Looking for the cheapest way to get a mobile number

Hopefully this is the most appropriate section to post this in, please feel free to move it if there is a better place for it.

As subject I'm looking for the cheapest way to get a mobile number. Thought some of the knowledgeable folk round here could suggest some options 😊

Have no interest in calls or data, it's just for receiving texts from silly companies who assume that everyone has a mobile and won't let you use their websites without supplying them with one.
Already both credit card companies I use have gone back to posting me their statements and now after retrieving my latest bank statement I have seen that they intend to stop doing E-mail security codes and going over to SMS security codes only.

Not into the whole world of mobile stuff, as I don't have one, but have found this after a bit of searching https://www.spusu.co.uk/spusu1special
Never heard of them but £34.80 a year is not too bad I suppose, but are there any cheaper ways of getting a number to do what I need?
Have access to some handsets so just need a sim or is there a cheaper way of getting sms messages without doing the whole sim and handset thing? Something like a virtual number and getting the sms as an E-mail?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

You just need to receive texts? If so and you have a handset then just get a pay as you go SIM. Most of them you just need to make a quick phone call every now and then to keep them alive (you would need to check the Ts&Cs but it is possible that a freephone call would be enough to keep the SIM alive costing you nothing). A few quid of credit will keep you going for ages.

EDIT : for example GiffGaff - you can find Ts&Cs here which state

13.5. Your SIM Card will be disconnected unless, at least once every six months, your Account is used to:

a) make at least one call, SMS or MMS to another number (not including calls to emergency services or Member Services or 0800 numbers or texts/calls to free rated numbers);
b) make at least one connection to the Internet;
c) make at least one airtime credit or Plan purchase

So, make one paid call every 6 months and you can receive texts and calls to your hearts content.

Edited by ian72 (Mon 09-Sep-24 16:54:32)

I was on that tariff for about 2 years. Never had a problem. The other way would be to get a 1 year deal with 1P Mobile - so both EE and you can either get PAYG which is 1p/1p/1p but the credit has to be renewed every 120 days or get their £40 1 year PAYG. It used to be £30 and yet they claim no prices rises.. [censored] to that.

Anyway both will give you what you need and IMHO the 1p mobile offering is better unless you need an e-sim in which case Spusu is better

In reply to a post by ian72:

EDIT : for example GiffGaff - you can find Ts&Cs here which state

13.5. Your SIM Card will be disconnected unless, at least once every six months, your Account is used to:

a) make at least one call, SMS or MMS to another number (not including calls to emergency services or Member Services or 0800 numbers or texts/calls to free rated numbers);
b) make at least one connection to the Internet;
c) make at least one airtime credit or Plan purchase

So, make one paid call every 6 months and you can receive texts and calls to your hearts content.

Is that a) and b) and c) or is it a) or b) or c)? It's not clear even on Giffgaff's site.

I've had an O2 PAYG SIM for several years, which I use in a "dumb phone" every now and again for emergency use when I go on a cruise (the dumb phone makes it impossible to use extremely expensive data rates by accident).

I put £20 of credit on it around four years ago, send a single text message from it every six months (done by a diary reminder) and it's still working fine. Cost me a less than a pound a year.

A&A will give you a mobile number for £1.20 per month -- seems easier to pay around £15 per year rather than playing games with second phones and PAYG SIM cards and hoping that you don't lose your number.

Edited by behuk (Mon 09-Sep-24 20:51:55)

Second phones? The OP doesn't have a "first" phone.

I believe it is just any one of the 3 - but I haven't been on a GiffGaff tariff for years - but pretty much all of the operators have similar Payg options.

Lebara via moneysavingexpert maybe the way forward, pay about 1 per month for six or 7 months, either than port out and back in again, or just drop and get a new number

Fine, a phone that is only used for occasionally receiving SMS

In reply to a post by ian72:

Second phones? The OP doesn't have a "first" phone.

Then why aren't they just making up a number and giving it out? seems pointless to get a number and not have a phone. costs £0 a year then lol

I put in 07000 000000 if I need to put a number in works every time. Same for e-mail address. make one up

Edited by VMDIAPunter (Tue 10-Sep-24 12:17:20)

I would guess it's quite difficult to receive an SMS confirmation code to a number that you just made up. The requirements are quite clearly listed out in the first post.

In reply to a post by jpm:

I would guess it's quite difficult to receive an SMS confirmation code to a number that you just made up. The requirements are quite clearly listed out in the first post.

Exactly, I though the OPs question was fairly clear. Need a number to receive texts on. Have access to a mobile handset. Pretty basic requirements really.

Sorry I had a few too many cherryaids when I wrote that. But my other post was okay I hope!

localphone.com do mobile numbers for £0.99 a month, you can get texts on their site I think.

In reply to a post by spaceman2000:

£34.80 a year is not too bad I suppose, but are there any cheaper ways of getting a number to do what I need?

£2 per month is cheaper: https://www.rwgmobile.wales/webshop/pay-monthly/100-...

Nokia 105 from Argos for £11.50 plus the aforementioned Giffgaff PAYG SIM.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3100660?clickSR=slp:...

If you order online & collect from store you don't need to buy the stated top-up.

Giffgaff (O2) has reasonable coverage for texts. Data isn't great but then that's not a requirement.Just stick a reminder in your calendar to make the required call/text to keep it alive. Despite what they say, free calls to 0800 seem to do the job.

Post deleted by VMDIAPunter

Deleted because the option I suggested turned out not to be good for what you require.

Edited by VMDIAPunter (Sun 15-Sep-24 14:42:38)

I'd also suggest getting a giffgaff SIM. I already have a couple just in case. You can top up online or with post office vouchers. One outgoing call/text every six months is all it takes to keep it active, and they will send you a text to inform you it is going to expire (and an email if you register online).

I hear Tesco mobile do PAYG for decent prices so that may also be worth looking at. I also have a Three PAYG SIM as well but their website is difficult to use and I've no idea if they still do PAYG.

The A&A system seems to work well if you want to receive messages by email or an online portal but this will cost the £1.20+ per month.

I have also filled in online forms with "07000000000" where the form seems programmed to online take "07" numbers. Obviously that's no good if you actually need to receive communications from them, but if not, it will at least get a form filled in.

Bit late to the game but I found TalkHome,

They seem to have a £5 min top up and you just have to use it every 90 days.

If you sent a chargeable standard text it's 5p, so that's 5p every 90 days, or a 1 min call is 10p.

Three have no minimum top up. Again, you need to use it every six months so in practice it costs about 2p per month.

I’m not sure if this applies to GiffGaff but with many PAYG sims unused credit “expires” after a certain period. Check the Ts&Cs carefully. I can attest that the Three PAYG sim is an exception (though their rates are now pretty steep - not that that matters if you use it just once every six months).