Mobile phone top-up periods

[Chris S]

My Orange pay as you go mobile phone has been disconnected as I didn't make enough out-going calls.

I am now looking for a replacement. I've already decided on an unlocked Alcatel One Touch phone, I only need it as a contact number.

I am now looking for a service provider. I don't need any data allowance and I'm not concerned about call cost because I don't make many. My primary concern is a long top-up period.

1p Mobile require you to make at least one £10 top-up every 120 days. Does anybody know of a longer one?

 

[AndyRM]

Asda mobile or Vodafone, according to this site:

https://kenstechtips.com/index.php/payg-inactivity-account-termination-and-credit-expiry

 

[srw]

I bought a Virgin Mobile PAYG phone about 7 years ago. I eventually spent the £10 credit it came with and hadn't topped it up again, or even turned it on, for about 4 years. The account and the number were still valid earlier this year.

 

[raleighnut]

I've still got credit from the £10 I had to put on when I bought my Nokia well over a year ago, as long as you make the odd call the number stays valid on Orange/EE, whether this changes now BT own em I don't know though.

 

[Drago]

I'm on Tesco on a contract SIM. 6 quid a months and more free minutes and text that I'll ever use.

 

[midlife]

Gift gaff ... Five quid a month no contract .... Less than a nice bottle of wine and sorted

 

[classic33]

I've still got credit from the £10 I had to put on when I bought my Nokia well over a year ago, as long as you make the odd call the number stays valid on Orange/EE, whether this changes now BT own em I don't know though.

If you're on Orange, current call limit is at least one chargable call every 30 days.

They're trying to move Orange numbers onto EE.

 

[MontyVeda]

Three's 123 deal is perfect for me [link, scroll down to calls, text and data]

calls are 3p per minute, texts 2p each and data is 1p per megabite.
Your credit does not expire, but they do say to use your phone at least once every six months so they know it's still active.

I put a tenner in last august and still have £4.50 of credit left... far better than spending £10 a month which expired with 95% of the 'free' calls, texts and data unused.

 

[ColinJ]

Gift gaff ... Five quid a month no contract .... Less than a nice bottle of wine and sorted

Same for me, but it is possible to just buy £10 worth of 'airtime credit' and use it on a PAYG basis. There is no limit on how long the credit lasts. Giffgaff link. (GG uses the O2 network so make sure before signing up that there is a decent O2 signal in the area where the phone would be used.) GG PAYG is quite expensive but if it is an emergency phone then that doesn't matter.

 

[postman]

My neighbour lost £25 of credit on his the bloke is over 80,his son tried to get it back,no was the answer robbery in my opinion.

 

[Sandra6]

I'm with gifgaf.
A five pound goody bag every month gives me more calls and texts than I can use -and almost enough data if I remember to switch it off when I'm not using it.
You don't have to top up a set amount, but if you don't buy a goody bag within 3 months you lose your free calls to other gif gaf numbers.

 

[midlife]

I'm with gifgaf.
A five pound goody bag every month gives me more calls and texts than I can use -and almost enough data if I remember to switch it off when I'm not using it.
You don't have to top up a set amount, but if you don't buy a goody bag within 3 months you lose your free calls to other gif gaf numbers.

All other 4 family members are on giff gaff monthly goodie bags. I'm tempted, but stay on EE just on the off chance we are In a no 02 signal area then my phone might work .

 

[ColinJ]

I'm with gifgaf.
A five pound goody bag every month gives me more calls and texts than I can use -and almost enough data if I remember to switch it off when I'm not using it.
You don't have to top up a set amount, but if you don't buy a goody bag within 3 months you lose your free calls to other gif gaf numbers.

I thought that the 100 MB a month on the £5 plan would be almost useless, but I used phone data sparingly on holiday last week and got by on about 60 MB. 35 MB of that was wasted on Google Play uploads before I realised and turned off background activities. I also turn off the data when I am not using it.

I normally use the phone on wifi but our holiday cottage didn't have an Internet connection. It didn't have phone reception either, but I found that I could get a good signal from the other side of the road.

 

[Mr Celine]

I was given my first new phone (as opposed to inheriting them from the offspring) at Christmas 2016. Gift gaff PAYG, I had to buy a £10 top up to get it started and my brother gave me a £5 voucher. Eighteen months later I still have nearly £7 left.

 

[User10119]

Three's 123 deal is perfect for me [link, scroll down to calls, text and data]

calls are 3p per minute, texts 2p each and data is 1p per megabite.
Your credit does not expire, but they do say to use your phone at least once every six months so they know it's still active.

I put a tenner in last august and still have £4.50 of credit left... far better than spending £10 a month which expired with 95% of the 'free' calls, texts and data unused.

Yeah, that works well for one of my Cubs, using a hand-me-down unlocked handset. He has data switched off and just uses WiFi, makes the odd call and texts a bit. It's cost me about a tenner per year.