topic Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack? in Pay as you go

EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

Lupin1 — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 16:00:50 GMT

Hello. I've had a SIM-only £10 pay-as-you-go Data Pack since Nov 2019. I will be travelling in two weeks' time to the EU, just a 5-day trip. Could you tell me, please, if my Data Pack allowance will allow me to send/receive text messages and WhatsApp messages and to send/receive phone calls. EE information online suggests that I am covered (my £10 Pack was renewed on Friday 26 Aug) but in two EE stores I visited to check my understanding, I was given completely different and conflicting information. One store told me to buy a £10 Add-on to cover the 5 days (£2/day) and another told me I would be charged all the standard roaming charges (40p/minute for calls and 20p per text). So I am a bit confused and would be hugely grateful if someone could help me get a clear and accurate answer. Kind regards.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

XRaySpeX — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 16:08:11 GMT

The store told you a load of baloney. The need for add-ons or paying a £2/day charge in the EU is only for contracts. It does not apply to PAYG. As yet EE haven't introduced any charges for PAYG users to use their UK allowances in the EU. EE has not yet announced if & when they may start. So you may continue to use your pack allowances in EU as before w/out charge.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

Schockwave — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 16:08:15 GMT

Hello @Lupin1 ,

Welcome to the community,

As you are on pay as you go, when travelling in the EU, nothing has changed thus far and you can use your phone as if in the UK.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

Lupin1 — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 16:16:05 GMT

Hello XRaySpeX and Shockwave. Thank you both very much for your really helpful (and wow! how speedy!) clear answers. Just one more question, please, if I may ... do I have to do anything to enable roaming on my (Android) phone - for calls or text or data - or is roaming auto-enabled on a PAYG Data Pack? An EE document I downloaded about EE roaming (for PAYG), but it is dated March 2020, says I have to enable roaming before I leave the UK.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

XRaySpeX — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 16:29:04 GMT

You just need to switch Roaming and/or Data Roaming ON in your phone's settings.

As long as that PAYG SIM (not the pack) has once been used to make a call or text from within the UK, as I presume it has, you should be good to go.

Thanks! You're welcome 🙂 ! Glad I could be of assistance & trust it is now sorted.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

Lupin1 — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 16:32:24 GMT

Great! Many thanks again. I can't find any reference to Roaming and/or Data Roaming in my phone settings (it's a Moto g(7) Power) but I have been using this phone (the SIM and the pack) since Nov 2019. Does that still mean I am good to go? Sorry to bother you again.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

XRaySpeX — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 16:39:23 GMT

On my Samsung Android I find a Data Roaming switch under Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

Lupin1 — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 16:45:53 GMT

Brilliant! I've found it now, also under Mobile Network. 😊 And I see that both Mobile Data and Roaming are switched on. Yay! Thank you SO much, XRaySpeX; you've been incredibly helpful to me this afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your bank holiday! I'll sign off now.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

NWBux — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 20:08:21 GMT

Did you ever get to a definitive answer? I’m in the same situation and heading to France next month for a holiday - want to be able to use my pack allowances there.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

XRaySpeX — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 20:22:19 GMT

@NWBux : Yes. The need for add-ons or paying a £2/day charge in the EU is only for contracts. It does not apply to PAYG. As yet EE haven't introduced any charges for PAYG users to use their UK allowances in the EU. EE has not yet announced if & when they may start. So you may continue to use your pack allowances in EU as before w/out charge.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

Lupin1 — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 21:53:35 GMT

Thanks XRaySpeX for getting to NWBux's question before I saw it just now. Data roaming in the EU worked perfectly for me in September, on my £10 Data Pack ... no extra charges to pay. However, is it not the case that Data Packs will cease to exist on 15 January 2023? I think they will become Subscription Packs - is that right? EE sent me a text message along these lines in September this year, and I'm wondering if the current data roaming situation for the EU that applies for Data Packs will also apply for Subscription Packs.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

XRaySpeX — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 23:47:31 GMT

That's just a name change & they are already calling Packs "Subscription Packs". They were never called "Data Packs" in the present incarnation anyway. Nothing else changes & the text codes to buy them remains unchanged as "PACKnn".

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

Lupin1 — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 21:52:43 GMT

Thank you for your helpful comments. I understand after visiting a store today that the big change with EE on 15 January is that their 3G network will be shut down that day. Customers can be moved free of charge onto their 4G network but you have to ring them to get moved over - or "visit a store" apparently. However, the store couldn't do it for me today and told me to ring up instead. That may be because I want to stick with my PAYG £10 Subscription Pack rather than move onto a contract.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

XRaySpeX — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 23:22:28 GMT

As you have a Subscription Pack you already have a 4G SIM. It only affects those on EE 3G packs who were moved from Orange & T-M.

Re: EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

Lupin1 — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 12:28:22 GMT

Actually, I am a former Orange customer and am still on a 3G SIM, but I've just phoned EE to arrange for the new 4G SIM to be sent to me. Hopefully I'll get it before 15 January! I'm really pleased that I can stick with my current £10 PAYG Subscription pack on the new SIM card. Once again, many thanks XRaySpeX for all your comments, and happy Christmas!