How to Top Up (PAYG)

[Cleoriff]

Updated by @Kei-M_O2 13/09/24

*** There are various ways to Top up a PAYG mobile, if the the FIRST top up fails for any reason you can use a voucher to complete the top up. These are available from any O2 shop or other shops displaying a green top up logo.

This Top Up guide covers these PAYG Tariffs:

* Classic tariff (NOT available for NEW customers)

* Big Bundles HERE 

* Rolling Plans. HERE 

Keeping your SIM connected

If you don’t top up, add a Bolt On or carry out any chargeable activity at least once in any six month period, your O2 Pay As You Go sim card will be disconnected and you’ll lose any remaining credit on your account. More here (Updated by @Dave-O2 on 18 Jan 2024)

Checking your balance/allowances

Call 4444 free, then choose option 2 and 2 again.

Or

Text BALANCE free to 20202.

Or

Visit My O2.

WAYS TO TOP UP

* Via My O2 App or online

You are able to top up your phone via the app.

http://www.o2.co.uk/myo2

* This includes Android, Windows and iPhones (with iOS9 and above)

The App can be downloaded from Google Play or iTunes

*O2 Top-Up line

If you're in a direct dial country, you can call the O2 Top-Up line for free by:

• Calling 4444
• Using Hotkey 3 on your Pay & Go mobile
• Calling +44 3456 062 277 from any phone
• Calling 03456 062 277 from any landline

If you're topping up from a country that doesn't allow direct dialling, enter *111*# then press the call button. Your mobile will go on standby for a few seconds before it rings.

Answer the call and follow the instructions to access the Top-Up line by dialling 4444#.

Top up using debit or credit card

This is a very easy way to top up and very handy when abroad.

• You must register the card with O2 first.
• Dial 4444 and choose option to top up via card. You will be asked if you wish to register a card
• You will be asked for the name on the card, the long number, the expiry date, the security code
• Once this is done and accepted, you will then be able to top up. (A maximum of £100 over 30days)

Subsequent top ups (using the same card)

* Dial 4444 and choose option to top up via card.

* You will be asked the following questions:

* The mobile number you wish to top up

* The last 4 digits of the card, the security code, the expiry date and the amount you wish to top up

* Once complete you will be informed 'Your top up has been successful'

Important info: This method will allow the card holder to top up any mobile on the O2 network (even if the card holder is on contract) Important to stress the card must be registered with O2 PAYG service first.

Only cards registered in the UK can be used to top up.

• MasterCard Maestro (including pre-paid versions)
• Visa
• Visa Delta
• Visa Electron

NB at the time of editing, NO virtual cards from digital banks ie Monza, Revolut, Skrill etc can be used to top up.

 *E-Top Up cards (If you still have one you can continue to use it although they have been phased out from O2 stores.

If you have an E-Top Up card, simply:

• Call 248 free from your mobile
• Enter the 19-digit number on the back of the card
• Enter the 5-digit PIN under the scratch panel on the back of the card

You'll then get a text confirming that the card has been registered successfully and the credit will be added to your account.

Once you've activated an E-Top Up card, you can use the card to top up your mobile anywhere you see the E-Top Up logo.

*Auto Top-Up

To get started, sign in to your My O2 account and activate auto top-up.

You can then set a regular day or date to top up your mobile, with a specific amount of money. You can even set top-ups to activate when you're low on credit. We'll take care of the rest and you can cancel at any time.

*Other ways to top up

• Buy a voucher from an O2 shop.

• Buy a voucher in any other shop where you see the green top-up logo.

Please note the voucher will expire after 12 months

*Topping up abroad

If you're off on holiday, it's a good idea to top up your mobile before you leave. But if you need to top up overseas, you can:

• Take an O2 voucher with you
• Call the O2 Top-Up line and use your credit/debit card (Which needs to be registered to your account)
• Top up online (we recommend using wifi to avoid data charges)

*Top-up limits

• The maximum amount you can top up your mobile with your credit/debit card is £100 every 30 days
• There's also a £30 limit per 24 hours. If you've already topped up to this level with a credit/debit card, you'll need to use one of our other methods, like E-Top Up or vouchers
• If you add credit using vouchers, or in your local shop using E-Top Up, you can top up a maximum of £50 at once
• You can add credit by voucher and E-Top Up as often as you like, and there's no limit to the amount you can top up in a given period of time

