Juleskitoo

Hi guys,

I'm going to need to buy a phone SIM for use in Portugal and wondered if any provider here is doing any good deals (I need calls to the UK - ideally) plus about 12G of data or more.

My first conversations with providers have shown me that its a bit pricier than the UK.

Thanks,

Jules

Alan PT

These are the two cheapest I found for monthly postpaid SIM only deals

Nowo is a Meo MVNO (like Virgin Mobile, Tesco Mobile etc in the UK)
https://www.nowo.pt/movel/planos-movel/

Woo is a NOS sub-brand (like GiffGaff in the UK)
https://www.woo.pt/tarifario/telemovel-mais-barato

Juleskitoo

Thanks Alan, that wasn't as bad as I was expecting if I'm honest.

Appreciate the reply

Alan PT

You are very welcome

I had done the research on it exactly because the standard offers from NOS/Meo/Vodafone are a bit scary after UK mobile prices! Even bundled with broadband they aren't great

riv

How often / how many calls to the UK would you actually be needing to make ?

As compared to how important is having loads of data per month ?

I ask because the NÓS KANGURU deal is €15 per fifteen days, on a pre pay basis. This is data only, but unlimited.........So it occurs to me that if you don't need to make that many calls you could do them via Skype ( using the unlimited data ).

What I like about the Kanguru thing is that I can just use it when I am in Portugal - credit the number via a multibanco at the airport on arrival.

Just a thought.

Juleskitoo

That's a great thought as well - tbh I don't make that many calls to the UK and could do skype, fb or whatsapp calls.

When you do occasionally have to make UK calls with this phone - how much do you get charged?

Thanks for the reply.

Jules

riv

If data is more important to you than voice calls, then what do you have to lose by giving it a trial ?

As I say, it is fifteen Euros for fifteen days. Get the NÓS Kanguru ( or is it called something else now ? I forget, but anyway they still had the offer as recently as August when I got my sim and continued with it till mid October ). I got the original simcard at the NÓS store in VRSA. But once obtained I renewed via Multibanco machines.

Are you anywhere near a NÓS store ? I found the young staff v. helpful.

As far as I am aware, this particular deal ( essentially one Euro per day ) is data unlimited but NB data ONLY. It does not work to make voice calls directly. I used it mostly for watching films / webpages / emailing.

But once you are using it on your laptop / 'phone, then you can open the Skype app and from within that you can make a voice call.

If you can get to a NÓS store easily then try it out for a fortnight and report back on your findings.
I liked the fact you can pay in cash ( so they do not acquire your card details ).

Alan PT

Kanguru Livre XL, we used it with a hotspot for a while until we could get a fixed line installed, works well for that

Unfortunately it would appear that NOS recently updated it from 4G to 5G and took the opportunity to increase the tariff:
https://www.nos.pt/particulares/inte...s/default.aspx

You could always try in the store, see if they have any of the old cards and whether they can still activate them on the old tariff, the new tariff is a lot less attractive

riv

Yes ' LIVRE XL ' is what they changed the name to.

I see it is more expensive than it was, but still, if you need a month at a time, not THAT much more than a Euro a day.

If you are in Portugal all year round then it may not suit as a permanent solution. But if you are in Portugal only intermittently, then it might be a better solution than an annual contract .

But first try out the eight day deal to check that it works well in your location.

macliam

Interesting - I use NOS Livre and although I'm back in the UK at present, SWMBO is still there and using it - and it's due for renewal tomorrow! I had heard nothing about this increase and I pay by online banking. According to the detail of the new tariff, a payment of €30 would now only give 22 days internet and she would then have no idea why it stopped (or internet access to check!). Really smart idea, eh?

Alan PT

You may be OK, they may keep you on the existing tariff, even though it's no longer available to new customers (my wife used to work in Telco billing in the UK, you wouldn't believe the number of tariffs closed many years ago that still have active customers!)

macliam

I hear what you're saying, but "may be" isn't much help if SWMBO gets cut off "early" and can't get online to sort it out.......

She's in the Algarve tomorrow, so I've told her to go and speak to NOS or their rep at the local shopping centre in Olhao.

Pain in the butt.....

Alan PT

I think you can check the remaining valid days online, but from what I remember of the website, it might be easier to go to the shop

macliam

I've never found the ability to check anything online....... the website is too keen trying to sell you things!