O2 offers a variety of rewards, discounts, and promotional incentives to its customers in the United Kingdom. These benefits are primarily accessed through the O2 Priority loyalty program, specific phone deals, and service add-ons known as "Extras." The program is available to O2 mobile customers as well as Virgin Media broadband customers. Rewards range from free food items and discounted entertainment subscriptions to prepaid digital Mastercards and free roaming services.
O2 Priority Loyalty Program
O2 Priority is a long-standing rewards scheme available to all O2 customers and Virgin Media broadband customers. The program provides access to exclusive freebies, discounts, and experiences. To access these benefits, customers must download the O2 Priority app or text "PRIORITY" to 2020.
The offers within the program are updated monthly, and availability may vary by location. Key rewards currently highlighted include:
- Food and Drink:
- A free Greggs sausage roll or bacon roll on Fridays and Saturdays (subject to a limit of 25,000 redemptions).
- A free Greggs coffee every day (subject to a limit of 10,000 redemptions, or 7,000 on Sundays).
- Entertainment and Events:
- Two Vue cinema tickets for £9, plus 20% off food and drinks at the venue.
- 48-hour early access to tickets for popular gigs, events, and concerts. O2 has confirmed that customers can continue to access O2 Priority pre-sale tickets on Ticketmaster. To do so, customers must be logged into their O2 Priority account and click the desired link within the app or website, which redirects them to Ticketmaster to complete the purchase.
- Subscriptions:
- A £2 monthly discount on Disney+ subscriptions (available for phone plans and 12- or 18-month SIM-only contracts).
Promotional Phone Deals and Prepaid Mastercards
O2 periodically offers high-value phone deals that include free prepaid digital Mastercards. These Mastercards can be spent across various online retailers. As of the provided data, offers include:
- Prepaid Digital Mastercards: Depending on the device selected, customers can receive a free prepaid digital Mastercard worth £150, £200, or £250.
- Eligible Devices: These deals are available on devices such as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Google Pixel 8 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.
- Availability: The offers are time-limited. Specifically, offers across Android devices were available until the 3rd of April, while offers across iPhones were available until the 6th of March.
O2 Extras (Free Trials and Subscriptions)
Select O2 plans, such as Plus Plans, include a free O2 Extra. This allows customers to choose from a range of add-on services for a trial period, typically 3 or 6 months. Once the trial period ends, O2 automatically charges the customer for the Extra unless they opt out via their My O2 account before the trial expires.
Available Extras include:
- Amazon Prime: £8.99 per month.
- Amazon Music Unlimited: £10.99 per month.
- Audible: £7.99 per month.
- Cafeyn: £7.99 per month.
- McAfee: £4.99 per month.
- Disney+ Premium: £7.99 per month. This Extra also includes a £2 discount on the customer's airtime plan.
Additionally, some plans offer Apple Music for 3 or 6 months on top of the selected Extra.
Family Plans and Discounts
O2 offers a family plan feature known as Multisave. This allows customers to save 20% on the airtime plan for additional pay monthly contracts added to their account.
- Discount Scope: The 20% discount applies only to additional contracts, not the primary contract.
- Eligibility: Additional plans must be purchased directly from O2 to be eligible for the discount.
- Limitations: A maximum of 20 Multisave plans can be added, with a limit of 5 being Refresh Plans.
- Process: To apply the discount, the new number must be added to the Multisave group, and within 28 days, the user must text "LOYALTY" to 21500 from that new number. The discount is applied within 3 days. If an upgrade occurs, the text must be sent again to reapply the discount.
- Exclusions: The discount does not apply to out-of-bundle charges, such as costs incurred from exceeding data allowances or calling premium numbers.
Roaming and Connectivity Services
Roaming
O2 is distinct among the four major UK networks for continuing to offer free EU roaming.
- EU Roaming: All O2 customers can use their regular allowance (up to 25GB) in 48 European destinations at no additional cost.
- International Roaming (Non-EU): Select O2 Refresh plans, SIM-only plans, and Volt plans include the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On for free. This allows the use of unlimited data, minutes, and texts in 27 international destinations outside the EU.
- Paid Bolt On: Customers without the inclusive zone can purchase the O2 Travel Bolt On for £6 per day to access unlimited data, minutes, and texts in those 27 destinations.
Wi-Fi
O2 provides two types of Wi-Fi services:
- O2 Wi-Fi: Available to anyone, regardless of whether they are an O2 customer. Users simply select "O2 Wi-Fi" from their available networks to connect for free at thousands of hotspots.
- O2 Wi-Fi Extra: Exclusively for O2 customers with compatible devices. This service is automatic; the device connects to an available O2 Wi-Fi hotspot if the signal is stronger than 3G or 4G in the area. Users cannot opt out of this feature but can disable Wi-Fi in their device settings to prevent connection. O2 states that these hotspots use the latest encryption standards.
Pay As You Go Options
O2 continues to offer Pay As You Go SIM cards, which include free EU roaming and access to O2 Priority. There are three main ways to use Pay As You Go:
- Rolling Plans: 30-day contracts renewed monthly via direct debit. Amounts can be changed or cancelled at any time.
- Big Bundles: Purchased using top-up credit; these do not renew automatically. This is suitable for those unable to commit to a monthly plan.
- Traditional Pay As You Go: Top up credit and be charged per minute, text, or MB of data. This is generally recommended only for light users due to potentially higher costs.
Customers on a £10 or higher Rolling Plan or Big Bundle also receive data rollover benefits.
Conclusion
O2 provides a comprehensive suite of benefits to its customers, anchored by the O2 Priority loyalty program. These benefits include tangible rewards like free food from Greggs, discounted cinema tickets, and early access to event tickets. The network also incentivizes new purchases through periodic offers of high-value prepaid Mastercards included with phone deals. For families, the Multisave program offers a significant 20% discount on additional airtime plans. Connectivity benefits are also robust, featuring continued free EU roaming and automatic Wi-Fi connectivity for customers. To maximize value, customers should monitor the O2 Priority app for monthly updates and manage subscription Extras carefully to avoid unintended charges after trial periods.