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What is Pay As You Go?

Pay As You Go (PAYG)does exactly what it says, you top up your phone as you go along. You may put £10, £20 or even £30 on your phone, and it stays on your phone using the money only when you use it to send texts or make calls. This is the best option for consumers who want to keep hold of their budgets or who do not use their phone regularly.

Pay As You Go Deals

Usually when you purchase your PAYG phone, the network will give you an amount of money, known as credit, already on the phone for you to spend.

Consumers will not face a monthly charge on their phone. Instead consumers top up the credit on their phone when they are running low on funds. To top up their credit, consumers can either by buy top up cards from post offices and newsagents or by call their network and pay directly using their credit or debit card.

Calls and texts are charged at the standard rate when used. The rate will vary from network to network so it’s worth looking into this before making a purchasing decision. Another thing to bare in mind is that with a PAYG customers may not have access to free calls and texts, and therefore this needs to be researched before purchasing your PAYG mobile phone.

The minimum top up amount allowed varies from network to network. For some it is a few pence, but most prefer £10. Once your phone has been topped up, you are free to use this as they please.

PAYG Deals

There are many different PAYG Deals and these need to be researched thoroughly. Some networks may give customers a number of free texts, whilst others reward customers who spend a certain amount on their phone. When consumers are deciding whether to take a PAYG deal or not, they should firstly research how much they are prepared to spend on their phone and then if different networks offer different packages for this.

PAYG Information

PAYG phones are not eligible for upgrades as customers purchase the handset only. Therefore, the PAYG tariff is only suitable to consumers who want basic functions to their phones and who do not use their mobiles regularly.