topic Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended in Pay as you go

Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

Amangaladh — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 15:29:02 GMT

Hello,

My EE contract ended on 21 November, and my UK number was supposed to be converted to Pay As You Go starting 22 November.

I am now in Italy and I can receive SMS, but I cannot make calls or use data. My account shows as cancelled.

I rely on this number for my UK bank account and need it to receive security codes (OTP).

When I called EE in October to convert my contract, the operator explained it would be an automatic operation. I simply agreed, and that was it.

Can anyone advise?

Thank you very much for your help.

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

Schockwave — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 16:33:58 GMT

Hello @Amangaladh ,

Welcome to the community,

Did you first use your SIM card in the UK after giving 30 days notice? If you did not, then you will have to wait until you return to the UK, or send it back to someone you trust in the UK, who can activate and make a chargeable call or text and then send it back to you, this would be the only way to get it to work, as it is a UK network and does have to be activated here in the UK.

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

Amangaladh — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 16:43:45 GMT

Hello @Schockwave ,

Thanks for your answer.

I had a SIM card with a monthly pay contract for years. I understood it was converted into a Pay-As-You-Go card. I asked many questions during the phone call since I had to move, and the operator seemed annoyed.

And here we are: I am no longer in the UK and I can't do anything. This was a key information the operator HAD to mention.

I can receive SMS on my number though.

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

bristolian — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 17:17:34 GMT

All new PAYG SIMs need to be activated on EE's UK network, before roaming is auto-enabled for use abroad. This includes migrations from pay-monthly.

Now that your SIM is a new PAYG one, it therefore needs usage in the UK before roaming is enabled. If you've not done this, it will not work abroad until it's first used on EE's UK network.

You're not the first person to have this problem, and I very much doubt you'll be the last.

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

Amangaladh — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 17:35:10 GMT

Thanks, operators should be instructed to say this when phoned.

I have friends in the UK. What do you suggest me to do? Ship the SIM to them and back to me once activated?

In this case, what do they need to activate it?

Anyway, why my online accounts shows as cancelled? It should state that it is a Pay As You Go.

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

XRaySpeX — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 19:23:52 GMT

Yes, you could send the SIM back to friends in UK to activate it by making a call or text from it.

In regards to your EE a/c, You need to call CS to delete your old contract MyEE a/c & then you can set up your new PAYG MyEE a/c afresh, using the same mobile no. & email addy if desired. You can't mix them under MyEE.

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

Amangaladh — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:21:50 GMT

Thanks for the info. I am travelling back to the UK for 1 week. In order to activate it, should I simply make a call? At the moment I cannot call anyone at all. I cannot even buy data with the balance I have.

In May, I received a text which stated: "As you' haven't made a call, sent a text, used some data or topped up, you will now lose any remaining credit (as per our terms and conditions). Your service will also be disconnected within the next 3 months and we'll text beforehand to let you know."

That same day I topped up £5 and the system accepted it.

In my account I see now that I have:

£10 in credit, 0 data left, 0 minutes. In settings it says: "Pay as you go [my number], Talk and text plan (No data included), Calls 40p a minute, Texts 20p".

Did I stop the process?

Thank you.

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

XRaySpeX — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:35:06 GMT

No. From the text in May your PAYG SIM had gone into hibernation at that time due to non-use. Topping-up after would be too late.

EE PAYG SIMs are deactivated after 6 months of non-chargeable use. You then have a further 3 months period of grace to call EE to reactivate it before it is lost completely. You might just be in time!

You needed to make a chargeable action like making a chargeable call or text, topping up or buying a Pack or Add-on, not just using your mins, texts or data from your pack.

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

Amangaladh — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:57:18 GMT

Thanks for the reply.

However, I’m still receiving OTPs.

Furthermore, I have just purchased an add-on (£1 for 200 messages).

Can you please confirm that the account is definitely in hibernation? Or is there perhaps a tolerance/grace period after that text to demonstrate that I am using it?

Thanks.

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

Leanne_T — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:22:50 GMT

Hi there @Amangaladh

Thanks for coming back to the community.

If you would like to check if the account is in hibernation, you would need to give us a call and our mobile guides can look into this and help you further.

Leanne.

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

Amangaladh — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:26:29 GMT

Thanks, Leanne.

I am abroad and I cannot use my UK number... Any other way? Email? Web Chat?

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

Leanne_T — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:33:19 GMT

Hi @Amangaladh

Sorry, you would need to call us from any other phone on +44 (0)7953 966 150 to get the account looked into.

Leanne.

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

XRaySpeX — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:35:11 GMT

EE provide no contact via email. There is no Live Chat on PAYG.

All I can suggest is Try calling EE CS on the Freephone no.(Opt 2) in my sig. using a web-calling app over WiFi.

Re: Pay As You Go SIM not working abroad after contract ended

XRaySpeX — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:44:11 GMT

@Amangaladh wrote:Thanks for the reply.
Furthermore, I have just purchased an add-on (£1 for 200 messages).

Yes, you may have purchased on your a/c but you still won't be able to use it. Your PAYG SIM went into hibernation in May this year, well after when you 1st posted your issue of not activating your newly PAYG SIM in UK. That issue has now been overtaken by this hibernation issue. In fact Nov > May = the 6 months incubation period before hibernation.

Sometimes inactive SIMs can still receive free texts.