# O2 charge to mobile

> O2 Charge to Mobile is free to set up for Pay As You Go and Pay Monthly customers in 2026, with no activation needed. Top up online from £10 to £30 or in-store up to £50.

**Published:** 2026-05-10
**Updated:** 2026-05-10
**Category:** OTHER
**Author:** Recharge Vodafone editorial team
**Canonical URL:** https://rechargevodafone.co.uk/o2-charge-to-mobile/

## Key takeaways

- O2 Charge to Mobile is free to set up and use, with both Pay As You Go and Pay Monthly customers automatically having it enabled.
- Pay As You Go customers can top up credit online between £10 and £30, or in-store between £10 and £50 using cash or card.
- Purchases made via Charge to Mobile are deducted directly from your mobile credit at standard rates, such as £3 per MB for data or 55p per picture message.
- Registering for My O2 on a Pay As You Go device gives you £5 free credit to use immediately.

## Key statistics

- **£10** — Minimum online top-up amount for Pay As You Go (Source: O2)
- **£30** — Maximum online top-up amount for Pay As You Go (Source: O2)
- **£10** — Minimum in-store top-up amount for Pay As You Go (Source: O2)
- **£50** — Maximum in-store top-up amount for Pay As You Go (Source: O2)
- **55p** — Cost per picture message on Pay As You Go Original Standard Rates (Source: O2)
- **£3/MB** — Data cost per MB on Pay As You Go Original Standard Rates (Source: O2)

## Article

<p>O2 Charge to Mobile lets you pay for digital goods and services by adding the cost to your mobile bill or deducting it from your Pay As You Go credit. There is no setup required: both Pay As You Go and Pay Monthly customers have it enabled automatically. The service itself is free to use - you only pay for whatever you buy from the seller.</p>

<h2>How does O2 Charge to Mobile work?</h2>

<p>When you buy something from a participating seller - a game, an app, a subscription - the charge goes straight to your O2 account rather than through a card payment. For Pay Monthly customers, it appears on your bill. For Pay As You Go customers, it comes out of your existing mobile credit balance. O2 says it only works with trusted sellers and spot-checks services to make sure they meet industry standards.</p>

<h2>Do I need to set it up?</h2>

<p>No. O2 enables Charge to Mobile on all accounts by default. You do not need to call O2, log in to My O2, or change any settings before using it for the first time.</p>

<h2>Pay As You Go customers: keeping your credit topped up</h2>

<p>Because purchases come out of your credit balance, you need enough credit on the account before you buy. O2 gives you a few ways to top up.</p>

<ul>
  <li>Online, using a credit or debit card: amounts between £10 and £30.</li>
  <li>In-store at an O2 shop or any retailer showing the green top-up logo: between £10 and £50, by cash or card.</li>
  <li>Auto top-up: link a credit or debit card and your account tops up automatically when the balance gets low.</li>
</ul>

<p>Top-ups are in whole pounds only, not pence. If you have not yet registered for My O2 on your Pay As You Go device, doing so earns you £5 free credit.</p>

<h2>What do standard Pay As You Go rates look like?</h2>

<p>On O2's Pay As You Go Original Standard Rates, data costs £3 per MB, capped at £2 per day. Picture messages cost 55p each, and calling voicemail on 901 costs 25p per call. If you use Charge to Mobile to download something over mobile data rather than Wi-Fi, that data usage comes on top of the purchase cost, so connecting to Wi-Fi first is sensible.</p>

<h2>Is it safe?</h2>

<p>O2 vets sellers before allowing them to use the service and carries out ongoing spot-checks against industry standards. Because no card details are shared with the seller, there is less risk of your payment information being exposed during a transaction.</p>

## Frequently asked questions

### how do I set up O2 Charge to Mobile

You don't need to set up O2 Charge to Mobile - it's automatically enabled on all O2 accounts, whether Pay As You Go or Pay Monthly. You can start using it immediately without calling O2 or changing any settings.

### how much does O2 Charge to Mobile cost

O2 Charge to Mobile is free to use as a service. You only pay for the actual items you purchase from sellers - the cost is added to your bill (Pay Monthly) or deducted from your credit (Pay As You Go).

### how do I top up my O2 Pay As You Go credit

You can top up online between £10 and £30 using a credit or debit card, or in-store at O2 shops or retailers with the green top-up logo for £10 to £50 by cash or card. You can also set up auto top-up to automatically add credit from a linked card.

### can I use Charge to Mobile on Pay As You Go

Yes, Charge to Mobile works on Pay As You Go accounts and is enabled by default. Purchases are deducted from your mobile credit balance, so you'll need enough credit available before buying.

### do I get free credit when I register for My O2

Yes, registering for My O2 on a Pay As You Go device entitles you to £5 free credit that you can use immediately, including for Charge to Mobile purchases.

## Sources

1. [How to set up charge to mobile - O2](https://www.o2.co.uk/help/products-and-services/o2-services-and-apps/charge-to-mobile) (www.o2.co.uk)
2. [Top up your Pay As You Go number](https://www.o2.co.uk/topup) (www.o2.co.uk)
3. [Pay As You Go Original Standard Rates | O2](https://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/mobile/pay-as-you-go-original-standard-rates) (www.o2.co.uk)