O2 UK: Free texts or minutes

January 14th, 2007

If you are on Orange, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile or Vodafone, please see my updated guide on free texts on your pay as you go mobile.

Just a big money saving tip for people in the UK on O2 Pay and Go. If you don’t get free texts or calls when you top up, you’re probably on the standard pay and go package. This is the one that you’ll get if you purchased your phone from pretty much anywhere except from the o2.co.uk online shop.

The tariff page on the O2 website lists what you get for free on their “online tariffs”, sometimes also known as Genie SIMs. They cost £10 on the O2 website and you’ll often see them sold on Ebay.

If you already have an O2 phone, you don’t have to get a new SIM card. Customer services can switch you over and you won’t have to pay £10 for a SIM.

Freebies

There are three different choice of freebies you can choose from. If you top up £10, you’ll get the following:

  • Text Anytime gives you 300 free texts to any network
  • Talk Anytime gives you 50 anytime minutes to any network or landline
  • Talk Offpeak gives you 100 offpeak minutes to any network or landline

You’ll get this whenever you top up. However, if you top up £10 twice in a month, you’ll only get the freebies which come with a £15 top up. If you top up £10 five times in a month, you’ll only get the allowance of freebies for £30. So you can’t get more than 1,000 free texts or 300 minutes in a month.

The texts or minutes will expire if you don’t use them after 30 days.

You don’t have to top up anything; if you top up less than £10, you just won’t get anything for free.

Realistically…

But realistically, how much money does this save?

For a light user, using £5 a month on texts, you’ll top up £10 in month 1. All the texts you send in month 1 will be free (assuming you don’t send more than 300 texts that month). In the second and third month, you’ll text as normal using up £5 of credit. Thus your credit lasts 3 months rather than 2.

For me, the 1MB free data allowance also allows me to just check up on some things on the internet when I’m without internet access. (Opera Mini rules!)

When I switched over, they decided to give me the 30 day welcome allowance again (1 ringtone, 1 game, 1 photocard, 5MB data)

Switching Tariff

You’ve got to make a call to O2 Customer Services (4445; costs 25p) and ask to be switched to the Online Pay & Go package. They were really friendly actually and the wait time was virtually non-existent, so the customer service rocks! Make your way through the menus, speak to somebody, and they should be able to get all the forms filled out.

They’ll then switch you to the online tariff. Your phone will go dead for several hours with an “Invalid SIM” notice. When it comes back (I turned my phone off and back on after 5 hours), you’ll be on the new tariff. I had to top up once to activate the phone for receiving and making calls, but I had about 4p of credit.

Conclusion

As far as I can see, you don’t lose a thing by switching to the online tariff and you get loads of freebies. I switched over a few days ago and I couldn’t be happier. I’m a happy customer of O2! I hope somebody finds this useful :)

    

About Ken
Ken Lo

My mission is to demystify the world of mobile technology for general audiences and to communicate how mobile technology can enhance our every aspect of our daily lives. I've been maintaining the Ken's Tech Tips website since 2004.

I have experience communicating mobile technology and presenting new mobile products both online and offline at various trade shows and events. If you'd like to get in touch, please drop me an e-mail.

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  • Mobile , O2
  • Comments(43)

43 Responses to “O2 UK: Free texts or minutes”

  1. # Xoligyon 14 Jan 2007 at 7:31 pm

    I saw this offer a while again a Yahoo advert along with a form to get a free O2 sim card. I’ve been meaning to make the switch but my phone is locked to Vodaphone and they want £30 to unlock it. Also O2 has a very poor signal in my house, but I’m willing to risk that for the amount I’ll save. For someone who mainly texts and uses GPS, it’s going to save me a lot of money.

  2. # Khloon 14 Jan 2007 at 8:50 pm

    You might want to look into Orange too; they have a similar offer of free texts and data when you top up. I believe it’s modelled on O2. Their reception in your home could be better than O2′s reception.

    I’m not sure which phone you have so whether or not it would be worth it, but you can get a Sony Ericsson k750i for £90 at O2 Online. I’ve got this phone and although it’s not top of the range, it’s a wonderful and beautiful phone. Unlocking and buying an O2 SIM will set you back £40 so it’s just £50 more.

