maintaining my PAYG SIM while abroad > 1 year

[btwimberly]

I recently visited the UK for about 3 weeks. I bought an EE SIM and a 10-pound e-voucher -- worked great. 

We are now back in the US and I am thinking about trying to keep this SIM alive until we visit the UK again -- probably sometime in the next 1-2 years, but more than six months from now. 

I know that I need to make a chargeable call or text every 180 days to maintain this SIM. 

But what product would I need to buy? I believe the voucher I bought in the UK was only for calls/data/text within the UK.

So if I am to maintain this SIM for another 1-2 years. I think I would need to buy some product that would allow me to send texts while abroad. 

Is there a very cheap way to do this with a PAYG SIM? To be cost-effective, the monthly cost should be about 50 p or less, since the alternative would be to buy another SIM an e-voucher for 10 pounds when we next visit. 

Thanks

[XRaySpeX]

@btwimberly : No product as such. Just keep it topped up with £s. The voucher you bought was 1 way of topping up. It did not directly give you calls/data/text but you used it to buy a pack of them. You need to text 1st STOP PACK to 150 to stop any top-up being used again in this way.

Then all you need do is send a text to yourself every 5 months or so. It'll cost 60p.

Now it may be too late to to do this now that you are outside UK. Did you leave any credit on it before you left?

[btwimberly]

No, I didn't get around to topping up before leaving -- so the balance is zero. 

I might be able to convince a friend in the UK to top it up if I can't top it up from here.

I've been able to top up a Vodafone SIM from the US using Paypal -- does EE allow this too?

[btwimberly]

Even if I can top up from the US -- would I be able to text 1st STOP PACK to 150 from the US?

[btwimberly]

OK,  I managed to link my phone to my EE account online, which means I can stop the pack online -- ie without needing to text to 150.

However, before I stop the pack, should I confirm that I definitely CAN'T use any of that currently viable pack for roaming in the USA?

[XRaySpeX]

I can confirm that any pack you may have is not valid outside the EU.

As it is not in EU, you cannot use your usual UK allowances there but will need to pay the charges or buy roaming add-ons as set out in https://ee.co.uk/help/help-new/roaming-costs/countries/usa > PAYG section.

[btwimberly]

Thanks, I was also able to top up with a US-based credit card, so I am good to go. 

The hard part will be remembering to text myself every 5 months or so!

[XRaySpeX]

EE don't use PayPal. You could see if Fast Top Up online will accept your bank card. You don't need to login or register anything. All you need is your mobile no. & it doesn't remember your card details. 

[XRaySpeX]

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