PAYG Sim that doesn't expire?

beauf

I know some PAYG Sims credit expire if the credit isn't used in 6 months etc. Which is kinda useless for a backup or emergency phone which rarely gets used. Are there any that don't expire or take a really long time to expire?

fritzelly

Six months of non use/top-up is the standard for all networks (tho Tesco seem to be fairly lax about it going by a friend who tops up on it maybe once a year tho that is probably reliant on their systems not parsing the numbers that often)

No network is going to keep a number available to you indefinitely - numbers need to be recycled

Just top up a fiver every 6 months

beauf

They used to. Three only changed this rule last year.

Personally I think there's something not right about them expiring credit after only 6 months.

Drifter50

Vodafone are back to 3 months now

Just lodge a ready to go €5 voucher every 3 months and all is good

beauf

I'm amazed people don't have a problem with a phone company taking your money for no reason. Is it normal in other countries. It pushes you to a bill phone so numbers in emergency phone or similar.

Obviously another money grab.

TheDriver

beauf wrote: »

I'm amazed people don't have a problem with a phone company taking your money for no reason. Is it normal in other countries. It pushes you to a bill phone so numbers in emergency phone or similar.

Obviously another money grab.

It's because of a new rule that means you can claim your credit back as cash so they don't want your credit 5 years later being claimed.

beauf

TheDriver wrote: »

It's because of a new rule that means you can claim your credit back as cash so they don't want your credit 5 years later being claimed.

Ah that explains it.

GarIT

beauf wrote: »

I'm amazed people don't have a problem with a phone company taking your money for no reason. Is it normal in other countries. It pushes you to a bill phone so numbers in emergency phone or similar.

Obviously another money grab.

They do have to provide a signal even if you don't use it to for outgoing calls or texts so it's not for nothing.

beauf

I can see removing a number if it's not used in 12 months.. But every 3 months? Or 6 months?

Also is not always been like this. So its a change in terms of conditions.

If shortage of numbers it's a problem. Fix that problem add more numbers. Don't kludge it.

Ten Pin

Vodafone are back to 3 months now

Where does it say that?

This page says 6 months...
https://n.vodafone.ie/support/pay-as-you-go-hub/pay-as-you-go/account.html

GarIT

beauf wrote: »

I can see removing a number if it's not used in 12 months.. But every 3 months? Or 6 months?

Also is not always been like this. So its a change in terms of conditions.

If shortage of numbers it's a problem. Fix that problem add more numbers. Don't kludge it.

No point in spending money fixing something for non paying customers.

Masts can only have a limited number of phones connected to them and they aren't cheap either.

Sheep Shagger

Ten Pin wrote: »

Where does it say that?

This page says 6 months...
https://n.vodafone.ie/support/pay-as-you-go-hub/pay-as-you-go/account.html

We have a VF sim for a kids tracker watch, and it dies every 3 months unless you top it up by €10

The data sim only costs €3 per month so a quarterly top up of €10 keeps it going.

hurleronditch

beauf wrote: »

I'm amazed people don't have a problem with a phone company taking your money for no reason. Is it normal in other countries. It pushes you to a bill phone so numbers in emergency phone or similar.

Obviously another money grab.

By having a phone connected to their network, able to receive calls and texts, and use WhatsApp connected to the number whilst using WiFi, the phone company is very much providing you with a service that is not at all without cost to them.

If you buy €5 credit every 6 months, the phone company is essentially providing you with your emergency phone connection for €10 a year, and you can still use that €10 on services. That sounds like a very fair deal to me.

Ten Pin

We have a VF sim for a kids tracker watch, and it dies every 3 months unless you top it up by €10

The data sim only costs €3 per month so a quarterly top up of €10 keeps it going.

Is that a V SIM or a PAYG phone SIM?

Sheep Shagger

Ten Pin wrote: »

Is that a V SIM or a PAYG phone SIM?

Its a PAYG SIM that is linked to a V SIM.

beauf

hurleronditch wrote: »

By having a phone connected to their network, able to receive calls and texts, and use WhatsApp connected to the number whilst using WiFi, the phone company is very much providing you with a service that is not at all without cost to them.

If you buy €5 credit every 6 months, the phone company is essentially providing you with your emergency phone connection for €10 a year, and you can still use that €10 on services. That sounds like a very fair deal to me.

Which sim allows top ups of €5 that you can keep the credit, for 6 months?

Tesco?

beauf

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

Its a PAYG SIM that is linked to a V SIM.

So you need a V sim to buy this 2nd sim. I'm not sure what it is. Do you have a link?

beauf

hurleronditch wrote: »

By having a phone connected to their network, able to receive calls and texts, and use WhatsApp connected to the number whilst using WiFi, the phone company is very much providing you with a service that is not at all without cost to them.

