How to get a free mobile phone on pay-as-you-go

When you think of pay-as-you-go (PAYG), most people assume they’ll be asked to pay a ludicrous up-front fee for an ancient mobile phone and then be in constant search of shops selling phone credit.

The reality couldn’t be more different though - the PAYG market is now thriving and network operators are queuing up to pair you with the latest smartphone and a contract-free PAYG price plan.

Can I get a free phone on PAYG?

Yes, you can get a free mobile phone on PAYG.

What you need to remember, though, is that your free phone will never be the iPhone 4 or latest HTC smartphone. Mobile networks only give such smartphones away for free on contract deals, since these let them subsidise the phone’s cost with the customer’s monthly payments.

Free PAYG phones tend to be quite low-end, such as the Samsung E1080. Before giving you the phone the retailer will probably ask you to top-up £5 or £10 of airtime credit - otherwise they’d be handing out free phones all day and not making any money!

E1080(black) £5.90

0 min 0 texts

£0.00

If a PAYG Deals isn’t free then its one-off fee will be in line with its assumed desirability.

For example, a mid-range model, such as the Samsung Tocco Lite S5230, might cost you £40. A more advanced and recent phone, such as the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8, could set you back around £100. The PAYG iPhone 4 is likely to cost over £500.

Compare PAYG mobile phone prices.

The best PAYG plans

PAYG “packages” or “plans” might seem like contrasting words, but mobile networks now promote fixed-rate top-ups that give you a set allowance. For example, topping up with £10 of calling credit will get you 100 free texts in return.

This way you’re dissuaded from only topping up £7 or £8.

In addition to charging you set fees for text messages, mobile internet and telephone calls, Orange (www.orange.co.uk) will give you free texts and music downloads when you top-up £5, £10, £20 or £30 in one go.

The Vodafone (www.vodafone.co.uk) “Freebees” PAYG plan gives you free 3,000 texts and 500MB mobile internet access when you top-up at least £30 every 30 days.

Most of the rival mobile networks offer similar PAYG top-up plans.

Compare PAYG mobile phone deals.

How to pick a PAYG phone and plan

Buy a PAYG phone from a mobile network and, chances are, it will be locked to that network. This means you won’t be able to make calls or send texts if you put another network’s sim card in it.

This can be overcome by unlocking your mobile phone or buying a sim-free phone. However, if you’re confident that you won’t ever need to use another network’s sim in your phone, you simply need to consider the following before picking a PAYG phone and plan:

1. Which PAYG phone? - Choose a phone that suits your mobile needs, both now and in the future. If you’ll only ever need to send texts and make a few calls then a cheap Nokia is fine, but if you’re curious about mobile internet then paying for a slightly more advanced smartphone is the best option.
2. Which PAYG plan? - Opt for a PAYG plan that offers plenty of benefits for each top-up. For example, one network might give you 100 free texts when you top-up £5, but a rival might give you 150 free texts and a small free mobile internet allowance for the same amount.

Compare PAYG plans.

The other benefits of PAYG

• Orange Tiny Top Ups

Don’t forget that the core benefit of PAYG is that you’re in control of how much your phone costs you.

If you’d rather pay an ad hoc amount when you top-up (£3.50 instead of a set PAYG plan amount) then Orange’s “Tiny Top Ups” is ideal, since it lets you top-up your phone with as little as 10p.

• T-Mobile Weekend Rewards

The T-Mobile (www.t-mobile.co.uk) “Weekend Rewards” scheme gives you the choice of free texts, international calls and more each weekend.

You simply have to top-up £10 between Monday and Friday to qualify.

• O2 Text and Web for BlackBerry

This BlackBerry-specific plan gives O2’s BlackBerry customers 500 texts and a 500MB mobile internet allowance for every £15 top-up.

Compare PAYG mobile phone deals.

Galaxy S2(black) £0.00	100 min Unlimited texts	£20.50
Galaxy S3(blue) £0.00	400 min Unlimited texts	£31.00
One X(black) £0.00	600 min Unlimited texts	£28.50

Find your ideal mobile phone deal

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