cheapest PAYG

Farway

Try Sainsbury 8p per minute calls, 4p for text

Plus Nectar points if you use them

Piggy backs on Vodafone

free SIM

I have one, and from memory need to make a chargeable calll every 90 days, so I just call my landline

mac.d

3's 321 is clearly the cheapest PAYG option at 3p per minute & 2p per text. Sainsburys & Tesco Lite & Asda Mobile are all 8p & 4p (Tesco also do a standard mobile tariff which is 25p and this is the one Sainsburys & Asda compare themselves against), and there's also Giffgaff (10p & 6p).

Unless you also choose to add bundles which give you so many calls & texts for one month for a set price (which you won't be doing as a low user), they are all pure Pay As You Go, so there is no such thing as a top up amount or set call time. You top up whatever amount you want (£5, £10, £15, £20, £40 its your choice!) and the credit doesn't run out (as long as you use the phone every few months), you simply use it up at 3p - 10p per minute for calls and 2p - 6p per text (depending on which network you are using).

Frozen_up_north

teddysmum wrote: »

The 3 package appears to only be available as calls with internet. I would have no use for the latter, as the phone is only for emergency use/calling for lifts and my home broadband services internet needs.

The 321 SIM isn't a package, it's just pay as you go with voice calls at 3p per min, texts at 2p. If you want to browse the web, it's 1p per MB, however you don't have to use voice, text or web if you don't want and you aren't paying for them unless you use them.

I have one of the 321 SIM cards in a remote burglar alarm system, I make a test call every couple of months to keep the SIM active. There was a top up of £10 on the SIM courtesy of a voucher from a corner shop... It will last for the rest of my life at the rate it's being used.

d123

teddysmum wrote: »

The 3 package appears to only be available as calls with internet. I would have no use for the latter, as the phone is only for emergency use/calling for lifts and my home broadband services internet needs.

I'm not even sure exactly what you are trying to say.

However, as an explanation, Three 3-2-1 is just a PAYG service in which calls are charged at 3p per minute, texts at 2p per text and data at 1p per MB.

You are not forced to use any of the chargeable units, but if you do they are simply charged at the advertised rate.

If you have no use for the internet, you wouldn't use it and wouldn't pay for any data. It's that simple.

teddysmum

I'm of the older generation and having little need for mobile technology, have obviously not kept up. The only reason I had a mobile phone was that it was a gift from my son, about the time I joined O2 for broadband, so useful to get the discount they offered. I don't even know how to send a text.:p

I thought the top up was for so many minutes of calls, so many texts and so many MBs of internet use, with just a few being calls only.

Thank you all, for the information, but one more question:

With a top up of £10 with 3-2-1, could I make about 330 minutes of calls or is part of the cost to cover air time ?

Neil49

teddysmum wrote: »

I'm of the older generation and having little need for mobile technology, have obviously not kept up. The only reason I had a mobile phone was that it was a gift from my son, about the time I joined O2 for broadband, so useful to get the discount they offered. I don't even know how to send a text.:p

I thought the top up was for so many minutes of calls, so many texts and so many MBs of internet use, with just a few being calls only.

Thank you all, for the information, but one more question:

With a top up of £10 with 3-2-1, could I make about 330 minutes of calls or is part of the cost to cover air time ?

Yes, you could make 330 minutes of calls for £10 and still have some change.

You just need a 3g phone to use the 3 network.

d123

teddysmum wrote: »

With a top up of £10 with 3-2-1, could I make about 330 minutes of calls or is part of the cost to cover air time ?

Yes, if you topped up £10 (or even £5 which Three allow) any call you make would be debited from your balance at 3p per minute, if you did ever decide to send a text it would take 2p from your credit.

cookie365

Nevertheless, the OP's phone is not 3g, so if it's used as rarely as she says, it won't make sense to buy a new 3g phone specially to qualify for the Three option.

Ypaymore

If you have a 3g phone,cheapest for payg calls is Three at 3p a minute as has already been pointed out a number of times. It does exactly what it says on tin. No extra charges. You need to make a call every 180 days to maintain service.

The cheapest if you only have a 2g phone is White Mobile piggy backs on EE,
3p a minute to landline. 6p a minute to mobile. Free Voicemail. But you need to make a call every 60 days to maintain service.

https://www.whitemobile.com/white-mobile-rates/

As well as Tesco and Sainsbury if your a Asda fan they offer a payg service 8p a call no extra charges. Must make call every 180 days. Piggy Backs on EE also.

https://mobile.asda.com/orders/new

They give you a handy little perk .:D

"1.2 Your Mobile and/or your SIM Only Pack will be supplied to you pre-connected to the Network and will be activated the first time you use your Mobile/SIM card for a chargeable event and such use will be charged in accordance with the Price Plan. We provide you with 10 free minutes on every SIM and one call can be made to our Customer Services team. We also provide you with 10 free texts and 10 MB data. Each purchase by you of top-ups for the use of the Services is confirmation by you of your agreement to the terms and conditions as amended from time to time."

https://mobile.asda.com/pages/terms-conditions

Magenta

I am in the same position as teddysmum now that ORANGE MOBILE HAS STOLEN MY MONEY.:mad:


I only have the basic mobile phone just for calls and texts.


Ypaymore, What is the charge for texts on "whitemobile" please?


Thanks. I have found the answer to my question (couldn't get on their site at first) it's 5p to send text messages.