LowriderChevy

I'm looking for a Pay as you go sim card that doesn't steal your unused credit after a certain time limit. Most seem to take it at the end of 30 days but if you are prepared to whack in a much larger amount of cash those kind souls will let you keep it for up to 90 days before taking it. I have asked on two other forums and had loads of suggestions but so far none of them bear fruit after proper investigation of their websites. My requirements are as follows. I want just the sim card, not a phone package. It needs to work on an older stupidphone not a newfangled smartphone. I want to be able to top it up online and not have to go out searching for a shop that sells a card or whatnot. It needs to function in France and the UK for voice calls and texts. I don't really care about how expensive the calls are because it will rarely be switched on. Only used for emergencies and a few days in UK once a year. There used to be a wide choice that would fit my needs but as far as I can see they all want me to lose unused credit or sign up for a package that is dreadful value for money for my intended use.

Any suggestions?

dmu

I've got an Orange Mobicarte PAYG for my Olde-Worlde mobile and any credit before the end of 90 days is transferred when I replenish with a new carte. It's valid outside of France. This suits me, I prefer not to be tied down to a contract, although family is trying to get me to open a Free account at 2€ a month.
A search came up with
leclercmobile.fr: des cartes téléphoniques prépayées pour appeler moins cher vers l'Etranger.
if you happen to have a Leclerc nearby, which I haven't.
Others more in-the-know will come along with probably more helpful advice!

EuroTrash

I use Reglomobile, which is Leclerc. https://www.reglomobile.fr/offres/fo...mini-plus.aspx
They take 1,50€ a month to keep your service active but that 1,50 goes towards any calls, texts or data that you use during the month. If you literally never use the phone, you would just need to keep your account topped up enough so they can take the 1,50 each month, ie 18€ a year. The online topup system works well or you can buy topups at Leclerc supermarkets. It uses the sfr network which I think has reasonably good coverage.
I've used this for ages and it suits me fine, works outside of France too (though I did have a few problems with it in Spain a few years ago, not sure why that was).

LowriderChevy

Many thanks for your suggestions gentlemen, but I was with LeClerc/Reglo and because I haven't used my mobile for so long they stopped the account and I have lost whatever credit was left on it plus €5 that I just spent trying to get it to work. There was no way to find out what credit was left because you have to dial 950 to find out. No way to find out from the internet either, just links taking you to the top up place. The €1.50 a month just isn't viable due to my limited usage as stated above.

LowriderChevy

I will investigate Orange Mobicarte. Thanks.

EuroTrash

They would only have cancelled the sim when you ran out of credit and they couldn't take the monthly fee. They don't care whether you use it or not, as long as you keep paying the 1,50.
You can set up an online account where you can see what credit you have left. But in fact, I get a breakdown sent by email each month that shows what credit is left. They email this out even if I haven't used it during the month.

I doubt you'll find anything cheaper in France, but if you don't use it why bother with a French sim card at all, why not get a UK sim card? It used to be easy enough to get sim cards for free in the UK, and credit on UK sims doesn't expire, unless things have changed since I left.

LowriderChevy

I was hopeful until I found the page where it says how long a 5€ recharge lasts. One week, and unless I top up within 30 days they kill the line. Not for me, thanks.

LowriderChevy

I have come to that conclusion myself. Also I won't have the hassle of copying and pasting anything into a translater. I'm just hoping they won't ask for proof of residence, etc. like they do in France.

EuroTrash

I'm sure they won't, the UK has no system at all for security checks on sim cards AFAIK, but you'll probably need to get it posted to a UK address and sent on from there.

cyrian

My friend didn't use his UK PAYG sim for 6 months and they cancelled his number and credit. You have to keep making a phone call from time-to-time to keep your number.

LowriderChevy

I have just finished investigating all the UK paygo deals found on Google. Several comparison sites mentioned a few possibles incl. Asda mobile and 3 but terms and conditions must be out of date because the actual websites of those providers killed the deal for me. There is (at the moment) not one UK provider of a Pay as you go that offers what I am looking for. A few had very low call/text charges but didn't offer any roaming. Others with up to 20p a minute did but credit only lasts 30 days. It makes my head ache trying to get at the necessary critical info hidden well out of view on the websites. Even when in English they are difficult to navigate to the hidden truth.

My final solution is to loan my own French Orange sim card to the other half when she goes out shopping or to UK once a year. I can easily live without a mobile.

EuroTrash

Must true what they say in Yorkshire then - tha nivver gets owt fer nowt.

Did you look at O2? I have a dual sim phone with an O2 sim card that's been in there for absolutely yonks, and I just checked and it still works. I don't remember the last time I used it but every time I cross the Channel it sends itself a text telling me the price of calls, so maybe receiving a text counts as using it?

uk_grenada

I would recommend giffgaff in the uk, you can choose to buy a monthly package [goody bag] or not and use payg. Very cheap packages, 1gb 300 mins unlimited other stuff for 7.50, and you pay nothing if you dont use packages. When in the uk i buy auto recurring 7.50 pounds a month, but cancel when i leave and use payg in the caribbean for about 9 months, but my iphone has dual sim and a local card in the caribbean too.

cyrian

They all allow "roaming" in the EU by EU law.
You can use your UK phone in the EU and it just uses up your UK allowance for data and calls.
I know that applies on O2 and 3 but have no actual knowledge of other providers.
The new law started on June? 1st 2017.
Google "using your phone in the EU" or similar.

uk_grenada

https://community.giffgaff.com/t5/Us...d/ta-p/3522931

You just pay standard uk charges when roaming in the eu, the days of high cost roaming are over [in the eu]. BUT there seems a gotcha if you are always abroad - hmm. Maybe worth trying as the isnt any big outlay.