

Why is my phone number deactivated?

When a number is not used anymore, the SIM card is deactivated and the number is recycled. This article describes the different situations leading to a SIM card deactivation.

What are the reasons for deactivation?

A SIM card is deactivated in the following situations:

Note that a SIM card declared as lost or stolen is deactivated to prevent any illegitimate usage but its number is transferred immediately to a replacement SIM. For this reason, the information in this article does not apply to SIM cards that have been declared lost or stolen.

When is a SIM card considered inactive?

A SIM card is deactivated when it has not been used in the last 6 months. To stop deactivation do any one of the following actions at least once every 6 months:

  • Make at least one call, SMS or MMS to another number (This does not including calls to Emergency Services or Member Services)
  • Make at least one connection to the Internet
  • Make at least one Airtime Credit or goodybag purchase

These conditions are present to prevent the deactivation of members SIMs who have very little activity or who are active on the Community without using their SIM card much.

If your SIM card is disconnected, you will lose any remaining Airtime Credit and/or goodybag balances and also the phone number on your account.

giffgaff recycles phone numbers and we will not be able to reconnect once your number is disconnected and recycled.

giffgaff may reconnect you if any disconnection was due to our negligence.

For more information please see the terms & conditions on Cancellation Rights.

Is it possible to reactivate my SIM?

Once a SIM card has been deactivated, it's not possible to reactivate it. Moreover, deactivating the SIM card returns the phone number associated with it to the pool of available phone numbers. It is therefore impossible to keep the phone number associated with a deactivated SIM.

When a SIM card is likely to be deactivated for inactivity, we will send a first communication one month before the deactivation of your SIM card. If there is still no activity with this SIM a second email is sent roughly 48 hours before to warn the member they only have a short time left to act. If none of the necessary actions to keep the SIM active are performed then the SIM deactivation procedure will be initiated.

Will my account be deactivated?

When your SIM card is deactivated or you port out, it does not affect your giffgaff account so you can still be part of the Community. Your giffgaff account will act in the same way as it did before you activated a SIM.

If you activate a new SIM, you'll be able to register it with your existing giffgaff account during the activation process.

What will happen to my existing credit?

Any credit available on your SIM card at the time of deactivation is lost, as per the Terms and Conditions. This credit is not refundable so we advise to use it before the deactivation of your SIM card.

What will happen to my payback points?

As per the Terms and Conditions, accrued payback points are lost when the account becomes inactive, or when you port out.

If you don't hold an active SIM when the payback payment starts, you are not eligible to receive payback.

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