Virgin Mobile is axing its pay as you go service next year in a move that will affect 123,000 customers.
The telecoms giant says the change has been prompted by a 75% drop in active pay as you go (PAYG) users in recent years.
Those who currently use pay as you go - which is where you top-up your mobile with credit to pay for calls and texts - will see their service cut-off from January 2022.
Customers will be notified about the changes no later than October 2021.
Virgin Mobile, which is part of Virgin Media, stopped selling PAYG services to new customers in August 2019.
A spokesperson for Virgin Mobile said: "We regularly review our products and services to ensure our offering reflects our customers’ needs and best supports their usage."
What it means for pay as you go customers
As we've mentioned above, your Virgin Mobile pay as you go service will automatically cut off from January 2022.
If you want to stay using a PAYG service, this means you'll need to switch to another network before this date - you can compare prices on websites such as Compare My Mobile.
You can also keep your current phone number even if you do move to another network by requesting a PAC code.
Customers can sign into their Virgin Mobile account online and select "switching" to start the process, or you can call Virgin Mobile on 0345 6000 789.
Alternatively, text the word "PAC" and your date of birth for free to 65075.
Is pay as you go worth the money? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
Once you've got your PAC code, you'll have 30 days to give it to your new provider.
If you want to stay with Virgin Mobile, you'll need to move over to one of its SIM-only or pay monthly deals before it cuts off your service.
Once Virgin Mobile as switched off its PAYG services, you'll have up to 12 months to claim a refund of any unused credit as cash.
You'll need to contact its customer services team to request a refund, which will be transferred to your bank account.
Customers can continue to top up their mobiles and use their remaining credit as normal before the changes take place.
