Tesco Mobile Pay As You Go: Triple Credit, Reviewed & Compared
March 7th, 2010
Supermarket Tesco have recently been heavily promoting their Pay As You Go mobile phone service in stores and in the media. A large part of the advertising is their claim to “triple your credit”. In this article, Ken’s Tech Tips looks beyond the hype to review Tesco’s PAYG tariff and compares it to other PAYG tariffs on the market.
How much does it cost?
photo: LoopZilla
Calls and texts have a flat rate on Tesco Mobile of 20p/minute and 10p/text regardless of the time of day or the network which you are calling. Whilst we applaud Tesco for having a simple and understandable pricing system, Tesco is far from the cheapest in the market for call costs. For example, other low-cost mobile operators such as Giffgaff and Asda Mobile charge just 8p/minute and 4p/text.
Tesco do allow you to nominate 5 of your “favourite numbers” for whom you will receive half price calls and texts. For these 5 numbers, you’ll pay 10p/minute and 5p/text but this is still pricier than Giffgaff and Asda.
If you want to browse the internet, you can buy an unlimited 7 day internet browsing pass for £2 on Tesco. Once you sign up, Tesco will automatically deduct £2 from your balance every Friday. Again: this isn’t the cheapest deal on the market. Tariffs such as 3Pay and O2 Text and Web provide totally free internet access when you top up.
What is “Triple your Credit”?
photo: Gene Hunt
A large part of Tesco’s marketing campaign is that they will triple your credit when you top up. The advertising says that if you top up by £10, Tesco will give you £20 of free credit leaving you with £30 credit to spend. However, a closer look reveals that your extra credit only lasts for one month and any unused extra credit after that month disappears. However, your free credit is used preferentially for your calls and texts.
A £10 top-up will give you 50 minutes, 100 texts or a combination of the two. The £20 “extra credit” from Tescos will give you 100 minutes, 200 texts or some combination of the two which lasts for a maximum of one month. Even if you manage to use up the whole of your free allowance (150 minutes for your £10 top up), the effective cost per minute is still 7p/minute which is barely cheaper than Asda Mobile or Giffgaff.
As “Triple your Credit” is really a free monthly allowance with a top-up, it’s analogous to what 3 are providing on 3Pay or O2 on their PAYG tariffs such as Text and Web. 3Pay provides 600 texts, 150MB internet, free 3-to-3 calls and free voicemail for a £10 top up – something which may prove to be more attractive to some people.
Which network does Tesco Mobile run on?
photo: Jeff Kubina
Tesco Mobile is a virtual network which operates on the O2 network.
How can I check coverage in my area?
Tesco Mobile runs on the O2 network. Therefore you should use the O2 coverage checker to determine whether you can receive Tesco Mobile in your area.
What’s the verdict?
We really like how Tesco have opted for a simple price plan with their PAYG tariff. However, the cost of calls and texts are roughly 3 times as much as on cheaper networks such as Asda Mobile and Giffgaff. Furthermore, we feel that other networks such as 3 and O2 offer much more attractive free allowances than Tesco’s “Triple your Credit” offer.
How do I sign up?
Tesco Mobile are selling SIM cards in Tesco stores for 99p. Alternatively, sign up for a free SIM card through their website.
Can I switch from my current mobile provider?
Yes. If you’ve got an unlocked phone, you can insert a Tesco SIM card straight into it.
To transfer your number, you need to call up your current network and ask for a PAC code (see the guide on switching networks). Give your PAC code to Tesco Mobile (call them on 0845 301 4455) and your number should be transferred in two working days.
About the Author: Hi! I'm Ken. I've been using mobiles for over 10 years and technology for a lot longer! I'd love to hear from you.
- Mobile , Other Networks , Pay As You Go
- Comments(4)
Oh, Tesco are squeezing as much money as they can out of people while pretending they’re doing them a favour and offering them a deal? Never thought I’d see the day…
Tesco also has a “lite” payg tariff which costs the same as ASDA. Plus you get Tesco points when you top up. Its unfair to knock their tariff that offers the credit tripling as being more expensive when they have an offering that is the same as ASDA, or cheaper if you count the points.
Hi Frank,
Thanks for your comment. We have mentioned Tesco’s lite tariff before on this website. However, this article is reviewing Tesco’s main PAYG product which they advertise. The reason this is a slightly misleading offer is because credit on the main tariff is actually worth less than that on the lite tariff. “Triple your credit” is a worthless argument when credit has different meanings across different tariffs and networks.
But, you can’t use the free credit for calls from abroad – we bought the 99p SIM for use as a “holiday phone” and only found the small print once you opened the package – very annoying and misleading.