To get your Tesco Mobile PAC code, text PAC to 65075 from your Tesco Mobile phone. The code is free, arrives within a minute and lasts 30 days. Give it to your new network to keep your number — it usually moves the next working day.
Getting the code is the easy part. Leaving Tesco Mobile cleanly means three more things: making sure you are the account holder, keeping your payments running until the final bill, and cancelling Tesco Mobile Protect separately if you have it. All three are covered below.
In short: text PAC to 65075 → give the code to your new network → keep paying until the final bill is settled → cancel Tesco Mobile Protect yourself if you pay for it.
How to get a Tesco PAC code
| Route | How |
|---|---|
| Text | Text PAC to 65075 from the number you want to keep — free from a Tesco Mobile phone |
| Online | Log in to My Account → Manage my details → scroll down to Leaving Tesco Mobile? → choose the number |
| Phone | Call 4455 from a Tesco Mobile phone, or 0345 301 4455 from any other phone (business customers: 0345 601 2448) |
Got several numbers on one account? Use My Account, where you pick the number you are moving. Before you request anything, you can text INFO to 85075 for free to see whether an early termination charge applies.
Only the account holder can ask
Tesco Mobile will only give a PAC to the person named on the account. If your phone is on a family member’s account, they need to request it — or move the number into your name first. Sort this out before you order a new SIM, because it is the one thing that can stall the whole switch.
Three things to sort before you go
- Keep your Direct Debit running. Pay monthly customers get a final bill covering recent usage and any early termination charges. Tesco Mobile asks you not to cancel the Direct Debit until that last payment has gone through.
- Cancel Tesco Mobile Protect separately. If you pay for Tesco’s phone insurance, it does not end when your number moves — you have to cancel it yourself on 0345 030 3290.
- Claim back Pay As You Go credit. Essentials customers can ask for remaining credit to be refunded through web chat, rather than losing it.
Timing the switch
- Give the code to your new network before 6pm, Monday to Thursday, for the quickest move
- Changed your mind? You can stop a scheduled transfer until 6pm on the working day before it happens
- Keep the Tesco Mobile SIM working until the number has moved
- Your Tesco Mobile account closes itself once the switch completes
Moving to another network, including O2
Tesco Mobile runs on O2’s network, but the switch works the same way whichever network you join, its host included: request the code and hand it over. If you are going to O2, the O2 guide covers what to expect there.
One last check: make sure you asked for a PAC, not a STAC. A STAC ends your service and gives up the number — which you would regret if it is a premium mobile number.
Common questions
Is a PAC code from Tesco Mobile free?
Yes. The text is free from a Tesco Mobile phone, and so is the porting authorisation code itself.
My code does not match my number — why?
Each code belongs to one number only. Check you requested it from the right number, then call 4455 if it still does not match.
What if my code expires?
Request a new one. A PAC lasts 30 days and there is no limit on asking again.
The short version
Text for the code, hand it over before 6pm, and keep paying until the final bill clears. Cancel Protect yourself, and claim back any Pay As You Go credit. For the process across every network, see the guide to PAC codes.
Sources
- Tesco Mobile — Switching to another network, on the routes, account holder rule, final bill, Protect and credit refunds.
- Ofcom — Switching mobile provider, on free codes and 30-day validity.
Last reviewed 25 October 2026. Network processes change; this guide is re-checked when they do.