Tariff/credit top-up newbie question

abibee

Newbie question.

I'm getting a smart phone, it'll be my first one. I'm with O2 and the money I top up on my non-smart phone stays there (or rolls-over each month) until it's used up. So I don't top up often.

Will this change with the new phone? Will I have to pay every month with these monthly tariff's, or can I just top up as needed, with credit rolling over?

I see on Asda a standard tariff, which looks like it's what I want, or will O2 continue to do this too?

macman

So are you purchasing a PAYG phone or a monthly contract phone? The type of phone is irrelevant to the type of contract.
If it's contract, you don't top up. You get a monthly allowance of minutes, texts and data, and once you go over those limits you are billed for the additional usage, usually at a penurious rate, over and above your monthly payment. Nothing rolls over each month, so you use it or lose it.

grumbler

And if it's PAYG/SIM-free, that seems to be the case, nothing changes except that a smartphone uses mobile data far less predictably than minutes and texts.

With O2 cost of pure PAYG data (without buying a bundle that lasts for a month) is likely to be excessive. So, you either have to keep buying a bundle or switch to other provider. Three or Delight Mobile are the cheapest with 1p/Mb on pure PAYG without bundles.

abibee

Sorry, yes, it's a PAYG phone.

I see Asda's £5/month isn't expensive per se, but I probably wouldn't even use all that.

I'll have a look at Three and Delight Mobile.

Edit: Delight looks good. Am I right in thinking that if you topped up say £10, then that credit stays with you until you use it up i.e. won't disappear after a month.

Edit 2: Also, it's a Vodafone phone (smart ultra 6), purchased without a sim. And I can unlock it for a few pounds on Ebay, by all accounts.

macman

PAYG credit does not disappear unless you convert it to a bundle, which normally lasts for 30 days.

grumbler

Make sure you (at least) allow updates via WiFi only in settings to reduce uncontrolled mobile data consumption.

abibee

Thanks for that, good (and re-assuring) to know.