CHEAPEST contract / PAYG sim for rarely used phone?

Underboss
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I am in a bit of a dilemma tonight

I have a work one, that i use at work, over Wi-Fi, i use WhatsApp for calls and messages, very rarely use outside of this

My Lebara "MSE" special contract was going to auto renew tomorrow, I've just cancelled it because its gone from 58p (approx.) to £8 a month full price.

as its a second phone, i don't want to be paying £5 a month or what ever when I'm not really using it outside of the Wi-Fi

I've found these on MSE, not sure if these are what I'm looking for ? suggestions welcome :)

 

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They are just the usual pay & go with no cost/included stuff?

Vodafones' for example is a call or text every 6 (?) months to keep the line, but it will cost you a minimum of £2 for any day you use it.

Giffgaff do £6/month (1GB, unlim calls/text). Smarty is £6 month (5GB + unlim calls/text) but I think they also do a data only one which gives you some money back if you don't use it.
 
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They are just the usual pay & go with no cost/included stuff?

Vodafones' for example is a call or text every 6 (?) months to keep the line, but it will cost you a minimum of £2 for any day you use it.

Giffgaff do £6/month (1GB, unlim calls/text). Smarty is £6 month (5GB + unlim calls/text) but I think they also do a data only one which gives you some money back if you don't use it.


i thought i was missing a trick of theirs somewhere :)
 
They are just the usual pay & go with no cost/included stuff?

Vodafones' for example is a call or text every 6 (?) months to keep the line, but it will cost you a minimum of £2 for any day you use it.

Giffgaff do £6/month (1GB, unlim calls/text). Smarty is £6 month (5GB + unlim calls/text) but I think they also do a data only one which gives you some money back if you don't use it.


if i can keep my number ?
 
With my spare phone, I just ordered a GiffGaff sim card, topped it up with £10 and text myself every 6 months to stop it being disconnected. I chose GiffGiaff specifically as the O2 signal in my area is the best of a bad job - it's not amazing, but it's good when I look at the coverage and know other people with other providers.
 
With my spare phone, I just ordered a GiffGaff sim card, topped it up with £10 and text myself every 6 months to stop it being disconnected. I chose GiffGiaff specifically as the O2 signal in my area is the best of a bad job - it's not amazing, but it's good when I look at the coverage and know other people with other providers.
I'm confused, could you clarify, all GiffGaff plans I can see are monthly only, even the ones they call Pay as You Go?
 
I'm confused, could you clarify, all GiffGaff plans I can see are monthly only, even the ones they call Pay as You Go?
When I got the SIM card, I simply activated it by topping it with £10. Every 6 months or so I will receive an email from GiffGaff telling me they will deactivate the SIM due to inactivity - it's at this point I send myself a text message to keep them happy.

Below is a screenshot from my GiffGaff account as it currently stands:
gg.png
 
From that it looks like you just have credit and no plan. The email from GiffGaff is probably telling you that the number will be lost and recycled due to inactivity if you do not renew your monthly plan. Anyway they don't seem to do the non-expiring PAYG plans now.

Anyway does not help the OP, 1pMobile used to be the go to for this but the best they now offer is £48 per year which might help.
 
From that it looks like you just have credit and no plan. The email from GiffGaff is probably telling you that the number will be lost and recycled due to inactivity if you do not renew your monthly plan. Anyway they don't seem to do the non-expiring PAYG plans now.

Anyway does not help the OP, 1pMobile used to be the go to for this but the best they now offer is £48 per year which might help.
as its a second phone, i don't want to be paying £5 a month or what ever when I'm not really using it outside of the Wi-Fi
As the OP doesn't want a plan, I don't see the problem. I'm not on a plan, because I've turned off auto top ups. I fail to see why this wouldn't suit the OP.
 
Because from the screenshot you are not able to make/receive calls etc. Can you make calls now, if so I stand corrected? The credit, as it states, is for costs that fall outside of the plan or can be used to purchase a month's plan when needed.
The screenshot the OP provided does seem to show a traditional PAYG though I can't see it on the GiffGaff website but if it is available it would be best option. Though if only using Wifi no plan is needed but I guess a phone number is for using Whatsapp.
 
Because from the screenshot you are not able to make/receive calls etc. Can you make calls now, if so I stand corrected? The credit, as it states, is for costs that fall outside of the plan or can be used to purchase a month's plan when needed.
The screenshot the OP provided does seem to show a traditional PAYG though I can't see it on the GiffGaff website but if it is available it would be best option. Though if only using Wifi no plan is needed but I guess a phone number is for using Whatsapp.
That was an oversight on my part, apologies. You can indeed make and receive calls and text messages on it, the cost just comes out of the credit as it has now fallen out of the time period of whatever £10 bundle I chose a few years ago.

I have installed WhatsApp on it and can make a receive calls and messages for free. To be totally honest, the phone almost never leaves the house, so WhatsApp or standard messages/calls are seldom used - only to keep the SIM card active.
 
That was an oversight on my part, apologies. You can indeed make and receive calls and text messages on it, the cost just comes out of the credit as it has now fallen out of the time period of whatever £10 bundle I chose a few years ago.

I have installed WhatsApp on it and can make a receive calls and messages for free. To be totally honest, the phone almost never leaves the house, so WhatsApp or standard messages/calls are seldom used - only to keep the SIM card active.
That's is perfect then and just what the OP needs, all good :)
 
I just need a cheap deal as I won't use it a lot mostly wifi. It's my old phone that I use in work only
 
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why cant i see that deal on the lyca website?

cheapest is 2.50 every 30 days (then goes to £5 after the deal ends)
 
Lyca or Lebara?

4 months for 0.49p then 8 months 3.99 = 2.83 a month

Two other options both EE network:

£2 a month - 100 mins, 100 SMS & 750MB data

£2.90 a month - 1GB data, 500 Minutes & 500 Texts
 
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