Anyone still doing proper "traditional" PAYG?

ionh

I hate phones, and am very close to being a zero-use mobile user;   i have an old dumb phone that gets used for almost nothing other than (pretty frequent) incoming "two-factor authentication" texts from banks, paypal, etc.     It's the equivalent, i guess, of the emergency phone you might keep in the glove compartment of the car, but never actually use. 

I've managed to hang on to an obsolete PAYG calling plan (from O2, years back) that really is traditional PAYG.   I top up only when i'm running out of credit, which in practice means chipping in not more than £10 every year or so(!).   There just needs to be some "activity" every...month? to keep the account 'live' -- a requirement that the authentication calls more than satisfy.

But with the imminent shutoff of 3G, my ancient (3G) phone is going to stop working.    And its micro SIM won't fit in any 4G dumbphone that i've looked at;  they all seem to use nano SIMs. (My micro really is a micro, not one of those that will snap down to a nano;  it is very old...)

O2 won't give me a new SIM on my current plan, so i'm looking for a PAYG plan which isn't time limited.    As far as i can see, all the "traditional PAYG" plans listed on MSE,
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/mobiles/best-pay-as-you-go-sim-cards/
actually expire after only 30 days.   You might say that getting one of the cheapest options (around £4/month) is the way forward, but that still leaves me paying out around £50/yr when i typically make roughly £0/yr worth of calls -- and that would hurt!

Hence my question:   anyone aware of true "PAYG" that doesn't expire after 30 days?   I just want to be able to receive texts, really....

Thanks!

Emmia

ionh said:

I hate phones, and am very close to being a zero-use mobile user;   i have an old dumb phone that gets used for almost nothing other than (pretty frequent) incoming "two-factor authentication" texts from banks, paypal, etc.     It's the equivalent, i guess, of the emergency phone you might keep in the glove compartment of the car, but never actually use. 

I've managed to hang on to an obsolete PAYG calling plan (from O2, years back) that really is traditional PAYG.   I top up only when i'm running out of credit, which in practice means chipping in not more than £10 every year or so(!).   There just needs to be some "activity" every...month? to keep the account 'live' -- a requirement that the authentication calls more than satisfy.

But with the imminent shutoff of 3G, my ancient (3G) phone is going to stop working.    And its micro SIM won't fit in any 4G dumbphone that i've looked at;  they all seem to use nano SIMs. (My micro really is a micro, not one of those that will snap down to a nano;  it is very old...)

O2 won't give me a new SIM on my current plan, so i'm looking for a PAYG plan which isn't time limited.    As far as i can see, all the "traditional PAYG" plans listed on MSE,
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/mobiles/best-pay-as-you-go-sim-cards/
actually expire after only 30 days.   You might say that getting one of the cheapest options (around £4/month) is the way forward, but that still leaves me paying out around £50/yr when i typically make roughly £0/yr worth of calls -- and that would hurt!

Hence my question:   anyone aware of true "PAYG" that doesn't expire after 30 days?   I just want to be able to receive texts, really....

Thanks!

The network you use to receive texts and potentially make a call on costs money to run and maintain, what you're essentially asking for is for other customers to subside your use... 

£1 a week isn't an unreasonable cost for what you get.

Peter999_2

You can cut down the SIM yourself to make it into a NANO.   I did it a few times for friends phones which were NANO only and they had micro SIMS.

There is a youtube video here showing you how to do it - How To Cut Micro Sim & Make Nano Sim for iPhone 5 Free & Easy! Mini & MicroSim Convert to NanoSim

You can buy SIM cutters here - Sim Cutter for sale | eBay.    However, I've never used a cutter, just a pair of scissors and a printed piece of paper with guides on it as explained on the youtube video.

As you are going to lose the SIM when you have to change your phone it's probably worth giving it a go seen as you are still happy with your PAYG contract.    If you need to keep your phone number, you could get a PAC from O2, attempt to cut it down to a NANO SIM and if it doesn't work then use your PAC to get a new phone contract.

EDIT - I've realised the link for the paper guide on the youtube video is now dead.    Here is a link that is still working for the guide - nanosima4

teaselMay

Have you checked giffgaff?

