O2 PAC Code: How to Get It, and What to Do When the Text Fails
To get your O2 PAC code, text PAC to 65075 from your O2 phone. The code comes back within a minute, it costs nothing, and it stays valid for 30 days. Give it to whichever provider you are joining and your number moves across, usually in a single working day.
If that text does nothing, you are almost certainly hitting one of three O2-specific blocks. This guide covers the fast route, what to do when texting fails, and what to check before switching networks.
In short: text PAC to 65075 → code arrives in about a minute → hand it to your new network → number moves the next weekday. Free, and you never have to speak to anyone.
How to get a PAC code from O2
The O2 porting authorisation code — to give it its formal name — can be requested three ways, and they are not equally fast. This matters more than most guides admit, because the speed difference is not a few minutes — it can be days.
| Route | How | How fast |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Text PAC to 65075 from your O2 number | Within a minute |
| Phone | Call 202 from your O2 handset | Immediately on the call, or by text within two hours |
| Online | Sign in to My O2, or in the app go to Support and choose Keep your number | Up to two working days |
Text unless you have a reason not to. The online route through My O2 looks convenient, but Ofcom only requires providers to answer an online request within two working days, so it is the slowest of the three. If you are switching this week, the shortcode is the one to use.
When texting PAC to 65075 does not work on O2
This is the part that sends people to the O2 community forums, and there are three common causes. None of them are obvious, and all three have a way round.
- A bar on your account. If premium or shortcode texts are barred — sometimes set up years ago, sometimes applied after a billing issue — your message to 65075 will not get through. Nothing bounces back, so it simply looks like O2 ignored you.
- An Apple Watch on a Pay Monthly plan. O2 states the text method cannot be used on accounts with a Pay Monthly Apple Watch attached.
- More than one number on the account. If your account holds multiple numbers, the shortcode cannot tell which one you mean, so the request will not complete.
What to do instead
- Sign in to My O2 and request the code there, or use the app under Support → Keep your number.
- If you would rather not wait, call 202 from your O2 handset and ask for the PAC on the call.
- Ask them to confirm which number the code applies to if you hold several — getting the wrong one wastes another 30-day window.
How to use your O2 PAC code
You give the code to the provider you are joining, not to O2. Most ask for it during sign-up, and the rest let you enter it once your new SIM arrives.
- Keep your O2 SIM in the phone and active until the switch completes
- Pass the code over along with your O2 account details
- Transfers only run on weekdays, so a Friday evening request lands the following week
- On switch day, O2 service drops first and your new SIM takes over shortly after
- Your O2 account closes automatically — there is no need to ring and cancel
That last point matters. Cancelling your O2 contract yourself before the switch completes is the one reliable way to lose the number altogether.
What the PAC text tells you about money
The message O2 sends is not just the code. Providers are required to tell you what leaving will cost, so the text also sets out any early termination charge and anything still owed on a handset plan.
Read it before you use the code. Requesting a PAC costs nothing and commits you to nothing — the charges only apply once the switch actually happens, so this is your chance to see the figure and change your mind.
PAC or STAC — make sure you send the right one
Both codes end your O2 service. Only one keeps your number.
- PAC to 65075 — you leave O2 and take your number with you
- STAC code, texted to 75075 — you leave O2 and give the number up
Read the reply before you forward it. Requesting a STAC when you meant a PAC is one of the few ways to lose a number permanently. If the number matters — especially a premium mobile number you paid for — check the code you have been sent before passing it on.
Before you switch: three quick checks
- Move your two-factor authentication first. Anything that texts a security code to your number — banking, work logins, account recovery — should be pointed somewhere else before switch day, in case texts are delayed.
- Check the name and address match. The provider you are joining will pass your details to O2, and a mismatch is one of the most common reasons a transfer fails.
- Do not cancel anything. Leave the O2 contract alone and let the port close it.
Common questions
Does an O2 PAC code cost anything?
No. The code is free on every UK network. Any money involved is what you already owe O2, not a charge for the code itself.
Can I get a PAC after I have already left O2?
Yes, within 30 days of leaving. After that the number is gone.
Does it work on pay as you go as well as pay monthly?
Yes. O2 makes no distinction between the two for PAC requests. The Apple Watch restriction is the exception, and that only applies to the contract option.
What if my code expires before I use it?
Request another one the same way. There is no limit and no charge.
How long does the switch itself take?
One working day once the receiving provider has the code. Weekends and bank holidays are excluded, so a Monday morning request moves fastest.
The short version
Send the shortcode and you will have the code in a minute. If nothing arrives, it is a bar, an Apple Watch or a multi-number account — use My O2 or call 202 instead. Read the message for any exit charges, hand the code to your new network, and leave your O2 contract alone while the transfer runs. For the process across every network, and what to do when a switch stalls for days, see the full guide to PAC codes.
Sources
- O2 — How to keep your mobile number, on the text, My O2 and phone routes, the Apple Watch and multi-number restrictions, and the 30-day window after leaving.
- Ofcom — Switching mobile provider, on free codes, the response times for text, phone and online requests, 30-day validity and one working day transfers.
Last reviewed 9 September 2026. Network processes change; this guide is re-checked when they do.
