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My circumstances mean a mobile contract has never been attractive - so i've always used PAYG.

I'm now on Three, because their 3-2-1 tariff is unbeatable - the only problem being that the signal at home is "flaky". No problem, their "Three at Home" app ensured calls were diverted over my Wifi connection...
Then, earlier this year they withdrew support for the app (and it no longer works for me). Time to change, I thought.

SWMBO is on GiffGaff, but their call charges are extortionate in comparison - the upside being that she never has an issue with the signal. But then I saw that O2, GiffGaff's "parent" had a PAYG offer that matched Three's tariff, so I made a mental note to check them out when my credit was lower.

Today, SWMBO is returning to the UK and her credit is low, so I went online to order an O2 SIM for her.
PROBLEM - O2 PAYG only talks "bundles" (which, forgive me, are not really PAYG) and I could find no way out.

SO, Google being my friend (?), I did a search and found this article:

No "classic" PAYG on O2 at all.... just bundles! the same for Vodafone.

A look on MSE shows only 4 options for 'real' PAYG now - and three of them are from resellers.

End of an era, it seems.......

I recall from your previous remarks that you spend quite some time in Portugal. With inclusive EU roaming, why don't SIM-only contracts work for you? Plenty of contracts under £10/month.

I know the networks have terms designed to stop (say) Portuguese residents signing up to UK contracts - but if you have a decent amount of UK credit and other history that should be reasonably easy to argue against. You're still left with needing a local SIM for calls to non-UK numbers - which is no different from when using PAYG.

I'm on a £3.99 a month, 30 day contract with ID. It has a fair few "free" minutes and a small amount of data. Not strictly PAYG but pretty damn cheap. Problem being I think ID use three.

pabenny wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 14 2019 4:21pm

I recall from your previous remarks that you spend quite some time in Portugal. With inclusive EU roaming, why don't SIM-only contracts work for you? Plenty of contracts under £10/month.

I know the networks have terms designed to stop (say) Portuguese residents signing up to UK contracts - but if you have a decent amount of UK credit and other history that should be reasonably easy to argue against. You're still left with needing a local SIM for calls to non-UK numbers - which is no different from when using PAYG.

I've no interest in a contract - I don't use the mobile enough for that, that's why I stay with PAYG.
If a contract costed in, I would have moved before.....
As it is, I'll stay with Three and hope their coverage gets better.....

RonFlorabud wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 14 2019 4:31pm

I'm on a £3.99 a month, 30 day contract with ID. It has a fair few "free" minutes and a small amount of data. Not strictly PAYG but pretty damn cheap. Problem being I think ID use three.

I think you answered yourself there! For now, I'll stay on Three PAYG

Try Penny Mobile/1p Mobile..1p per min UK and 1 p per txt, can have roaming on PAYG and can use credit for data or prebuy data. Worth checking ,they piggyback on major UK provider

Tesco mobile?

bprev wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 15 2019 1:03am

Try Penny Mobile/1p Mobile..1p per min UK and 1 p per txt, can have roaming on PAYG and can use credit for data or prebuy data. Worth checking ,they piggyback on major UK provider

Cheers, it's attractive but there's a minimum top-up of £10 a month (so it's almost a rolling contract) and it's on EE (who aren't great for coverage here either).

I checked before... only O2 came close and had decent coverage as far as I could see.

My reason for posting was that I was completely unaware that, bit by bit, the PAYG market has disappeared and been replaced by various forms of contract.

blythburgh wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 15 2019 11:14am

Tesco mobile?

Don't do PAYG, AFAIK

macliam wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 15 2019 11:36am

Cheers, it's attractive but there's a minimum top-up of £10 a month (so it's almost a rolling contract) and it's on EE (who aren't great for coverage here either).

It is every 120 days but can't get around the EE thing even ASDA which is still quite expensive for plain PAYG is EE. My wife was on this and struggled to use £1 over the first 3 months we ended up leaving a lot of money behind when I moved her out to 02.

I guess my 4 02 Classic PAYG sims, you can continue to use active ones for now, will go up in value only have them for the free coffee..