Is there a SIM that only charges for actual calls made?

ThisIsWeird

Hi.

Daughter is travelling - will be in Australia for a good few months, then the far-east, back prob in Nov. She realised she still has her UK TalkMobile mobile contract running, even tho' she can't use it... She's bought another SIM for use in Aussie.

She obviously wishes to cancel her UK contract, but this will mean she'll lose her UK number. So, is there a SIM contract that charges only for actual calls made? Ie, could she PAC her number to a pay-for-calls-only provider for the duration of her travels?

Or any other solution?

Thanks.

Farway

She could switch to ASDA sim PAYG, but this would mean you, or someone else, will need to make a chargeable call or text every three months

Alternatively, get a sim paid for over, say, 12 months from somewhere like RWG Buy & Forget range

ThisIsWeird

Thank you - two good options there.

I've also found Lebara's cheapest deal - £1.25pm for 3GB. That might be worth it just to keep the number going with less hassle? What do you think?

A supplementary Q, please - does requesting a PAC (texting PAC to 65075) automatically cancel your current contract?

DullGreyGuy

ThisIsWeird said:

Hi.

Daughter is travelling - will be in Australia for a good few months, then the far-east, back prob in Nov. She realised she still has her UK TalkMobile mobile contract running, even tho' she can't use it... She's bought another SIM for use in Aussie.

She obviously wishes to cancel her UK contract, but this will mean she'll lose her UK number. So, is there a SIM contract that charges only for actual calls made? Ie, could she PAC her number to a pay-for-calls-only provider for the duration of her travels?

Or any other solution?

Thanks.

How would they know when your need has stopped and they can recycle the number if there is no monies being paid because no calls are being made? They'd eventually end up with every number they own being locked into a non-paying contract. 

Most providers need at least some form of payment activity to keep the line active else they're just racking up mounting costs with no income. Gone are the days of a PAYG where you just had to add to the balance every couple of months and it could sit there for months or years otherwise untouched. 

Realistically you are looking at a small minimum payment each month, there are several providers at the £5 mark, someone mentioned one thats £3.60 the other day but I didnt note the name. 

The other possible option is to find a VOIP company that supports mobile numbers... ours doesn't so cannot recommend them but a google shows up https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/number-porting/mobile-porting/ as a company that does so in principle not only does she get to keep the number but she can continue to use it for calls to/from the UK at no additional cost and it will be fairly cheap to make international calls too. Further googling may highlight other VOIP providers offering the same.

savergrant

ThisIsWeird said:

Thank you - two good options there.

I've also found Lebara's cheapest deal - £1.25pm for 3GB. That might be worth it just to keep the number going with less hassle? What do you think?

A supplementary Q, please - does requesting a PAC (texting PAC to 65075) automatically cancel your current contract?

Your contract will only cancel if you transfer your number to another provider or you follow your provider's cancellation policy.
Requesting a pac will not end your contract.

savergrant

Asda pay as you go sims have a top-up by date on them. You could port a number to asda and leave it mothballed, then topup £5 before it deactivates and use up some of the credit, then she could port the number to a new contract when she gets back.
Unfortunately it will be hard to get a pac if the sim is out of the UK.

savergrant

DullGreyGuy said:

ThisIsWeird said:

Hi.

Daughter is travelling - will be in Australia for a good few months, then the far-east, back prob in Nov. She realised she still has her UK TalkMobile mobile contract running, even tho' she can't use it... She's bought another SIM for use in Aussie.

She obviously wishes to cancel her UK contract, but this will mean she'll lose her UK number. So, is there a SIM contract that charges only for actual calls made? Ie, could she PAC her number to a pay-for-calls-only provider for the duration of her travels?

Or any other solution?

Thanks.

How would they know when your need has stopped and they can recycle the money if there is no monies being paid because no calls are being made? They'd eventually end up with every number they own being locked into a non-paying contract. 

Most providers need at least some form of payment activity to keep the line active else they're just racking up mounting costs with no income. Gone are the days of a PAYG where you just had to add to the balance every couple of months and it could sit there for months or years otherwise untouched. 

