Unused PAYG SIM that doesn't disconnect?

peter.dale

Does any fellow MoneySaver know of a network that doesn't deactivate their PAYG SIM after a certain time of not having made any chargeable calls?

A friend has an EE PAYG SIM that has never been topped up and thus never made any calls or texts so I thought this would be great for an elderly relative who would only need it as an emergency phone and to receive texts and calls. But having spoken to EE, they say if the SIM doesn't make any chargeable calls/texts within 180 days, it gets deactivated, even though my friend's one still works fine.

Tom99

Not as far as I am aware.

I think the Three basic PAYG can start with a £10 top up which does not run out. You then just put a note in your diary to ring your own number for a few seconds every 3 months or so.

My Three £10 has lasted about 4 years so far, calls are only 3p so £10 will last a long time.

Farway

Tom99 wrote: »

Not as far as I am aware.

I think the Three basic PAYG can start with a £10 top up which does not run out. You then just put a note in your diary to ring your own number for a few seconds every 3 months or so.

My Three £10 has lasted about 4 years so far, calls are only 3p so £10 will last a long time.

An easier option may be an Asda SIM, not restricted to 3g compatible phone, and as intended recipient is elderly relative who only needs it for emergency a cheapo phone would do

Plus the Asda PAYG sim, free on line, comes with about 50p pre loaded
Top up is £5 instead of £10
Uses EE, I assume the intended phone is same, so no compatibility problems

Same restrictions on making a call apply

Tom99

Farway wrote: »

An easier option may be an Asda SIM, not restricted to 3g compatible phone, and as intended recipient is elderly relative who only needs it for emergency a cheapo phone would do

Plus the Asda PAYG sim, free on line, comes with about 50p pre loaded
Top up is £5 instead of £10
Uses EE, I assume the intended phone is same, so no compatibility problems

Same restrictions on making a call apply

Its looks from the Asda website as if the £5 top up has a 30 day expiry limit which is where most of the other PAYG sims fall short.

virgo17

Tom99 wrote: »

Its looks from the Asda website as if the £5 top up has a 30 day expiry limit which is where most of the other PAYG sims fall short.

I haven't topped up my Asda SIM for several months and the balance is retained. I just make the odd call every now and again.

Frozen_up_north

“All” SIM cards are de-activated if unused for a period of time, usually 6 months.

Three’s PAYG SIM is 3p per call, 2p per text. The credit (top up) doesn’t expire provided a call is made occasionally. Even one short call once a month will give several years use for £10. O2 have reduced their PAYG to the same charge per minute and their basic PAYG doesn’t expire.

There is no guarantee that Three, and O2, will continue their “everlasting” PAYG indefinitely, but it’s great for a standby phone.

Another issue is the phone battery, they need replacing from time to time and may let down the infrequent user when they need it in an emergency.

eDicky

I have an unused GiffGaff SIM with zero credit, it has a fairly memorable number so I have kept it alive as long as it costs me nothing. Occasionally they send me an email warning that it will be disconnected unless used in some way, and one way that was previously mentioned (but I can no longer see it) is to receive and answer five incoming calls. This requires no cost or top up and I have saved it from disconnection this way at least once.

So I'm not sure if this still works, I'll find out next time there's a disconnection warning, which they apparently send by email and SMS (perhaps the only network to do this?).

GiffGaff runs on the O2 network, can be used in a 2G-only handset (unlike 3UK) that is not locked to another network.

Inner_Zone

Tom99 wrote: »

Its looks from the Asda website as if the £5 top up has a 30 day expiry limit which is where most of the other PAYG sims fall short.

That's an:

"Amazing value 30 day pay as you go bundles"

Don't buy a bundle and the credit will last for 180 days, more if a chargeable event is made near the end of that period i.e a 8p call or 4p text.

Farway

Inner_Zone wrote: »

That's an:

"Amazing value 30 day pay as you go bundles"

Don't buy a bundle and the credit will last for 180 days, more if a chargeable event is made near the end of that period i.e a 8p call or 4p text.

As above, choose the PAYG option, not a bundle

stragglebod

Giffgaff have the advantage that you can keep the sim active by non-chargeable activity, such as receiving calls.

Frozen_up_north

stragglebod wrote: »

Giffgaff have the advantage that you can keep the sim active by non-chargeable activity, such as receiving calls.

It’s hardly expensive to keep a Three, or O2, SIM active... a £10 top up lasts 27 years at one test call a month :rotfl:

Also, as presumably the occasional use SIM is primarily for outgoing calls in an emergency, checking that outgoing calls work on a monthly basis is a sensible test.