Any tips to keep sim cards active?

I have a few SIM cards that I want to keep active, but don't use for anything other than receiving verification codes.
These require regular topups to keep them alive, and all vendors have a minimum top amount. Any know any hacks to avoid this?

Also - anyone know how long a sim takes to expire - is it 1 year with no topups across the board?

Comments

  • +1

    Once you start using a SIM then generally a year is about how long you get for it to remain active without a topup.

    I would suggest you just get a new SIM rather than trying to keep it going as you will spend more on the top-up than the cost of a new SIM card.
    Frequently you can get these on special - currently Noels have One NZ and Skinny for $1.(noelleeming.co.nz) and PB Tech have One, 2Deg, Skinny, Spark(noelleeming.co.nz) for the same price.

    • For those deals, do you still need to top up, in order to activate the SIM, and receive an SMS?

      • No. The SIM will still allow you to receive txts and calls without adding any funds to the account. You just can’t send any txt or calls until you topup.

        • If you don't top up, do they still 'die' after 12 months, or are they 'immortal'?

          • @Alan6984: They will still expire after the 12 months if no topup has been made. Not immortal unfortunately.
            That’s why it’s cheaper just to buy a new SIM at that point as the minimum topup is no less than $5 depending on the network (sometimes more).

  • +1

    i just top up once a year, i think warehouse is still the cheapest.

    • Yes $5 is good for a year with Warehouse Mobile.

      If you do go with them then you can buy a SIM(noelleeming.co.nz) from Noel Leeming using the CSCBG Main customer group for $2.80. It comes with a $5 credit which you can use to buy a $4 talk/txt or data pack and thus extend the life of your SIM card as this counts as a topup.

  • Interested in this…
    I have a good number I would like to keep active (it's just for a favorite person). So, as the least costly, can I just port it to the warehouse as my provider, and buy $5 prepay (voucher?), top up using this $5 voucher and nothing to worry about for a full year?

    And just before the year expires, I would just have to repeat the $5 strategy? Is this right?

    Once upon a time, I used to buy the $20 Vodafone voucher from supermarkets and it would suffice to keep my number active for a year. Do they no longer do this?

    • +1

      Yes. Just buy a Warehouse Mobile SIM, and port the number across. Top up can be done online - no vouchers needed. It will remain active as long as you topup $5 every 365 days.

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