Realistically you are looking at a small minimum payment each month, there are several providers at the £5 mark, someone mentioned one thats £3.60 the other day but I didnt note the name. 

The other possible option is to find a VOIP company that supports mobile numbers... ours doesn't so cannot recommend them but a google shows up https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/number-porting/mobile-porting/ as a company that does so in principle not only does she get to keep the number but she can continue to use it for calls to/from the UK at no additional cost and it will be fairly cheap to make international calls too. Further googling may highlight other VOIP providers offering the same.

Most, not all providers, require regular topups
And the real issue is pressure to release numbers for recycling to meet increasing demand.

DullGreyGuy

savergrant said:

DullGreyGuy said:

ThisIsWeird said:

Hi.

Daughter is travelling - will be in Australia for a good few months, then the far-east, back prob in Nov. She realised she still has her UK TalkMobile mobile contract running, even tho' she can't use it... She's bought another SIM for use in Aussie.

She obviously wishes to cancel her UK contract, but this will mean she'll lose her UK number. So, is there a SIM contract that charges only for actual calls made? Ie, could she PAC her number to a pay-for-calls-only provider for the duration of her travels?

Or any other solution?

Thanks.

How would they know when your need has stopped and they can recycle the money if there is no monies being paid because no calls are being made? They'd eventually end up with every number they own being locked into a non-paying contract. 

Most providers need at least some form of payment activity to keep the line active else they're just racking up mounting costs with no income. Gone are the days of a PAYG where you just had to add to the balance every couple of months and it could sit there for months or years otherwise untouched. 

Realistically you are looking at a small minimum payment each month, there are several providers at the £5 mark, someone mentioned one thats £3.60 the other day but I didnt note the name. 

The other possible option is to find a VOIP company that supports mobile numbers... ours doesn't so cannot recommend them but a google shows up https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/number-porting/mobile-porting/ as a company that does so in principle not only does she get to keep the number but she can continue to use it for calls to/from the UK at no additional cost and it will be fairly cheap to make international calls too. Further googling may highlight other VOIP providers offering the same.

Most, not all providers, require regular topups

I'm certain I said...

DullGreyGuy said:

Most providers need at least some form of payment activity to keep the line active 

savergrant said:

And the real issue is pressure to release numbers for recycling to meet increasing demand.

I accept on this one I mistyped and said "recycle the money" rather than "recycle the number" I'd intended but the second sentence saying it would result in all their numbers being locked in non-paying contracts surely made it clear?

ThisIsWeird

Thanks everyone - that seems pretty clear.

Lebara is looking like a good call, and she will likely want to stay with them on her return - just upgrading her package.

I have an old phone of hers here, so could perhaps stick the SIM in there, so as to not complicate stuff in Aussieland.

I presume TalkMobile will provide a PAC number as part of the cancellation? Or does that need doing before cancellation?

Cheers.  

savergrant

If you have the sim then yes. Pop it in a phone and text pac, then give the pac to a new provider.
My point is that there are providers who don't require regular topups, you could pay £1 for an rwg sim and keep it active for 5 years (actually 10 years if you're prepared to contact them after 90 days non-usage and before the 180 days disconnection)

ThisIsWeird

savergrant said:

If you have the sim then yes. Pop it in a phone and text pac, then give the pac to a new provider.
My point is that there are providers who don't require regular topups, you could pay £1 for an rwg sim and keep it active for 5 years (actually 10 years if you're prepared to contact them after 90 days non-usage and before the 180 days disconnection)

Thank you - I get it.

Trying to keep things simple, tjo' - ie, not having to keep an eye on things - I'm minded to go for the super-cheap Lebara at £1.25pm (I'm with Lebara myself, so happy with them).

I've resurrected my daughter's ol' cracked iPhone 8, and it seems to be working ok, so I'll ask her to contact TalkMob, cancel her existing contract, and request a PAC. With that, I'll start a new account with Lib, insert the new PAC'd SIM, activate it, and then place it on her shelf until her return

Cheers.