Giffgaff Goodybags: Pay As You Go bundles on O2 virtual network from £5/month
August 4th, 2011
O2′s Giffgaff network is currently offering Pay As You Go packages with unlimited texts from £5/month and unlimited internet from £10/month.
Giffgaff, an O2-owned Pay As You Go mobile network, is currently offering a range of 6 different Pay As You Go “Goodybags” packages. The packages start from £5/month for unlimited texts or from £10/month for a bundle of minutes, texts and internet. As Giffgaff only provide airtime packages (all of their tariffs are SIM only), you’ll need to bring your own unlocked mobile phone to Giffgaff.
Who are Giffgaff?
Giffgaff is a virtual mobile network which runs on the O2 network. It’s a fully-owned subsidiary of O2 but doesn’t use the O2 brand name. According to Giffgaff, their unique selling point is that their network is “people-powered”. Giffgaff don’t provide any customer support themselves: instead Giffgaff members answer each other’s support queries on the Giffgaff forums. Members are also asked to promote the network by telling their friends about it and are rewarded with extra credit or cash for contributing to the network.
Another key difference between Giffgaff and traditional mobile phone networks is that they don’t provide mobile phones themselves. You’ll have to provide your own unlocked mobile phone to use Giffgaff. For more information, see our in-depth review of Giffgaff & Giffgaff tariffs.
If you’re not a Giffgaff member, you can order a free Giffgaff SIM card from their website.
What are Giffgaff Goodybags?
Goodybags are airtime bundles available to Giffgaff customers. The bundles range in price from £5/month to £25/month and are purchased with your Pay As You Go airtime credit. The “Goodybag” bundles give you a set allowance of minutes, texts and internet all of which last for one month.
Goodybags are directly comparable to O2′s Simplicity bundles and Three’s “All in One” bundles on Pay As You Go. These products are close substitutes to Pay Monthly SIM Only contracts although Pay Monthly tariffs differ in the fact your monthly payment is taken directly from your bank account rather than from your Pay As You Go credit.
What Goodybags are available?
Giffgaff currently offers a choice of 5 standard goodybags and the “Hokey Cokey” goodybag.
| Monthly Cost | Minutes | Texts | Internet |
|---|---|---|---|
| £5/month | - | Unlimited | - |
| £10/month | 250 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| £15/month | 400 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| £20/month | 800 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| £25/month | 1,500 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| £5/month (Hokey Cokey) | 60 & 1 min per min of calls received | 300 | - |
Once you’ve exceeded your inclusive airtime allowance, you’ll pay Giffgaff’s standard Pay As You Go rates of 8p/ minute for calls and 4p per text message. The £5/month Goodybag packages don’t include internet: instead you’ll need to pay 20p/day for 20MB internet.
Calls to other Giffgaff members are free regardless of whether you’ve purchased a Goodybag. To qualify for free Giffgaff-to-Giffgaff calls, you’ll need to have topped up in the last 3 months.
A complete Giffgaff price list is available on their website.
What’s the coverage like on Giffgaff?
Giffgaff uses the O2 network. You can check Giffgaff coverage in your area by using the O2 coverage checker as coverage for O2 and Giffgaff are identical.
Is there a fair usage policy for “unlimited internet” on Giffgaff?
According to the Giffgaff website, there is no fair usage on their “unlimited internet” packages. However, this comes with some provisos: “we are unlimited for personal mobile use – but not for commercial and automated use. Mobile Internet allowances exclude PC use and tethering.”
How do Giffgaff Goodybags compare to the alternative?
Giffgaff Goodybags generally provide much better value than rival Pay As You Go packages such as O2 Simplicity and Three’s “All in One”. Compared to vanilla Pay As You Go you’ll save a lot of money with a Goodybag. For example £10/month buys 250 minutes: this would cost £62 on a mainstream PAYG tariffs (25p/min) or £20 on Giffgaff’s standard PAYG tariff (8p/min).