If you buy €5 credit every 6 months, the phone company is essentially providing you with your emergency phone connection for €10 a year, and you can still use that €10 on services. That sounds like a very fair deal to me.

Fine I'm just looking for the cheapest one.

Sheep Shagger

beauf wrote: »

So you need a V sim to buy this 2nd sim. I'm not sure what it is. Do you have a link?

As we were not a VF customer before we bought the watch that has a V SIM, you need a VF SIM card to 'feed' the V SIM that has a €3 charge each month (you can't top up the V SIM directly).

Maybe ask VF on twitter incase their website is put lf date, they should be ablevto give you a definitive answer?

beauf

Cheers. I'm only looking for calls no data though. Usually I have to get a regular SIM then block the data. Otherwise it eats the credit. No idea why. Which was fine until someone needed the phone and it had no credit. Then I found about they had changed the plan to 6 month expiry. Now I have to set a reminder to make a chargeable call on them.

I need another payg one now and was just wondering are they all still the same. If I could top up 5 euro instead of 10 that wouldn't be so bad.

beauf

hurleronditch wrote: »

By having a phone connected to their network, able to receive calls and texts, and use WhatsApp connected to the number whilst using WiFi, the phone company is very much providing you with a service that is not at all without cost to them.

If you buy €5 credit every 6 months, the phone company is essentially providing you with your emergency phone connection for €10 a year, and you can still use that €10 on services. That sounds like a very fair deal to me.

Incidentally the phone has no WiFi, no data is a dumb phone and is usually turned off to save battery.

I was wondering why a lot of teens seem to have mobiles with no credit and don't use WhatsApp it's all discord and such. They can't ring each other or message without WiFi. I know a lot do have mobile data and Sims I've just notice quite a few who don't.

Ten Pin

Which sim allows top ups of €5 that you can keep the credit, for 6 months?

Tesco?

Vodafone is probably the best option at 5e every 6 months, 8 months for incoming calls text.

Tesco credit expires after 6 months, AFAIK the SIM stays active for up to 2 years.

Three credit expires after 6 months, their latest terms say they MAY deactivate SIMs after a year.

AIUI, V SIMs are a type of subscription SIM that lose connection when the linked VF SIM runs out of credit. The 'parent' SIM is just a normal SIM and stays active up to 8 months without credit. A V SIM is not suitable for the use described in first post.


48 SIMs can be topped up by just 1 euro but it needs an active plan to use any spare credit, it might be suitable for incoming calls if needed but their 2G coverage isn't great.

MBSnr

beauf wrote: »

Which sim allows top ups of €5 that you can keep the credit, for 6 months?

Tesco?

Vodafone should. I believe Tesco do but for us the TM SIM didn't work in our electric gates correctly but the VF SIM did (If people are using it for that).

Even with a calendar reminder, I forgot to top it up by a fiver on the web top up page (handy they do that amount) and noticed the day after it had been disconnected cos it didn't ring. (Looking at the T&Cs it would appear to have been at 8 months and 7 days which ties up about right). I managed to get onto Online chat in India and they reactivated it giving a 14 day grace period for a top up. I stuck a fiver back on it and as far as I know I'm back on the same T&Cs of the 6 months top up. I was concerned they might have changed it but seemingly not.

Normally you can tell you are over the 6 months as the SIM account webpage will not show the credit after you login. However they must have changed things as even after the 6 months I was seeing the credit listed and wrongly assumed it was still good.......

So as others say - 10 Euro for a years use. Can't really complain about that.

beauf

Thanks for all the info. Vodafone looks like a good option.

beauf

I'm still having problems with that. Vodafone shop had no sims. Said I had to do it online. I can't do that with out creating yet another dummy email address. But which plan rolls over credit? I suspect none.

None of three PAYG seem to roll over monthly credit. So its effectively a 30 day plan.

beauf

Vodafone couldn't tell me which plan rolls over credit. Eir Mobile told me to ring 1901 and hung up.

Three will move me to the old plan. But have to buy the sim for 20 then top up by 20 after than plan reverts to the legacy one. So 40 for 6 months credit, effectively.

Looking like it would be cheaper to move all phones in the family to 48s 7.99.

Ten Pin

Doesn't matter which VF plan you choose, just top up by 5, 10 or 15 euro and the plan doesn't activate. Credit will be usable up to 6 months.

Here is what the terms for Vodafone X say...

9. If you need to top up again during your 28-day offer period, it is recommended that you top up by less than the minimum
amount if you want to retain the Offer Allowance for your
existing 28-day Offer period. i.e. €5, €10 or €15 top up. A top up
by €20 or more within an existing 28-day offer period will
activate the Offer and a new 28-day Offer period will commence.
If you top up by €20 or more in one go before the expiry date,
your offer will reset and any remaining allowances will not carry
forward at the time of top up. If you top up by less than €20 in
one go; this credit will be added to your credit balance.

