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How to Activate and Use Giffgaff UK SIM Card: A Complete Guide

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The author has long wanted to purchase a foreign SIM card to register for overseas services. Recently, while browsing V2EX, the author saw recommendations for the Giffgaff phone card. Consequently, the author purchased a Giffgaff UK SIM card on JD.com and shares the activation process and important precautions.

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About Giffgaff

Giffgaff is a mobile phone company headquartered in the UK. As a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), Giffgaff uses the O2 network and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of O2, established on November 25, 2009. Unlike traditional mobile operators, Giffgaff allows its users to participate in certain aspects of the company's operations, such as sales, customer service, and marketing. — From Wikipedia

Giffgaff Features

  • Suitable for registering for various overseas services like OpenAI and WhatsApp
  • 0 monthly rental fee; sending a text message every 6 months keeps the number active
  • No real-name registration required
  • Normal roaming usage available in China

Purchasing Giffgaff

The pricing for Giffgaff sold on this site is:

  • 40 RMB / 1 card (free shipping)
  • 75 RMB / 2 cards (free shipping)

Please scan the WeChat code below to purchase (xiaozme). When adding, please note: giffgaff

Activating Giffgaff

After receiving the SIM card, the next step is activation. You will need a MasterCard or VISA credit card (domestic cards with MasterCard/VISA logos work as well). The author used a WildCard virtual card. If you do not have a credit card, you can contact the author via WeChat (xiaozme) for top-up and activation assistance (a 5 GBP handling fee applies).

  1. Open the Giffgaff activation page: https://www.giffgaff.com/activate
  2. Enter the activation code found on the SIM card.

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  1. Enter your preferred email address.

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  1. Set a password according to the requirements and click Register.

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  1. You will be asked if you want to receive promotional notifications. Generally, you can decline this.

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  1. Next, select a plan. Since the author does not need data or calls, scroll to the bottom and select "No monthly plan".

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  1. Proceed to top-up. The minimum top-up for the first time is 10 GBP, which includes a 5 GBP bonus. Fill in your credit card and billing details as required. Please note the following precautions shown in the screenshots.

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Important: Select a UK address for the billing address to avoid issues.

  1. Activation usually takes a few minutes, after which you can view your phone number.

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This concludes the activation process. If you encounter any issues or have questions, feel free to leave a comment.

Using Giffgaff on Your Phone

The author inserted the Giffgaff SIM card into a new Redmi Note11T Pro without any special settings, and it works directly for roaming and sending/receiving SMS.

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When sending SMS, there is a crucial point: you must include the international country code, otherwise the message will fail. For example:

  1. To send to a domestic Chinese number, use +86 followed by the phone number.
  2. To send to a Hong Kong number, use +852 followed by the phone number.

The author successfully sent an SMS to a Hong Kong number using Giffgaff.

How to Get Your Giffgaff Phone Number

After activation, log in to the Giffgaff backend to see your phone number, which looks like this:

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However, when registering for overseas services, you may be asked to select a country code and enter the phone number. In this case, you need to convert the number: remove the leading 0 and replace it with the UK international code +44.

The actual phone number format will be +44 followed by the remaining digits (e.g., +44 7759...).

Keeping the Number Active

To extend the validity of the number, you need to have a balance change (spend money) once every 180 days. The cheapest way to keep the number active is to send a text message every 6 months (be sure to set a reminder to avoid number recycling). When sending SMS with Giffgaff, remember to include the country code, e.g., +86 138xxx.

Pricing

  • Optional 0 monthly rental
  • Receiving SMS: Free
  • Making calls: 1 GBP/minute
  • Receiving calls: 1 GBP/minute
  • Sending SMS: 0.3 GBP/message
  • Data usage: 2000 RMB/1GB (0.2 GBP/MB)

Special Attention:

  • iPhone users are advised to disable FaceTime. Otherwise, every time the phone starts, FaceTime may trigger a Giffgaff SMS charge.
  • If using in mainland China, be sure to turn off mobile data usage (data is extremely expensive and not cost-effective).

Summary

  1. You need a VISA or MasterCard credit card.
  2. Giffgaff requires a minimum top-up of 10 GBP upon first activation, with an extra 5 GBP bonus.
  3. Ensure the billing address is a UK address.
  4. When sending SMS with Giffgaff, include the full international country code.
  5. When registering for overseas services, replace the leading 0 with the UK international code +44.
  6. Send a text message at least once every 6 months to maintain the number.

Giffgaff Official Website: https://www.giffgaff.com/