    £30 to unlock a phone is probably worth it anyway since you get £30 of free texts every time you top up £10. 

  3. # Kevinon 17 Jan 2007 at 11:30 pm

    O2 sims are great, I always get them when they up for offer. 10% cashback and free minutes, a great deal

    Cheers

    kevin

  4. # Khloon 23 Jan 2007 at 5:55 pm

    Hi there,

    I’m not totally sure. I had 29p when I switched over!

    You can use O2′s Lend Us a Quid service to borrow £1 which you can then use to call Customer Services. The £1 will then be deducted from your next top up. 

  5. # Mike Leeon 23 Jan 2007 at 5:25 pm

    Thanks for the advice. :)

    As soon as I’ve next topped up (so I can afford the 25p call!) I’m going to switch.

    Do you have to top up to activate the phone, though – or just make a call?

    It’ll cost me £20 to switch if have to top up.

  6. # Kevinon 25 Jan 2007 at 10:56 pm

    Hi Theres a code out there that if you put in a new o2 sim and you transfer your number you get a credit on your new sim.(usually £10)

    Hope that helps

     

    k

    http://www.money-saving-newsletter.co.uk/january-2007-tips.html

  7. # Jesson 03 Feb 2007 at 11:02 pm

    hey kvin. can you please email me that code? and i spend so much credit on my o2 sim credit. PLEASE does anyobdy know any codes for free credit? I’ve been searching around the net all night looking ofr some! Thankyou. Please contact me on: x_born_to_be_wild_x@hotmail.co.uk

  8. # Hanion 14 Feb 2007 at 10:28 am

    02 free get 4 smis

  9. # Chrissieon 16 Feb 2007 at 3:50 pm

    Hi guys, if you are on the texting tariff, the 300 texts per month when you top up £10 thing, if you look on ebay you can buy vouchers for around £1, and then you ring the number on the voucher and you get 300 free texts. it dosent get much better than that now does it?

  10. # Anton 23 Feb 2007 at 1:04 pm

    does any one have the code for free credit on o2 please

  11. # Paul Andrewson 24 Feb 2007 at 11:44 am

    wow this is great

  12. # Linzion 25 Feb 2007 at 7:06 pm

    hi do u no how 2 get free text messages on 02 thanks xx

  13. # Hayleyon 27 Feb 2007 at 10:39 am

    hi dis is great

  14. # Cookieon 27 Feb 2007 at 4:44 pm

    this is shite it doesnt ven let me get me free texts and minutes

     

  15. # Dddon 01 Mar 2007 at 2:00 pm

    we have removed the facility from your account as you ARE A PRICK.

    Thank you for choosing o2.

    Abdulliah Muhammedi

  16. # Khloon 08 Mar 2007 at 6:39 pm

    I certainly think it’s worth it considering that you’ll get £30 worth of free texts the next time you top up £10 which will more or less pay off the cost to unlock :)

  17. # Wendyon 08 Mar 2007 at 11:48 am

    I saw this offer a while again a Yahoo advert along with a form to get a free O2 sim card. I’ve been meaning to make the switch but my phone is locked to Vodaphone and they want £30 to unlock it. Also O2 has a very poor signal in my house, but I’m willing to risk that for the amount I’ll save. For someone who mainly texts and uses GPS, it’s going to save me a lot of money

  18. # Jameson 15 Mar 2007 at 12:57 am

    thanks 4 this

  19. # Joshon 15 Mar 2007 at 1:33 pm

    can sum1 help me out !!! can sum1 send me a code 4 my o2 sim card for free txts or call time.im sick of toping up it never seems 2 last!!!:D:D PLZ :D :D t-you

     

  20. # Muzion 15 Mar 2007 at 7:18 pm

    how can i get free text o2

  21. # Khloon 16 Mar 2007 at 7:57 pm

    Due to spam, this article is now closed for commenting.

