Martin Lewis has warned that millions of people could be overpaying on their mobile phone bills, but typing just five digits could help save money.
The consumer expert shared his tip on his social media channels, explaining what mobile phone users should do and how to go about saving cash. He stressed that the method is "totally free".
How to Check Your Mobile Contract
It involves people checking whether they have any early termination or early cancellation charges, and whether they are out of contract and can go for a cheaper deal instead. Recently, Martin also explained how dialling three numbers could help protect you from scams, as reported by ChronicleLive.
Regarding mobile phone bills, Martin said: "There's a way to find out if you can save on your mobile bill just by typing five digits into your phone. All you got to do is text the word 'INFO' to 85075."
"This is a service the regulator Ofcom mandates mobile phone networks to offer. It's totally free. They then have to reply with whether you have any early termination or early cancellation charges."
What to Do If You Are Out of Contract
"If it says you don't, so £0 early termination, it means you're one of 14 million people who are out of contract and you're therefore free to ditch and switch. And the vast majority of people are out of contract or seriously overpaying on their phones."
"So what do you then do? Well just go onto a comparison site like MoneySavingExpert's Cheap Sim Finder and see what's available."
Important Notes for Some Users
However, he also had a couple of important notes that apply to people on a multiple phone contract or those who are on Three, Smartie or ID mobile. Explaining further, he said: "Couple of quick notes. If you're on Three, Smartie or ID mobile, then when you do the text it will reply back asking you for your date of birth, which is just an ID check."
"And I should also note if you're on a multiple phone contract, like a couple of different handsets on the contract, it can't do this. So then simple rule of thumb, if you've been on the same deal for more than two years, you're almost certainly out of contract. Do check it out. Let me know how you do."
