Giffgaff's goodybags are changing: Are you a winner or a loser?

Goodybags are Sim-only plans, which last for a month at a time, meaning you can switch around to the goodybag that best suits your needs each month.

However from 24 September, some Giffgaff users will lose out while others will gain as the provider is making changes to its £12, £15 and £20 goodybag bundles (see our Mobile Phone Cost Cutting guide for more ways to save on your handset).

The winners include those who have, or are thinking of getting Giffgaff's £20 bundle as the price will fall from £20 to £18 until 31 March 2015. Meanwhile losers include those who want unlimited data on the £12 and £15 bundles, as this will be capped for some.

Here's what's changing:

Goodybag bundle changes

Giffgaff is also adding "traffic flow measures" to all of its unlimited data goodybags. This means that where members use more than their fair share of network resource during the busiest hours, a 300 kilobits per second (kbps) restriction will be introduced for the remainder of the peak period, ensuring all users can access the internet.

The changes follow a consultation between Giffgaff and its users after concerns over "network congestion" during peak times, which was affecting the "data experience of members".

What about Giffgaff's other goodybags?

All of Giffgaff's other bundles, which all include unlimited Giffgaff-to-Giffgaff calls and texts, remain unchanged as follows:

• £5/month goodybag – 60 mins, 300 texts, 20MB data.

• £7.50/month goodybag – 200 mins, unlimited texts, 250MB data.

• £10/month goodybag. 500 mins, unlimited texts, 1GB data.

Can I change which goodybag bundle I'm on each month?

Yes. As outlined above, goodybags are Sim-only plans lasting for a month at a time. So you can switch to the goodybag which suits your needs. There's no penalty for doing so, you'll just need to log into your account and top up the account or change the bundle.

What does Giffgaff say?

Ash Schofield, marketing and experience chief at Giffgaff says: "Unlimited data goodybags attract a relatively small percentage of members who use a hugely disproportionate amount of network capacity. This excessive usage can then impact the experience of the majority, which doesn't seem fair on our community-driven network. 

"We are really proud to say that our members take the time to help us make big decisions like this and we are not aware of any other network who consults on pricing in this way. Above all, we want to offer a goodybag range that continues to deliver great value and service to all of our members."