My van tracker has one of their sims and has only been fed £20 in five years, I topped it up a few weeks ago. I think they still do the same with new sims, unfortunately they use 02's network which isn't great in the highlands and islands or else I'd use them in my phone too.

flaneurs_lobster

Peter999_2 said:

You can cut down the SIM yourself to make it into a NANO.   I did it a few times for friends phones which were NANO only and they had micro SIMS.

There is a youtube video here showing you how to do it - How To Cut Micro Sim & Make Nano Sim for iPhone 5 Free & Easy! Mini & MicroSim Convert to NanoSim

You can buy SIM cutters here - Sim Cutter for sale | eBay.    However, I've never used a cutter, just a pair of scissors and a printed piece of paper with guides on it as explained on the youtube video.

As you are going to lose the SIM when you have to change your phone it's probably worth giving it a go seen as you are still happy with your PAYG contract.    If you need to keep your phone number, you could get a PAC from O2, attempt to cut it down to a NANO SIM and if it doesn't work then use your PAC to get a new phone contract.

EDIT - I've realised the link for the paper guide on the youtube video is now dead.    Here is a link that is still working for the guide - nanosima4

Don't think there's much point pursuing keeping the SIM - O2 say that 4G Calling (and WiFi Calling) are not supported on PAYG.

EDIT : Am I right that 4G Calling includes 4G SMS or otherwise?

WiFi and 4G Calling isn’t available on Pay As You Go at the moment. It’s available to Pay Monthly Consumer and Business customers with compatible devices and services. 

https://www.o2.co.uk/help/international-and-network/wifi/wifi-and-4g-calling

Might finally kill off all those O2 Classic SIMS still out there?

badmemory

I had a tesco payg 3g mobile which I have now changed to a 4G one.  The sim didn't fit but they changed/moved everything over for me.  I too use it for 2factor authorisation & very little more.  Just top it up with £10 every couple of years.  The signal here is not good but this is somewhat better than the 3G was.

crow22

I'm in much the same boat as you. I wont say I hate phones but I am fed up with everything being on ones phone these days. Besides I'm a very light phone user and only make a few calls/texts a month.

So a couple of weeks back I asked much the same question

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6609633/payg-options#latest

That elicited a few options. I''ll probably go with ID mobile/

I was with 1P mobile but when their top up reduced to £10 every two months that was pooring money down the drain for me. I thought I'd found an answer with RWG despite them not answering my email questions beforehand. So purchased a SIM. Gosh...I've never experienced such abysmal (i.e zero non existant) customer service in my life. Oh and yes RWG did finally credit my £5 top up after six days!

So still considering options from any ideas that get posted here but will likely go with ID

crow22

Emmia said:

The network you use to receive texts and potentially make a call on costs money to run and maintain, what you're essentially asking for is for other customers to subside your use... 

£1 a week isn't an unreasonable cost for what you get.

That works out about £52 a year which is like pouring money down the drain for the occasional call/text user.  £5 top up lasts me a long time and I have never use the data part anyway.

Emmia

crow22 said:

Emmia said:

The network you use to receive texts and potentially make a call on costs money to run and maintain, what you're essentially asking for is for other customers to subside your use... 

£1 a week isn't an unreasonable cost for what you get.

That works out about £52 a year which is like pouring money down the drain for the occasional call/text user.  £5 top up lasts me a long time and I have never use the data part anyway.

You've missed the point.

HillStreetBlues

If only using for texts and calls then can see if you can use 2g

crow22

Emmia said:

crow22 said:

Emmia said:

The network you use to receive texts and potentially make a call on costs money to run and maintain, what you're essentially asking for is for other customers to subside your use... 

£1 a week isn't an unreasonable cost for what you get.

That works out about £52 a year which is like pouring money down the drain for the occasional call/text user.  £5 top up lasts me a long time and I have never use the data part anyway.

You've missed the point.

No I got your the point but I dont agree. However, my point remains that when your annual call/txt costs are only £5 or £10 then £52 a year is a waste of money down the drain! Thats the whole point of having PAYG in the first place !