topic Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard? in Roaming

Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Bootoo — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 13:59:52 GMT

I have an old contract which includes unlimited text, calls and 200GB data. I am entitled to use it in EU as I had it before brexit. I’ve checked with customer services and they confirmed this. However last time I went to Spain (I visit my parents every year) I couldn’t make calls or send text. I’ve never had this problem in the past. Apparently it’s because I need to change my spend cap from £0 to £20. This is new and I don’t understand why. I don’t want to spend anything other than using my contracted allowances. I would rather the call didn’t work than risk an accidental charge. I’ve been told I have no choice but to have a cap of £20 which means I could incur charges by accident. Any ideas what’s changed and is there any way round this?
thanks

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

bristolian — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 14:50:34 GMT

@Bootoo wrote:

last time I went to Spain ...Apparently it’s because I need to change my spend cap from £0 to £20. This is new and I don’t understand why. I don’t want to spend anything other than using my contracted allowances....I’ve been told I have no choice but to have a cap of £20 which means I could incur charges by accident.

What's your basis for saying this? Whom or what has told you this?

You've mentioned an inability to make calls or send texts. Could you receive calls & texts? Did you try connecting to alternate local networks to prove this wasn't a local issue?

There have been cases where a spend cap has oddly restricted usage that should be inclusive, but other factors need to be eliminated first.

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Northerner — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 15:11:12 GMT

Hi @Bootoo

What is the name of your tariff.

Thanks

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Bootoo — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 16:19:23 GMT

Is that it?

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Bootoo — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 16:23:47 GMT

I did all of this while abroad after speaking to customer services. Didn’t get it resolved. Was told when I spoke to customer services when I got back I needed £20 spend cap. I asked why as I shouldn’t need anything to spend so it all should be inclusive. Was told things have changed and I have to. I said I think it’s a way of getting people to spend unwittingly.

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Matt_124 — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 16:47:57 GMT

A zero spend cap can bar some services, including roaming, in some circumstances. I tend to think of it as the billing system 'thinking' about charging you, before then zero-rating the usage. If you have a £0 spend cap, then there is no mechanism for the billing system to be able to 'think' about it as it will simply refuse to do anything that it perceives as chargeable.

With inclusive Roaming you will be able to use up to 50GB of your data allowance and unlimited calls and texts to phone numbers within the country you're visiting and back to the UK. There shouldn't be any situation which generates additional charges, outside of unknowingly calling a premium rate number or sending premium rate texts or visiting/connecting to a country that is not covered by your Roaming Addon.

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

XRaySpeX — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 17:36:21 GMT

or sending an MMS (Picture Msg).

I wonder if it really works that way by "I'm thinking this may be chargeable before deciding it isn't" or is the IF SpendCap > 0 test is out of place?

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Matt_124 — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 17:34:14 GMT

To be fair it is hard to say.

It does seem to be somewhat inconsistent (with some reports of individuals not needing to adjust it to use their device) but I haven't had a chance to test it myself by lowering my spend cap before connecting to a foreign network. (don't get on too many holidays these days sadly)

The above is how I've always made sense of it and explained it to others (thanks to an explainer by a helpful guide on one occasion), but the latter could very well be the case too.

Could also be dependent on the specific roaming add-on and where it intervenes in the billing process, might explain some of the inconsistency.

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Bootoo — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 06:36:55 GMT

This may partially answer the question but doesn’t explain why:

a) it has to be £20 and not £5. If it just needs to ‘think’ about it surely £5 would work in the same way?

b) this wasn’t the case in the past. I’ve had the same contract since before brexit but it was only last year I had an issue with the spend cap being £0. I’ve always had a £0 spend cap and never had problems before. This makes me think it’s not to do with the ‘system’ needing a £20 spend cap but some other change?

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

ukms — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 07:23:29 GMT

This is from my app …. Which shows a minimum cap if there is no pass. You’ve mentioned that you have roaming included, which roaming pass do you have showing in your app or where does it shows you have roaming included (other than what you’ve been told on the phone) ? Keeping in mind that roaming may have changed since you last travelled.

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Bootoo — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 13:31:16 GMT

This is what I have for roaming.

I’m assuming I dont need an additional roaming package

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

ukms — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 14:01:05 GMT

This just means that roaming is enabled but as far as I know it doesnt necessarily mean that it’s free unless you have some kind of roaming pass. As mentioned above there were changes to roaming at the end of last year.

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Matt_124 — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 14:08:33 GMT

That addon does not provide free roaming or anything of the like, it is purely to enable the capability to connect to foreign networks with your EE SIM.

You would incur the relative charges for usage in the country you are visiting and would have to purchase a Roaming Pass upon landing (via a text sent to you) to enable usage of your UK Allowances without being charged per call and text etc.

The only addons which enable "free" roaming are Roam in EU (or the old EU Roaming addon), Roam Further Pass and Roaming Pass ROW.

Alternatively if your current plan has a contract start date of on or before 7th July 2021, EU Roaming will be inclusive.

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Bootoo — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 19:40:23 GMT

None of this explains why I could make calls or send texts when it has worked previously and I am on the same contract. Customer services have confirmed that my contracts covers EU use and I don’t need to purchase an add on but I have to have a £20 spend cap. What I am trying to understand is why £20? If it just has to be above £0 why not £5? And what has changed since 2023? No one seems to know?

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Lesley_W — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 09:59:18 GMT

Hi @Bootoo

I understand you have a lot of questions about your latest roaming experience and the advice you were given. As we don't have account access here on the forum, I'd recommend speaking to our team again so they can check your account and see why you were suggested this as a resolution and if anything has changed on your account since your last time away.

Lesley

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Bootoo — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 10:58:19 GMT

Hi spoke to customer services last week so I don’t think anything will have changed with the advice or my contract since then? I have put a compliant in but I am still waiting for an opportunity to speak to the rep as we keep missing each other and I am now leaving the country. I asked all of these questions when I was in the call last week but didn’t get any explanation, hence messaging on here.

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Lesley_W — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 12:21:02 GMT

I'm pleased they have raised a complaint @Bootoo

I'm sure they will be in touch soon but if wish to chase this up, you can see how here Make a Complaint | Contact Us | EE.

Lesley

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

hohihon — Fri, 30 May 2025 20:06:40 GMT

Did they ever give a plausible explanation for this? One eu trip spend cap at £0 is fine, next trip they insist I have £20 spend cap for the roaming to work which I find very annoying.

Re: Why do I need £20 spend cap to use my contract aboard?

Bootoo — Sat, 31 May 2025 06:01:10 GMT

No. I never got an explanation. Just that it won’t work without the £20 spend cap now! But I know it did in the past…,