  22. # iPhone now £169 in UK | Cow's Blogon 17 Apr 2008 at 1:19 pm

    [...] demographic, £35/mo. is hell of a lot to spend on a phone contract especially when you get so many free texts and minutes on pay as you go (although I do know some people who claim to spend £100+, I’d say most [...]

  23. # Texting more expensive than Hubble Telescope | Cow's Blogon 26 Apr 2008 at 8:49 pm

    [...] can also save absolutely shed loads of money by shopping around. I recommend O2’s Online Tariff which offers free texts or minutes. I’ve sent about 240 texts so far this month for [...]

  24. # Orange: Free PAYG SIM Card with 1000 texts, Facebook, Cinema | Cow's Blogon 28 May 2008 at 1:17 pm

    [...] the past I’ve always recommended O2 as the best pay as you go network in the UK. O2 Online tariffs offer you tons of free minutes and texts when you top up and [...]

  25. # sophieon 07 Jul 2008 at 5:53 pm

    hi there will sum1 plzzzzzzzzzz tell me the number to get free texts cuz im sick of my credit goin thanks :D :D xxxxx

  26. # iPhone 3G on Pay As You Go (UK) | Cow's Blogon 17 Jul 2008 at 8:18 pm

    [...] – significantly cheaper than the contract. And in the past, I’ve talked about how you can get free texts or minutes on O2 when you top up. Assuming that you can still use an O2 Online tariff with the iPhone 3G, the £420 [...]

  27. # The iPhone 3G Cost Calculator | Cow's Blogon 11 Sep 2008 at 9:21 pm

    [...] This tool doesn’t support pay as you go pricing because PAYG pricing is much more complex than contract pricing. The first 3 minutes each day cost 25p, calls to different networks have different costs, there are additional data costs of £10 a month after 12 months, there are a range of different free text or minutes allowances. [...]

  28. # jessikaon 15 Oct 2008 at 1:06 pm

    does anyone have the site address of where i can change my sim, as i have an 02 sim card, and all my friends have done this offer, but i don’t know how to change my sim so i can get the free texts. if anyone knows it i’d be very grateful, thank you :)

  29. # mrs con 20 Nov 2008 at 12:36 am

    If you ring payg on 4445 they will be able to change the tariff for you. ask for the txt anytime tariff. Every £10 a month top up entitles you to 300 foc txts. You can go on to add my numbers for £5 amonth. This entitles you to 1000 credits to 10 nominated numbers. This can be used as 1 credit per min or txt and are mixed.

    So if you top up £10 and get the my numbers in total you get

    300foc txts
    1000 credits for 10 chosen o2 numbers
    and still have £5 for the month for other calls.

    Great value for money if you people on the o2 network who you regulary txt/ call.

  30. # laura (:on 26 Dec 2008 at 7:23 pm

    i got a phone for xmas i want to now how i change my bolt ons because i keep getting 500 free minutes when i want free messages ., can anybody help ? x

  31. # zoeyon 03 Jan 2009 at 2:41 am

    i have been an o2 customer for years now, as long as previously working within the development of customer service and tariff management.
    however, i find that o2 is definitely worth changing to even if there is a fee for phone unlocking.
    this is not always £30 like told above but can be cheaper. it all depends on where about you go to have this done and sometimes even your phone model.
    (before you pay to get this unlocking done try an o2 sim card in your other phone as some mobiles will work with other sims anyway)

    back to o2.
    as soon as you join you get free stuff.
    as well as the monthly allowances
    (free texts, minutes, browsing etc)
    you can claim 10% back of all of your top ups every 3 months
    so if you top up £10 in jan, feb an march, you will receive £3 free for this at the end of the 3 month period.
    once you’ve been with o2 for 6 months, you can get o2 treats
    (which could include 25 anytime messages, free “happy hour” texts from 7 till 8 every day, or free minutes etc etc).
    you can lend a pound if you want to! which you give back when you top up.
    the bolt ons are well priced and great for monthly topper uppers.
    atm o2 is running another promotion, so when you top up they will send you a prize code, which you enter online in order to win free stuff. the last two times i have topped up i have got freebies which have been a days free internet, and 15 free picture messages. but there are loads more that you can win! even ipods and wii consoles. not that i have won them but that what it says on the site lol.
    anyway from my experience o2 are loyal they keep me updated with concerts an i get priority tickets 24 hours before they sell to the public, which is the best for k.o.l who sell out in 4 minutes!!!
    oh and almost forgot to mention, i have an online account with o2 which i registered my number with, so when i have no credit or have forgotten to top up, i can go on there and send 10 free texts. im not sure how often they give you the ten free texts but i used a few over the last week but now the amount i have has gone back to ten so its all good for me :)

