giffgaff number disconnected or Tello line banned? Red Pocket vs Ultra Mobile PayGo vs a US T-Mobile SIM (2026)

Short answer: choose by your situation

Settle two things first: whether you must have a US number, and whether you are in China or in the US right now. Most people can then pick directly:

• check_circleYou already have Ultra Mobile PayGo and the number still works: keep it alive with at least $3 in the wallet.
• check_circleYou are in China, need a new US number and are not going to the US to activate one: choose the US T-Mobile physical SIM (ENC). It costs $28 (about ¥199), ships to China, includes 30 minutes and 100 texts for the first month and works over Wi-Fi Calling; it needs an iPhone 6S or later.
• check_circleYou are in the US or going soon: a Red Pocket annual plan is the cheapest, from the equivalent of $5 a month. Enable roaming in your account before you leave the US.
• check_circleYour Tello line was banned: a new Tello line must be used in the US before international roaming can be enabled. Opened from China, it receives texts only over Wi-Fi Calling.
• check_circleYou do not need a US number: giffgaff is a UK number, but its terms require primary use in the UK. If you live in China long term, a new giffgaff SIM could be disconnected again.

What happened with the giffgaff disconnections

According to ISPreview's report of 1 August 2026, from around 27 July 2026 a group of giffgaff Pay As You Go (PAYG) customers received emails saying that, following a review of their account usage, giffgaff had decided to disconnect their service, and that this was its final position. Most affected customers were in China, and quite a few had topped up only days earlier.

giffgaff told the press it had identified a proportion of PAYG SIMs associated with extended or permanent use outside the UK, which breaches its terms and misuses a service intended for primary use within the UK, so those SIMs were disconnected.

Four things to do after a disconnection

1. 1

   Save the email and account screenshots

   Keep the full disconnection email and screenshots of your dashboard, balance and top-up history. You will need them for any appeal or PAC request.
2. 2

   Ask about a PAC the same day

   If the number is linked to important accounts, ask through giffgaff's official Agent route whether a PAC (porting code) can be issued. giffgaff decides case by case; a PAC is usually valid for 30 days. See the PAC transfer guide.
3. 3

   Check every account linked to the number

   List the accounts that use this number for sign-in or recovery. Add an authenticator app, a passkey or a backup email to each before changing numbers. Once the number is recycled, accounts protected only by SMS may be impossible to recover.
4. 4

   Test the new SIM before moving accounts

   Send an ordinary text to the new number from another phone, then try one verification code on the target service. Move your accounts only after both work.

Three US SIMs and Tello side by side

The first row matters most. Red Pocket and Tello are cheap, but their official rules assume you are in the US. If you are in China and not planning a US trip, the activation requirements matter more than the price.

Monthly cost of receiving texts in China

Estimated for 20 texts received in China per month, carrier charges only, excluding the SIM price:

Red Pocket: cheap, but officially for people in the US

Red Pocket annual plans buy 360 days at once, from the equivalent of $5 a month according to its help centre, on its website and official eBay store. Banned Tello and giffgaff users discuss it most because it is cheap and GSMA plans include roaming in China.

• check_circleBuying and activation: the official help centre says you cannot buy or activate a Red Pocket SIM or eSIM from outside the US; it must be done within the 50 states and Washington, D.C.
• check_circleRoaming: only GSMA plans can roam; GSMT and CDMA cannot at present. Set your destination while still in the US, because roaming cannot be enabled from abroad. Plans bought on eBay need a roaming credit add-on.
• check_circleActivation deadline: prepaid plans must be activated within 90 days of the order date or they expire.
• check_circleChannels in China: SIMs sold in China are usually bought and activated by resellers, so the account, payment method or even email may not be yours. In October some users on social media reported that their Red Pocket eSIM was banned.

If you are in the US or going soon, Red Pocket is the cheapest option long term; buying from China means accepting that the account is not fully in your hands. For a full comparison with a UK number, see giffgaff vs Red Pocket.

Ultra Mobile PayGo: keep it if you have it, do the sums before buying

Ultra Mobile PayGo takes $3 from the wallet every 30 days and receives roaming texts in China directly at $0.10 each, with no need for Wi-Fi. For people in China it is still the least fussy US SIM for receiving texts.

• check_circleIf you have PayGo: keep the wallet above $3 or set up automatic top-ups. If the balance is short at the end of a cycle, service is suspended.
• check_circleIf you are buying: one JD.com listing on 15 October was priced at ¥368 plus shipping. Ask whether prepaid credit is included and whether the account will be in your name.
• check_circleFor PayGo against other alternatives in detail, see PayGo pricier and out of stock.

US T-Mobile physical SIM (ENC): delivered in China, texts over Wi-Fi Calling

The US T-Mobile physical SIM (ENC) is a physical SIM on the T-Mobile network, sold by LarkSIM. The number comes from the US carrier ENC Mobile and is a real +1 mobile number, not VoIP. It costs $28 (about ¥199); each card is checked before dispatch and shipped to an address in China. The main difference from Red Pocket and Tello: you do not need to be in the US, because the SIM reaches you in China and can be set up there.

• check_circlePhone: iPhone 6S or later, Chinese or international models; locked, jailbroken or SIM-adapter ("卡贴") phones will not work.
• check_circlePlan: the first month includes 30 minutes of US calls and 100 texts, with no data, so having no signal after inserting it is normal.
• check_circleHow it works: connect to Wi-Fi and turn on Wi-Fi Calling; after 3–5 minutes a Wi-Fi Calling indicator appears and texts work. The first time requires an overseas network environment.
• check_circleNumber: randomly assigned by the carrier, possibly previously used, and cannot be chosen or changed.
• check_circleRenewal: no self-service top-up; ask support to top up before expiry. Renewal is the same monthly plan at ¥66–99 a month, depending on the tax for the US ZIP code entered at activation. The number is cancelled after 30 days suspended.

If you are in China and need a US number, Buy the US T-Mobile physical SIM (ENC).

For T-Mobile plan and Wi-Fi Calling charges, see what to check before activating a T-Mobile eSIM.

Tello: check the roaming rules before opening a new line

Tello is billed monthly, with custom plans from $5 a month. If you want a new line after a ban, check the Tello help centre first: a line must be used in the US before international roaming can be enabled, and roaming is charged to PAYG credit.

• check_circleA new Tello line opened from China cannot enable roaming, so it receives texts only over Wi-Fi Calling.
• check_circleWith PAYG credit only and no monthly plan, credit expires 3 months after purchase, after which service ends and the number is deleted.
• check_circleFor a comparison with a UK number, see giffgaff vs Tello.

What no SIM can guarantee

• check_circleNever being suspended: UK and US prepaid services are designed mainly for domestic use. Any carrier may suspend a number used abroad long term under its terms, and LarkSIM cannot promise otherwise on a carrier's behalf.
• check_circleVerification codes: whether Apple, AI tools or other services accept a number or send it codes is up to each service.
• check_circleReseller-activated accounts: if the account is in someone else's name, appealing, recovering or porting the number yourself is difficult.
• check_circleMasking your location: do not use false addresses or location tools to get around carrier checks. It may breach the terms and makes the number harder to keep if discovered.
• check_circlePhysical SIM refunds: the US T-Mobile physical SIM (ENC) is a special item that cannot be returned or exchanged once shipped; orders not yet packed or shipped can be cancelled.

FAQ

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