# What's the best contract/PAYG for a pauper?



## Orang Utan (Oct 23, 2012)

I'm coming to the end of my contract and I can't really afford to keep up the £30-40 a month for my iPhone/t-mobile contract.
I need 3G as I use my phone to navigate.
I am looking to pay at least half what I pay now. The cheaper the better though.
What say you Urban?


----------



## weepiper (Oct 23, 2012)

Do you get to keep the handset?


----------



## Santino (Oct 23, 2012)

Giffgaff suits me. You can get a decent amount of minutes and texts for £10 a month with data included.


----------



## Badgers (Oct 23, 2012)

Three probably 
There are loads though 

Have a look on Quidco and get some cash back by changing network too.


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 23, 2012)

weepiper said:


> Do you get to keep the handset?


Yes. Phone always belongs to the contractee.


----------



## gaijingirl (Oct 23, 2012)

giff gaff... I was spending a fortune with T-Mobile before I realised how cheap it could be!


----------



## Badgers (Oct 23, 2012)

Giff Gaff sorted out their problems yet?


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 23, 2012)

Santino said:


> Giffgaff suits me. You can get a decent amount of minutes and texts for £10 a month with data included.


I had not heard of them til last week. Tbh my Internet gleanings leave me with the impression that they're rubbish and their 3g is shit.


----------



## weepiper (Oct 23, 2012)

yeah giffgaff probably then, it uses the O2 network. I've got one sat on the mantelpiece but never gotten around to porting my number over so I'm still on O2  my O2 paygo sim lets me have free calls and texts to other O2 numbers so long as I top up a minimum of £10 a month, plus data charged at a pound a day


----------



## paolo (Oct 23, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> I had not heard of them til last week. Tbh my Internet gleanings leave me with the impression that they're rubbish and their 3g is shit.


 
And no good for you if you want to do tethering.

I've been researching deals of late and have found Three very competitive.


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 23, 2012)

What's tethering?


----------



## Badgers (Oct 23, 2012)

paolo said:
			
		

> And no good for you if you want to do tethering.
> 
> I've been researching deals of late and have found Three very competitive.



They restrict tethering on lower priced plans though. I think it is £25pm for the plan that includes tethering.


----------



## paolo (Oct 23, 2012)

Badgers said:


> They restrict tethering on lower priced plans though. I think it is £25pm for the plan that includes tethering.


 
It's a £5 optional extra on the sub £25 plans, and - important to note, cos' they don't make this clear - is 1GB capped even if the data for use on the phone is unlimited.


----------



## paolo (Oct 23, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> What's tethering?


 
Using your phone as a WiFi hotspot. Dunno whether you'd want that - sounds like not.


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 23, 2012)

paolo said:


> Using your phone as a WiFi hotspot. Dunno whether you'd want that - sounds like not.


Please elucidate.
I'm still none the wiser!


----------



## Badgers (Oct 23, 2012)

Orang Utan said:
			
		

> Please elucidate.
> I'm still none the wiser!



Phone becomes modem


----------



## paolo (Oct 23, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> Please elucidate.
> I'm still none the wiser!


 
Connecting your laptop / PC / whatever to the internet via your phone.


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 23, 2012)

Oh right that. No use for that. Wifi at 'home'


----------



## ohmyliver (Oct 24, 2012)

Here ( http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/sev...ving-mins-txts-data-various-suppliers-1110944 ) is a good link about the best sim only deals.

And this (http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/ess...internet-top-up-9-90-pm-42-92-tcb-200-1342908 ) seems like an excellent deal (if you don't mind using topcashback (you'll have to register for the site, and then click through to three from the link within TCB http://www.topcashback.co.uk/3_mobile/ and then sign up) 200 minutes, 5000 texts, unlimited data (this is with adding the unlimited data add on after signing up) for about 6.33 a month (although it's a 12 month contract). It's about 3 pounds 32p or sowithout the unlimited data add on.. albeit with a paltry 500 mb a month.

*eta* and the 'unlimited' internet does include tethering.


----------



## astral (Oct 24, 2012)

I find that talkmobile are good.  They have excellent mobile coverage and I get 1000 texts, 1000 minutes and unlimited data for £15 a month.


----------



## paolo (Oct 24, 2012)

ohmyliver said:


> Here ( http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/sev...ving-mins-txts-data-various-suppliers-1110944 ) is a good link about the best sim only deals.
> 
> And this (http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/ess...internet-top-up-9-90-pm-42-92-tcb-200-1342908 ) seems like an excellent deal (if you don't mind using topcashback (you'll have to register for the site, and then click through to three from the link within TCB http://www.topcashback.co.uk/3_mobile/ and then sign up) 200 minutes, 5000 texts, unlimited data (this is with adding the unlimited data add on after signing up) for about 6.33 a month (although it's a 12 month contract). It's about 3 pounds 32p or sowithout the unlimited data add on.. albeit with a paltry 500 mb a month.
> 
> *eta* and the 'unlimited' internet does include tethering.


 
Only their 'One Plan' includes unlimited data with tethering.

The other unlimited plans have tethering as an optional extra - £5 gets you a gig for a month. _Not_ unlimited. They aren't very explicit about this.

And I can't find any plan which is unlimited data for circa £7 either. Nor any plan whatsoever which is near £3. Either those offers have disappeared, or you were misreading / being mislead.

Nonetheless, the tariffs on Three are about as good as you can get at the moment, and going via a cashback site will obviously make them even better.


----------



## ohmyliver (Oct 24, 2012)

Actually there's sim only plans and ultimate Internet plans on three with unlimited data. You can also upgrade the data to unlimited data for 3 pounds. People on the hot UK deals site would have down voted those deals if they weren't correct. 

I'm on my phone at the moment so will provide links when I get home to nerrrrr you good


----------



## ohmyliver (Oct 24, 2012)

well, you're right about the tethering, so nerr at me...  

and those prices are derived by 12 x original  monthly costs - cashback / 12.  So they are effective monthly prices rather than actual.


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 24, 2012)

can you keep your number with sim only deals?


----------



## twentythreedom (Oct 24, 2012)

Only if you behave yourself


----------



## 8115 (Oct 24, 2012)

Carphone warehouse have one for 6.50 but this may not include much data (a friend told me this).


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 24, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> can you keep your number with sim only deals?


 
Yes. You just need to ask for a PAC code. You may find it less hassle to find the best deal and see if your current phone company will match it.

Also worth thinking is do you mind signing up for another 12 months or would you rather pay on a rolling month by month contract. Obviously you get a better deal if you don't mind committing, but you lose the freedom to just leave, which is very nice.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 24, 2012)

Oh and you haven't said how many mins/txts/data you want.


----------



## Mr Expert (Nov 18, 2012)

Have a look here, some comparisons of UK networks:

http://giffgaffoffer.webs.com/compare


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 18, 2012)

I'm with Virgin now btw


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Nov 18, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> I'm with Virgin now btw


 
I've been with them for years and had no problems


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 18, 2012)

500mb allowance seems meager to me though.


----------



## Minnie_the_Minx (Nov 18, 2012)

Orang Utan said:


> 500mb allowance seems meager to me though.


 
I don't use internet phones so no idea


----------



## monkeypig (Nov 19, 2012)

try Tesco mobile. some cheap deals there from £7.50pm


----------

