Information about our period of ‘free’ picture messages (MMS)

iPhone customers who have upgraded to iOS4 are now able to send bigger picture messages of up to 2MB (see http://shop.o2.co.uk/update/mms.html for more info). For a promotional period from June 2010, iPhone customers using iOS4 were able to send picture messages free, regardless of their tariff.

This means that customers who were previously charged for picture messages weren’t charged, and customers on our older tariffs with inclusive picture messages didn’t have four messages removed from their inclusive messages bundle (using the 4:1 ratio).

Like all good things, though, the free period has come to an end. From Friday 29 October onwards:

Consumer customers:

• If you’ve changed to one of our new ‘unlimited text’ tariffs, or upgraded since 26 February 2010 - you’ll go back to being charged 20p for each picture message sent.
• If you’re on a tariff from before 26 February 2010 and previously had inclusive picture messages - sending a picture message will deduct four messages from your message allowance just like it used to. If you use up your allowance, you’ll be charged 25p per additional picture message.

Business customers:

• SME customers who connected to a tariff called Business Single or Business Share will be charged 21p ex vat for each picture message.
• All other business customers will have picture messages included in bundle will be charged at a decremented ratio of 4:1, and then chargeable at 21p once the bundle is used up.

Please note, these charges apply for picture messages sent whilst in the UK, to a UK mobile phone, email, online storage or Media Messaging chat.

We’ve sent our customers a text message to advise them of the change. Unfortunately, a small number of customers received the wrong text message. We’ll be sending a further text to those customers very soon and we’re sorry for any confusion caused.

More information about inclusive picture messages (consumer)

In February 2010, we introduced our new range of tariffs, which included unlimited text messages as standard (i.e. without the need for an unlimited text Bolt On). These were the only tariffs available for new and upgrading customers from 26 February 2010 onwards. Picture messages are not inclusive and are charged at 20.4p per message.

On our old tariffs (prior to 26th February), customers were able to send a picture message from their inclusive message allowance – deducting four messages for each picture message sent. Any picture messages sent outside your allowance are charged at 25p per message.