No true ‘Pay as you go’ on Smarty/ID mobile?

ripplyuk

I have a spare phone that I like to keep for emergencies. I also like it to be on a different network to my main phone (EE). It’s currently on Giffgaff but the O2 reception in my area is very poor and Vodafone doesn’t work at all so I’d like to try Three. I keep a small amount of credit on it and only use it for a call a couple of times a year to keep the line alive. 

I can’t find any way to do this on either Smarty or ID mobile. Their ‘pay as you go’ plans all seem to run out after 30 days. Confusingly, ID mobile in their FAQ mentions ‘adding credit’ on top of the plan but doesn’t seem to offer any way to do that alone. 

Am I missing something or is it just not possible anymore? 

Frozen_up_north

Three themselves have PAYG that just needs a chargeable call/text/topup once at a maximum of every 180 days to keep the number active. If you have a nearby Three shop, call by and ask. Several other networks are the same, however having a virtually dormant phone is not something the networks want, so they don’t make it obvious. A local EE shop even goes to the extent of not selling PAYG SIM cards!

The other virtual networks that use Three are  Superdrug Mobile and Honest Mobile. These two only appear to offer monthly payment SIMs.

alanjones60

ID do payg,but you have to buy a bundle first.
Buy the cheapest bundle when you buy the sim,and do not auto renew.
After 30 days the sim reverts to payg of 3p a min 2p a text and 1p mb.
You have to top up once a YEAR £5 ,and make a call every 6 months to keep sim active