Phoning Ireland

[Maxbertie]

I have need to phone Ireland frequently at present due to family health issues. I tried to find a bolt on that would allow me to do this at a sensible price but could not find one. I entered into chat help with o2 and it seems the only option is to get a payg sim! I have been a pay monthly customer with O2 for years but in order for me to call Ireland I need to get a new sim and swap it out with my current sim and call family with a new number they don’t know!! The price without this is 65p per minute so I could easily rack up extra hefty charges without this sim so I’m stuck. 

I see Vodafone allow pay monthly customers to add calls to Ireland for £3 per month (100 mins). I will need to consider this as a solution I think unless someone is able to tell me I’ve missed something here.

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

Ask customer services if you can get on the international trial https://www.o2.co.uk/intertrial which should be going live for everyone at some point this year.

[jonsie]

It's quite ridiculous that PAYG is cheaper than contract for many things relating to International charges.

My own solution was to download the Dial 123 app. Check out the charges, simply top up £10 whenever needed.

https://www.dial123.co.uk/cheap-rates/?letter=I

[Maxbertie]

Thanks MI5 I’ll check that out and sounds a bit like what I was after. Thanks for the quick reply.

[Maxbertie]

Thanks jonsie I’ll have a look at that app. Hadn’t heard of it till now.

[Cleoriff]

Interesting to see Dial 123 is cheaper than O2's Intertrial (for Ireland)

Dial 123 .....0.9pm for landlines and 1.5 pm for mobiles

Intertrial .....1p pm for landlines and 5p pm for mobiles

That's quite a difference!

[jonsie]

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@Cleoriffwrote:

Interesting to see Dial 123 is cheaper than O2's Intertrial (for Ireland)

Dial 123 .....0.9pm for landlines and 1.5 pm for mobiles

Intertrial .....1p pm for landlines and 5p pm for mobiles

That's quite a difference!

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That's why I'm not using the interbeta bolt on for calling the various government offices back home. They tend to frown on using Skype or other wifi options.

[Cleoriff]

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@jonsiewrote:

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@Cleoriffwrote:

Interesting to see Dial 123 is cheaper than O2's Intertrial (for Ireland)

Dial 123 .....0.9pm for landlines and 1.5 pm for mobiles

Intertrial .....1p pm for landlines and 5p pm for mobiles

That's quite a difference!

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That's why I'm not using the interbeta bolt on for calling the various government offices back home. They tend to frown on using Skype or other wifi options.

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Yes, Checking the two options for Thailand @jonsie Dial 123 works out cheaper again.

Dial 123 ....2p a min landline  and  5.6p a min for mobile

Intertrial.....12p a min landline and 7p a min for mobile