Uswitch help please

NotRichAtAll

Hi i need some help please.

My wife is wanting to go sim free (i went sim free last year) but i am unable to remember what i done on mine. She wants to keep her number as i did.

when we choose a deal for her phone 02/android i get an option to choose an esim or a regular plastic sim, but neither mentions keeping your old number.

When i updated mine i did not get an esim nor a regular sim the deal just happened over the air, and i kept my number i recall using a pac code.

What do we need to do, esim or regular or am i missing something obvious.

thanks for any response.

flaneurs_lobster

You may have obtained an UPGRADE for O2 via the Uswitch site last year (as I did), keep your number and moved to a new contract at a decent discount to going direct to O2.

No longer possible to do upgrades with O2 on third party sites, at least none that I've been able to find. O2 have closed this lucrative loophole.

Having eSIM/physical SIM is irrelevant,

Woodstok2000

You'll need to check if your wife's phone accepts esims. If it does, youre good either way, if not youll need a physical sim card.

To keep your number you will need to order the new sim, and request a PAC. Once you get the new sim there will be instructions on how to transfer your number.

To get your PAC code and switch mobile providers while keeping your number, text 'PAC' to 65075 from your current phone (free). You will receive your 9-character code via text within one minute, valid for 30 days. You can also get it via your provider’s app or website.

NotRichAtAll

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81926478#Comment_81926478

thanks both for the replies, i think you are right i did get an upgrade with my phone last year.

So my wife should request the pac code, then buy the new deal esim then provide the pac code to the esim provider. she is currently 02 and new esim deal is also 02

or she buys new deal then requests pac code

apologies for the simple questions am getting old and like to be sure i have things right.

flaneurs_lobster

No, you can't use a PAC code to move contracts with the same mobile company. So any new deal is either an upgrade with O2 direct or it's a move to another airtime supplier.

If you are very keen to stay with O2 cheaply you can consider moving to a new supplier temporarily using a PAC and getting a new deal with O2 (maybe via Uswitch) then moving back to O2 using another PAC.

Always a very small chance that PAC moves can go wrong and lose your number and any temp SIM will have a cost to activate/use for a small time.

Woodstok2000

Just to add, if you are moving to a different provider the pac code is valid for 30 days and they come through instantly. You can request it before or after signing up for your new deal, it doesn't matter. If you request it and don't use it, it'll just expire and nothing will change.

danco

And there is an advantage in getting the SIM first with temporary number and then completing the switch. That way you are sure the SIM works. I had problems with an eSIM not activating, it seems there was a bad batch, and ultimately decided not to switch. If I had actually provided the PAC code to the planned new provider I would have been in trouble.

Also if you request a PAC code the old provider is likely to make you an offer to tempt you to stay, and it might be a good enough offer.