Mobile provider with millions of customers to axe key services TOMORROW

MOBILE firm O2 has confirmed that it is axing a popular service used by thousands of its customers tomorrow.

It is discontinuing its ‘Pay-as-you-Go” SIM cards for iPads on January 31.

GETTY

Customers who use these SIM cards will need to find alternative solutions through another provider or switch to an O2 monthly deal.

The service, which is now being scrapped, allowed people to use a SIM card to access internet and data on their iPads.

This meant that customers could stream, download, and use internet-connected apps without connecting to WiFi.

Customers who have been using the SIMs will find that tomorrow their devices can no longer connect when out and about unless a WiFi connection is available.

The customer account management portal, which people could use to track their data usage and allowances stopped operating on December 17 last year, and O2 stopped selling the SIM cards last August.

But from tomorrow, the service will stop operating altogether. People who had paid for long-term or larger plans will no longer be able to use up any data that is leftover.

For instance, deals included spending £10 to get 2GB for 90 days, £20 to get 8GB for 90 days, and £30 to buy 12GB for a whole year.

Some people, particularly those topping up towards the end of last year, may find they have lots of unused data.

O2 made customers aware of the change last November, which only allowed a few short months to use up any data that had been purchased.

However, you can get a refund for unused by calling O2 customer services on 0344 809 0222.

It’s worth doing this sooner rather than later.

Speaking to The Sun when the changes were announced, a spokesperson said: “We have recently written to the small proportion of customers who will be impacted by this change.

“They can contact us directly should they require any further information or support.”

Customers who wish to stay with O2 can switch to a monthly, annual, or two-year data plan.

Depending on your data usage, these may be cheaper overall, although there is less flexibility.

You’ll also be tied in, which means that there will be a cost if you want to switch before the contract ends.

You can also use any Pay as You Go phone SIM in your iPad, although you may be paying for phone or text minutes that you’re not using as well as the data.

There are decent deals available, so it’s really important to shop around. 

If you want to continue using your iPad without WiFi, the best thing to do is to look and see how much data you use on average each month.

You can then use a comparison site to find the cheapest carrier and sim to get what you need.

If you want to stay with O2, it’s worth ringing up customer services with the best deal you can find, to see if they will match the offer.

Price comparison sites show that you can get 5GB for £1.20 through .

The £1.20 deal will continue for the first six months, and after than you’ll pay £4.90.

Meanwhile, no frills network has a special offer through MoneySavingExpert, where you pay just £3.15 for 5GB of data. 

and you can choose whether the plan auto-renews each month or not.

And has data-only plans, which cost £5 for 2GB, £9 for 15GB, £13 for 40GB all the way up to £20 for unlimited data.

GiffGaff also has plenty of Pay-as-you-Go options.

These are expensive if you only need small amounts of data, but get more cost effective for higher data needs.

For instance, you’ll pay £6 for 1GB of data, but just £12 for 25GB,

For all PAYG SIM cards, check the rules about whether data needs to be used within one month, or whether you can carry unused data across.

Some carriers, such as Smarty have plans which allow you to be refunded for unused data, but your monthly costs will be higher.

If you’re likely to travel, make sure you look at the rules around roaming and whether you can use your data in the EU and further afield.

Likewise, it’s worth checking the mobile network in your area to make sure you’ll have strong connectivity.

Finally, consider whether you actually need non-WiFi data.

For instance, if you’re using your device to stream boxsets, remember than both Netflix and Disney+ allow you to download shows, which mean you don’t need to be connected to use them.

If you can get by without using phone data for your tablet, you’ll save money overall.