Do any of the networks have "auto top-up" on PAYG?

I've got rather used to the convenience of my oyster card topping itself
up whenever I go below £5 credit, and wondered if any of the networks do
something similar?

With the exception of myself, the rest of the family are very light
users and rely on me to use my minutes to call them (using a combination
of 1100 mins on 3 and ED50-line 2 on Orange). The missus is still on
OVP-Virgin, but the cost of x-net and daytime minutes is adding up so
her 20 mins of calls cost about £6 this month; not huge in itself but
the trend is upwards.

It's not worth putting the lot of them on contract, but we could save a
few quid by simply moving to an alternative PAYG provider, but top-ups
are a pain in the bum. Are there any magic solutions? I'd even happily
direct debit a fiver a month to the phones if that was possible.
--
Gyp
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In message <oLkYj.6201$DZ6.4065@text.news.virginmedia.com>, BC
<bacillus.cereus@nospam.gmail.com> writes
>Gyp wrote:
>
>> It's not worth putting the lot of them on contract, but we could
>>save a few quid by simply moving to an alternative PAYG provider, but
>>top-ups are a pain in the bum. Are there any magic solutions? I'd even
>>happily direct debit a fiver a month to the phones if that was possible.
>
>Virgin PAYG by direct debit?

We've got that already via Orange. I'm after the same but with a more
sensible charging structure - that was fine 8 years ago (or whenever),
but not now
--
Gyp
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In article <2j9DkpCtedMIFwv0@orange.orange>, Gyp@gyponline.co.uk says...
> I've got rather used to the convenience of my oyster card topping itself
> up whenever I go below £5 credit, and wondered if any of the networks do
> something similar?
>
> With the exception of myself, the rest of the family are very light
> users and rely on me to use my minutes to call them (using a combination
> of 1100 mins on 3 and ED50-line 2 on Orange). The missus is still on
> OVP-Virgin, but the cost of x-net and daytime minutes is adding up so
> her 20 mins of calls cost about £6 this month; not huge in itself but
> the trend is upwards.
>
> It's not worth putting the lot of them on contract, but we could save a
> few quid by simply moving to an alternative PAYG provider, but top-ups
> are a pain in the bum. Are there any magic solutions? I'd even happily
> direct debit a fiver a month to the phones if that was possible.

Orange offer direct debit for PAYG customers and give a 10% bonus,
however the minimum amount is £10 per month.
--
Regards
Jon

"Jon Parker" <spam@jonparker.plus.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.229bed2a7d3e82aa98968d@news.cnntp.org...
In article <2j9DkpCtedMIFwv0@orange.orange>, Gyp@gyponline.co.uk says...
> I've got rather used to the convenience of my oyster card topping itself
> up whenever I go below £5 credit, and wondered if any of the networks do
> something similar?
<snip>
>
>Orange offer direct debit for PAYG customers and give a 10% bonus,
>however the minimum amount is £10 per month.
>Regards
>Jon
>
Which replaced the much better deal of across the board discounted rates
for a 50quid top up.

Then Orange realise low users could make that 50quid last a year or more.

Steve Terry

"Gyp" <Gyp@gyponline.co.uk> wrote in message
news:2j9DkpCtedMIFwv0@orange.orange...
> I've got rather used to the convenience of my oyster card topping itself
> up whenever I go below £5 credit, and wondered if any of the networks do
> something similar?

No - only the failed easyMobile did this and there's a good reason why
others don't do it. Scenario:

You lose your phone or have it stolen and don't realise for a few hours or
the next day. Do you really want to have, in that situation, an arrangement
whereby money comes out of your bank account in real time with no ability to
reclaim the money or argue the toss? Arguably some schemes could impose a
weekly/monthly limit. Interestingly though easyMobile's didn't allow this.

Virgin's direct debit approach is much better - it at least gives you the
opportunity to withhold payment and argue about a bill should you need to.

Giving any company direct and real time access to your bank account is just
bloody stupid.

Gareth.

"Gyp" <Gyp@gyponline.co.uk> wrote in message
news:uC3VMLEHudMIFwui@orange.orange...
> In message <oLkYj.6201$DZ6.4065@text.news.virginmedia.com>, BC
> <bacillus.cereus@nospam.gmail.com> writes
>>Gyp wrote:
>>
>>> It's not worth putting the lot of them on contract, but we could save a
>>> few quid by simply moving to an alternative PAYG provider, but top-ups
>>> are a pain in the bum. Are there any magic solutions? I'd even happily
>>> direct debit a fiver a month to the phones if that was possible.
>>
>>Virgin PAYG by direct debit?
>
> We've got that already via Orange. I'm after the same but with a more
> sensible charging structure - that was fine 8 years ago (or whenever), but
> not now


Not exactly what your after but what about Orange Your Group

http://www1.orange.co.uk/service_pla..._overview.html

(also get free calls between group members, but min of £2.50 per week top
for the payg phones)

In news:uC3VMLEHudMIFwui@orange.orange,
Gyp <Gyp@gyponline.co.uk> typed, for some strange, unexplained reason:
: In message <oLkYj.6201$DZ6.4065@text.news.virginmedia.com>, BC
: <bacillus.cereus@nospam.gmail.com> writes
: >Gyp wrote:
: >
: >> It's not worth putting the lot of them on contract, but we could
: >>save a few quid by simply moving to an alternative PAYG provider,
: >>but top-ups are a pain in the bum. Are there any magic solutions?
: >>I'd even happily direct debit a fiver a month to the phones if that
: >>was possible.
: >
: >Virgin PAYG by direct debit?
:
: We've got that already via Orange. I'm after the same but with a more
: sensible charging structure - that was fine 8 years ago (or whenever),
: but not now

Why not..? You pay only for exactly the calls you make, you don't pay a
line rental and you get a monthly bill as per contract.

Seems the most sensible way to do it to me, what am I missing..?

IVor

In news:g0smtd$9ts$1@news.albasani.net,
Steve Terry <gFOURwwk@tesco.net> typed, for some strange, unexplained
reason:
: "Jon Parker" <spam@jonparker.plus.com> wrote in message
: news:MPG.229bed2a7d3e82aa98968d@news.cnntp.org...

[snip]

: >Orange offer direct debit for PAYG customers and give a 10% bonus,
: >however the minimum amount is £10 per month.
: >Regards
: >Jon
: >
: Which replaced the much better deal of across the board discounted
: rates for a 50quid top up.
:
: Then Orange realise low users could make that 50quid last a year or
: more.

I made it last three years once..! Then a week after I'd added a second 50
quid the buggers dropped the tariff :-(


Ivor

In message <69elc5F31ibgeU1@mid.individual.net>, Ivor Jones
<ivor@thisaddressis.invalid> writes

>: We've got that already via Orange. I'm after the same but with a more
>: sensible charging structure - that was fine 8 years ago (or whenever),
>: but not now
>
>Why not..? You pay only for exactly the calls you make, you don't pay a
>line rental and you get a monthly bill as per contract.
>
>Seems the most sensible way to do it to me, what am I missing..?

It's fine if you're always calling fixed lines or other Orange mobiles
when it's 15p/min dropping to 5p/min after 5 mins, but as the (extended)
family are now on various networks rather than all being on Orange, the
35p/min cost of those calls (with no 5-minute breakpoint) is starting to
mount up.

If I could, say, do Asda mobile on the same billing basis as the virgin
tariff then I'd be a happy bunny.
--
Gyp
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