Can I use Twitter with T-Mobile?

You say pay-as-you-go. I wonder if that is a key to answering this question. Hmmm. Can you send and receive SMS messages now as part of this pay-as-you-go service?

Geoffrey: Thanks for your reply. Do you use pay-as-you-go, or do you have a contract with T-Mobile? I'm trying to determine whether that's the issue here...

Jitterbug- I use T-Mobile on contract. Yes, you can use SMS as part of a pay-as-you-go plan. But you probably need to contact T-mobile to see if SMS is something you need to set up separately form your voice plan. It may just be that it's not included with what you've got at the moment.

Twitter's support team always gives bad answers to this question. I suggest ignoring anything they say. Anyway:

Are you using T-Mobile's prepaid service ("T-Mobile To Go")? If so, your problem is that Twitter uses a "shortcode" (a phone number shorter than 7 digits) for SMS tweets, and T-Mobile's prepaid service blocks all SMS messages to and from shortcodes. (In other words, it's T-Mobile's fault, not Twitter's.)

There are two workarounds:

1) You can verify your phone (and, afterwards, send tweets) using Twitter's UK number, which is currently: +447624801423

However, you still won't be able to receive tweets on your phone, and SMS to a UK number costs more than domestic SMS.

2) Tweet through an e-mail-based service like twittermail.com or ping.fm (T-mobile lets you send SMS messages to e-mail addresses, if you didn't know.) Looks like twittermail can even be set up to e-mail tweets to you (your phone's e-mail address is based on the phone number).

Great suggestions folks. I've had a really busy week at home and work, but I will try this out as soon as I have a chance and report back! (Just wanted to post a note so that you all know I've been reading your comments!)

Thanks for being awesome!

CONFIRMED: The Twitter shortcode "40404" is not on the list of allowed third-party shortcodes with T-Mobile's "To-Go" (Prepaid) plans. It is allowed on postpaid (monthly-billed) plans.

So, Eric, you're right, that was the problem.
And this is why Geoffrey is able to use Twitter and I am not.

bauserdotcom, thanks for your suggestions, too, but unfortunately they don't work with my phone (No shortcodes, and the email service situation I think would work but it's a little clunky.) I took a look at Twittermail, which is cool, but I never have email access where I don't have Twitter access, so that doesn't really do as much for me.

So, I've confirmed this dilemma. Oh well. I might be changing phone plans soon enough anyway.

Does anyone know if other pay-as-you-go plans DO allow you to use third party shortcodes like Twitter? e.g. Virgin Mobile, etc.

Thanks for being awesome everyone!

Seriously disappointing. Flexpay + Shortcodes == You're screwed.

I got a nice rep today that explained that Flexpay customers were never supposed to have the ability to message shortcodes. So for future reference -- Flexpay == No shortcodes. Luckily ping.fm allows you to update Twitter with a 10-digit number.

i think this is just something they do to new accounts, however. after a couple of months, i was able to use any shortcode i wanted

@AlecMachet - Are you Flexpay?