Switching from Three to Smarty? It's a straightforward process to keep your existing phone number.

Step 1: Get a PAC Code from Three

If you’d like to move your phone number from Three to Smarty, the first step is getting your Porting Authorisation Code (or PAC Code) from Three.

There are three ways to get a PAC Code from Three:

  1. Online: You can get a PAC Code from Three by logging in to the My3 Account website.
  2. By Text Message: You can get a Three PAC Code sent to you via SMS text message. Text PAC followed by your date of birth in DDMMYY format to 65075 to receive a PAC Code from Three.
  3. By Phone: You can get a PAC Code by calling Three. To do this, call them on 333 using your Three handset. Alternatively, dial 0333 338 1001 from any other phone. You'll need to call during Three's opening hours (Monday-Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 9am-6pm).

Here are some key things to know:

  • The PAC Code from Three should consist of six numbers with HTG at the start (e.g. HTG 123 456).
  • Your PAC Code is valid for 30 days. If you don't use it during this time, the PAC Code will expire and you'll need to request a new one.
  • You shouldn't close your account at Three: it'll be closed automatically when your phone number is transferred to Smarty.

Still in contract with Three? If so, you may need to pay an early exit fee on your bill from Three. To find out how much this would be, text INFO followed by your date of birth in DDMMYY format to 85075.

Don’t want to keep your Three phone number? You can switch to Smarty without taking your phone number with you. If you'd like to do this, get a STAC Code from Three instead.

Three STAC Code (Leave Three Without Keeping Your Number)

If you’d like to leave Three without keeping your phone number, you’ll need to request a STAC Code rather than a PAC Code. There are three ways to get a STAC Code from Three:

  1. Online: You can get a STAC Code from Three by logging in to the My3 Account website.
  2. By Text Message: You can get a Three STAC Code sent to you via SMS text message. Text STAC followed by your date of birth in DDMMYY format to 75075 to receive a STAC Code from Three.
  3. By Phone: You can get a STAC Code by calling Three. Call them on 333 using your Three handset. Alternatively, dial 0333 338 1001 from any other phone. You'll need to call during Three's opening hours (Monday-Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 9am-6pm).

Once you’ve gotten your STAC Code from Three, the rest of the process for joining Smarty remains the same.

Step 2: Order your new phone or SIM card from Smarty's website

You should now order your new phone or SIM card using the Smarty website. Please select the type of tariff you're intending to move to:

If you're looking for a SIM card from Smarty, the following deals from £5/month are currently most popular:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly Cost
SmartyUnlimitedUnlimited5GB£5.00
1 month
SmartyUnlimitedUnlimited15GB£7.00
1 month
SmartyUnlimitedUnlimited60GB£10.00
1 month
SmartyUnlimitedUnlimited180GB£15.00
1 month
SmartyUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£16.00
1 month

For a full list of available tariffs and the latest Smarty deals, please refer to this page on Smarty's website.

Smarty will assign you with a temporary phone number during the transition process. This will allow you to test out the service before you finally transfer your phone number to Smarty.

Step 3: Give the PAC Code to Smarty

Once your new phone or SIM card arrives from Smarty, switch it on and make sure everything's working properly. If, for whatever reason, you need to return or change the handset or SIM card, it's best to do this before transferring your phone number.

Once you're happy to continue with the phone number transfer, contact Smarty and provide them with your PAC Code from Three.

Your PAC Code should be entered on Smarty's online form.

If you have a STAC Code from Three rather than a PAC Code, this can be provided to Smarty in the exact same way.

Providing your PAC Code to Smarty
The PAC Code should be submitted through a form on Smarty's website.

Remember:

  • You must provide the PAC Code to Smarty within 30 days of it being issued by Three. If the PAC Code has already expired, you'll need to return to step 1 and request a new PAC Code from Three.
  • Three Pay As You Go customers: Try to use up your remaining credit as it can't be transferred to Smarty.

Step 4: Phone Number Transferred (Next Working Day)

Once you've provided a PAC code to Smarty, your phone number transfer will normally be scheduled for the next working day (Monday to Friday only, excluding English bank holidays).

On the day of the transfer, you'll momentarily lose coverage on both mobile networks. When this happens, restart your handset on Smarty. You should find that the Smarty phone or SIM card will now associated with your original phone number.

  • If you see an error message (e.g. "SIM card registration failed"), this means it's time to restart your phone.
  • Once the phone number has been transferred to Smarty, your account on Three will automatically be closed. You'll receive a final bill from Three for any outstanding charges.

Get the Latest Deals from Smarty →

Any Other Questions?

In case of any problems during the transfer of your phone number, you should contact your new mobile network (Smarty) with details of the problem.

If you have any other questions on using a PAC Code, please see my in-depth guide to transferring your phone number between networks. You can also read the comments below from other visitors to this website.

← Full Article: "PAC Codes - How to transfer your mobile number when switching networks"

Your Comments 1,963 so far

We'd love to hear your comments on transferring a phone number from Three to Smarty. The comments below are from people who've made the same transfer. You can add your own comments here.

To view all 1963 comments about transferring a phone number, please visit the main PAC Code article.

  • Sean said:

    This is such a fantastic web site. Thank you for all the effort you’ve put in.

    Just a quick question to clarify something. We can’t transfer a number within the same network, but does ‘network’ in this instance refer to the underlying provider, or are MVNOs considered separate networks as far as the PAC process is concerned?

    What I would like to do is transfer my number from Three PAYG (now that they’ve killed their 3-2-1 tariff for existing users) to Smarty.

    However, Smarty’s MVNO runs on Three. So can I just use the PAC process to transfer directly from Three to Smarty? Or would I have to request a first PAC and squat temporarily on a Vodafone/EE/O2 PAYG SIM, then request a second PAC to move from Vodafone/EE/O2 to Smarty running on Three?

    • Gerry replied:

      Ive been on the 3 321 tariff for donkeys and with its demise and the huge increase in rates plus binning my Virgin broadband I was attracted to the cheap big data deals on Smarty. The porting of my 3 number to my new Smarty sim was quick and easy, no different than any other provider, just get the PAC from 3 and sub. It to Smarty using your dashboard.

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