Telecom operator Vodafone India today said its pre-paid customers can recharge mobile phones, without sharing their mobile numbers with retail shops.

Vodafone Private Recharge Mode, a free service, is available for its mobile subscribers in West Bengal at present.

“With smartphones becoming the single most important storehouse of information, ensuring the privacy of subscribers by keeping their phone numbers private and protected, has gained paramount importance,” said Arvinder Singh Sachdev, business head, Kolkata & West Bengal Circle.

Vodafone customers need to send a toll free SMS ‘Private’ to 12604 to avail the Vodafone Private Recharge option. Vodafone provides an OTP to the customer. Users can use the OTP for subsequent recharges till midnight of the same day. To recharge at multi-brand Vodafone outlets, mobile users need to share the OTP instead of the mobile number with the retail shop.