Orange PAYG - must I top up regularly?

Bogof_Babe

I have an old phone on Orange PAYG that I keep for emergencies (like a flat battery on my main phone while travelling). I was under the impression that I only had to make or receive a call or text on it once every couple of months, so I send it a text from my other (contract) phone.

I've just read on another thread that apparently to keep a PAYG SIM "live" you have to buy top-ups every so often. I haven't topped up for months and still have £3 credit on it so don't particularly want to buy credit just for the sake of it.

Is this true, or is using the phone occasionally sufficient to keep the number live?

Annie._2

You need to make a regular chargeable call and not just receive the odd call or text to keep the SIM active.

Bogof_Babe

Oh, thanks for that info. Do you know how often it has to be used then? I can send a text from it to my other phone which will do the trick presumably?

parallax_20

I don't know if the conditions have changed, but for my Orange PAYG I just need to make at least one chargeable call every 6 months to keep the sim active. I keep it for Orange Wednesday and use it once in a blue moon. I've had about £12 credit slowly decreasing for the last 3 years or so now.

Bogof_Babe

Every six months would be great, that's 24p a year (my texts cost 12p each for some reason).

mobilejunkie

Orange told me that you can reactivate it with the credit if you don't make any calls (unloike other networks). I can't confirm as I only keep mine as spares with £5 free credit.

Jon_01

Usually, after 6 months of no use it'll get disconnected. But it lays in a hold pot for another 6 months (in case you call in and ask why its not working) after that it gets dropped into another 'pot' where it stays for another 6 months (once there you've lost it) after that it gets reissued in the available numbers list andcan get reused. . .

Old_Gold

I dont know if this has been answered elsewhere but if they have suspended your account how do you find the mobile number to be able to check about it?

Orange_Company_Representative

Hi,

An alternate number is 07973 100450, however if you drop me a mail to the address in my profile, I will check for you (including the mobile number).

So I can pick up your mail quickly, please add 'Jonathan Orange Response' in the first line.

Hope this helps

Jonathan
Orange Response Team

Old_Gold

Orange_Company_Representative wrote: »

Hi,

An alternate number is 07973 100450, however if you drop me a mail to the address in my profile, I will check for you (including the mobile number).

So I can pick up your mail quickly, please add 'Jonathan Orange Response' in the first line.

Hope this helps

Jonathan
Orange Response Team

If you are the orange rep any chance of aanswering my question above as to how to find out what your mobile number is if the account is suspended.

Ypaymore

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

is using the phone occasionally sufficient to keep the number live?

Yes !!!

As long as you make a chargeable call , browse data, or send text every 6 months you can use up your existing credit. As you can on any other UK Network.

"3.4.We will disconnect your Device if during the previous six months, you have not Registered a new Top Up or you have not made chargeable calls from your Device. For the avoidance of doubt calls shall include but not be limited to voice calls, data calls and text messaging. On disconnection your mobile telephone number will be reassigned. On Re-connection you will be assigned a new mobile telephone number. Orange may at its discretion, on request and on Re-connection to the Services, re-credit the amount remaining on your account at the time it was disconnected."

http://www1.orange.co.uk/terms.html/payg_terms.html