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O2 PAYG - starting from scratch...

colmaclean

colmaclean

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 6, 2004
1,709
403
Berlin
I've noticed a couple of people mentioning that on O2 PAYG you HAVE to top up at least £10 per month.

Is this true, or will I only lose any "benefits" offered for that month (x number of texts etc.) and my remaining credit will still be available?

I'm asking this as on my current PAYG deal with 3, I can stretch a £10 top-up to last almost 3 months!
 
Just contacted o2 about a few issues

Pay as you go iPhone :

You MUST top up a minimum of £10 every month to get the first free 12 months internet, meaning that the first year will cost you £120 to get the free internet that isn't actually free.

The 3G speeds are exactly the same, regardless if you are on a contract or pay as you go,

You activate the iPhone 3GS from iTunes at home ( not sure about the contract, but that's probably in store ? Can someone answer this ? )

If you are transferring from a different network, your phone will be out of use for about an hour so, even though it takes 2 days to actually transfer the number with PCA codes etc.

.... Makes the decision slightly harder now that you have to top up £10 to get the web...

This wil be a good thread for PAYG'ers

EDIT : just doing the math and if you use web for 18 months which will equal £180, and you get the 16GB the total EXCLUDING texts and calls will be £630 for 18 months. This is only about £100 cheaper than a 18 month contract with a 16GB iPhone and the cheapest tariff ( £29.38 ), that includes the calls and texts etc...
 
Hmmm... PAYG starts to go from very to completely unreasonable!

I've attached my iPhone cost calc with updated first year figures for PAYG...

* note - updated the chart to remove the first year PAYG £120 internet charge.
 

Attachments

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colmaclean said:
Hmmm... PAYG starts to go from very to completely unreasonable!

I've attached my iPhone cost calc with updated first year figures for PAYG...
Click to expand...

I'm a bit confused with that table... Does it include the PAYG £10 monthly top up for the internet ?
 
NStocks said:
Just contacted o2 about a few issues

Pay as you go iPhone :

You MUST top up a minimum of £10 every month to get the first free 12 months internet, meaning that the first year will cost you £120 to get the free internet that isn't actually free.

The 3G speeds are exactly the same, regardless if you are on a contract or pay as you go,
Click to expand...

I've had iPhone on Pay and Go since 16 September 2008. I haven't topped up once. Web and Wifi bolt on working just fine.

Also as to speed, I cannot get over 384 kbps. Here is what someone in Executive Relations at 02 had to say about it:

"As regards the speed issues, I'm advised there has been a known problem
restricting speeds on Prepay to 400K".
 
sananda said:
I've had iPhone on Pay and Go since 16 September 2008. I haven't topped up once. Web and Wifi bolt on working just fine.

Also as to speed, I cannot get over 384 kbps. Here is what someone in Executive Relations at 02 had to say about it:

"As regards the speed issues, I'm advised there has been a known problem
restricting speeds on Prepay to 400K".
Click to expand...

Hmmm, thats odd, Unless o2 are just saying that you need to top up, just to make you spend money ? But I just wrote exactly what they told me...
 
NStocks said:
Hmmm, thats odd, Unless o2 are just saying that you need to top up, just to make you spend money ? But I just wrote exactly what they told me...
Click to expand...

I guess either they just don't really know their own product or it's a different deal for the 3GS.
 
what is infact the case, as i was told anyway is that you don't have to top up for internet, it's FREE for the first year.
but if you DO top up 10 EVERY month then your free internet will continue AFTER the first year.

so, to clarify.
you don't have to top up at all but you will lose your free internet 12 months later BUT if you do top up £10 each and every month you will continue to get free internet.
 
1st 12 Months - Unlimited Data is COMPLETELY FREE - Dont have to top up or anything

After the Initial 12 Months - Top up £10 and get a month of Free Data.
 
Shoot said:
so, to clarify.
you don't have to top up at all but you will lose your free internet 12 months later BUT if you do top up £10 each and every month you will continue to get free internet.
Click to expand...

That sounds better!

NOW, what if I only start to top up every month after the first year, do I still get free tinternet then?
 
MattZani said:
1st 12 Months - Unlimited Data is COMPLETELY FREE - Dont have to top up or anything

After the Initial 12 Months - Top up £10 and get a month of Free Data.
Click to expand...

So after 12 months top up £10 to get the web bolt on, do you then still get your mins/text (depending on what PAYG tariff you're on?) or does the web bolt on actaully cost the £10 so you would have to top up another £10 to get your tariffs allowance. It seems to apply that on the website.
 
sarah3585 said:
So after 12 months top up £10 to get the web bolt on, do you then still get your mins/text (depending on what PAYG tariff you're on?) or does the web bolt on actaully cost the £10 so you would have to top up another £10 to get your tariffs allowance. It seems to apply that on the website.
Click to expand...

