OT: Buying a SIM card PAYG

Yes you can, it's quite difficut to find on the idmobile.co.uk site but it is still possible to get the 3-2-1 deal.

Yet they still exist and examples have been given that you can sign up for today.

Although they don't promote it much, Giffgaff still have a PAYG that does not need regular payments.

(you might have to get the SIM with the lowest cost "goodie bag" on it, but then you can cancel the recurrence of that. Then it will just draw down on whatever credit you have added to the account).

I find just logging into the web site when it sends a warning email that it will release the number is enough.

(I keep a SIM for emergency data use - normally has little or no credit on it, but I can slap a large goodie bag on it if I need a big block of data)

Yup the bags get much lower call prices.

The snag is that their charges are *extremely* heavy. They charge 25p per minute, so a 20 minute call will cost £5. You could easily spend 20 mins hanging on to speak to the hospital say.

I moved from GiffGaff to O2, who charge 3p per minute PAYG. I'd recommend that, but they no longer offer it to new customers. It does give an idea of just how exorbitant GiffGaff are.

Elsewhere, I've suggested a £3 a month contract with unlimited minutes. That's a much lower risk bet.

And elsewhere I suggested a £2 / month deal with unlimited minutes!

The OP said it was needed for incoming calls only.

Whilst I have recommended Giffgaff I'm only using it as a second SIM until my credit runs out. However because of some recent problems with O2 in my area causing no signal I have been re-imbursed my last top up whilst leaving the credit the same, and then I get extra bits of credit it seems whenever I participate in their Community. I can't find any record of actually topping up (£10 max) since Jan2018.

However unless one buys goodybags the rates are now ridiculous and even then still expensive.

Oh well, I agree with you, then. :)

The op said: "My friend is 96 years old and won't be using it for any other reason than making/receiving calls when necessary. "

I can well imagine this lady hanging on in a queue to the hospital, say, and then running out of credit mid-call with a PAYG tariff.

I had a Tesco PAYG phone but it fell out of a hole in my pocket somewhere. I bought the nearest replacement from Tesco, a Nokia 110

I use RWG Mobile

# Pay-as-you-go  You can use our service on a simple pay-as-you basis. Just top-up your account and charges will de deducted as and when you use it. Your credit will never expire.  VOICE: 5p min UK landline/mobile  SMS: 5p/SMS

They also offer monthly or annual deals where you pay (IIRC) forty quid a year for virtually unlimited calls and texts.

I would start with Peter Forman's excellent chart of PAYG tarrifs. It's kept up to date.

Sorry, my mistake. Having just moved to an "unlimited minutes" deal the lack of concern about the cost of being on hold is a palpable relief.

I had to phone Santander to tell them I was on a new sim as I had no signal with Giffgaff. I made two mistakes:

And yes, I could and should have used a call through number, on

2) I called 20 mins before their lines closed. I suspect that no-one will pick up a call when it is 20 mins before clocking off time.

I only didn't use my new unlimited SIM because the landline was a registered with them whereas the new SIM wasn't yet so I thought the security checks would be easier.

They offer number of options for top ups, including monthly, 90 days, and a year.

If you don’t use your allowance it rolls over. I use one in a Hive like system in our motorhome. The credit has accrued as I only use the odd SMS to turn on the heating etc or check it.

Roaming is included.

As name suggests, 1p per min, 1p per SMS, 1 p per MB.

They use the EE network so offers 5G and 2G.

The O2 payg 321 sim 3a min 2 a txt 1meg is still for sale on ebay i got one a few months ago and it still works

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Thanks for the links.

Brilliant, thanks Mark, just bought one :-)