Pay as you go or SIM Only

[buffymad]

Hi, trying to decide the best way to do this! On a pay monthly contract which is about to come to an end soon. Don't want a contract anymore so looking to either do Pay as you Go or get a SIM only deal (some of which I think you can do on a month by month basis). What's the best option? Not bothered about internet usage or anything like that, just using it for phone calls and texts (and photos but not necessarily sending them!). Don't particularly need unlimited texts - up to 300/400 would be fine and say around 300 mins a month possibly?

Any advice please?

PS - SIM only cards - do you get a brand new number with one of these (not bothered about keeping own number)?

[craft1948]

I've got SIM only with Virgin and had to change my number.

[ChuckFickens]

Surely the main deciding factor between PAYG and SIM only is going to be, do you want a new phone.

PAYG is just the same as SIM only but you get a phone as well.

[craft1948]

I didn't want a new phone Chuck............

[buffymad]

Good point Chuck! Happy about keeping the phone so SIM only would probably be a good idea. Would it be okay to use that in a phone that was previously used for Pay Monthly? With Vodafone at the moment, not sure if they lock theirs or not??

[gingejbee]

In the latest (May) Which? mobile phone report, the "star performer" is Tesco Mobile for both contract and SIM-only (and incidentally PAYG) -way ahead of 2nd placed O2. Very good for cost, range of handsets and customer service.

[ChuckFickens]

If you get a vodafone SIM then it will definitely work, otherwise the easiest way to tell if it's locked is probably borrow a friends sim from another network and put it in the phone and see if it works.

Most companies don't lock their contract phones to a single provider but if they do they are obliged to unlock it after the contract is up, however they may charge more than the guy on the local market to unlock it.

[TonyV]

buffy - have a look at giffgaff - it's under the o2 network
http://giffgaff.com/
really good network

[Wak]

If the phone is unlocked then you can get a PAYG Sim card from ASDA,
Used to be 8p per min for calls and 4p per text but going up this month to 10p per min for calls and 6p per text.
Asda Sim card costs about 50 pence and you get a new number.