Any PAYG without time restrictions on credit?

JethroUK

My wife doesn't use her mobile much - £15 top up lasted her 2 years

Just topped up her Tesco PAYG with £15 and got £30 free - but now notice she only has a month to use £30 bonus

Like I say it's been a while since she last topped up so not sure when Tesco added this (one month expiry) clause

Do all PAYG companies operate like this now - or are there any left that just give you as long as you need to spend your credit?

As you can imagine, it may be a while before she needs more credit but I think shell be switching

depper

O2 have a 6 month limit on their PAYG sim cards. I even had an old card with about £30 on it that they reactivated after me not using for 14 months, but that's not their official policy.

withabix

Tesco have always had the one month expiry on the 'free bonus minutes'.

These will get used up before the actual minutes you paid for though. The paid for minutes last for 12 months with Tesco IIRC

The rate per minute is quite high (25p+), so there isn't really much point in these now anyway.

However, if you have an unlocked or Sim-free phone, have you considered a Sim-only contract?

Currently you can get £60 Quidco cashback on a £10.50 per month Vodafone contract, making it £5.50 per month in the first year. This is Unlimited Texts and 300 minutes plus 250MB data.

Even for the 300 minutes on their own without any texting or data, this is less than 2p per minute. The Tesco PAYG is 25p/minute and 10p per SMS.

NiftyDigits

You really don't appear to be spending your spare time fruitfully.

You have clearly written that it is the free Bonus credit that runs out after a month, not the actual credit that was put on. So what is the problem?

Every network that gives away a 'free bundle' has the bundle expire after a month.

Her £15 will sit there as long as it takes her to use it(as long as she makes a chargeable event once every six months).

Why not just read the T&C?

grumbler

At all networks the credit that you toopup lasts forever.
The free credit or bundle that you get for topping up lasts for a month.
As simple as that.

ariba10

grumbler wrote: »

At all networks the credit that you toopup lasts forever.
The free credit or bundle that you get for topping up lasts for a month.
As simple as that.

But you will lose it if you do not make a call within a given time.

Usually a month but I believe there are some that allow three months.

Buzby

grumbler wrote: »

At all networks the credit that you toopup lasts forever.
The free credit or bundle that you get for topping up lasts for a month.
As simple as that.

Not so. Any remaining credit will be lost after six months without a chargeable event (call text or data). It is an OFCOM requirement that unused phones are not counted for active customer numbers, and are turned off. Any credit is lost, but at their discretion may be reinstated as a gesture of goodwill.

grumbler

Come on... This is obviously not the case for the OP, and this is not what he asked about.
And, BTW, many times I said that I didn't believe that this was OFCOM requirement and every time you failed to post any proofs.

victor2

No experience of it, but as an extremely light user, Ovivo looks attractive to me. No contract, but monthly free allowances when you initially buy £10 credit, and no expiry on the credit as far as I can see. Can't see the catch yet and could use the mobile more with a free allowance.
Only problem for me is it uses Vodafone's network, which has a very weak signal round my house. Might still consider it when the £10 I've just put on my Orange phone runs out - about a year from now.

Neil49

I've recently purchased an Ovivo sim for use in a spare phone. This seems to be an ideal option for low usage just so long as you make the occasional call to keep the sim active.

JethroUK

withabix wrote: »

Tesco have always had the one month expiry on the 'free bonus minutes'.
.

nope they haven't

initially the bonus credit was just added with no time restrictions

that much I know

withabix wrote: »

... The paid for minutes last for 12 months with Tesco IIRC...

Nope - My wife has just used the last of the Tesco credit she bought 2-3 years ago

withabix wrote: »

....However, if you have an unlocked or Sim-free phone, have you considered a Sim-only contract?

Currently you can get £60 Quidco cashback on a £10.50 per month...

Nope - £10 will last her a whoooooole year