# Cell Phone Contract



## adam0311 (Aug 7, 2011)

I'll be moving to the UK in a little less than two months for 3 years of university. The last little kink I have to work out is a cell phone plan. So here is my question...

How do i go about getting a contract considering that I haven't lived in the UK for a prescribed period of time? Is it at all possible? Am I forced to do a payasyougo?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

adam0311 said:


> I'll be moving to the UK in a little less than two months for 3 years of university. The last little kink I have to work out is a cell phone plan. So here is my question...
> 
> How do i go about getting a contract considering that I haven't lived in the UK for a prescribed period of time? Is it at all possible? Am I forced to do a payasyougo?


Start with payg (they are very popular and there are some special deals for students, such as unlimited texts, free weekend calls etc). Later, once you establish credit record, you can take out a contract, but you normally need to have a steady income, like through a job. Home (UK) students are often offered a contract phone, as they can use their parents' details or they get government grant and loans, which you don't.


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## adam0311 (Aug 7, 2011)

Joppa said:


> Start with payg (they are very popular and there are some special deals for students, such as unlimited texts, free weekend calls etc). Later, once you establish credit record, you can take out a contract, but you normally need to have a steady income, like through a job. Home (UK) students are often offered a contract phone, as they can use their parents' details or they get government grant and loans, which you don't.


Thanks for the reply. Did a bit of research and this seems to be the best (also only option lol). Orange's site has a payg plan that looks reasonable. Problem is when I go to checkout it still forces you to show 3 years of residency. Do you think when I arrive and go to an orange store, that I will need that for payg? Also, how do you re-up each month (online portal, etc.?)? And finally can you explain what a top-up fee is (haven't seen that term in the US)? Thanks!


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

adam0311 said:


> Thanks for the reply. Did a bit of research and this seems to be the best (also only option lol). Orange's site has a payg plan that looks reasonable. Problem is when I go to checkout it still forces you to show 3 years of residency. Do you think when I arrive and go to an orange store, that I will need that for payg? Also, how do you re-up each month (online portal, etc.?)? And finally can you explain what a top-up fee is (haven't seen that term in the US)? Thanks!


No you don't need to show residency to buy payg mobile. You have to top up (buy credit), usually min £10 when paying by card, £20 in cash. Your credit is valid at least a year, so no need to renew each month. There is no fee for top-up. They give you a top-up card, you call a number to marry it to your phone and then you can buy credit in many shops, supermarket check-outs, ATMs, service stations etc, as well as online.

I suggest you get your phone at a branch of Carphone Warehouse (they are in just about every town), where they normally sell you an unlocked phone, so you can swap SIM card when you want, and take it abroad to use it with local SIM.


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## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

I used Orange as a payg for the 11 years I lived in the UK, did not need a contract as I had a land line and I worked long hours.

The payg options are very reasonable and very easy to buy, as Joppa stated.

Orange had the best coverage where I worked, many of the other networks had a poor signal, but then, it depends on where you live.


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## Danica30 (Jan 11, 2011)

i found pay as you go tarrifs way more expensive than contract. But then i had to do a lot of my job search by phone as well so i used up a lot of minutes. you might not need to spend so much as a student. My advice is visit any "carphone warehouse" shop and they will give you ALL your options and calculate for you what the best plan, Pay G or other is. I got a contract with no credit rating on O2, it was on a £150 cash back plan, but because i didnt have a credit rating they withheld the cash back for 3 months, and then they gave me back last month.


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## sftouk2011 (Jul 18, 2011)

I know this post is a little old...but seeing as how I was searching for this info last week...I thought it might help. 

I moved to London on Spousal Visa in a little over 2 months ago. I just got a cell phone contract through Three (one of the Big 5 carriers) for an iPhone 4S. I did have to go through a credit check, and we weren't sure if it was going to go through...but it did. So I was able to get on a 2 year contract and get the deal on the phone. My circumstances were probably a little bit easier in that I got a job rather quickly so am employed full-time, and I had a bank account in my name which I was able to open up by opening a separate joint account with my Husband who was already banking at HSBC. That being said...I didn't have the min 3 months of credit history. So there are circumstances in which this can be circumvented. The salesperson told me that they pick up credit history on your address as well. Not sure how that works...but wondering if that came into play in my approval... (as my husband owns the flat). 

In any case, thought this info might be helpful. Oh...and I didn't try with any of the other carriers...but I'd imagine if it went through with one...it would've with any of them.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

When we moved to another country, we used our own mobile phone and just changed the S.I.M. card, of course you will have to get your phone unlocked first


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