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Best pay-as-you-go Sim deals
Including the top data bundles, from '£3/month' for 3GB
Updated 29 September 2023
When you hear 'pay-as-you-go' (PAYG), you might think of the early days of mobiles, when it was common to pay upfront for each pricey call and text. But now it's possible to get great value PAYG 'bundles', giving a better value allowance and tighter control over your bill.
- Concerned about a credit check or want a tighter control over your bill? A pay-as-you-go bundle is a good bet. Read on...
- Happy to commit to a contract? Sim only generally offers better value.
- Want a new phone? See our Cheap Mobile Finder tool.
What is a pay-as-you-go deal?
A pay-as-you-go (PAYG) deal, as the name suggests, means you pay upfront and are not tied into any contract or commitment. You'll also have to have your own handset to put the Sim (the little chip that slots into your phone and gives you your allowance of minutes, texts and data) into already, or buy one separately.
There's no credit check, which most of the top pick contract Sim only deals require, though these often offer better value.
PAYG need-to-knows
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Traditional PAYG – where you really do pay as you go.
This is the traditional model where you top up with credit and are then charged for each minute, text and MB of data as you use it. Though a couple of providers do this cheaply, it's generally only better as an emergency-use or backup Sim as it will get more expensive the more you use it. These are the top providers' rates:
Traditional PAYG rates compared
TABLE_CELL_STYLE CALLS TEXTS DATA 1pMobile* (EE) 1p/min 1p 1p/MB iD Mobile* (Three) 3p/min 2p 1p/MB Asda Mobile (Vodafone) 4p/min 4p 4p/MB Now Mobile (EE) 10p/min (1) 5p 5p/MB Three* 35p/min
15p 10p/MB Giffgaff* (O2) 25p/min 10p 10p/MB Prices correct as of 22 December 2021. (1) 10p/min applies when calling a landline. If calling a mobile, it's 15p/min. PAYG 'bundles' – where you pay before you go, for a bundle of minutes, texts and data
These bundles are best for those who use their phone a bit more regularly and nearly always last for a month, after which you'll need to buy another, or you can choose to automatically renew them each month. There are many bundles to choose from (see our top picks below or use our Cheap Mobile Finder tool).
As a rough guide, here's what a tenner will get you:
£10/mth PAYG bundles compared
TABLE_CELL_STYLE CALLS TEXTS DATA Giffgaff* Unltd Unltd 20GB (1) Asda Mobile* Unltd Unltd 12GB Three (incl roaming) Unltd Unltd 10GB Vodafone* Unltd Unltd 7GB (2) O2* Unltd Unltd 7GB EE 500 mins Unltd
8GB Prices correct as of 9 February 2023. (1) You have to set it to auto-renew each month. (2) 4G speeds only. Not sure how much data you use?
It's important to understand how much you use on average each month so you don't overpay. In our last MSE data usage poll, 76% of the 3,500 respondents said they use less than 3GB of data a month, while only 9% of people use more than 10GB a month. Our handy Data Calculator in our Cheap Mobile Finder tool can help you calculate your use. -
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If you have an existing phone which you originally bought on a contract, it may be locked to the network that sold it to you (to check, just pop in another network's Sim). If so, you'll need to get it unlocked in order to make sure your new provider's Sim will work in it.
All the networks will now do this for free if your contract's minimum term has expired – however, if it hasn't, or you bought the phone on PAYG, they may charge up to £15. Unlocking usually takes up to 10 days – see the Mobile Unlocking guide for a full list of providers' unlocking policies and how to do it.
Thankfully, by the end of this year mobile companies will be banned from selling locked phones which only work with their network. See our MSE news story for more details.
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You can get an idea of signal strength in a particular area with Ofcom's Telecoms Coverage Checker. This'll show you results for the four main networks – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. Don't just put your home address in either – check where you work and anywhere else you want to be sure of getting good reception.
Many other smaller mobile providers 'piggyback' off these networks, using their signal, and they can offer better value – the signal's the same so you can still check in advance using Ofcom's tool. See a full list of which provider is on which network in our Mobile Piggybacking guide.For a more accurate indication than Ofcom's checker can give you, it may be worth picking up a free pay-as-you-go Sim from the network you're considering, topping it up with a bit of credit and putting it to the test before committing.
