giffgaff is a wholly owned subsidiary of O2, the UK's largest mobile network operator. Founded in 2009, it is an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) that runs on O2's network. The giffgaff website is giffgaff.com, and the official app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. โ Wikipedia
๐ What makes giffgaff different
- A physical SIM, not a virtual number (it is a virtual operator, but the number is a real one)
- eSIM support (
after 2021eSIM devices can switch to eSIM themselves in the official giffgaff app; the physical SIM is needed to receive the code) - [No longer works]
WiFi Calling support (it could be enabled in China too with a UK IP or routing rules) - No monthly fee (choose pay as you go, no monthly plan)
- No real-name registration (topping up with an official voucher needs no real name, and any non-UK address can be entered)
- Receiving texts is free, and the number works for signing up to ChatGPT and almost every mainstream international app and service
- Roaming in China is supported (on China Mobile or China Unicom towers)
- Top up ยฃ10 to activate: topping up ยฃ10 = activation done, and you get a random UK number on a physical SIM
- New users get ยฃ5 on a ยฃ10 top-up: new giffgaff users receive ยฃ5 of bonus credit after activating with a ยฃ10 top-up
- Keeping the number costs very little: one text every 6 months (a change in balance) keeps the number, so a ยฃ10 top-up (a little over 90 RMB) can keep it for 25 years. (How this is worked out: top up ยฃ10 and get ยฃ5, for ยฃ15 of credit; a text costs ยฃ0.30.)
