In these bargain hungry times, the launch of a pay as you go mobile network that offers competitive prices couldn’t be timelier, including free mobile internet[i] for launch, free UK mobile calls/texts to people on the same network² as well plenty of opportunities to get involved with giffgaff and earn limitless hard cash for your troubles. Enter giffgaff, the highly anticipated new mobile network, which is available now from giffgaff.com.

If you’re looking for something original this Christmas, and a gift that gives back, then SIM only giffgaff is for you.

It also offers – with the help of a gimp, a cuddle monster and a musical bicycle – the chance to get involved in giffgaff’s marketing and help make giffgaff famous in return for free UK mobile calls and texts for a whole year.³

Get some money back and help mould your perfect network

giffgaff translated literally means ‘to give and receive’ and by getting involved in the network members earn a generous payback for their efforts, which can be limitless hard cash, mobile credit or a donation to charity.

It’s as simple as recommending giffgaff to friends which earns members 500 points or £5 (1 point = £1).  Other ways are to chat and answer queries on the forum and blog, or help us with our marketing.  The more members get involved the higher the payback, which is paid out every six months.

The Tool Hire website – where’s my gimp?

Now let’s talk about the gimp.   The Tool Hire promotion, tools.giffgaff.com, is a fun way to get people involved and help make giffgaff famous.  In return the reward is a V.I.G. (Very Important Giffgaffer) which is a year’s worth of free UK mobile calls, texts and mobile internet³. The public are invited to follow the Tool Hire instructions and then upload a video of themselves using the tool to YouTube.

There’s 12 eclectic tools for free hire including the ‘giffgaff Gimp’ who will act as the hirer’s assistant; the ‘Musical Bicycle’ which powers a gramophone; the ‘Speechless Karaoke Busker’ that allows members of the public to call in and sing on loud speaker and the ‘poo handler’ which is a specially adapted suit that makes disposing dog poo a lot more pleasant.

The tools are designed to promote giffgaff in an amusing and capturing way and the Tool Hire videos will also be used virally to support the launch and the five best videos will each receive a cash reward for £5,000 each. Check out the tool hire post below for more and here’s a couple of demo vids to whet your appetite.

Bye bye handset and hello cheap rates

With the giffgaff ethical intent to keep carbon low and be environmentally friendly, giffgaff has opted for a SIM only service to take advantage of the 1.8 handsets the average mobile phone user owns.  giffgaff will have broad appeal as SIM only is already a popular choice with nearly six million Brits opting for it, and 42 million people in the UK using pay as you go.

giffgaff is not only good for the environment but also for the pocket, with some of the best value around.

giffgaff matches the cheapest networks on the market and is cheaper than the top four mobile networks.   With 8p per minute for calls and 4p per text to other networks in the UK, free mobile internet at launch, free calls and texts to other giffgaff members², and cheap international calls at a competitive 8p per minute to landlines in the EU, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand and 16p to mobiles.  Calling the USA and Canada is 8p for both landlines and mobiles.  What’s more, giffgaff is also the only mobile operator to not charge for any 0800 freefone numbers. How’s that for a nice giff?

The service also brings together the benefits and flexibility of pre and post-pay schemes which allows auto top up if credit falls below £3.  That means no more headaches about the hassle of having to top up credit and no more shocks from monthly phone bills.

Available to buy now from giffgaff.com, what are you waiting for?

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[i] Data is free until 25 May 2010. You need to top up with a minimum of £10 when you join giffgaff.

² Members need to top up a minimum of £10 every three months to qualify for free giffgaff to giffgaff calls and texts

³The VIG offer excludes premium rate, roaming, and international calls and texts. Promotional terms and conditions apply

Per Minute, Per Text Pricing – how giffgaff is cheaper than the big networks and matches the cheapest rates around*

As there are so many different reward schemes about, we thought the best way for you to see what you get for your money is to break it down for cost per minute and cost per text.  Yes, it’s that transparent….

Network & Tariff	On-net calls	On-net texts	Off-net calls	Off-net texts	Data
Giffgaff**	Free	Free	8p	4p	0p at launch
Asda Mobile – flat rate	8p	4p	8p	4p	20p per MB
3 Mobile – 3Pay	Free	10p	20p	10p	30p per MB
Orange – Racoon	15p	10p	15p	10p	£2 per day
Vodafone – Simply	20p	10p	20p	10p	50p per day
Tesco Mobile – Flat rate anytime	8p	4p	8p	4p	£4 per MB
Virgin Mobile Addict	20p	10p	20p	10p	30p per day
T-Mobile – Mates Rates	8p	5p	25p	10p	£1 per day
O2 ***	25p	10p	25p	10p	£3 per MB

*at time going to press

**You need to top-up at least every 3 months to receive free giffgaff to giffgaff calls, if you don’t, other UK rates will apply as above. The free giffgaff to giffgaff calls last for 60 minutes per call, so you need to hang up and re-dial if you want to keep talking. A one minute minimum call charge applies unless stated.

***O2 voice calls on net and landlines drops to 5p after the first 3 minutes each day.

NB One minute minimum call charge applies to all calls unless stated.