Mobile phone for low use voice & text

Andrew_Spence

Hello Everyone, this is my first post and I hope someone will help me.
1. What I need.
I want a mobile phone to send approximately 20 texts a month to other UK mobiles, and use it to talk to UK home phones and about 4 mobile phone numbers. I want a big screen with a qwerty keyboard as i hate tiny keys and dont want to remember how many times to hit a key for text messages. I have seen a LG Town GT350 and Samsung S5230 Tocco Lite phones which seem to do what I want. I am not bothered about a camera or internet as I have a camera and a computer. I might send a photo so someone once in a blue moon.
2. What I dont understand.
I have an ancient mobile and buy top ups. The provider is
T-mobile. The top-ups last as long as I want, until used up. I make sure I use the phone at least once every six months to prevent them ending my 'contract'. Can I get the same service now? All the 'top-ups seem to last a month only, so if you dont use what you have bought, they take it away from you and you have to buy another 'top - up' for every month. If I am wrong, please advise me.
I have seen deals where there is cashback. I see you have to send the provider an invoice ( where does this come from?) to get the cashback. Does this work in practice? Can they take money from your credit card without telling you?
What is a reasonable cost per minute for voice calls to UK home phones / mobiles / texts to UK homes / UK mobiles? I have seen prices of 25p per minute for calls to UK home phones. Is this really typical? If so, I will keep my 10 year old mobile and the pay as you go as long as it exists. Thanks for reading this.

Exhortation

Everything you needed to know about cashback but were afraid to ask...

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/558661

Now, if you can handle all that, may I suggest you go to moneysupermarket.com and check out their deals for the Tocco Lite if that is the phone you are interested in.

SuzySu

Have a look at 18866. You can use them as a call overrider for cheap calls to landlines (and mobiles) and you can also use it to send texts to UK mobiles for 3p per text. No need for a phone at all - it's done from your computer.

ioscorpio

Asda, Tesco and Giffgaff do 8p per min for calls and 4p per text.

billsavings

SuzySu wrote: »

Have a look at 18866. You can use them as a call overrider for cheap calls to landlines (and mobiles) and you can also use it to send texts to UK mobiles for 3p per text. No need for a phone at all - it's done from your computer.

But if you use 18866 from a payg phone without any inclusive minutes it will be expensive because your be charged to dial their access number as well as the cost of the call to the final destination.

Unless your on Virgin Broadband only you do need a phone to access the internet to send the texts.

Sister Company www.18185.co.uk is cheaper by the way.;)