Three is similar, top up by less than plan price and credit is added to the balance.

AFAIK, with VF, the card details are just for address verification and no payment is taken, so the SIM is free.

beauf

Ok cheers for that. Thats much appreciated. The support agents didn't tell me that.

I generally top up 10 on these sims. Which is under the plan. 10 is the lowest I can do on the online banking. How do you do the €5

Ten Pin

https://topup.vodafone.ie/VodafoneIEExternalWeb/enter.do


Defaults to 20e.

5, 10, 15 option is there too.

beauf

Super

bronkobilly

have an old 02 sim have not put credit on past 4 years still on 086 number

beauf

bronkobilly wrote: »

have an old 02 sim have not put credit on past 4 years still on 086 number

Same here. It's just new plans. I still have a golden sim from 02 never expires and free calls three. But it's not much use these days

kennethsmyth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/115776045#Comment_115776045

Yes this is like the gift cards thing of expiring, the government should address this also and make it at least 12 months

howsshenow

Has anybody tried this Sim Card offer €10 for Ten years, looks good.

https://1nce.com/en/pricing/

Esel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119884768#Comment_119884768

For IoT devices only.

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/115815455#Comment_115815455

My 086 O2 sim from 2001 "died" in 2016...

johnnyrotten

Anyone have updated info on this?

A relative is heading to states next month for a year but wants to keep number. VM bill mobile say he will lose number if he cancels contract and advise porting to a PAYG sim.

Thanks

tandcapply

Hi,

did anyone find a way of keeping a spare SIM going without top-up every 180 days?

Have a family member's Vodafone SIM with number that I want to keep. they don't live in Ireland at present but the number is well-known to family and friends and the number itself is used for WhatsApp etc.

Ah-Watch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120879784#Comment_120879784

As of this morning the Tesco website says:

"1.15 Your Tesco Mobile phone number and SIM Card is valid and will remain active for as long as you are using your Mobile Phone regularly for outbound and inbound activity. However, if you do not make a Credit Top Up to your Account, or make a chargeable use for 6 months as per the Activity Criterion, your Account and any outstanding Credit on your Account will be suspended."

If it were myself I'd just chuck E5 on the Vodafone number every 6-8 months using the Quick TopUp section on the landing page of vodafone.ie to keep it active. Nearly easier than inserting the sim into a phone every 6 months to make a chargeable call on Tesco. Someone else mentioned that Eir require you to top up every 90 days but that seems very short to me but that could be correct

Ten Pin

IMO Vodafone is a reliable option to keep a number active. €5 every 8 months is reasonable and the credit doesn't expire so can be used as needed for add ons etc.

See "Why is my number not working?" at link below for VF policy on keeping SIM active

https://n.vodafone.ie/support/pay-as-you-go-hub/pay-as-you-go/top-up-offer-faqs.html

The other networks have vague policies that can't be relied upon sufficiently to be sure of holding on to a long held number if not topped up regularly.

AndrewJRenko

Is it possible to get a PAYG sim these days, without entering into a monthly fee contract? The cheapest I can see is Tesco €10 per month, but I'd prefer not to have to commit to this for a phone that will get very occasional use.

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121020866#Comment_121020866

With Vodafone you only need to top up by a fiver every few months to keep the SIM active; 48 needs a top up every 3 months, if I'm not mistaken.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121022099#Comment_121022099

Thanks, perhaps I'm missing something. The only plans I can find on the Vodafone site are monthly payments.

https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/pay-as-you-go-plans.html

And same for 48;

https://48.ie/memberships

How or where do I order the SIM that only needs occasional topup?

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121022877#Comment_121022877

The 48 membership doesn't (or, at least, it didn't) require you to add a card number to automatically renew your membership. You can sign up, then buy the top-ups (called memberships, even though they're slightly different from actual top-ups, because your profile will tell you you've an active membership with x amount of data, but 0 credit, yet you can call any network) when you need them, but you do need to buy one every three months at least (this was changed last year, it used to be 6 months) to keep the sim active. The other good thing is that you can set aside up to 5GB of data from each monthly membership to use at a later stage (but in order to use it, you do need to have an active membership, i.e. to have topped up for that month).

https://48.ie/legal/terms-and-conditions

Vodafone: https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/pay-as-you-go-plans.html These show you by how much you have to top up in order to avail of that offer. If you don't top up, or if you top up by a lesser amount, you don't get that offer, but your number stays active provided you top up by a fiver (not sure it'd allow you to top up less than that) every 6 months.

https://n.vodafone.ie/shop/pay-as-you-go-plans/charges.html

https://n.vodafone.ie/content/dam/gowingmyself/pdfs/terms-2022/rates/payg_pricing_sheet_april-2023.pdf