Simple text message that could cut your mobile phone bill by up to £360 a year

SAVVY households can cut their mobile phone bill by up to £360 a year by sending a simple text message for free.

This applies to mobile phone users who are on expiring contracts, if they haven’t already come to an end.

Savvy households can cut their mobile phone bills by £300 a year by sending a text messageCredit: Getty – Contributor

Customers who sign up to a smartphone contract typically ditch their device after two years in exchange for a new one – or they continue on a rolling plan at the same monthly cost.

However, this adds £300 a year to bills on average, with iPhone users overspending the most, according to research by comparison site Uswitch.

Around 98% of phone contracts run for two years, meaning consumers who bought a new phone in February 2019 can slash their bills this March.

If you bought an iPhone XR or the Samsung Galaxy S9 on contract two years ago – two of the most popular deals at the time – you could cut your bills by up to £30 a month by switching to a SIM-only deal.

How does text-to-switch work?

THE process makes it quicker and easier to leave your mobile company – here’s how it works.

Text ‘PAC’ to 65075 – and keep your mobile number

Text ‘PAC’ to 65075 to start the process
The existing provider will text back within a minute and send the PAC number which will be valid for 30 days
The provider’s reply must also include information about any early termination charges or pay-as-you-go balances
The customer then gives the PAC number to their new provider
The new provider must arrange for the switch to complete within one working day

Text ‘STAC’ to 75075 – and get a new mobile number

Most people want to keep their number when they switch but one in six do no, according to regulator Ofcom
Text ‘STAC’ to 75075 to get a service termination authorisation code
The rest of the process is the same as above

Text ‘INFO’ to 85075 – and find out more

If you are unsure about whether you will have to pay early termination charges text ‘INFO’ to 85075
You will only receive this information

An iPhone XR with 30GB of data on a 24-month deal cost an average of £40 a month in February 2019, according to Uswitch.

By switching to SIM-only provider Smarty next month, you could get 30GB of data for just £10 a month – saving you £360 a year.

Meanwhile, Brits who bought a Samsung Galaxy S9 with 17GB data on a 24-month contract in 2019, have been paying an average of £29 a month.

By switching to a SIM-only contract with Smarty, you could get 30GB for £10 a month.

This would you save £228 over the next 12 months (£19 per month) as well as give you an extra 13GB of data each month.

In both cases, you’d get to keep the same device and phone number.

Better yet, thanks to new rules introduced in 2019, you can switch by sending a simple text message.

It speeds up the process where you have to request a code known as a “Porting Authorisation Code (PAC)” from your existing provider to keep your number when you switch.

If you want to keep your number, customers now simply text “PAC” to 65075.

Your existing provider will then text back within a minute and send you your PAC number.

This code will then be valid for 30 days for users to give to their new provider, which must then arrange the switch to complete within one day.

Customers will also receive information about any early termination charges or pay-as-you-go credit balances in this first text message.

Ru Bhikha, mobiles expert at Uswitch, said: “The end of a mobile contract signals a decision crossroads for most phone users.

“You can either upgrade to a newer model with increased functionality, or switch to a SIM-only deal and rake in a major discount.

“If you’re happy with your handset when your existing deal comes to an end, check out your data usage and shop around for a SIM-only contract which offers you the appropriate package.”

You can use comparison sites such as Uswitch, MoneySuperMarket and Go Compare to find the best SIM-only deals for you.