*Mobile top up alternative. (Helpful when abroad/struggling with UK based cards)

You can easily purchase O2 top up online via MobileTopup.co.uk and top up your O2 mobile within 1 minute. You select the O2 top up amount, then you check the order and you pay the phone credit using one of the secure payment methods. After payment, you will receive the top up voucher code via email. You can then directly top up your O2 Pay as you Go Plan using the instructions given

http://www.mobiletopup.co.uk/o2

NB: How to Pay your Mobile bill (Contract) see here

https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/How-to-Guides/How-to-Pay-Your-Bill-Contract/ba-p/1014090

[Marjo]

Guide is looking good @Cleoriff! 

[Cleoriff]

Thanks @Marjo

[Glory1]

Very helpful to me this morning. So thank you very much @Cleoriff.

[Cleoriff]

Please note: The guide has been edited today 16/10/18

@Martin-O2had discussions with O2 who stated the first top up does NOT now need to be via voucher.

All methods shown should allow successful top ups including the first one.

So in conclusion, we no longer need to advise members that their first top up should be via voucher.

Thanks for the edit @Martin-O2. I'm sure we will be watching this closely

[Glory1]

Thanks for the useful information @Cleoriff

[Cutey]

I tried to top up for the first time yesterday using my debit card 💳 After 4 Attempts I bought a voucher from the post office.

[Cleoriff]

@Cutey

Yes even though O2 assure us you can top up via ANY method for the first time, we have realised over the years they are better using a voucher.

Once that's registered on the network you should have no problem with registering a card to top up. I will just bring this to @Martin-O2's attention.

[Bastan123]

Thankyou

[Dings54]

Thanks for all this. I have rung 4444 SO many times and entered my card details only to be told my top up was not successful. I even tried a credit card with the same result. My friend managed to put creidt on my phone for me and I then paid him so WHAT is going on? I hev been onto my bank and they assure me ther is no problem with my card. I WILL try and buy a top up card but if this fails I will change networks 

[Cleoriff]

@Dings54  Top up with a voucher first. Once you have done that and the sim is registered on the network, you will be able to use your card to top up. The 2nd top up will allow you to register your card (up to 3 cards) and you should be good to go.

[MB51]

This answer doesn’t mention Airtime Rewards!

[Cleoriff]

@MB51 

The guide was written before Airtime rewards were a thing!

All info on Airtime rewards is here

https://priority.o2.co.uk/rewards 

https://payandgorewards.o2.co.uk/en_GB/web/o2 

and

https://news.o2.co.uk/2013/09/24/save-or-claim-you-decide-with-o2-rewards/ 

[Anonymous]

Just for information, it's not my first topup and network is also not the problem. I am an O2 PAYG since well 10 years.

@Cleoriff: At https://www.o2.co.uk/topup you were shown your balance once logged in. There was a link 

TOPUP you could click. You entered your card details and Postcode. In my case it found my Company registered there, I choose the Company address and paid my topup. This is how I did it in the last 6 years.

Now that link above defaults to MY O2. Logging in there does nothing. You can amend your profile, but that's it. There is no link to be found where to topup a PAYG SIM in MY O2.

Would you maybe mind logging into MY O2 and tell us where you have spotted the link to topup a PAYG SIM?

@Dings54& @Cutey : Exactly the same happened to me. Tried to enter the same card I have used for 

years to topup via voice call 4444 multiple times and each time it said "failed" "didn't work either". It's a HSBC Commercial Visa credit card and the billing address matches my profile (Company address). It is very, very unlikely there would be any issue with that type of card. I suspect problem is on O2's side.

[jonsie]

Working ok for m

https://myo2payg.o2.co.uk/mydevice?disambiguation_id=f6de043b-2de3-424a-acbd-7f32072167d9&broadwayEn...

[MI5]

Me too. 

[Cleoriff]

@Anonymous 

Although the guide is showing a 2018 date, it was actually written initially in 2015. when we had Classic PAYG.  It was a much larger guide which included paying your bill for a contract phone. We split the two guides in 2018.

