Rollover mobile minutes help

snnatw

I am trying to buy my elderly stepmother a mobile phone for emergency use. All current UK airtime providers appear to only offer rollover of minutes for a maximum of 60 days. I have spoken also to Virgin who used to offer a top up card with permanent rollover of minutes unused. They tell me they are phasing outThis system and limiting the 30 day rolling over for new customers. Does anybody know of a good airtime provider who will offer pay-as-you-go were they on at the minute and used on an ongoing basis

mbdn

Hi.
If it is for emergency use, then have a look at Asda Mobile (uses EE network) or GiffGaff (O2) where you put credit on and get charged per call/text. Asda and GiffGaff are potentially the cheapest per call/text. There may be others like Three. 
Vodafone do a Pay As You Go 1 plan. If you use only occasionally, this plan is capped at £1 per day for all calls and texts.
For only rare use, I'd say rollover is not an issue. For credit, if you send a text or make a chargeable call every 3 to 6 months (depending on the operator) then the credit and the line/number won't expire. One thing to bear in mind if this is for emergency use is to keep the battery charged... or, like torches, when you need them, they won't work! 

eDicky

Virgin are no longer decent value for PAYG. Most networks do still offer simple PAYG where your top-up credit does not expire as long as you make a chargeable action before a certain time, such as 180 days, elapses - but you have to avoid being sucked into buying their monthly bundles, which is not often straightforward.

For options:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/mobiles/best-pay-as-you-go-sim-cards/

https://kenstechtips.com/index.php/best-payg-sim-for-low-usage

tinker411

mbdn said:

...
For only rare use, I'd say rollover is not an issue.
...

I agree.  There are some usage examples where rollover is a good thing, but for rare use it's just throwing money away.

Anyway - for the OP's requirements, cheap PAYG rates (like Asda Mobile or data reward on Three) would probably be the way forward. Alternatively, a value PAYG bundle with reasonable inclusive allowances (like O2's £5 a month for unlimited calls and text) could be worth a look too.

sdduk

snnatw said:

I am trying to buy my elderly stepmother a mobile phone for emergency use. All current UK airtime providers appear to only offer rollover of minutes for a maximum of 60 days. I have spoken also to Virgin who used to offer a top up card with permanent rollover of minutes unused. They tell me they are phasing outThis system and limiting the 30 day rolling over for new customers. Does anybody know of a good airtime provider who will offer pay-as-you-go were they on at the minute and used on an ongoing basis

Sky Mobile do rollover but they are contract but you can keep upto 3yrs afaik also you can use to buy thing.
runs on O2 network

There's also Smarty which is like payg and you can leave when you like so NO contract also does rollover and you can use to buy stuff or sell back the unused mins...you have to use a debit/credit card so they can take the money each month but like i said you can leave anytime.
Owned and runs on Three Network.
https://smarty.co.uk/

Andy7856

Without knowing what defines "emergency use" I would think this means a 2 min call once a month ?  In that case ditto the comments re ASDA.  It could cost less than a 30p a month to run. No messing about with recurring top ups etc or data bundles. 
Double check coverage of course, ASDA runs on EE, but migrating to Vodafone next year.    Just get a basic phone what she can use, and not what you can use - with a decent battery life.

mbdn

Andy7856 said:

Double check coverage of course, ASDA runs on EE, but migrating to Vodafone next year.   

Hi,
Thanks for that info, I was not aware. That would be particularly useful for me. I'll have to look into that. Much appreciated.  

sdduk

Andy7856 said:

Without knowing what defines "emergency use" I would think this means a 2 min call once a month ?  In that case ditto the comments re ASDA.  It could cost less than a 30p a month to run. No messing about with recurring top ups etc or data bundles. 
Double check coverage of course, ASDA runs on EE, but migrating to Vodafone next year.    Just get a basic phone what she can use, and not what you can use - with a decent battery life.

Strange that Asda are going back to Vodafone thats where they started up and then they moved to EE.

Farway

sdduk said:

Andy7856 said:

Without knowing what defines "emergency use" I would think this means a 2 min call once a month ?  In that case ditto the comments re ASDA.  It could cost less than a 30p a month to run. No messing about with recurring top ups etc or data bundles. 
Double check coverage of course, ASDA runs on EE, but migrating to Vodafone next year.    Just get a basic phone what she can use, and not what you can use - with a decent battery life.

Strange that Asda are going back to Vodafone thats where they started up and then they moved to EE.

Not sure if any connection but Asda was recently sold off, whatever the reasons money will be one of them