Tell me about PAYG Sims, data allowances and cheap phones

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Tell me about PAYG Sims, data allowances and cheap phones

8 posts & 5 voices | Started 1 year ago by Bez | Latest reply from Bez

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Bez - Member

Having bought an Android phone, I now find myself with a spare Nokia 5800 which is ideal as an MTB backup phone for GPS logging and very occasional (or emergency) calls. But a data connection would be useful, to upload data and to use A-GPS. So, PAYG Sim time. Problem is, mobile phone companies love obfuscating their products.

Couple of questions then. Can anyone recommend a Sim which fits the following criteria?
1. I don't need to top up on a regular basis, only when I've used my allowance
2. The credit can be used for data at no extra cost (even if I make a call or two and send a text or two)

Or am I being a dipstick and they all work like that? (Never used a PAYG before - only ever had contracts.)

Also, it seems an excuse to pick up a cheap (no more than £20 or so) phone at the same time to replace my wife's antique one (my old one from about 10 years ago). What's hot in the cheap phone world? Nokia 1800 seems the common option - any reason to consider something else?

Cheers

Posted 1 year ago #
Cletus - Member

I am looking for something similar to you. Most PAYG topups that include data seem to only allow you to use the data allowance for a month after purchase after which it is removed.

If anyone knows of a PAYG that lets you keep the data, minutes etc. indefinitely please let us know.

Re. cheap phones I think they are much of a muchness at around the £20 level. It would be best to get whatever brand your wife is comfortable with using. If you wanted to spend a bit more I can recommend the Orange San Francisco as a cheapish (£100) Android phone.

Posted 1 year ago #
IA - Member

Can I recommend GiffGaff?

http://giffgaff.com/index/pricing

Up to 100mb free per day till the end of the month, after that data's about as cheap as you can get on a PAYG basis - I can't remember the exact price, it'll be on there somewhere, or in the community section.

If you do go with them, use my referrer link to order a sim and we'll both get £5 worth of kickback

http://giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/the_accidental

Posted 1 year ago #
IanMunro - Member

I was going to mention GiffGaff. I haven't tried it myself yet, but a work colleague who I trust to look into these sort of things, sent me sim to try out.

Posted 1 year ago #
HTTP404 - Member

The old 3pay pay as you go sim was good.
150mb data, 300 texts, free 3-to-3 calls with every £10 top-up.
Top up never expired either.
They used to dish them out like candy. It's was replaced in Sept/Oct last year with something more sedate.

Posted 1 year ago #
Bez - Member

Right, cheers. Not sure how the old 3 Sim helps me, but hey

So Giffgaff say "You need to top-up at least every 3 months to receive free giffgaff to giffgaff calls, if you don't other UK rates will apply as above" - and other networks say much the same thing.

So does that mean you pay £10, use up £10 worth of calls, and then get free calls on top of that? Or does it mean you pay £10, get some free calls to use and the credit you actually pay for stays intact? Frankly I've rarely gone over 30 minutes of calls on my real phone, so I guess "free" allowances are totally worthless to me...?

Do any of the networks disable the Sim if you don't call/text in a 3 month (or whatever) period?

I notice Giffgaff aren't exactly helpful as to how much data will cost after the end of this month: "if you use less than 2.5MB/day you'll pay less than 50p". Right. 1p? 49p?

Posted 1 year ago #
IA - Member

The actual giffgaff data costs per kb are in the community section somewhere, don't have time to look just now. I think it's capped at a max of 50p per day cost, but I forget for sure.

If you have £10 credit, any GG to GG calls/texts don't use any credit up, then after 3 months without top up, GG-GG comms cost 8p a min, 4p a text like to any other network.

Or you can spend £10 of credit on a pre-paid bundle of calls/texts/net that lasts a month (the goodybags).

Posted 1 year ago #
Bez - Member

If you do go with them, use my referrer link to order a sim and we'll both get £5 worth of kickback

Right, done, I can't be doing with too much shopping around and on the face of it at least they seem to be clearly ahead of everyone else for my needs. Cheers.

Posted 1 year ago #

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