Best Sims for occasional/backup use
For occasional/backup use – what we'd go for
If you want the cheapest PAYG Sim, then it's 1pMobile. It piggybacks off EE's network and it's 1p for each minute, every text and for each MB of data you use. However, you have to top up at least £10 every four months in order to keep it active, so if you only use your phone very rarely, it's probably not for you.
For those who just need a phone for temporary/emergency use or if EE isn't great in your area, then Three's PAYG Sim might be better for you. It's slightly more expensive than 1pMobile for each text and minute, but there's no minimum top-up requirement – though you do need to use it at least once every six months – so it could work out cheaper in the long run.
| PROVIDER (network it uses) | DATA |
MINS |
TEXTS |
ANYTHING ELSE? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1pMobile* (EE) Top pick |
1p/MB | 1p/min | 1p | Top up £10 every four months or you'll be disconnected. |
| iD Mobile* (Three) | 1p/MB | 3p/min | 2p | Top up £10 every two months or you might be disconnected. |
| RWG Mobile (EE) | 1p/MB | 5p/min | 5p | |
| Lebara Mobile* (Vodafone) | 9p/MB | 25p/min | 19p | |
| Three* | 10p/MB | 35p/min | 15p | It'll only work in 3G-compatible or later handsets. |
| Asda Mobile* (Vodafone) | 10p/MB | 15p/min | 10p |
Best PAYG bundles
These deals still have no contract but come loaded with a bundle of minutes, texts and data with your credit each month.
PAYG bundles – what we'd go for
For us, for general use, our blagged deal for a Lebara Sim (which uses the Vodafone network) with 3GB/month of data, unlimited minutes and texts stands out. It's equivalent to £2.70/month over 12-months, but it's a one-month contract, so you can cancel at any time.
| PROVIDER (network it uses) | DATA | MINS | TEXTS | COST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lebara* (Vodafone)
|
3GB | 300 | Unltd | Equivalent to £2.70/month over 12 months - it's 99p/month for the first six months, then £4.40/month thereafter |
| Talkmobile* (Vodafone) | 4GB | Unltd | Unltd | £4.95/mth |
| Smarty* (Three) | 4GB | Unltd | Unltd | £5/mth |
| Asda Mobile* (Vodafone) | 3GB | Untd | Unltd | £5/mth |
| iD Mobile* (Three) | 6GB | Unltd | Unltd | £6/mth |
| Virgin Mobile* (O2) | 6GB | Unltd | Unltd | £6/mth |
| (1) It's a one-month Sim, but to help you compare, we calculate the equivalent cost over a 12-month period. | ||||
Best for roaming abroad – incl the USA & Australia
Networks no longer have to guarantee free roaming in the European Union. However, some networks will let you use your UK allowance of minutes, texts and data in all European Union countries (plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), although they could always change their approach in the future. Outside of the EU, some providers charge an eye-watering amount to use your phone and if you're not careful, your mobile bill could set you back more than your trip. So it's important you plan ahead of your trip.
For roaming abroad – what we'd go for
Three is the standout when it comes to roaming. Get any PAYG Sim from Three and you'll be able to use your standard allowance in 71 destinations – 42 additional countries outside of the EU – including Australia and the USA.
You can either top-up and pay its standard rates of 35p/min, 15p/text and 10p/Mb, or if you plan to use your phone a lot while abroad, it might be worth getting a bundle. Its cheapest is £10 and currently gives 10GB data and unlimited minutes and texts for 30 days.
The beauty of this PAYG Three Sim is as you're not tied into a contract, you can keep your existing UK contract if you want and just use this Sim for use abroad – which is what we think it's best for. Just make sure you use the Sim in the UK at least once before you travel to fully activate it.
It's also worth checking if you can get an overseas bundle from your current network, as these can often work out cheaper than its standard rates and could be a good option if you don't want the hassle of another Sim just for your holiday – see our Cheap Roaming guide for more.
How to complain about your network
The mobile industry doesn't have the best customer service reputation and while a provider may be good for some, it can be hell for others. Common problems include limited network coverage, slow data speeds, unexpected charges and more.
It's always worth trying to call your provider to sort the issue first, but if not then you can use free complaints tool Resolver. The tool helps you manage your complaint, and if the company doesn't play ball, it also helps you escalate your complaint to the free Ombudsman (or CISAS if you're complaining about Virgin Mobile or Sky Mobile).
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