What happens to your unused credit when you switch

Can you get your unused prepay credit back when you switch?

Yes, on request. Irish law says the provider you leave "shall refund, upon request, any remaining credit to a consumer using pre-paid services". It is not automatic: you have to ask. Credit cannot be moved to Lidl Connect, so the choice is to use it before the switch or claim a refund after.

Tesco Mobile gives the plain advice in its own help pages: "Use any remaining credit with your current network before moving your number - it cannot be transferred." Where your balance is small, that is often simpler than a refund with a fee.

The right applies to consumers, not business accounts, according to ComReg's guidance on the rules.

What does the law say about unused credit?

The rule is Regulation 90(11) of S.I. No. 444/2022, in force since 9 June 2023. It copies Article 106(6) of the European Electronic Communications Code. A refund may carry a fee only if your contract provides for one, and the fee must be "proportionate and commensurate with the actual costs" of making the refund.

ComReg's guidance adds that a provider should offer a choice of refund methods, written into the contract, "including but not limited to cheque, bank draft, money order, or postal order", and that if a fee would be bigger than your credit, the provider must tell you.

ComReg has enforced it. In March 2025 it announced that An Post Mobile had refunded more than €25,000 of "excess credit remaining on accounts that have ported away".

Can the provider charge a fee for refunding credit?

Only if your contract says so, and only at the provider's real cost. Three takes €10.45 and Tesco Mobile €10 from the balance. eir, 48 and An Post Mobile say a fee applies without giving the amount where we looked. Vodafone says it is not charging a fee "at this time". A small balance can disappear entirely in fees.

Is there a deadline to ask for your credit?

The law sets no deadline; ComReg's guidance says the time a provider must hold credit "is not specified directly". Provider terms set their own: three months after switching at Three, Tesco Mobile, 48 and An Post Mobile, and ninety days at eir. Vodafone gives no deadline. Ask as soon as your number has moved.

Does bonus or free credit count?

Usually not. Vodafone says bonus credit "has no cash value". eir refunds only "purchased call credit". Tesco Mobile says customers who leave "lose any credit provided to them by Tesco Mobile". An Post Mobile refunds the balance "that you have put on your account". The law itself does not mention bonus credit.

What happens to each kind of balance when you leave?

Cash you topped up is refundable on request. Bonus credit usually is not. Data and minutes left in a bundle are lost when the bundle ends. A bill pay month you have already paid runs to the switch date, and your final bill settles the difference. Auto top-ups and direct debits you set up yourself should be stopped by you.

• Cash credit you added: refundable on request (Regulation 90(11)), less any fee your contract allows.
• Bonus or promotional credit: generally not refundable (Vodafone, eir, Tesco Mobile, An Post Mobile terms).
• Bundle allowance (data, minutes, texts): lost. Tesco Mobile: "you will lose any remaining allowances in your bundle". Lycamobile: "Any unused allowance after the validity period will not be carried forward."
• Bill pay: the final bill covers usage up to the switch. Clear Mobile and GoMo bill pay plans hold no credit; Clear's terms say "unused credit and benefits will not transfer and will be lost".
• Auto top-up: Lycamobile bundles renew every 30 days until you dial *190# to stop them. Turn off any automatic top-up before the switch.
• Family or multi-number accounts: no provider page we found explains what happens to the other numbers or discounts when one number leaves. Ask the provider before you move.

How does each provider handle unused credit?

The table sets each provider's rules side by side, from their own terms as checked for this page. "Not stated" means we did not find the point on the provider's own pages. Lycamobile's terms, last updated in June 2023, say no cash refund is given, which conflicts with the law that took effect that month.

About Lycamobile: its terms say "You are not entitled to receive any cash refund for any credit balance remaining in your Account at any time". The law since 9 June 2023 says the provider you leave "shall refund, upon request, any remaining credit". If you are leaving Lycamobile with credit, ask in writing at [email protected] and quote Regulation 90(11) of S.I. No. 444/2022. If you are refused, use Lycamobile's complaints process and then ComReg.

How do you ask for a refund of your credit?

After your number has moved, contact the provider you left through the channel its terms name, within its deadline. Give your old number, the date you switched and how you want to be paid. Note the balance before the switch: a screenshot of the balance on your old SIM makes a disagreement easier to settle.

1. Before the switch

   Check your balance and screenshot it. Decide whether to use it up instead.

2. After the switch

   Contact the old provider: Vodafone by live chat or 1747, Three on 1913, Tesco Mobile on 1903, An Post Mobile at [email protected].

3. Say what you want

   Ask for a refund of the remaining credit under Regulation 90(11), and say how you want it paid.

4. Keep a record

   Note the date and any reference number. Providers must acknowledge complaints within two working days and respond within ten.

5. If refused

   Complain to the provider, then to ComReg: see your rights when switching.