I'm going back to the UK next week.

I still have my UK mobile phone and I used to use the Orange PAYG.

I've tried a search, but am going round in circles. I am assuming that what little credit I had left has disappeared into the ether. I think it runs out after 90 days, or 6 months, or something when you don't use it.

But if I were to try and top it up at Heathrow next week, would it work, ie, would the 'account' and/or telephone number still be live ? It hasn't been used for about 9 months.

I had one of those swipe cards that I used to top it up - never registered an account or credit card with them.

Anyone have any knowledge ? Ta

I can't use my Canadian cheapy PAYG one over there - and could not afford the costs anyway ....

Hi Ann

My OH uses an Orange PAYG phone when he's in the UK. I know at one point he hadn't been in the UK for almost a year but he was still able to top up the phone the next time he went back and the number stayed the same. I'll double check with him later.

Hi, with ours, (a pre-pay) you have to make a voice call every 6 months or you lose your credit and I think you lose the number also.
Hope that helps, PamNS

Different networks have different ways of helping you get back on the phone. With Orange, try this.

Call Orange by dialling 450 and asking them to re-activate your PAYG phone. You will have to get a new number and a new swipe card to top-up as the old card was set for your old number. As far as I remember, Orange PAYG service cancels automatically if you don't make at least one call within 6 moinths of the last one, at which point your credit balance resets to zero.

Thanks - that would be helpful ....

Mmm, that's what I wondered - and if it's the same deal with PAYG ...

Do you mean re-activate the sim card, as opposed to the phone? I don't mind losing the credit - but I don't really want to bother with a new number as this is only a short visit ....

Hi again Ann

just got an email from my OH he tells me that he was still able to use his Orange PAYG phone even after being out of the UK for 18 months and the number remained the same.

He did add:

"Dunno if the fact that my number was years old had anything to do with it. Perhaps if you're an old customer like me, the rules are different, so it's worth looking into"

Hope that helps a little.

Thanks for checking Elaine. I think I'll just charge it up and turn it on, and see what happens !! I've had that number for about 8 years. Wait and see.

Fingers crossed. BTW my OH is able to send text messages from his UK mobile to my Canadian mobile it's very handing when he can't get access to the internet.

Anyway hope your trip goes well.

Take care.

Yes Ann. You may be lucky that the phone number hasn't been reissued to someone else, in which case you should still be to use your old top-up card. If the number has been passed to someone else, then you will get a new number. If you put money on your phone and the number has been given to someone else, they'll have a nice suprise when the check their balance before you contact Orange to fix it.

Not being funny, just charge it up turn it on and call it. If it rings it still works. Don't answer it and you may not get charged for the call. Seems the simplest way of determining (assuming you had some kind of roaming allowed).

So bloody simple. Thanks Ben.

It doesn't work here and I can't swap the sim card into my cheapy Virgin Canadian one to play with it !!

OK - for anyone even vaguely interested, or who might be taking UK mobile phones back to UK at any point;

My Orange PAYG still works fine, the number is still active, and still has £18 credit on it (even after 9 months).

Took hubby's old Vodaphone PAYG - and that also still works but the credit has disappeared ....

So there you go - boring, huh?!

Good to know.

Enjoy the rest of your trip