    anyway o2 treats you well when talking about freebies and saving money, it is well worth a try i doubt you will be unhappy with it!

    AND FOR FREE TEXTS TRY http://www.cbfsms.com ITS COMPLETELY SAFE UNLIKE THE OTHER DODGY SITES!!

  32. # ASHHon 01 Apr 2009 at 3:07 pm

    I topped up my phone as it told me to by the first to recieve my free monthly texts for next month, (£10), however, it did NOT give me any free texts and after reading this it said you cannot top up twice in the month and get the texts…. However, i topped up the day before and my network said in a text to top up by today to get them… what the helll is going on? help anyone ?

  33. # sarahon 13 Apr 2009 at 4:20 pm

    hiya,
    i have an o2 sim card that came with my new phone.
    i keep getting calls off randomers thanks to a certain someone and now have another sim off my sister.
    i want free texts on that one though but haven’t got a clue how to.
    can you help me ? :S

  34. # Joshon 22 May 2009 at 9:29 am

    i’ve found one slight downside to changing your tarrif, You get a minimum 25p connection charge to other even if the call is only a secound so if somebody dosnt answer your phone and you go to voicemail you will be charged 25p, this is easily avoidable if you hang up after a few rings if the person doesnt answer and then ring again. I think the tarrif is stile worth whileif you call 02 numbers frequently. hope it helps :P

  35. # Jakeon 25 May 2009 at 5:06 pm

    You can also switch tariff by logging into your O2 account and going here:
    http://www.02.co.uk/explore/tariffs/paygo
    Then clicking ‘Switch’

    You can also Call 2202 FREE or Text TEXTANYTIME to 22204

  36. # zainabon 21 Jun 2009 at 11:52 am

    If i have text anywhere and have £10 credit everytime i get my 300 texts does my credit go?

  37. # iPhone 3G on Pay As You Go: September 16th | Ken's Tech Tipson 08 Aug 2009 at 10:11 am

    [...] assuming no spend on calls and texts. I’ve made this assumption because O2 will give you 300 free texts or 500 free minutes every month when you spend [...]

  38. # hollyon 25 Feb 2010 at 11:03 pm

    how can i get 300 free texts when i top up a 10er on my phone ?

  39. # Sarahon 14 May 2010 at 1:50 pm

    I’m a bit annoyed with the o2 free texts and unlimited internet thing, I switched over and recieved the free texts however next time I topped up I did not recieve them, its been more than a month but I still have not recieved these alleged free texts. My faith in o2 has really gone down, I think I’m going to change to orange or something.

  40. # courtneyon 17 May 2010 at 10:20 pm

    im ment to top up on the 20th may for my unlimitted texts and calls for next month but iv had to top up earlier will i still get my texts and calls for next month?

  41. # frillson 02 Jul 2010 at 3:27 pm

    my guy gets to txt and call o2 to o2 free without hving to top up …even when he has 4p left …peeved that I can't any ideas?

  42. # brooke.on 20 Aug 2010 at 10:09 pm

    i top up 15 pound a month+get unlimeted textsss,internet+callss+the suprise code-tis all goood:):):).

  43. # Leanneon 04 Sep 2010 at 12:45 am

    Hiii
    Diid you all know that if you have a new sim that you can go on simplicity and if you top up ten pound they will take a fiver of you for unlimited texts to any number or tthey can take a tenner of you for unlimited texts and 100 mins to any number and theres more and you get to pick you should try it. i come off 02 unlimited and id neverr go back i have to much fun aha.xx

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