A true PAYG tariff with credit that doesn’t expire after one month?

[SpringofJoy]

I am looking for a very basic and easy to use PAYG phone for a family member.

Try as I might I can only find ‘PAYG’ tariffs where the credit expires after one month.

I am looking for a true PAYG tariff (as it was back in the olden days!) where you add credit and it isn’t taken off you.

Does this still exist anywhere?

Tesco still do one, but you have to use some credit (e.g. send a text) every six months. I have a dual sim phone, and only use the Tesco sim when I don't have coverage on EE (my main sim) and need to get in touch moderately urgently.

www.tesco.com/phones/products/05051399165424

Every six months is fine. Thank you very much!

DS2 has one on EE. It was set up as attached to DHs contract tho. Don't know if that affects it.
Currently ain't topped it up from the initial £10 for Christmas 2021 (ie over 12 months). It's quite possible he's only made one call in that time.

Tesco have informed me that they have stopped doing these tariffs!

Off to investigate EE...

Maybe try 1p mobile?

1p mobile

Giff gaff credit stays on until it is used up.

…but I don’t think that’s what you want. You still have to buy a goody bag every month which covers data use, calls and texts. The cheapest is £8.

Sorry I wasn't up to date on Tesco

1p mobile requires a top up of £10 every 4 months, though I don't think the credit expires. I think you can set up an automatic top-up if that helps.

GiffGaff and don't buy a 'goody bag' because that does expire. Just use the credit as a traditional payg

The credit does expire.

I bought my daughter a giffgaff sim under the false impression that the credit wouldn't expire. It does. Annoying as I now have to spend £6 every month and could have just got her an extra O2 Sim on my account.

@Bamboux I bought my son a GiffGaff sim, he mainly uses wifi so the £10 top up on giftgaff lasts 4-5 months before I need to top up again. It doesn't expire.

I definitely need to keep topping up my daughter's even though she uses her phone at home on WiFi 90% of the time. I wonder why.

Do you buy a 'goody bag' @Bamboux ? Those expire after 30 days. But the credit never does (just googled to confirm and it says giffgaff credit never expires but you need to make a call/text once every 6 months to keep the sim active).

I have an EE sim (have had it for years, it was originally Orange) and only need to make a call or send a text every six months for it to stay active. I'm not sure whether it's still available, though.

The results are all from 2020, and if you look at GiffGaff's current plans, they don't seem to offer the Anytime Credit plan that didn't expire anymore. They are all monthly plans, unless I'm missing something.

Yes, exactly. I got my daughter's sim based on seeing that on Google but it is not true for us.

@ABingStory
I originally bought the payg credit, not a goodybag, and was surprised and pissed off when it expired after a month and I had to buy more.

Now I just buy a goodybag because it's better value. But there is no option to buy credit that doesn't expire (for me). She barely phones or texts so it's a waste of money.

Well that's weird? My sons account (only a year or so old) just lists his remaining credit and the only mention of expiry is for the 'free giffgaff to giffgaff calls and texts' if you don't top up again for 3 months. Which doesn't effect us.

This article is from their website: www.giffgaff.com/help/articles/difference-between-goodybags-and-credit

Asda Mobile.

My vodaphone SIM is pay and go if you don't add a pack it just takes my credit like the olden days

I'm sure I read the same thing but it didn't work for me for some reason. I can't remember now. Maybe I'll buy credit instead next month and see if that works.

1p mobile you have to top up by £10 every 120 days.

If you're a low user it does mean your credit starts growing, but it's not a huge outlay and it doesn't expire.

EE and Asda also have confirmed they both don’t do them anymore.

I guess these tariffs have been withdrawn over the past year or so.

Will look into the 1p one, thank you.

Looks like RWG do it.
https://www.rwgmobile.wales/webshop/offers/order-a-sim-with-%C2%A31-credit-added/

I found this article useful when looking for this sort of thing for my mum - comparison of SIM cards for light users

We ended up going for an annual 1p a minute sim so that she wouldn't have to remember to make a call every month or two, just top it up around Christmas each year, so it is a bit more expensive than getting one of the ones where the credit doesn't expire but you just need to make a call every month or two or three. DH has got an old one that he keeps active as a work number, to get occasional calls on. He makes a phone call once a month on the first working day of the month (even though he only needs to do it every 3 months) as it's much easier to do it every month and know that you have done it than to have to remember every three months and then forget and realise that you've lost your number. Think it costs him something like 11p a call so his £10 initial credit has made a few calls but has got many many years to go before it needs to be topped up again at current usage rates!

There's also a good selection of 'old fashioned' PAYG plans within this Money Saving Expert page:
MSE summary of best plans for light/occasional use