I'm afraid I can't check anything in My O2 for PAYG as I am on contract.

Lets just say, everything was correct at the time I wrote it in 2015.

It needs updating to include Big Bundles. Also on checking the official top up guide (From O2) you can use My O2 for Auto top up.HERE 

I will update the guide when I have the time. As far as I'm concerned most of it remains correct.

The top up via card should still be working. One of my family members is on PAYG and he tops up using his card.

NB. Please see the comments above from @jonsie and @MI5.(which I've seen after writing this.

[pgn]

This probably needs editing to get rid of now non-existent forms of payment card: Maestro, Switch, etc?

Also add in that the newer on-line only offerings don't work, viz: Monzo, Revolut.

Cracker of a guide still, though!

And ways to check balance, like in here, might be better up near the top:

To check your remaining allowances: 

Call 4444 free, then choose option 2 and 2 again.

Or

Text BALANCE free to 20202.

Or

Visit My O2.

[Cleoriff]

@pgn 

Apologies. I saw your comment the day it was posted and then forgot to ask our managers to open the guide for editing 😂

I'll tag them today and hopefully someone will allow editing on Monday. @Martin-O2 @RafaC @Breanna ?

[Anonymous]

Couple of days after my first post here I rang 02 PAYG support. Made them aware of problems I had topping up. They gave me £10 credit to keep me going. Very kind of them indeed. They also wanted

to sell me a contract (which I refused, quite happy with PAYG).

Today I ran out of the gifted credit. So I tried online topup again. Months later the pay by card issue still isn't fixed. You can only enter the house no or name and the Postcode. System then finds the address (or not in my case). You cannot manually enter the full address.

I always used my Company's address in the last 5 years. Company is at the same address since many, many years. System used to find it in the search results but this is no longer the case since my posting (of course the Company is still at that address no longer displayed). All you get is an error message saying sorry, we have some problems in the moment.

What worked however is chosing a bogus address (not the billing address of my card) and the payment

went through without any problems or card issuer sending me a text, maybe because I have topped up

O2 many times previously with the same Corporate Card.

Shouldn't be necessary to use a bogus address, just because O2 can't find the correct address...

[Cleoriff]

Totally agree @Anonymous. Makes a mockery of security really!

[pgn]

Thanks for updating this invaluable guide, @Cleoriff - nice to see the addition of Bundles and Rolling Plans, as well as update on cards that are not seen as valid top-up sources, Internet-only 'bsnks', mainly (Monzo, Revolut, others, including digital currencies, eg Bitcoin etc.).

Top notch, as ever 👍

[Cleoriff]

Thanks @pgn.

The only problem  I had was the EDIT date disappeared once posted from the draft room! It was just showing 2018. Something to watch out for when any of us edit guides we've written.

Never happened with Lithium. The guide was originally written in 2015, updated in 2018 and 2019 and then again yesterday 1st Feb 23.

So @Breanna went in and added the edit date. (Top left hand side.)

Thanks for pointing me in the direction of Rolling Plans. 👍

[Vikki2205]

Hi

I have been trying to add £10 to topup my paygo 02 phone (not a smart phone) I have tried several times but it keeps failing.  I have tried on my personal contract phone to no avail. and registered the paygo phone in my name (its my shop phone) and still I can't add a topup.  My total credit is £1.88 which is going to run out pretty quickly.  I have tried all the online options (not the voucher yet) but the phone was set up using a voucher originally and I am worried that after purchasing a voucher it still might not topup.  Any ideas please.  My debit card is not an internet bank - its the Halifax!!  Thank you in advance..

[Cleoriff]

@Vikki2205 
Have you tried 4444? If no joy then call 4445.

Otherwise there should be no problem using your voucher.

[Vikki2205]

Hi Cleoriff

Yes tried 4444 to no avail

Not 4445 yet but will give it a go.

So if that fails do you think the voucher will definitely work - the phone is my work phone and its a Doro - so not smart nor apple?

[Cleoriff]

@Vikki2205 

The voucher should work on any PAYG phone.

[Anonymous]

@Vikki2205 

neither the voice menu to pay by card nor calling to top-up has worked for me. Voucher should work.

