UK PAYG mobile providers

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Wicksey
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UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby Wicksey » Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:49 am

Just received an email from Virgin who our UK PAYG phone is with. They are basically upping the charges for calls and texts so it will be a minimum of 2 pounds per day. You can make up to 200 minutes of calls per day for that, or 200 texts. We have PAYG as we only use it occasionally in the UK and so it would work out that we could be paying 10 or 20 pounds for a few calls or texts made during a week's stay. They are obviously trying to get rid of their PAYG clients as if you use your phone a lot you're more likely to have a contract.

Anyone else have a UK PAYG phone .... it looks like I can switch fairly easily to another provider.

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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby gerryh » Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:27 pm

Interesting :think:
I also have a Virgin PAYG UK number just because I need a UK number for my UK Barclays bank app. :thumbdown:
Not received anything from Virgin yet.
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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby chrissiehope » Tue Oct 15, 2019 1:15 pm

I use giffgaff - I hardly use my phone, just a few texts & the odd phone call. I haven't had to topup since I joined them in April 2018 !
Take a look at their site -
https://www.giffgaff.com/
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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby Wicksey » Tue Oct 15, 2019 1:40 pm

Thanks Chrissie. I've had a look but cannot see a PAYG option, only monthly plans.

Gerry I am on the 'Original PAYG' tariff from when I got the UK number years ago. Their email says:
We’ll be moving you to the "Daily Plan" where; every day, the first 200 minutes of calls you make will cost £2 total, and then 1p a minute after that. It means even if you make a 5-minute call a day or a couple of calls up to 199 minutes total a day, you’ll still pay the same £2.
It’s the same for the first 200 texts you send. They’ll cost £2 total, and then 1p a text after that. It means even if you send 1 text a day or 199 texts a day, you’ll still pay the same £2.



Edit .... found the PAYG options now in Giffgaff, they were hidden away!

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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby Enrique » Tue Oct 15, 2019 3:06 pm

Hi Wicksey,

We both use GiffGaff.............. :thumbup:
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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby elusive » Tue Oct 15, 2019 3:20 pm

I guess you need a uk number more for people in the uk to be able to contact you without charges when you are in the uk?

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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby chrissiehope » Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:07 pm

Wicksey, the monthly plans are PAYG - you buy a 'package' and it lasts until it runs out of credit, or at least that's what mine does. I can't remember if I've ever topped it up in the 18 months or so I've had it, if I have, then it must have been ages ago ! I don't use it for apps or downloads, and hardly make any calls, so my credit just keeps going. I get a (free) notification of my balance every time I use it, so I know when I may need to topup. I even transferred my number without hassle. I was wary at first, but for me, it does what it says on the tin :-)
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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby Wicksey » Wed Oct 16, 2019 9:15 am

elusive wrote:I guess you need a uk number more for people in the uk to be able to contact you without charges when you are in the uk?
Partly that and also I use it to phone and text locally when I'm there. It is a contact number for a few things I still have a UK address for.

When I've needed to phone Spain from the UK then I've used the Spanish SIM (my UK phone is dual SIM) but not sure if Brexit will change the roaming rules. When I was recently in a country not in the EU Virgin advised me of the charges: GPB 4.80 per minute to make a phone call and GPB 1.50 pm to receive it, plus texts were 1.20 :shock: . If the UK comes out and doesn't continue the roaming rules then presumably any calls I make to Spain on my Spanish SIM from the UK could cost a fortune :think:

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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby elusive » Wed Oct 16, 2019 2:20 pm

Thought so wicksey thanks. Although theres no roaming charges so you could phone uk numbers with your spanish mobile and it wont cost you any more than normal

Yeah it could change with brexit. Its upto the networks but alot have already said they wont reintroduce roaming charges. But you can bet that might change if they see it as a money maker!

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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby Mcphailan » Thu Dec 05, 2019 10:29 am

Wife's contract deal was 6.35 a month with Virgin and I only just cancelled it as we need Spanish number. Think it was 100 mins voice unlim text and 1 gig data.
Always found Virgin contracts to be as cheap as chips

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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby knowal » Thu Dec 05, 2019 5:38 pm

Wicksey, switch to their £7 a month plan. £2 a day is daylight robbery, at least D1ck Turpin had the decency to wear a mask.
https://www.virginmedia.com/mobile/sim- ... 1509710961
I ditched Virgin a while back.
I use 1pmobile which is 1p a minute or 1p a Mb or 1p a text. (I pay £10 every 4 months - it's the minimum)
https://www.1pmobile.com/

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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby knowal » Thu Dec 05, 2019 6:09 pm

Well, fancy that, the name Díck is in the naughty words filter, I had to misspell it to write Díck Turpin!

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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby peteroldracer » Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:13 pm

The Bradley Walsh show "Cashtrapped" had a question about the Famous Five......amongst the names displayed there was of course D1ck and F@nny...
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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby SpanishBlue » Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:34 pm

White Horse wrote:Wicksey, switch to their £7 a month plan. £2 a day is daylight robbery, at least D1ck Turpin had the decency to wear a mask.
https://www.virginmedia.com/mobile/sim- ... 1509710961
I ditched Virgin a while back.
I use 1pmobile which is 1p a minute or 1p a Mb or 1p a text. (I pay £10 every 4 months - it's the minimum)
https://www.1pmobile.com/
1P mobile is expensive (£30 a year) for someone who just wants to make the occasional call.

3 and O2 do 3p a minute for calls PAYG, just need to make a chargeable event every 6 months like a 2p text eg.

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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby Wicksey » Sun Dec 08, 2019 10:44 am

Thanks for your further responses. I do only make very occasional calls on it when in the UK but need it to receive calls when there, as much as anything, so I don't want a monthly plan. I do need to use up the balance I currently have on Virgin first as I think I will lose any credit when changing over the number. I probably only use it for a couple of texts or phone calls a year, so no wonder they want rid of me :)

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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby chrissiehope » Sun Dec 08, 2019 2:29 pm

Have you looked at giffgaff ? I hardly ever use my phone apart from the occasional text, I switched about 18 months ago, & as far as I can recall have only topped up once since then !
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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby peteroldracer » Sun Dec 08, 2019 2:48 pm

Beware that with Vodafone you have to top up within a certain time, so if you are an infrequent user (like my OH) and think you haven’t used any funds it could be disconnected...it is a pain to start it again!
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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby Enrique » Sun Dec 08, 2019 3:48 pm

Hi Wicksey,

"I do only make very occasional calls on it when in the UK but need it to receive calls when there"

GiffGaff could work OK for you, the only downside after two months out of UK then Roaming reverts to "normal" rates.
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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby Wicksey » Sun Dec 08, 2019 4:09 pm

Yes Giffgaff has been mentioned before and looks promising so thanks for that. I had forgotten that I will need to use up my balance on Virgin first before switching so it will be a little while before actually switching providers.

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Re: UK PAYG mobile providers

Postby gerryh » Sun Dec 08, 2019 4:29 pm

If I remember correctly you have to make a call or send a text at least every three months or you lose your credit.
It happened to me.
I did find a list of the minimum frequency you had to use your phone for all the phone providers but I can't find it now. :(
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