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Lebara PAC code guide

Keep Your Number, Lose the Fuss: Switching with a Lebara PAC Code

A PAC moves your number. A STAC closes the old service without it. One wrong letter changes the whole job, so this is worth getting right before either SIM goes in the recycling.

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The sixty-second answer

PAC keeps the number. STAC does not.

If you want your current mobile number on Lebara, text PAC to 65075 from the SIM that currently owns that number. Ofcom says your provider must reply with the code within one minute. The PAC remains valid for 30 days.4

If you are happy to start again with a new number, text STAC to 75075. If you merely want to see whether you are still in contract, text INFO to 85075. INFO checks first without starting a switch.4

Do not cancel your old service first. Requesting and using the PAC lets the providers move the number and close the old service as part of the same switch.
Decision guide showing PAC to 65075 to keep a number, STAC to 75075 for a new number, and INFO to 85075 to check contract status
PAC, STAC and INFO sound like a tiny law firm. Their jobs are quite different.

Joining Lebara

Get the new line working before you move the old number

Lebara's own order is sensible: activate the Lebara SIM, request the PAC from the old network's SIM, then complete the port-in request for your chosen date.2

  1. Order your Lebara plan.Keep the confirmation and note the temporary Lebara number.
  2. Activate your Lebara SIM.Test mobile data, make a call and send a text. If the fresh line is faulty, fix that before putting your familiar number on it.
  3. Use the old network's SIM to request the PAC.Text PAC to 65075 from the number you want to keep. Do not send it from the temporary Lebara line.
  4. Give the PAC to Lebara.Complete Lebara's port-in request and choose an available transfer date.
  5. Keep both SIMs nearby.The old one remains useful until the transfer, and the new one needs to be in the phone when the number arrives.

The temporary Lebara number is a staging post, not a second number you keep forever. Once the port completes, the number you brought over takes its place on that Lebara line.

Ready to join before moving the number?

Pick the plan, activate the line and only then submit the PAC.

Check Lebara's live plans
Five-step route for switching a number to Lebara: order, activate and test, request the PAC from the old SIM, submit it to Lebara, then keep both SIMs until transfer
Activate first and port second. It is much easier to diagnose one problem at a time.

The transfer day

A short wobble is possible while the networks hand over

Ofcom says the new provider must complete the switch within one working day. Any loss of service must not last longer than one working day either.4

The old SIM may work in the morning and then lose service. That is usually the cue to put the Lebara SIM in the phone, restart it and test the number. Avoid arranging the switch on a day when you must receive a bank security text, a medical call or the message that gets you into an airport lounge. Mobile networks are unmoved by dramatic timing.

Before the handover

  • Charge the phone
  • Keep both SIMs and their PINs
  • Save any voicemail you need
  • Use Wi-Fi as a backup

After the handover

  • Restart the phone
  • Call the number from another phone
  • Make an outgoing call
  • Test texts and mobile data

If the number works for calls but texts or data do not, restart once, check that the Lebara line is selected for mobile data, and then contact Lebara. Repeatedly editing unrelated settings tends to turn one fault into a small collection.

Switching-day timeline showing the old SIM working, the network handover, the Lebara SIM taking the transferred number and four checks afterward
The number stays the same. The SIM carrying it changes.

Leaving Lebara

The same PAC system works in the other direction

To take a Lebara number to another provider, text PAC to 65075 from the Lebara SIM. Give the resulting code to the new provider before its 30-day validity ends. The new provider arranges the switch and the old service ends when that switch completes.4

Do not cancel the Lebara line manually before the port. If you do not want to keep the number, request a STAC instead. Ofcom says the STAC route prevents notice-period charges after the switching date and avoids paying both providers for the same notice period.4

A PAYG balance or unused plan allowance is separate from ownership of the number. The switching reply must include relevant information such as your credit balance or early termination charges. Read it before handing the code over and ask the old provider about any money you think is due.4

Small mistakes, large faff

Five things worth checking before you press send

  • Use the correct SIMThe PAC request must come from the line whose number you want to move.
  • Watch the 30-day clockAn expired PAC does not destroy the number. Request a fresh code and submit that one instead.4
  • Handle grouped accounts differentlyIf more than one number is linked to the account, Ofcom says to request the switching code online or by phone rather than by text.4
  • Do not throw away the old SIM earlyYou may need it to receive the PAC, read switching messages or confirm when the old service has stopped.
  • Expect the temporary number to disappearPorting your old number onto the Lebara line replaces that line's temporary number.

When the handover drags on

Start with the new provider, because it owns the switch request

Keep the PAC, submission confirmation, chosen date and any error messages. Contact the new provider and ask whether the port was accepted, rejected or delayed. If you are moving to Lebara, that means starting with Lebara support.

Ofcom says providers may need to compensate customers when a switch is delayed or service is lost for longer than allowed. It also says the old provider cannot charge a notice period that runs beyond the switching date.4

There is a safety net if someone cancelled first: Ofcom says that, in most cases, the old number can still be transferred within one month of cancellation. Contact the old provider to request the PAC. Treat that as a rescue route, not the preferred method.4

Quick answers

Lebara PAC code questions

Does requesting a PAC cancel my service immediately?

No. Requesting the code gives you the option to switch. The old service ends when the new provider completes the switch using that PAC.4

How long is a PAC valid?

Ofcom says a PAC is valid for 30 days. If it expires, request another one.4

How long should a mobile number transfer take?

The new provider must complete the switch within one working day unless you have agreed to defer it. Any loss of service must not last longer than one working day.4

Can I choose the transfer date with Lebara?

Lebara says its port-in request is processed on the date selected by the customer. The available dates appear during the request.2

Can I get a PAC without calling anyone?

For a single number, text PAC to 65075. If several numbers are linked to the account, use the provider's website or call instead.4

Should I use PAC or STAC?

Use PAC if you want to keep the number. Use STAC if you want the old service closed and are happy to use a new number.4

Sources

Official guidance used for this article

Switching rules and provider processes can change. Reopen the official guidance if your account contains several numbers or your transfer is already overdue.

  1. 2

    Lebara: keep your old number

    Open source
  2. 4

    Ofcom: switching mobile phone provider

    Open source

Join first, port second

Choose the Lebara plan before moving your number

Activate the new line, make sure it works, then request the PAC from your old SIM and submit the transfer.

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