Pay as you go - Back to basics

DocRattler

I've got myself a backup phone to go permanently in my car and I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out who offers a very basic PAYG sim card with no additional fees beyond the initial starting credit. I notice a lot of plans now have some form of monthly fee or seem to expire after 30 days.

It's been a long time since I've been on PAYG so apologies if all this seems extremely obvious.

I'm just wondering which sim would be the best option for me at the moment?

- Requires small amount of credit to last for long term use. (The sim would be for backup use only, so would rarely be used.)
- Call and text use only, no data required.
- No monthly fees or any additional fees beyond the initial top up cost. (Once credit has been used, the sim would be inactive until topped up by myself.)
- Good rate on international calls if it's a possible option.

I'm a bit confused about which companies still offer these basic services. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

corf999

They all do, with some caveats about making a chargeable call/text etc every 6 months or so to keep the sim active.

Three 321 tends to be the lowest price, but giff gaff are an alternate running on the o2 network.

https://www.three.co.uk/Support/Free_SIM/Order
https://www.giffgaff.com/orders/free-sim

but there are many others too.

victor2

Just beware with 3 if you're using an old mobile you've dug up from somewhere. Three doesn't support 2G phones, where the likes of GiffGaff (on O2) do.

grumbler

corf999 wrote: »

...
Three 321 tends to be the lowest price, but giff gaff are an alternate running on the o2 network.

I don't think that giffgaff with their 10p/6p for a minute/text is a real alternative to Three's 321. Even Tesco Mobile (Lite) charge less and use the same O2. Far more real alternative is Delight Mobile with the same 3p/2p/1p as at Three.

eDicky

Delight Mobile also provides very cheap direct-dial international calls; and an initial top up of only £5 is necessary, compared to Three's requirement for £10 to get started.

Kernel_Sanders

eDicky wrote: »

Delight Mobile also provides very cheap direct-dial international calls; and an initial top up of only £5 is necessary, compared to Three's requirement for £10 to get started.

I did that with Delight then discovered I could have got 3GB of free data had I topped up with £10

tyllwyd

I'm not convinced by keeping a back up phone in the car - it seems like a good idea, but if you don't use it regularly, when you actually need it in an emergency you are bound to find that the battery is flat and the Sim has been disconnected by the network because it's not been used recently.

mobilejunkie

I do and it isn't.

nomoneytoday

eDicky wrote: »

Delight Mobile also provides very cheap direct-dial international calls; and an initial top up of only £5 is necessary, compared to Three's requirement for £10 to get started.

Although the Delight mobile sim wasn't free for me. They didn't put a stamp on it, so Royal Mail charged £1.54 to deliver it