SMS will incur a charge which will either appear on your next bill or is deducted from your Pre-Paid credit. Premium SMS services start with 19 and are either 6 or 8 digits long. You can find more info about these numbers, including contact numbers for the third party companies here.
How to purchase content
You can make a purchase, enter a subscription service or enter a TV network competition by:
• Sending an SMS from your mobile phone, then positively responding to a return SMS (which contains service cost / frequency information)
•Participating in charitable giving by seeing an advertising campaign managed by a charity then sending an SMS with a code word (to their specific PSMS number)
• Visiting a website, then positively responding to a return SMS (which contains service cost / frequency information)
• Sending an SMS to enter a TV network competition You will then receive a confirmation subscription via SMS with access to your content, customer service helpline and opt-out details.
Third Party Content
Direct Carrier Billing for the Google Play™ Store
1. Set up Direct Carrier Billing as a preferred payment option for the Google Play™ Store - see the FAQs
2. Provide consent to the purchase of the content by clicking on subscribe now or buy now button. (By clicking on the button, you are authorising payment for the content you wish to purchase to be billed to either your Optus Postpaid Mobile account or be deducted from your Optus Prepaid Mobile account balance. Your agreement to the purchase includes acceptance of Optus’ and the content provider’s terms and conditions)
3. You will then receive a confirmation subscription via SMS with access to your content, customer service helpline and opt-out details
Direct Carrier Billing for Media Portals
Examples of media portals include Gamifive, 8z Mobile, and Channel 9 web competitions.
1. Provide consent to the purchase of the third party content by clicking on the Pay with Optus logo before the content is delivered to your device
2. By clicking on the logo, you are authorising payment for the third party content you wish to purchase to be billed to either your Optus Postpaid Mobile account or be deducted from your Optus Prepaid Mobile account balance. Your agreement to the purchase includes acceptance of Optus’ and the third party content provider’s terms and conditions
3. You will then receive a confirmation subscription via SMS with access to your content, customer service helpline and opt-out details
How to unsubscribe from a subscription
Direct Carrier Billing
To unsubscribe/opt-out from third party content, complete one of the following options:
- Access the third party content site and go to your account or settings
- Reply using the word STOP to the number you are receiving the messages from
- Call the helpline number provided in the message you are receiving or on the content or media portal (e.g. a gaming and app store)
- Follow the instructions under How to Check Content Usage & Manage Your Spend Limit to suspend or set a spend limit on content purchases
Premium SMS
- Reply using the word STOP to the number you’re receiving the messages from
- Call the helpline number provided in the message you are receiving or on the content or media portal (e.g. a gaming and app store)
- Follow the instructions under How to Check Content Usage & Manage Your Spend Limit to suspend or set a spend limit on content purchases
How to set a spend limit
You can set a monthly spend limit to control how much you can use Premium SMS. If you don't want to use it at all you can set your spend limit to $0. Here's how:
• First, login to My Account > Dashboard
• Click on the mobile service you'd like to edit
• Click the Settings Tab then select Set Up next to Premium SMS Spend Control to change from $200-$0 spend.
How do I dispute third party purchases
Google Play Purchases
If you're experiencing an issue with a Google Play purchase, please chat to us here.
Other Purchases
As these charges are billed on behalf of a third party content provider, you'll need to contact the third party content provider directly for more information. The provider's contact details can be found in the usage section of your bill, (refer to the image below which shows where the number can be located).
What if the content provider did not resolve my issue?
Optus will only be able to investigate the issue if you have attempted to resolve the issue with the relevant content provider. If the issue is still unresolved - please chat to us here.
Important! You will need to provide details around the contact you have made with third party content provider, including any action /response provided.
