The two codes
| Keep your number | Text PAC to 65075 — code arrives by return, free, valid 30 days |
| Happy with a new number | Text STAC to 75075 — same mechanics |
| Exit costs | Itemised automatically in the reply — early-term charges, device balances, everything, before you commit |
| The move | Give the code to the new network; usually completed in one working day |
What the old network cannot do
- Refuse, delay, or attach conditions to the code.
- Force a phone call or a "retention conversation".
- Invent fees beyond the itemised reply.
- Treat a bundled household bill (Sky, EE/BT) as a lock — the PAC works identically.
Pro tip: Retention offers are allowed — and sometimes genuinely good. The point is they can't be a toll gate: take the code first, negotiate with it in hand.
The safe order of operations
Check coverage at your postcode— destination network's checker plus Ofcom's, indoor readings weighted.
Audition a rolling month— the destination's budget tenant is the cheap ticket (giffgaff/Tesco→O2, SMARTY→Three, 1pMobile→EE).
Buy the new plan— SIM or eSIM.
Text PAC from the old SIM— read the itemised exit sums in the reply.
Hand the code over— keep the old SIM in until the number lands.
Confirm the final bill— diary a check that it closed at zero.
Special cases
| Mid-contract | You can still switch — the reply simply itemises the term charge; sometimes worth paying, calculate first |
| Device balance (O2/Sky splits) | Settle it or it's added to the exit figures — the reply shows it |
| Bundled homes | One bill, same law — the PAC doesn't care |
| Tenant brands | Same texts, same numbers, same rights |