Cubacel: next phone recharge to Cuba
Have you ever wondered when the next recharge for Cuba will be? Look no further! You’ve come to the right place to learn about the latest offers and promotions from Cuba’s only telecommunications company, Etecsa.
Etecsa has just announced via their social media channels that the next international recharge will be available throughout the month of March 2023, from March 1st to 31st.
And what does the new promotion entail?
What does the new promotion state? If you recharge between 250 and 1250 CUP, you’ll enjoy the following benefits:
✅ 5GB of internet browsing on all networks
✅ Three times the recharge amount as part of your main balance
✅ Unlimited internet from midnight to 7:00 am until March 31st
What are your thoughts on this Cubacel recharge promotion?
What was the previous international top-up like, and what bonuses did it provide?
What was the previous international top-up like and what bonuses did it provide?
The previous recharge was in effect from February 20th to 25th, 2023.
And what did the Cubacel promotion establish?
Those who received an international recharge of between 500 and 1250 Cuban pesos (CUP) received the following bonuses:
- Bonus of 20 gigabytes of internet browsing, valid for 30 days from the date of recharge.
- The balance of the recharge was increased sixfold.
- Unlimited internet from 12:00 AM to 7:00 AM (valid only until February 28th).
The Best Website to Recharge to Cuba
Our experience tells us the best place to send recharges to Cuba.
Our team has tested the majority of options available on the internet, and among all of them, we have chosen the best online platform to send internet and phone recharges to Cuba.
In our opinion, the service you should use is Rebtel. It operates seamlessly, reliably, and quickly, and the best part is, it doesn’t charge any commissions!
Rebtel has a lot of prestige and operates at all times, not only during promotions or the next Cubacel double recharge.
Additionally, many people also wonder if Rebtel works to top-up to Cuba from Spain. The answer is YES. The site is ideal for recharging from anywhere in the world, including Europe.
Etecsa’s Services That Can Be Paid from Abroad
Etecsa offers the option to buy, pay for, and recharge several of its products and services from abroad, such as:
- Purchase of a mobile line
- Purchase of cell phones
- Purchase of combined plans (data, SMS, minutes)
- Recharges (Cubacel and Nauta)
- Payment of the telephone bill
- CubacelTur: a service for tourists visiting Cuba, which includes the purchase of a temporary telephone line with a 30-day lifespan from activation and a basic package of 6 GB + 100 MIN + 100 SMS.
More Information about CubacelTur
You can request your CubacelTur line at any Etecsa commercial unit.
If you arrive at José Martí International Airport Terminal 3, you can receive the line at the Cubatur point of sale, which is open 24 hours a day.
- To check the service, dial *222#.
- To check the offer, dial *222*887# (*222*TUR#).
Keep in mind that purchasing additional packages will not extend the validity of the line.
Etecsa and the Recharge Business to Cuba
Phone balance in Cuba functions as a form of currency.
People in Cuba exchange their phone balance for cash, making international top-ups to Cuba a unique form of remittance.
Some individuals use the balance recharged from abroad to convert it into Cuban pesos. For example, the recipient of the recharge keeps the bonus and transfers the main balance to another user in exchange for cash payment.
How Much Does ETECSA Earn from Mobile Recharges?
Mobile top-ups from abroad are an important source of income for ETECSA, the Cuban telecommunications company and monopoly, and for the Cuban government.
The exact amount that ETECSA receives from top-ups is not clear due to the Cuban business system’s lack of transparency in disclosing information about its revenues and expenses.
Some independent estimates put ETECSA’s monthly income from telephone recharges made from abroad at approximately $20 million, though this may not be accurate.
Keep in mind that Cubacel promotions have evolved from monthly to almost bi-weekly and it is common to hear of two ETECSA promotions in the same month.
Additionally, the number of telephone lines in Cuba and the number of people accessing the Internet through mobile data have both been growing steadily in the past decade, which could indicate that the business of international recharges is not yet at its peak.
It’s also worth noting that recharges tend to experience seasonal “peaks” around holidays such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.
According to a senior ETECSA executive in 2017, the money from international top-ups is used to cover investments and modernize the company’s networks, but also contributes to the country and supports other social projects.