You don't have to top up at all during the first 12 months. You will get internet and wi-fi free for 12 months irrespective of any top-ups.

After the first 12 months, wi-fi and internet costs £10 per month. You therefore have to top up by at least £10 per month as £10 is deducted to cover the internet & Wi-fi cost. If you don't, then you will lose your internet access.

None of this is dependant on any top-ups in the first 12 months.
 
rushmere said:
You don't have to top up at all during the first 12 months. You will get internet and wi-fi free for 12 months irrespective of any top-ups.

After the first 12 months, wi-fi and internet costs £10 per month. You therefore have to top up by at least £10 per month as £10 is deducted to cover the internet & Wi-fi cost. If you don't, then you will lose your internet access.

None of this is dependant on any top-ups in the first 12 months.
Click to expand...

Thats interesting.

Just to clarify your point then, after the first 12 months (irrelevent of how much i top up during that time, if i top up JUST £10 a month in the second year, that will all be spent to cover the cost of the internet, meaning I would have to top up £20 to get £10 calls and texts credit?
 
shrewd said:
Thats interesting.

Just to clarify your point then, after the first 12 months (irrelevent of how much i top up during that time, if i top up JUST £10 a month in the second year, that will all be spent to cover the cost of the internet, meaning I would have to top up £20 to get £10 calls and texts credit?
Click to expand...

Yes, that's correct.
 
shrewd said:
Thats interesting.

Just to clarify your point then, after the first 12 months (irrelevent of how much i top up during that time, if i top up JUST £10 a month in the second year, that will all be spent to cover the cost of the internet, meaning I would have to top up £20 to get £10 calls and texts credit?
Click to expand...

Alternatively, you could sign up for a Simplicity contract at £19.58 per month which gives you unlimited internet (if you choose the right bolt-on, but does not give you any free wi-fi) plus 600 minutes plus 1200 texts, which is probably better value if you use the phone a lot.

See here for details.
 
I bought my first iphone on friday from the O2 shop, on pay and go. When she took it out of the box and connected it to Itunes, it never went through the activation process. I took it home and synced it with my Itunes and again, no activation. Is this normal for a PAYG phone? It appears i have never had to activate it but yet everything seems to work fine
 
brobert99 said:
I bought my first iphone on friday from the O2 shop, on pay and go. When she took it out of the box and connected it to Itunes, it never went through the activation process. I took it home and synced it with my Itunes and again, no activation. Is this normal for a PAYG phone? It appears i have never had to activate it but yet everything seems to work fine
Click to expand...

Are you sure it didn't activate?

Mine activated within a second or two, and it just pops up a small message. Are you sure it wasn't so fast in the shop that you might have missed it? If you can make calls, then it's activated.
 
Acitvated my Pay and Go 3GS at home - its very quick. Did you get any text messages from O2 welcoming you to the service? I got 8 in 30 mins as various things were done.
 
rushmere said:
Alternatively, you could sign up for a Simplicity contract at £19.58 per month which gives you unlimited internet (if you choose the right bolt-on, but does not give you any free wi-fi) plus 600 minutes plus 1200 texts, which is probably better value if you use the phone a lot.

See here for details.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I have looked into the Simplicity as well, still undecided.

You say it has no free wifi. If I am in McDonalds or starbucks then, or anywhere with wifi for that matter (home?) would I just turn off the wifi and it would connect to 3G or edge?
 
shrewd said:
Thanks for the info. I have looked into the Simplicity as well, still undecided.

You say it has no free wifi. If I am in McDonalds or starbucks then, or anywhere with wifi for that matter (home?) would I just turn off the wifi and it would connect to 3G or edge?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I should have said you don't get the wi-fi provided by BT Openzone and The Cloud for free (i.e. the extra service you would normally get with a contract iPhone).

The wi-fi function will still work on your iPhone, so if someone else provides free wi-fi (such as Starbucks), that will still work. Your own wi-fi at home will also still work.
 
Could I buy a pay & go iphone 3GS and also get a simplicity monthly contract? I was thinking of the £9.79 one which would give me 150 minutes and 300 text messages, but no data. However with the pay & go model you get 1 years free wifi/data so would this give me data and calls or is there some gotcha that I haven't thought of?

After the year is up I could transfer to the £20 per month simplicity contract with calls and data or sell it I presume. Thanks
 
Anyone know if you can transfer your exsisting credit from o2 onto the iphone sim?
 
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