Pay as you go/Iphone 5

[Anonymous]

Hi

I recently upgraded to the iPhone 6 and have given my mum my old iphone 5. We bought a new nano sim for her as the sim in her iPhone 4 obviously wouldn't have fitted in and as she has not got too many contacts to update a new number with we just bought a new sim so complete new number etc.

Paid £10 in store for the £10 'big bundle' and put into the phone. Straight away got a text message saying you have £10 credit..... yada yada yada...... however when you call to check the balance is has 0.00 balance?!

Am I totally missing something here?! Haven't had pay as you go for many years so can't remember how it works - do I need to activate it online or something? Help please!!!!

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

The £10 bought the allowances so whilst you now do not have credit you will have calls, texts and data to use for a month.

[MI5]

Details of all the tariffs and allowances are here https://www.o2.co.uk/freesim/

[Anonymous]

The £10 will have bought the big bundle allowances.

If she downloads the Myo2 app she can then keep an eye on her availabke allowances amongst other things. https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/my-o2/id325533754?mt=8

http://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/mobile/big-bundles-terms-and-conditions

[MI5]

Easy ways to check remaining allowances here http://www.o2.co.uk/help/pay-and-go/checking-your-balance#qs

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your speedy responses!

I'm so confused with it! So even though it is showing as zero balance - the £10 has given her the stated minutes and texts.......Does thsi mean she HAS to top up every month? She doesn't use the phone THAT much ...the pay as you go sim she had before (also with O2) seemed to be a general 'top up as and when you need it' not monthly..

Oh well, as long as I am not being totally dumb and not NOT activating it some how!

Thanks once again

[MI5]

Yes, to get the allowances you have to top up every month, but you can switch to one of the Unlimited tariffs that I linked to which will give you fewer allowances but retain the top up meaning you won't have to top up every month.

[jonsie]

Some details here :

http://www.o2.co.uk/tariffs/payandgo

http://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/mobile/pay-and-go-charges-terms-o2-unlimited

[Anonymous]

If you stay on the Big Bundle payg tariff and do not top up in time you will drop onto standard charges until you do top up.

It really depends on usage pattern.

The smartphones cry out to be connected to the Internet nowadays and apps even update in the background. So dropping to the O2 unlimited tariff with lesser allowances may not / may be a help.

[jonsie]

Staying on the big bundle without topping up isn't much of an option. At the end of the month the phone cannot be used to make calls or texts until topped up.

Changing tariff is the answer.