UK SIM Verification Method (FREE)

[rsot]

Originally Posted by sax4

But it could be worse chaps, in many countries you need to show ID to buy a sim card, and in other countries you need biometrics!

Quite poignant note

[james_112233]

Originally Posted by sax4

It's annoying to have to top up the sims, especially since I am out of the UK - they need activating before you go overseas. I mean if I called customer services, I guess that would still activate it as long as I topped it up with credit.

But it could be worse chaps, in many countries you need to show ID to buy a sim card, and in other countries you need biometrics!

That's the beauty of Asda ... I'm overseas right now. You just login to the website with a UK VPN, pay using your wise or revolut card and the sims topped up. I've been out of the country nearly six months now

[ft16]

If your overseas (or even if you're not). You can buy vouchers for all the major UK PAYG networks with crypto on sites like bitrefill

You'll probably have to have activated the SIMs in the UK first though.

[hello1212]

It's also quite simple to top up over the phone - they take your card details down and process the transaction. But man it's such an inconvenience

[rsot]

Originally Posted by hello1212

It's also quite simple to top up over the phone - they take your card details down and process the transaction. But man it's such an inconvenience

Yeah, the CSR Live calls tend to be tedious

[hello1212]

Originally Posted by rsot

Yeah, the CSR Live calls tend to be tedious

Yep well in the London area, Vodaphone sims still work for me top-up free. Perhaps people outside London could find a way to have the sim activated in London remotely, probably would need a family member or friend to do so then send it your way.

I have a stack of about 100 Vodaphone sims ordered a while ago in batches, still work whenever I grab a new one

[rsot]

Originally Posted by hello1212

Yep well in the London area, Vodaphone sims still work for me top-up free. Perhaps people outside London could find a way to have the sim activated in London remotely, probably would need a family member or friend to do so then send it your way.

I have a stack of about 100 Vodaphone sims ordered a while ago in batches, still work whenever I grab a new one

Have you tried to activate any remotely out of the country? Or never found the need as yet

[sax4]

Originally Posted by james_112233

That's the beauty of Asda ... I'm overseas right now. You just login to the website with a UK VPN, pay using your wise or revolut card and the sims topped up. I've been out of the country nearly six months now

Ok I see, so you don't put the sims in your phone before you leave the country?

[hello1212]

Originally Posted by rsot

Have you tried to activate any remotely out of the country? Or never found the need as yet

I guess your best bet for that would be e-sim based and not physical, used vodaphones when I was away and it was working fine

[a3212]

is ther a smartphone that can store multiple esims?? its a pain to keep on having to remove on after another

[hello1212]

Originally Posted by a3212

is ther a smartphone that can store multiple esims?? its a pain to keep on having to remove on after another

There are dual e-sim phones a few I can think of iphone 12s in US support dual e-sim, not in the UK though. UK models support 1 e-sim & 1 physical. Andriods such as Samsung Galaxies, Oneplus.

Your best bet is to go on eBay and type dual e-sim phone and have a look.

You will have to manually set it up and remove it when done which is slightly more involved than just removing and inserting a physical sim though, but it's remote so..

[rsot]

Originally Posted by a3212

is ther a smartphone that can store multiple esims?? its a pain to keep on having to remove on after another

Quite a few new phones can store multiple esims - I know the Samsung S25 can store like 20 eSims iirc but, like many phones, only 2 numbers can be active at any time so that's the pain point...

[hello1212]

Originally Posted by rsot

Quite a few new phones can store multiple esims - I know the Samsung S25 can store like 20 eSims iirc but, like many phones, only 2 numbers can be active at any time so that's the pain point...

That's actually great. Will look to get my hands on one haha

[ft16]

Originally Posted by hello1212

There are dual e-sim phones a few I can think of iphone 12s in US support dual e-sim, not in the UK though. UK models support 1 e-sim & 1 physical. Andriods such as Samsung Galaxies, Oneplus.

That's only true of old iPhones, any modern UK iPhone or Android dual SIM phone sim phone can be used as SIM/SIM, SIM/eSIM or eSIM/eSIM.

Assuming it has 2 physical SIM slots and eSIM functionality of course, which most higher end android smartphones do.

You can also get physical SIM cards which can hold multiple eSIMS if your device doesn't have eSIM functionality..

[hello1212]

Originally Posted by rsot

Quite a few new phones can store multiple esims - I know the Samsung S25 can store like 20 eSims iirc but, like many phones, only 2 numbers can be active at any time so that's the pain point...

Got my hands on the S24 and all I can say it definitely beats having to swap out physicals from my old Nokia, would be next level if all 20 could be active but either way thanks for the tip

[rsot]

Originally Posted by hello1212

Got my hands on the S24 and all I can say it definitely beats having to swap out physicals from my old Nokia, would be next level if all 20 could be active but either way thanks for the tip

No doubr - it would be awesome if all the esims were active...

[hello1212]

Originally Posted by rsot

No doubr - it would be awesome if all the esims were active...

I'm talking to a guy that can jailbreak these, perhaps theres a way.. Will let you know

[ft16]

Originally Posted by hello1212

I'm talking to a guy that can jailbreak these, perhaps theres a way.. Will let you know

There is no way, its a hardware limitation not a software limitation.

[hello1212]

Originally Posted by ft16

There is no way, its a hardware limitation not a software limitation.

Yep.. ffs

Either way still beats my Nokia much more convenient haha

[UKSIMService]

Originally Posted by ft16

Nothing to do with cartel companies, its pressure from the National Crime Agency though the Blocked SIMs project.

"Working alongside NCA, SSUK members have dismantled the PAYG SIM vulnerability which was manipulated by criminal networks. Working together:

Mobile Network Operators have applied a financial requirement against the use of the PAYG SIMs. Now they must be loaded with money via credit or debit card before they can even receive an SMS. This means a direct friction is placed in the pathway of fraudsters, increasing their costs and the risks of attempting to use this route."

Thanks for sharing this quote, I was following all the SIM Farm / Off-Com stuff, and noticed new Vodafone sims are not receiving SMS recently! Seems like it'll be a supply chain issue over the next few months, where all the valid SIMs which work without topup will eventually be used up!

[Nimble]

I can confirm vodafone sims still receive sms without topping up, the ops suggested site does not deliver, I have been waiting for over 2 weeks. Probably some kind of data farming endeavor.

[dsdominators]

Lebara don't need top-ups in order to receive SMS
EE dont need top-ups in order to receive SMS.
ThreeMobile dont need top-ups to receive SMS and calls.
Vodafone doesn't need topping up, as long as it's activated in the UK (Found this out very recently too)

Note: I used to activate them abroad too(not in the UK).

I stopped purchasing Three and EE SIMs due to my last bulk order (500+ sim cards from the same supplier) obviously got flagged and they killed all the sim cards I have due to the seller being caught abusing and selling in bulk.

Lebara and Three are a good free option if you're activating them abroad. EE doesn't work abroad anymore - must be activated within the UK.