Switching from contract to Pay as You Go

SGathergood · ‎03-03-2023

I spoke to EE a month before going abroad about the best thing to do with my phone contract whilst I am away for a year. I was advised that I could pay my final bill in Feb and then my phone would switch to Pay as You Go and I would receive a text explaining how to add a top up. Then I could just use this money to send a text back to a UK phone number once every 3 months and this would keep my phone number alive until I return to the UK in 2024.

Ive paid my final bill, my EE says my account is closed and I've not heard anything about changing to PAYG or topping up. Am worried I've lost my phone number? Saw a post on here from 2021 that said my SIM will be dead until I use it again in the UK?

XRaySpeX · ‎03-03-2023

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.
It takes 30 days to cancel a contract & before it is moved to PAYG. Did you use that PAYG SIM for making calls or texts in UK before you left to go abroad? EE PAYG SIMs need 1st activating on EE's home UK network before they can be used abroad. If it wasn't you can't now use it until you return to UK.

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To phone EE CS: Dial Freephone +44 800 079 8586 - Option 1 for Mobile Phone & Mobile Broadband or Option 2 for Home Broadband & Home Phone

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SGathergood · ‎04-03-2023

@XRaySpeX wrote:
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.
It takes 30 days to cancel a contract & before it is moved to PAYG. Did you use that PAYG SIM for making calls or texts in UK before you left to go abroad? EE PAYG SIMs need 1st activating on EE's home UK network before they can be used abroad. If it wasn't you can't now use it until you return to UK.

Thank you for the reply! Yes I called EE a month before I left the UK and the 30 days to cancel the contract are now up and my account has closed. They told me the same sim would switch to PAYG automatically but I would need to add a top up and then message a UK number, but I can't figure out how to add a top up and I now can't make any calls or send texts.

Christopher_G · ‎04-03-2023

Hi @SGathergood

You would have to have topped up in the UK and sent a message whilst in the UK in order for it to work abroad. The contract should cancel regardless of being able to activate the new SIM for roaming abroad. There are a few ways to top up, check out this top up help page.

Chris

SGathergood · ‎05-03-2023

Oh dear... ok thank you! Will I have lost my number? Or can I still top up when I return to the UK in 2024?

Christopher_G · ‎05-03-2023

The number would likely have gone into hibernation, then quarantined to be recycled by then, @SGathergood.

Unless you send the SIM home for someone to activate it for you by making a call or sending a text.

Chris