# PAYG SIM card?



## Brian G Turner (Sep 12, 2020)

When I got my O2 Pay As You Go SIM card from O2, I simply got the card, topped up with £10, then topped up later only when I needed it. Point being that I don't use my phone very much.

However, I'm struggling to find the same now - all I can find on the O2 website is PAYG offers that expire after 30 days. I just want a SIM card for my daughter that she can top up only when she needs to, without losing her balance.

Any recommendations?


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## Danny McG (Sep 12, 2020)

I'm a long term O2, the same as you.
But my sister is on with some SIM called 1p mobile that she says keeps your credit, you top up whenever


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## HareBrain (Sep 12, 2020)

I have that kind of setup with EE.



Brian G Turner said:


> all I can find on the O2 website is PAYG offers that expire after 30 days



Expire how? Your credit just disappears?


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## Danny McG (Sep 12, 2020)

I think it's habit with the O2. I don't even use the data plan (6Gb per month) because I use my home WiFi.
And I'm only making maybe 60 minutes of calls per month and averaging 40 text messages - I  feel a change coming now this issue has been raised


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## Danny McG (Sep 12, 2020)

HareBrain said:


> I have that kind of setup with EE.
> 
> 
> 
> Expire how? Your credit just disappears?


Yep, that's what happens


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## Ursa major (Sep 12, 2020)

I have a Vodafone PAYG, but it's much more attuned to my only very occasional use of the phone for both voice and/or data. However, I'll mention what it does just in case anyone else reading the thread has a similar minimal usage pattern to mine.

The current version has the following characteristics:

  Get a new SIM free of charge and don't pay a penny until you use it
  Just pay for what you need, when you need it. It's just 20p per minute, 20p per text and 20p per 5MB of data
  Spend £1 in a day to unlock unlimited minutes and texts, plus 500MB of data to use until midnight
When I bought it (August 2019, for my trip to WorldCon and TitanCon on the island of Ireland), I think -- yes, I'm really up to date with my knowledge of the charging plan -- I was paying 25p per call/text/5MB of data, but the "spend £1 in a day" was the same.

I mostly use my phone ("mostly" gives the wrong impression of my very low usage) when connected to a WiFi network, other than when I'm taking pictures. It suited me and my usage on my holiday very well, and still does.

Regarding the money disappearing after a while.... I have no idea when the SIM might expire, but I try to make at least one call every few months to keep it active.


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## mosaix (Sep 12, 2020)

Danny McG said:


> Yep, that's what happens



Should be illegal.


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## Brian G Turner (Sep 12, 2020)

Ursa major said:


> Vodafone PAYG



That looks like the sort of thing I'm after:








						Vodafone
					






					freesim.vodafone.co.uk
				




However, I'd ideally want something I can pick up around here, rather than wait for a postal delivery.


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## Vladd67 (Sep 12, 2020)

I use Giffgaff as do my daughters which gives us the added bonus of being able to contact each other for free. Each month I pay a fee of £10 for unlimited calls and texts and 6GB of data, on top of that I can add credit to my phone for extras not covered by the goody bag such as international calls and premium-rate numbers or for when the goody bag runs out. The credit remains on your phone month to month until you actually use it. Also, I believe Giffgaff uses O2's network so it will work in your area.


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## Danny McG (Sep 12, 2020)

Brian G Turner said:


> That looks like the sort of thing I'm after:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So does this continually 'rollover' or does it only apply for the next 30 day period?
I.e. does any unused credit disappear after 60 days in total?


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## Brian G Turner (Sep 12, 2020)

It looks like the free SIm at the bottom of the page is what you'd want.

I clicked to there from here:








						Best Pay As You Go SIM Card | Free SIM Card | Vodafone UK
					

Buy one of our Pay as you go Bundles or get a free SIM and choose a bundle later. See all our Pay as you go SIM deals and find out more today.



					www.vodafone.co.uk
				




and, again, the free sim with top-up only appears at the bottom of the page.


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## Danny McG (Sep 12, 2020)

Well the blurb seems to indicate it's only applicable when you top up again after normal 30 day usage, at that point any unused credit and data is rolled over into your new 30 day period.
Otherwise, if you don't top up, you have seven days and then you  start paying higher rates until your  credit is gone.

I'm thinking now about changing to this one instead








						UKs cheapest PAYG mobile tariff
					

1pMobile offers great value with 1p a minute, 1p a text and 1p a MB. Excellent coverage, free SIM and you can keep your existing number.




					www.1pmobile.com


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## .matthew. (Sep 12, 2020)

I think most of them are... you top up normally then you can use the credit for a month-long 'contract', but you can also still just use the credit normally as PAYG.


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## Foxbat (Sep 13, 2020)

My mum has a vodafone pay as you go and I top it for her at the local Asda. The self  service checkout has a topup option you can add to your shopping bill. You buy a voucher  for how much you want and then phone the number printed on it, navigating the menu and entering the code when required. I think they also sell Sim cards over the counter.


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