Tesco Mobile UK Shifting All Pay As You Go Customers to New Tariff | ISPreview UK

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Tesco Mobile, which is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) on O2’s national platform, appears to be causing some confusion among their base by informing “all of our current Pay as you go (PAYG) customers” that they are in the process of being “migrated” to the provider’s new PAYG Essentials tariff.

Several of the operator’s customers have contacted ISPreview to complain about the migration, which seems to be making quite a few changes – not all of which may be viewed as positive. One of those customers (credits to Darren) was also kind enough to include a copy of the SMS (text message) they received this week:

SMS: “Pay as you go is changing. Your tariff will be replaced with our new Essentials tariff between 07 Oct and 02 Nov. To help you settle in, your first 30-day bundle is free. Based on your recent usage, we recommend the exclusive £2.50 bundle. You’ll get 100MB data + 100 mins & 100 texts. You can then set it to auto-renew from your top-up balance or use your balance for calls/texts/data at our standard rates.”

The new Essentials tariff appears to be replacing the operator’s original Rocket Packs, Triple Credit, and Lite plans, some of which have been used by Tesco Mobile’s customers for many years. At the same time, the operator has also introduced a new PAYG App, which is only available to customers AFTER they’ve been migrated (the old app has been renamed to the “Tesco Mobile Rocket Pack and Triple Credit app” – those still on the relevant plans should use that).

The New Essentials PAYG Tariff Options

Clearly, some of Tesco Mobile’s customers are also being offered an “exclusive” £2.50 bundle too, which doesn’t appear on the standard tariff list and is probably being offered to those who only made limited or infrequent use of their old plan (e.g. for emergencies) – most likely impacting older or more vulnerable users (many of these are still on the provider’s flat rate Lite plans – the original style of PAYG).

Otherwise, each bundle only lasts for 30-days (like the previous Rocket Packs, but different from the Lite plans) and, by default, it will then automatically renew at the end of that period. Customers with older 2G SIMS have also been told that they’ll need to swap to a 4G SIM “as soon as possible … [or we] won’t be able to move your mobile number” to the new plan (related customers will be contacted separately).

The new plans seem to be driving customers toward only managing their accounts via the new mobile App, although Tesco Mobile does state that: “alternatively, if you’ve bought a top-up voucher from one of our stores, you can call 4488 from your Tesco Mobile phone.”

Further details can be found on Tesco Mobile’s Pay as you go Changes (FAQ) page, which among other things notes that the new Essentials plan will no longer be able to store card details for auto or regular top-ups and has discarded the old “favourite numbers” feature. In addition, E top-up cards will no longer work and customers who don’t use their phone for a period of six months or more will be disconnected (not so good for those who only kept it for emergency contacts).

Clearly this will be more disruptive to some of Tesco Mobile’s customers than others, but the changes they’re making do reflect the wider industry tend toward moving away from the older PAYG models and adopting something that is closer to a basic Pay Monthly no-contract style plan. A not particularly popular trend, it has to be said.

One final point to make is that customers who get migrated should try to avoid buying a new bundle during their first 30 days on Essentials. Doing this will cause you to lose any of the remaining allowances in your free bundle. So, use those allowances up first.