[Goosegirl]

I have a little mobile phone just for emergencies and last used it well before the last festive season so the O2 credit didn't disappear. Unfortunately I forgot all about it until the other day so I tried to make a call and got an" invalid sim" message. On giggling for info I discovered 02 ( and one or two other firms) have stopped doing PAYG unless you have used it within their time period; if not then you can't get one now - bum. After more guggling I've now ordered a free sim from Tesco mobile as they're still operating the PAYG system. It's not on to stop this system for those like me who rarely need to make calls outside the home, and it's well worth checking to see if your sim still works.

[mumofstig]

You just needed to remember to send a text or 2 every month to keep the account active, GG. My O2 PAYG is still working and very, very, rarely use it to actually make phone calls, or need to top it up.
Like most things, if you don't use it you lose it .....

[JayG]

Didn't want to be left out, so I bought a smartphone to replace my PAYG dumb phone when my family and friends started to keep in touch via Whatsapp.

I rarely use many of the texts, mobile data, or even the talk minutes, although with landline charges so extortionate these days they do come in handy when phoning call centres with long queues.

For £5.32 per month (SIM only) it seems pretty cheap considering what I pay out for heating, electricity and the other utility bills.

[mrs bouquet]

I only have a very old flip-top mobile for emergencies.   I payg, with Vodaphone, it tells me when I need to top up, which is about every 5 years     Mrs Bouquet

[sunnywillow]

I had a mobile phone in the 1980's for emergency use only. Still got it, but updated to a more modern one in the 1990's.
Yesterday I received a text from O2 to update to having a 'bundle' which I consider to be a bullying tactic from these providers to try & get us PAYG users to change to having contracts. I personally will not pay £... each month for the pleasure of having 500mins of text & chat time......life is getting too short for that!!
So I will now send a text each month or so as mumofstig advises and keep paying the PAYG online.
My current phone is very much NOT smart (like its' owner) and I cannot even load What3Words on it!

[jaydig]

I only carry a mobile for emergencies. It's never switched on unless I need to use it myself, and it doesn't even take photos.  All it does is make calls.  I'd be lost without it, and I don't want an all-singing all-dancing phone that will cost a fortune to run. Unfortunately, although there must be thousands of us, nobody ever seems to think about what WE need.

[Christine]

I've had a mobile for years as I travelled a lot for work so was rarely near the home landline. It's only the last few years since retirement that I've been settled enough to keep the same landline number. However I find that texts are the way to go. It's not the minutes that count but the texts. I've found that the landline is far too expensive to use.

[AlaninCarlisle]

I was probably one of the first in Cumbria to get a mobile phone (car phone) in the early 1980s. If I ever get one, I'll probably be the last to get a smart phone

[snowdrops]

After my mum died 4+ years ago, we did away with the landline. The children only have mobiles so we just rely on our mobiles (both iPhones) we both have a £6 a month giffgaff contract which suits us well, unlimited minutes & texts & 500g (?) internet.
Smart phones are great, I just love being able to take a photo anywhere anytime. I use it all the time in shops for price comparison etc.

[Growster...]

I'm with O2, on a pay-as-you-go card, and just use it for emergencies as well!

One annoyance is that the signal is pretty poor around here, so when Paypal or others want to send me some sort of text to verify a transaction, it doesn't get here in time!

Mrs Growster has had a similar card in one of my old work phones for fifteen or so years, and still has most of the tenner she put in at the start!

I suppose I'll have to make a couple of calls from my Samsung now...

:o(

[grinling]

contact your phone company and they should reinstate the card.

[jezza]

Hello I have an old phone on pay and go it only for emergencies,I get a top up notice every month on O2 ,if you can get into an O2 shop see if they can get you back on  to your old sim,ad long as it's not over 3 months   jezza

[Yorkie]

I've been with Three on a PAYG SIM for many years now.  It used to be an amazing tariff but they rocketed the prices of it a few months ago now.

My signal is dismal, but I'd put up with it because of the tariff.  Now that the tariff is more similar to other firms', I'll be moving to a different firm which has a decent signal in my area. 

But as others have said, they really don't want people on the original style PAYG these days.  They'd far rather you paid them more per month and waste credit when you don't use it to the maximum of that monthly sum.

[Growster...]

Interesting, Yorkie...

I was in Tesco this morning, and saw their sim cards stuck around the till for varying prices!

I suppose you can buy one for - whatever, and use it until the money runs out, then buy another one!

I'm sure chums here know how they work, but as of yesterday, my old Samsung Fiddly-Fat-Finger Thing still seems to do something or other, I'm not sure as I don't tweetett, or use bookface......

...well, in a way...

[Yorkie]

Good suggestion Growster - the trouble is finding the network with a sufficient signal both indoors and outdoors.  I think Tesco's network isn't very strong. But will look into it!