
Cheap Mobile Tips
Best way to buy a mobile phone, your rights & more
Millions of people overpay on their mobiles, yet it's simple to ditch pricey plans. So if you're out of contract, check now if you can cut the cost – many can save £100s a year.
Looking for our top pick mobile deals? Try our new Cheap Mobile Finder tool to search 1,000s of deals from more than 40 retailers. For our round-up of the best deals, see our Sim only guide if you're happy with your phone and our Cheap iPhone and Samsung guides if you're looking for a new phone.

Top mobile phone need-to-knows
Whether your phone's rarely out of your hand or you only use it for the odd call, the chances are you're massively overpaying for the minutes, texts and data that you use – especially if you haven't switched in a while. Here's our top tips for cutting sizeable chunks from your mobile bill.
Happy with your handset? Switch to a cheap Sim only deal to cut your monthly costs
If you're happy with your handset, most don't need to pay any more than £10/mth. That's because you can get a decent amount of minutes, texts and data for under £10/mth, simply by swapping out the Sim in the back of your phone for one with a better deal.
Plus if you're out of contract and still paying for a handset each month, then you're effectively paying for it TWICE – so stop immediately. Don't just settle for the same plan, provider and price each year. Mobile tariff costs are coming down, so if anything you should be paying less each year, not more. Here's how to do it:
.png.rendition.320.320.png)
There are two types of Sim only deals – 30-day rolling contracts which you're free to leave with a month's notice, or fixed-term contracts, usually locking you in for 12 months (often, though not always, better value).
These are great value if you already have a handset or can afford to buy a new handset upfront, and work out better for heavy data users. For tips on finding the best deal and our top picks, see our Sim only guide.
2. Choose a pay-as-you-go deal for no credit check or ties and to never go over your allowance

If you pay for your mobile via pay-as-you-go, you won't be tied into any contract – simply pay in advance for what you use via top-ups, online or on the phone. Pay-as-you-go packs, however, auto-renew.
Pay-as-you-go doesn't require any credit check, but is generally more expensive for medium or heavy users – see our Best Pay-as-you-go Sim Deals guide for more info and hot deals.
Buying a new handset? Do it the cheapest way
Buying a new handset is never MoneySaving – especially the high-end flagship models from the likes of Apple and Samsung – but if you're determined to get one anyway, buying it in the right way could save you £100s compared with the cost of a standard contract.
That means never going direct to a major network as you'll almost always overpay. Sometimes it's cheapest to buy a new phone outright and pair it with a cheap Sim, but right now contracts through resellers and smaller providers smash that method for some phone and allowance combos.
When looking for a cheap handset, here's a quick rundown of what to look out for:
1. Compare buying it outright and getting a cheap Sim

Straightforward – look for the handset at the cheapest price you can find, and pair it with a cheap Sim only deal.
This is often much cheaper over two years than getting a contract directly with a major network, plus you can choose whichever network and Sim only plan suits you best. You can also avoid a credit check if you opt for a pay-as-you-go deal.
Also consider refurbished models as these can be a lot cheaper. They won't usually come with the original packaging and may not include all the accessories, but will have been tested and will often come with a warranty – for more info see our Buying a refurbished mobile guide.

If you want a snazzy phone but can't afford to buy the handset upfront, you're best off saving up. But if you really can't wait, and it's cheaper to buy your handset and Sim separately rather than on a contract, you could opt for a way to buy it now, but pay no interest.
Looking for a new Apple iPhone 11, 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max?
iPhone Payments is Apple's interest-free financing scheme – it's available for the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max when buying from one of Apple's stores.
Looking for a different model or can't get to an Apple Store?
Buying your phone on a 0% spending credit card is another way to spread the cost and you can then pair it with a cheap Sim-only deal. Once you've bought your phone, stash the credit card in a bowl of water in the freezer so you won't be tempted to use it again.

For many, the only way they've ever got a new phone is via a two-year contract with a network that bundles the cost of the handset in with a monthly fee for airtime – usually at a hefty markup. This can often be the most expensive way to buy a phone, though there are ways to cut the cost.
Reseller sites such as Mobiles.co.uk* (owned by Carphone Warehouse) and MobilePhonesDirect are almost always cheaper than going direct to the network – and can sometimes undercut buying upfront. You can also use our Cheap Mobile Finder tool to compare against multiple resellers. The contract is still with the main network, so you get the same service, just via a cheaper source. Find our top-pick deals and other tips in our Cheap iPhone and Cheap Samsung guides.
Things to watch out for

Spotted out of date info/broken links? Email: brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com
Clever ways to calculate your finances