Some questions about "Charge to mobile" on iOS

[lanceuppercut]

I was looking around at "charge to mobile" options as I know Three do it for Google Play but not for iOS and EE apparently do it for iOS but only on pay monthly contracts.

So anyway I checked the Apple site about it (https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT205102) and it appears that O2 now offer the ability to buy apps and such on both pay monthly and PAYG now (https://www.o2.co.uk/charge-to-mobile), I'm not sure when this came in but, great, this might actually be of use to me!

I have a question though, if I have £10 on my PAYG card, but I'm wanting to buy something for £15, does it take the £10 from my O2 PAYG card then bill the rest to my iTunes account or does it flatly refuse because I don't have enough credit on the PAYG card?

I know it does that with the App Store if you have credit, it takes any credit you have first then uses your payment method for any outstanding amounts.

If I buy something like this (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079Z947MP), how long does the £10 credit stay on my card for?  I think I read somewhere most PAYG cards expire after 6 months of non-use, even if there's credit on it at the time?

Thanks.

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

O2 will limit your expenditure to the amount of credit you have. There is no option to top up from other sources on PAYG.
Yes, PAYG sim cards expire after 6 months if not used, You need to make a call, text or use data every 6 months and top up every 999 days to keep it active.

PS. PAYG sims are free from O2 here https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/sim-cards/pay-as-you-go

Just choose the package you want.

[lanceuppercut]

Does it cost anything to initially activate the SIMs or set up "charge to mobile" service?

I'm wanting to use it for a subscription on the App Store which is £3.99/month, I'm wanting to get the SIM with £20 preloaded from that Amazon link that costs £15.  

So if I have my math right, I can get 5 months worth of subscription and have a month to spare, before the SIM expires naturally, yes?

[MI5]

It costs nothing to set up and the sim will be active when you receive it.
Yes, your maths is correct, but as you will be using credit it shouldn't expire. I guess you'll be topping up after month 5 anyway?

[lanceuppercut]

Ah, so using the credit in this way extends the expiry date to 6 months from when I last used it to buy something with?

So if I when I get the card, for example I activate it on 1st Jan, if I do nothing with the card at all, it expires on the 1st Jul and I lose my number/payg credit on there, but if I use it to buy something on the 1st Jun, it doesn't expire until 1st Jan?

[MI5]

Yes, that's correct.

[lanceuppercut]

Thank you, you've been very helpful

[MI5]

No problem

[Anonymous]

i wouldnt get to hung up about the six month time limit @lanceuppercut O2 are pretty vauge about it, and talk about 'chargeable activities every six months, which certainly include calls, txts, and data, but probably also include charge to mobile activity too.

If you are worried just send a text every five months at the cost of 2p -

Bottom line as long as you don't leave the sim in a draw for six months to a year, you should be okay.

[jonsie]

Even then probably ok by calling customer service to have the number reconnected. Maybe a little inconvenient and somewhat difficult in the middle of the desert in outer Abu Dhabi  and you will more than likely die! Over a year then maybe you would be better to give up the ghost....