I managed somehow to pay by card, but not under my card billing address. Had to enter a bogus address because if you try to enter the card billing address, you can only find the address by searching for the postcode. In my case it's a company card and the company is at the same address since 20 years. O2's  system used to find the company address in the previous years but since 6 months it is no longer the case.

I guess poor implementation / lack of interest from 02's side. They are aware of the problem since some time and seem to have done nothing to fix it yet.

[Vikki2205]

its ridiculous use the paygo phone for my very small business and hardly make any calls on it as it's mostly so my customers can reach me - last time I topped up was in 2019 with £10 - now down to £1.88 lol so pretty keen to get my tenner back on there.  I have tried all the phone numbers and online so next is the voucher - is a voucher something that can be bought online or do you have to find a shop to purchase it from? I only ask as it would mean going into the city which I don't relish the thought of.  O2 have been ringing from time to time to get me on a contract which considering how little I actually use it to make calls is so minute, would be a daft move - I receive 10 times more calls than I actually make!! 

[Anonymous]

@Vikki2205 

Same here. I am using the PAYG Sim from O2 to be contacted by customers only and I rarely make calls with it. Just topping up a tenner from time to time to keep it alive. That worked perfectly online in the previous years until O2 made changes to their billing system that no longer finds my company address.

It's quite ridiculous you can't enter your card address manually. I used my corporate card (that is registered to the company address) and picked up a random address O2's system showed me in the selection list when you enter the postcode. That payment went through last time, but I don't know if that's still working.

Nobody should have to call or enter a card no. on a voice menu in the year 2023. And it's also against any GDPR regulations that O2 lists other companies in the address selection list.

Their network and prices are good, that's the only reason I stayed. Billing system is rubbish /not properly working. I told them a while ago, but nobody fixed it months later. They don't seem to be interested in us low usage customers. Want to sell you contracts, call/data packages etc. you don't need instead.

[Ralph3]

Hello,
Thank you very much.
Got a top-up code from
mobiletopup.co.uk,
with 16 digits.
How can I activate it?
Is there a point for this on the homepage?
What code do I have to enter on a simple push-button phone?
Thanks again.
Greetings Ralph

[pgn]

@Ralph3 - instructions on the site you bought the voucher from are:

How do I top up O2 pay as you go?

Once you have your O2 top up voucher from mobiletopup.co.uk, here’s how you finalise your O2 pay as you go top up:

• From your O2 mobile, call the O2 top up number 4444.
• From a landline, call 03456 062 277.

In either of these cases, simply follow the spoken instructions. When prompted, enter the O2 top up code we sent you.

[Anonymous]

@Ralph3

Sorry for late response, not actively monitoring this forum any more. That Topup thing was faulty for months, O2 couldn't care less, never fixed. I switched to 1penny mobile in the meantime.

[Oxonian]

@Cleoriff 

Would you consider amending the first sentence of this guide please ?

My suggestion is that :- 

.....if the the FIRST top up fails for any reason you can use a voucher to complete the top up.

.....if any top up fails for any reason you can use a voucher to complete the top up.

[Cleoriff]

@Oxonian 

Thanks for the suggestion but no I'm not changing it again.

We all know to add that to any answer given if any top up fails.

Also, with the 360 billing platform changes, there are a lot of guides which need reviewing.

This is probably the most up to date guide at the time of posting.

[Oxonian]

@Cleoriff 

That's fine, thank you for considering it !😀 

[koala321]

Hello @Cleoriff just pointing out that the number to call to make top ups abroad +44 1753 552 277 doesn't appear to be working anymore and you just get a long continuous tone. Has the number been discontinued?

However +44 03456 062 277 does still work when called. Should the Top Up Guide you posted above be updated?

[Cleoriff]

@koala321 

Are you talking about the section O2 Top Up Line ?

If so, I wasn't aware the other number wasn't working now.

However, I have also given +44 03456 062 277 in the guide (although it does say 'from any landline'. )

So I need to ask @Dave-O2 to remove the number above that, as it's no longer working and change the

words 'from any landline' to 'from any phone'.

Thanks for that info @koala321 👍

[koala321]

Hi @Cleoriff glad to be of help. 

