Which PAYG lasts longest unused?

silvercar

I need to buy two PAYG SIMs for relatives who visit annually, but the catch is that they want to keep the same numbers each year. I know a lot of networks will cancel the SIM no chargeable activity is done after 30 days. Is there any network that will keep a SIM live without using for longer?

roddydogs

02 and Virgin at least are 6 months, i think 1 text (10p) is good enough.

silvercar

roddydogs wrote: »

02 and Virgin at least are 6 months, i think 1 text (10p) is good enough.

Good, but not good enough for my purposes. I want the relatives to take the phones home (abroad) with them, rather than me holding onto them and being responsible for topping up and delivering them back to them on their next visit.

Annie._2

Six months maximum (180 days) is normal for mobile companies before the number is returned to the originating network for recycling,

PAYG SIM cards need to be kept active by making a regular chargeable call and cannot be kept on the network indefinitely when there is no income received.

If the phones are unlocked, PAYG SIM cards can be obtained free of charge from various network sites. Your visitors could then keep the phones and use a different SIM card which although will have a different number, they will be able to make calls and send texts when they visit the following year.

roddydogs

But dosent the SIM card have to be pre loaded with at least £10? before it can be used?

silvercar

roddydogs wrote: »

But dosent the SIM card have to be pre loaded with at least £10? before it can be used?

I guess £10 a SIM to keep the number going once a year is OK. Keeping the number is what I wanted to do whilst the SIM cards were overseas.