Do pay as you go sims still exist?

savergrant

J_B said:

My in-laws both have 'real' PAYG on EE - one has about £2 on it from 2021 and the other maybe a Fiver, so, yes they still exist

Still available but pretty uncompetitive and you need to order one to see the small print;

https://ee.co.uk/mobile/free-sim

savergrant

cymruchris said:

PHK said:

You can certainly get a SIM that you put money on and then pay as you use it. But you need to remember there will be some sort of minimum use requirement. (Ofcom makes the providers recycle phone numbers that aren't in use)

Generally a call or chargeable action needs to take place within a period defined by the provider OR there will be a minimum spend. 

You wouldn't want to be in the situation where she can't call because it's been too long since the last call. 

Remember, with these prepay monthly payments you are paying in advance so no money is owed. 

Honestly, for peace of mind it's much easier just to get a low value monthly payment (Offers from 99p or regular tariffs from £3) or you can buy one or two years use in advance for £30 to £50

That's exactly what I alluded to above. As much as the OP wants to go as 'money saving' as possible - there's a line between money saving and safety. For an elderly relative, telling them they must do this every few months to keep the sim alive might end up being forgotten in the hustle and bustle of daily life, and when the time comes that a call needs to be made - it just won't work. Much better to have a low monthly commitment that you know that phone will be ready for use at any time. (Subject to it being charged!)

In any case a phone for emergencies is no use if;
The battery is dead, the charger is lost or;
The person doesn't know (or remember) how to use it


So checking in every month and saying 'give me a quick call from that emergency phone' is a good practice to keep up imo, which easily meets the cheaper providers' usage requirements. The problem is knowing when it might require a topup.

Krakkkers

Its my mum that insists on a payg credit deal as she insists on not "owing anyone anything".
I have set up a Giffgaff sim in the phone and put £10 credit on it so thanks for that info.
I will monitor the credit on the phone as i set up the account in my name.

PRAISETHESUN

I am a fairly light phone user and I used to use PAYG. I used to end up either having issues with the credit expiring, or suddenly needing more credit than I had and having issues topping up. I did some maths and over the course of a year it worked out more or less the same as getting a cheap SIM only plan for £5/month or so, but removed any problems with running out of credit when I actually needed it.

I appreciate there might be some resistance to the idea, but if you're organising it on her behalf and paying for it, then does it actually matter if it is PAYG or not?

PHK

Krakkkers said:

Its my mum that insists on a payg credit deal as she insists on not "owing anyone anything".
I have set up a Giffgaff sim in the phone and put £10 credit on it so thanks for that info.
I will monitor the credit on the phone as i set up the account in my name.

It sounds as though you’ve misunderstood these bundle deals. They are paid in advance (just as with a reducing credit deal) so no-one owes anyone anything. There’s no commitment to continue each month. And as you are paying, she wouldn’t know but you’d have peace of mind. 

Krakkkers

The bundles are £10 and in the first month my mum used zero and the £10 expired.
She wants credit that lasts as long as it lasts.

victor2

Krakkkers said:

The bundles are £10 and in the first month my mum used zero and the £10 expired.
She wants credit that lasts as long as it lasts.

Asda mobile (uses Vodafone). Free SIM, put £5 credit on it, make a chargeable call or SMS at least once every 180 days and the credit remains, less the cost of the call. Calls are not exactly cheap at 15p/min or 10p/text, but it's only for emergency use, or twice a year.

As has been said though, what are the chances that the phone will be charged and/or the owner will know how to switch it on and make a call if an emergency arises?

Olinda99

get a £10 EE sim with a bundle 

once you get it text stop pack to 150 that will switch it to ordinary payg

* I think it is stop pack but check the exact wording

mjm3346

I have had Tesco PAYG that hasn't needed any topping up for years - I use it for access codes for banking and on wifi for various apps but rarely for any chargeable calls or texts (£3 out of £10 left on a phone from 2016)

savergrant

mjm3346 said:

I have had Tesco PAYG that hasn't needed any topping up for years - I use it for access codes for banking and on wifi for various apps but rarely for any chargeable calls or texts (£3 out of £10 left on a phone from 2016)

Can you provide a link to that deal? Tesco lite tariff seems to be fiddly to get onto.

Fwiw I am on a deal which is no longer available to new customers, so it doesn't really help the op to recommend my tariff.