However, if you’re willing to consider a Pay Monthly tariff and to commit for 12 months, there are couple of better deals to be had:
| Price | Giffgaff Goodybag | Pay Monthly Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| £10/month | £10/month Goodybag 250 minutes Unlimited texts Unlimited internet |
Three: SIM 300 300 minutes 3000 texts 1GB internet |
| £15/month | £15/month Goodybag 400 minutes Unlimited texts Unlimited internet |
Three: SIM 600 600 minutes 3000 texts 1GB internet |
| £20/month | £20/month Goodybag 800 minutes Unlimited texts Unlimited internet |
T-Mobile: £20.42/month SIM-only 900 minutes 500 texts 500MB internet |
| £25/month | £25/month Goodybag 1,500 minutes Unlimited texts Unlimited internet |
Three: The One Plan 2,000 minutes & 5,000 Three-to-Three 5,000 texts Unlimited internet & free tethering |
Of particular note, Three’s £25/month One Plan SIM-only tariff is a one-month rolling contract so comes with the same level of commitment as a Giffgaff Goodybag. You’ll get the bonus of free tethering – essentially a free mobile broadband service providing you’ve got a compatible phone. If you’re willing to commit for 24 months, a range of free handsets are available from £25/month on The One Plan.
Do Giffgaff provide mobile phones?
No. You must provide your own unlocked mobile phone. You could either purchase a new SIM-free handset, unlock your existing phone or use a friend or family member’s old handset. Goodybags of £10/month and above have inclusive internet so we recommend opting for a smartphone to get the most value out of your tariff.
Can I use a BlackBerry on Giffgaff?
Yes, but you’ll only be able to make phone calls and send text messages – features such as the internet, e-mail and BBM will not work. BlackBerry handsets are not fully supported on Giffgaff as they require a special data plan.
Can I use tethering on Giffgaff?
Tethering means sharing your phone’s 3G internet connection with another device such as a tablet, PC or laptop.
Unfortunately tethering is not permitted on Giffgaff. This contrasts with Three’s “The One Plan” and the most recent O2 and Vodafone tariffs which now include tethering. As an alternative to Giffgaff’s Goodybags, Three’s “The One Plan” provides all-you-can-eat internet (unlimited with no fair usage) with free tethering from £25/month.
I’m already a Giffgaff customer. How do I purchase a Goodybag?
Existing Giffgaff customers can purchase a Giffgaff Goodybag through the Giffgaff top-up page.
I’m switching to Giffgaff. Can I keep my existing phone number?
Yes. You’ll need to ask your existing network for a PAC code and then to provide this to Giffgaff. The entire process of transferring your phone number should take no more than 24 hours. Our PAC Code Finder tool provides a step-by-step guide to transferring your mobile number to Giffgaff.
Where can I sign up to Giffgaff?
You can order a free SIM card from the Giffgaff website. Remember, you’ll need to have an unlocked mobile phone for it to work.
| About Ken | |
 | 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. |
Thanks for another interesting and useful post.
Is the GiffGaff network a 3G one? My PAYG O2 iPhone 3 GS will be available for unlocking soon and unless I decide the upgrade to the new model I will be looking for for the cheapest way to get G3 when my O2 deal expires.
I hardly make any calls on the phone and so the GiffGaff £10 goody bag might be ideal – if it provides G3 internet access. It’s a shame it uses O2 as their G3 coverage is far from good.
I know you covered this question of cheap G3 packages recently but I don’t think it included GiggGaff in the comparison.
Thanks again you latest report.
Hi Mark,
Yes Giffgaff is a 3G network. There is a good discussion over at the Giffgaff forum about how to use an iPhone on it
http://community.giffgaff.com/t5/Learn-giffgaff-Top-Tips/How-to-giffgaff-an-iPhone/m-p/1807
Ken
This seems to be almost identical to TMobiles £10 plan which offers 100 minutes, Internet, and 100 texts. I know gifgaf states unlimited texts but 100 is plenty for most. What I am interested to know is how much Internet will cost after 25 May. Their website doesn’t specify. It only states it us free until then say if you take the £5 plan. I’m currently with asda mobile using the vodafone network which is great at 8p a call & 4p a text with mobile Internet for 20p a meg.
Hi, having used GG for a bit, I can confirm a few things:
1 – you don’t need to unlock your o2 iphone to work on it.
2 – there’s more details on the website about the pricing of data.
3 – free data is available as part of a ‘goodybag’ and this includes using voip and streaming video / audio
It seems to me a pretty decent deal!
Mike
can anyone tell me how to buy one of these goodybags/lab items?Also is there a way to get giffgaff GPRS/MMS settings sent"Over The Air"directly to my mobile plz….oh one more thing!what No. do I call to check balance?HELP!!Thanx
100 texts is plenty only if you send 3 texts a day average. unless you live on email/facebook or prefer to call people, it's definitely not plenty these days