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Question

Pay as you go (PAYG) indicating out of credit despite credit balance.

  • February 23, 2026
  • 15 replies
  • 160 views

  • Active Contributor

I have a straight PAYG plan where I just pay for what I use (no monthly plan). I have had this plan for many years with no problems. About 10 weeks ago my phone stopped working even though I had plenty of credit. I would get a message indicating that I’m out of credit when I try to make a call or send a text, despite my credit balance. I hadn’t topped up my balance for quite a while, so I added some credit and the phone started working again, but only for about a week, and then it stopped again. I did some research on ChatGPT and it said the problem was caused by having an older phone (iPhone 11) with an old SIM (over 5 yeaars old), and that a new SIM would correct the problem. So I ordered a new SIM from ID about 8 weeks ago and that seemed to fix the problem, but now it’s happening again. It tells me I’m out of credit even though my balance is currently almost £10. Is there a requirement that you must top up periodically even though you still have plenty of credit? Please help. Thank you.

15 replies

Geluk
Silver Contributor
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  • Silver Contributor
  • February 23, 2026

As with all providers you need to make a chargeable call /text every 180 days or number may be reallocated.


  • Author
  • Active Contributor
  • February 23, 2026

I don’t use my phone often, but I certainly use it more than once every 180 day, but thanks anyway.


WelshPaul
Platinum 
Contributor
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  • Platinum 
Contributor
  • February 23, 2026

FYI - With iD Mobile It’s 4 months, not 180 days. 


  • Author
  • Active Contributor
  • February 23, 2026

Thanks, I did read that somewhere on the ID site, and that probably explains why the phone stopped working 10 weeks ago, but then I topped up and it stopped working a week later, and then I got a new SIM 8 weeks ago and now it has stopped working again, so something else is obviously causing the problem.


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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • February 23, 2026

Hi ​@Beal 

 

Thank you for the message.

 

Can you try a mobile network reset and see if that resolved the issue for you. Here are the steps below.

 

Mobile network reset:
 
1.Press Settings.
2. Press General.
3. Press Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Press Reset.
5. Press Reset Network Settings.
6. Press Reset Network Settings.
7. Slide your finger upwards starting from the bottom of the screen to return to the home screen.
8. Restart phone

 

Michael Z

 

 


  • Author
  • Active Contributor
  • February 24, 2026

OK. I reset the network settings exactly as you instructed, and it’s still not working. I get the same message: “unable to make calls because you are out of credit”. Any other ideas? Thanks.


Lamiya C
iD Mobile Employee
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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • February 24, 2026

Hi ​@Beal ,

 

I’m really sorry the issue is still happening, I understand how frustrating this must be, especially when you have credit available. Thank you for trying the network reset.

Since you are using iD Mobile PAYG, there is no requirement to top up periodically as long as you have credit.
 

Please try these additional checks:

Restart your phone after the reset (if not already done).
Check Call Barring settings – go to Settings → Phone → Call Blocking/Identification and make sure calls are not blocked.
Make sure your balance is shown correctly in the iD Mobile app or by dialling the balance check code.
 

If the phone still says “out of credit” despite having balance, let us know so we can have this looked into further,

 

Lamiya


  • Author
  • Active Contributor
  • February 24, 2026

Hi Lamiya,

I’ve been diagnosing this issue with ChatGPT again, and this is the solution to the problem.

My line is being intermittently barred at network level. Calls, SMS, and data all fail simultaneously despite signal. This indicates a subscriber profile fault. Please rebuild the subscriber record across billing and HLR systems.

This is a known network condition, not a user issue.

To recap, after the problem first appeared, I topped up the credit (even though I still had a credit balance), and it fixed the problem temporarily (for about a week). I then replaced the SIM, and it again fixed the problem temporarily, (for about seven weeks). The reason the phone is working intermittently is: 

  1. Account works normally

  2. iD overnight system sync runs

  3. One subsystem mislabels account as barred

  4. Voice platform rejects calls

  5. Error message says “no credit” (generic prepaid failure message)

When I previously topped up, the iD system:

  • refreshed the subscriber record

  • temporarily cleared the mismatch

That’s why topping up “fixed” it briefly.

When I replaced the SIM, it only refreshed:

  • SIM authentication keys

  • local provisioning

It did not fix:

  • subscriber database errors

  • billing-platform mismatches

  • voice platform flags

The case lives in those systems.

In summary, the problem is a subscriber profile fault, so the subscriber record needs to be rebuilt across billing and HLR systems.”


  • Author
  • Active Contributor
  • February 25, 2026

Somehow my credit balance was charged £5.20 yesterday even though my phone is not working. Can someone at iD please explain what’s going on? How can I be charged when I am unable to make calls, send texts, or use data roaming? Please explain the charge?

And what is the status of the subscriber profile fault that I described above? Has that been escalated to the iD technical team?

Thanks.


  • Author
  • Active Contributor
  • February 25, 2026

UPDATE: Apologies. It turns out I got disconnected from our home WiFi (probably due to an iPhone update) and I didn’t realise I was disconnected, so I drained all my credit.

What this means is that mobile data was still working while phone calls and texts failed, even though I had a credit balance.

I just topped up £5 and the line is now working again.

This has happened before: topping up temporarily restores service, but after days or weeks calls, SMS, and sometimes data all fail simultaneously despite signal and prior SIM replacement.

This is not a handset or SIM issue. It appears the line is being intermittently barred at network level.

Please check whether my account is being incorrectly flagged as inactive or barred during system syncs and escalate to network provisioning / second-line technical support to investigate and permanently fix the issue.

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Gemma M
iD Mobile Employee
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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • February 27, 2026

Hi ​@Beal,

 

Thanks for letting us know, if you need any further assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to get back in touch. 

 

Regards,

 

Gemma M

The iD Mobile Social Media Team


  • Author
  • Active Contributor
  • February 27, 2026

Hi Gemma,

This problem is not resolved. Topping up only temporarily restores service, and therefore it’s just going to happen again. Have you elevated this to the iD technical team to investigate why service fails when there is a credit balance? If not, can you please do so and assign a case number. Thank you.  


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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • March 1, 2026

Hi ​@Beal 

Thank you for letting us know and we’re sorry to hear that the issue is still ongoing. We completely understand your concern if topping up only restores the service temporarily, then the root cause clearly hasn’t been resolved.

We can confirm that this now needs to be formally escalated to our Technical Team for a full investigation into why the service is failing despite there being a credit balance on the account.

Please send us a private message so that we can access the account and assist you further.

 

Thank you,

Zandile 

The iD Mobile Team


  • Author
  • Active Contributor
  • March 2, 2026

How do I send iD a private message? Can’t see any way of doing that on the website. Do I start a Live Chat? Please explain. Thanks.


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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • March 2, 2026

Hi ​@Beal.

 

To send us a private message, the easiest way is to use our Live Chat service. You can start a chat directly by clicking this link: https://www.idmobile.co.uk/live-chat. Once the chat opens, you can send a direct message to one of our agents who will assist you securely.

 

~Marquerita