Quick answer
How to get a Tesco Mobile PAC code
| You want to | Do this | From Tesco Mobile’s own help page |
|---|---|---|
| Keep your number | Text PAC to 65075 | Free from your Tesco Mobile phone; arrives within 1 minute |
| Leave without your number | Text STAC to 75075 | Free; arrives within 1 minute |
| Check the cost first | Text INFO to 85075 | Tells you whether early termination charges apply |
More than one number on the account? Log in to My Account and choose “Leaving Tesco Mobile?” at the bottom of the page. You can also ask by webchat or by calling Customer Care. Codes last 30 days, and you must be the account holder. Verified
Customer Care, for cancelling without switching
0345 301 4455Getting to the right team
We don't yet know how Tesco Mobile's phone menu is structured, so we're not going to guess. If you work it out, we'd like to hear from you.
Before you call
What to know first
Which number depends on where you are in your contract. Tesco Mobile’s cancellation page gives 0345 301 4455 for cancelling inside your contract without switching, and 0800 030 4030 once you are past your contract term. Switching with a code needs no call at all. Verified
One-month plans need 48 hours. Tesco Mobile’s terms say to cancel at least 48 hours before your next billing date so a further month does not start. Verified
Chat runs later than the phones. Tesco Mobile’s online and app chat is open 7am to 11pm, every day of the year. Verified
Tesco Mobile is part-owned by Virgin Media O2. It describes itself as a joint venture between Tesco and Virgin Media O2. Verified
The codes
How to actually leave
Keep your numberText PAC to 65075
A PAC ports your number to the new provider. Give it to them, not to Tesco Mobile.
Start freshText STAC to 75075
A STAC closes the account without taking your number with you.
Tesco Mobile says the code arrives within 1 minute and is valid for 30 days. With more than one number on the account, use My Account, then “Leaving Tesco Mobile?”. Do not cancel your Direct Debit until the final bill has been taken. Verified
What it costs
Notice, exit fees and the handset
NoticeNext billing date
On a one-month plan, cancel at least 48 hours before your next billing date. Otherwise Tesco Mobile says you can cancel immediately, when you use a PAC, or on your next billing date.
Leaving earlyYour monthly charge for the months left, less about 20%.
Tesco Mobile multiplies the monthly subscription by the months left in your minimum term, then takes off VAT and a further discount of about 3%, which it says adds up to 20%. It tells you the amount before you cancel. There is no airtime charge once the minimum term has ended.
Your handsetLeave before month 24 and the phone balance is due in full.
For customers who joined or upgraded from 30 November 2021: cancel the airtime before the end of month 24 and the remaining handset credit balance is due at once. If the credit agreement runs longer than 24 months and you cancel after month 24, you can keep paying it monthly.
Your rights
What you're entitled to
- Your code has to arrive within a minute. For residential customers Ofcom requires the losing provider to send a PAC or STAC no later than one minute after the request. Beware of guides quoting two hours or two working days; those are the rules for business customers. Verified
- Text is not the only route they must offer. Providers must give at least three free ways to get a code: by text, online through your account, and by phone. Text and online have to be available at all times. Codes last 30 days. Verified
- Switching kills the notice period. If you move using a code, your old contract terminates on the working day the switch completes, and your provider must not bill you for any notice period running past that date. This is the single most valuable rule here. It does not, however, cancel an early termination charge if you are still inside your minimum term. Verified
- They must tell you what you still owe on the handset. The switching information sent with your code must say whether the handset sits on a separate contract, and either what is still payable on it after you move or the date you stop paying. It must also give your total final charge as a single figure. Verified
- The switch itself is quick, and free. Porting must complete within one working day, any loss of service must not exceed one working day, and no charge may be made for taking your number with you. Your number stays portable for at least a month after you leave. Verified
One rule is worth more than any script: switch with a code and your provider cannot bill you for a notice period beyond the switch date. The full explainer, including what it does not cover, is here.
Where this comes from
| Claim | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Care 0345 301 4455 or 4455 and its hours; sales and upgrades 0800 030 4030; chat 7am to 11pm | Tesco Mobile’s own opening hours page, tescomobile.com/help/other/opening-hours | 25 September 2026 |
| Which number to call to cancel without switching, in and out of contract; INFO to 85075 | Tesco Mobile’s own cancelling a pay monthly account page | 25 September 2026 |
| PAC, STAC and INFO shortcodes; 1 minute; 30 days; account holder only; My Account route; keep the Direct Debit until the final bill | Tesco Mobile’s own switching to another network page | 25 September 2026 |
| Early termination method and the month-24 handset rule; cancel immediately, with a PAC, or on the next billing date | Tesco Mobile’s own early termination charge page | 25 September 2026 |
| 48 hours before the billing date on one-month plans; no airtime charge after the minimum term | Tesco Mobile’s pay monthly terms, January 2026, on tescomobile.com | 25 September 2026 |
| Joint venture between Tesco and Virgin Media O2 | Tesco Mobile’s own about us page | 25 September 2026 |
| Tesco Mobile’s own worked example of the charge | Its figures do not add up (£60 less 20% is given as £48.50), so we do not repeat it | Not used |
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