Cheapest receive text/call SIM-only?

[Deleted User]

Hello,

My phone has two SIM slots, I'd like to setup secondary SIM to receive texts and calls only, never call or text anyone. What would be cheapest way to do that? Buy some pay as you go top up every half a year to keep number active? I will never call or text from this number, just want it to be active in my phone so I can receive notifications. It must also receive texts/calls on roaming when I am abroad.

Anyone has any recommendations? Thanks.

glennevis

A free Three Data Reward SIM is zero cost for the scenario you describe. You get 200MB of data every month. You just register and make sure some data is used every six months to keep it alive.

 3g.co.uk/three-data-reward-sim

Although Three describe it as suitable for tablets and mobile broadband devices, it works in a phone. I've got one in my spare phone

mbdn

Any PAYG SIM will do. Just check that your phone can take a 3G only SIM like Three. If your aim is to NOT use it, then most SIM cards will provide this so long as you make a billable transaction every three to six months depending on the provider. You mention roaming. Be aware that in the Brexit deal, nothing "prevents" operators from re-introducing roaming charges for UK customers although so far no operator has said they will. We'll see how true that is in Q1 of 2021. If you make a billable transaction every six months to keep the number alive, check the cheapest PAYG rates to make sure your text is as cheap as you can make it.    

getmore4less

Beware incoming text and call charges while roaming. 

As said the 3 data reward sim is good.

Does your phone support dual incoming call/text at the same time some don't.

[Deleted User]

glennevis said:

A free Three Data Reward SIM is zero cost for the scenario you describe. You get 200MB of data every month. You just register and make sure some data is used every six months to keep it alive.

 3g.co.uk/three-data-reward-sim

Although Three describe it as suitable for tablets and mobile broadband devices, it works in a phone. I've got one in my spare phone

That sounds like a fantastic solution. I will check it out! Whole idea is to have mandatory text 2FA (if I can only have TOTP instead of text!) on separate SIM, so I am not susceptible to sim swapping attacks, my number for 2FA will be not widely known therefore safer.

mbdn

Whole idea is to have mandatory text 2FA (if I can only have TOTP instead of text!) on separate SIM, so I am not susceptible to sim swapping attacks, my number for 2FA will be not widely known therefore safer.

Although we don’t have the full context, could you use an authentication app instead of TOTP for the 2FA ?  Having said that, it’s not clear what the end aim is, so the auth app may not be suitable. 

[Deleted User]

mbdn said:

Whole idea is to have mandatory text 2FA (if I can only have TOTP instead of text!) on separate SIM, so I am not susceptible to sim swapping attacks, my number for 2FA will be not widely known therefore safer.

Although we don’t have the full context, could you use an authentication app instead of TOTP for the 2FA ?  Having said that, it’s not clear what the end aim is, so the auth app may not be suitable. 

With many websites like PayPal for example you can't disassociate your phone number from your account and it always serves as 2FA. This is new "strong customer authentication (SCA) under PSD2" regulation. This is stupid. Before I had TOTP via authenticator app and now I am forced to use my phone number as 2FA, even if I have authenticator app enabled.

My e-mail provider requires text message as 2FA solution and it cannot be disabled. There is many more examples. Purchasing another number will place them all in confined, not public space. If one of the services ever leak my secondary phone number, I will just get a new one, and this will not affect my main phone number which I prefer to keep for social reasons.

[Deleted User]

Just ordered free Three SIM. Will see how that goes

OhJustSomeGuy

[Deleted User] said:

With many websites like PayPal for example you can't disassociate your phone number from your account and it always serves as 2FA. This is new "strong customer authentication (SCA) under PSD2" regulation. This is stupid. Before I had TOTP via authenticator app and now I am forced to use my phone number as 2FA, even if I have authenticator app enabled.

I had this problem and seem to have solved it like this. Log in to Paypal, go to Settings, click on the Security tab, then under '2-step verification' click update. Click 'revoke' to remove all trusted devices / browsers.

From now on it will go back to using the authenticator app. Counter-intuitive I know. To keep it working like this, never click the 'Trust this device' box when you login.