Also is the number to check Voicemail abroad *111*# still an active number? I've had it stored on my phone for years. I'm in the UK and I followed the instructions just to see if it works, and it didn't, but maybe *111*# only works abroad. If it also has stopped working, what is the number to check Voicemail abroad if direct dial isn't available.

😀

[Cleoriff]

@koala321 

Info on Voicemail abroad is in this O2 article:

https://www.o2.co.uk/help/digital-services/voicemail 

[koala321]

Thanks @Cleoriff  😀 I didn't know about the 07860 980980 number mentioned on the link to call when checking Voicemail abroad (if 901 doesn't work). Unfortunately I've just called it and that number doesn't work either. My phone says 'unrecognised number', although I'm not abroad. (Would that make a difference?)

So my question is does anyone know the latest number to call to check Voicemail when abroad, if 901 doesn't work?

[Cleoriff]

@koala321 

Now this guide is about topping up when abroad. It has nothing to do with Voicemail when abroad.

I have found this :

https://www.o2.co.uk/help/digital-services/voicemail 

However we have a community guide on Voicemail here Guide: All you need to know about O2 Voicemail 901 

Give that a read and ask your question on that guide.

PS when I've been abroad (in the EU) I find dialling 901 always works for me.

[koala321]

Thanks @Cleoriff  I'll take a look at the links you showed me. 😀

[Dave-O2]

Thanks @Cleoriff, @koala321 

I'm currently getting the above clarified and when confirmed, the Guide will be updated 👍

[koala321]

Hello @Cleoriff can you confirm that the number to call to top up abroad +44 1753 552 277 actually works?

This number doesn't do anything when I call it here in the UK. It just gives a beep, then goes dead.

@MI5 says in another thread that it works and this has been confirmed by O2 but I disagree. Does it actually work when called abroad? Should it not work when called in the UK also?

[pgn]

Hi @koala321 - I tested both these numbers from the Irish EIR network just now:

• Calling +44-1753 552 277 from any phone - this one does not work, number unknown
• Calling +44-03456 062 277 from any landline - this works, and the number shows as "Itrack ltd" but it is the O2 top-up line.

Notes:

• The 08456 062 277 number shown here - https://www.o2.co.uk/topup - *is* a chargeable number, and the "don't pay unnecessarily for using your phone" website, saynoto0870.com , indicates it links to +44-1753 552 277 - so no point using that number from anywhere for 2 very good reasons:
  
  • - it costs per minute to call, and
  • - it probably does not work if the underlying number is not in service!

•  @Kei-M_O2 - I have had a go here at O2 before about that 08456 number, can you please flag it again so the correct 03456 (comes from allowance) is shown on the Top-Up by phone page on the main O2 website please?

I trust @Cleoriff is ok with me being able to pretend I am in another country from my living-room, and being able to test for you, @koala321 👍

[koala321]

Thanks @pgn I called the +441753 552 277 from England and it doesn't work. 

Is O2 going to get it working again, or do you know if they have scrapped it?

@MI5 the number you gave doesn't work, as I tried to point it out in another thread but @Enlli replied and swears blind it works! It doesn't and @pgn can back me up. Thank you!

[MI5]

What I actually said was that it was checked by O2 and confirmed as good, so I'd appreciate it if you did not twist my words to suit your motives.

[koala321]

O.k thanks @MI5 When I said responses I didn't mean from you specifically so have amended slightly. I just wanted to point out that @pgn has noticed the number doesn't work either, and drawing it to your attention. 

[Cleoriff]

@pgn @koala321 

If you look further up on this thread, my post (16/6/24 13.38) I was checking with @Dave-O2 about numbers for the top up line. It seems the numbers constantly change and it's a real struggle keeping it updated. I've just tried the numbers posted by @pgn and get the same results. Certainly the number 44-1753 552 277 does NOT work.

No point in repeating @pgn's post but it looks as if ANOTHER change is required on this guide. 🙄

[pgn]

Like painting the Forth Bridge, @Cleoriff 😂

Or as they used to back in the day anyway 🙃:

https://www.theforthbridges.org/news-and-blogs-from-the-forth-bridges/painting-the-forth-bridge-blog...