Reusing old, valid, top up card? (foreign visitor)

[themgnt]

I'll be returning to the UK in a few weeks. Last time I was there we picked up some pay as you go sims to use during our visit. We still have the sims and the top up cards, and they say they're valid until 2026. I was last there in 2017.

Can I still use the card? Just top it up for a month, insert the sim and off I go? How would I go about this?

I created an account here thinking I could top up but it's not recognizing the phone number as valid.

Also, I'm thrown off because the sims are unused. I clearly remember pocketing my local sims and reinserting them on the plane home but I have no idea on what was removed. I doubt all our phones were/are esim compatible from back then?

Thanking in advance.

[Northerner · Accepted solution]

Hi @themgnt 

The SIM will be dead if you haven't made a chargeable call since 2017. Please see EE hibernation policy.

https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Pay-as-you-go/What-is-pay-as-you-go-and-flex-hibernation-and-how-do-I-...

You will need to pick up a new PAYG SIM when you arrive in the UK.

Thanks

[themgnt]

Thanks! Appreciate the quick response.