What Sim Only Deals Can I Get For £5 Per Month?

In the UK, if you are looking for a sim card only deal with a limited budget each month, then it pays to shop around.  There are various ways to do this, you can go to each individual phone provider's website and check out all the tariffs, or you can use a comparison site which pulls data from the retailers & network providers & delivers it on 1 website.

For lower budget users, there are still £5 sim only contracts out there, ranging from 1 month to 12 months, so you do not need to overspend, simply stay within your given minute, data & text limits.

For £5 per month you can get a sim card from one of the following providers:



                              Calls                            Text                         Data                   Length Of Contract

Three                    200mins                     Unlimited                  500mgb                   12 months

Giff Gaff               150 mins                   500 texts                    500mb                     1 month

Lyca Mobile*       150 mins                    150 texts                                                    1 month


PlusNet                 250 mins                    500 texts                    500mb                    12 months

*Lyca Mobile are suitable for international calls & texts. With a standard, nano or micro sim card.

More sim only card options can be found at the comparison site http://mobilephones.name/show.asp?hs=simcard

O2 Promotional Tariff - 30gb of 4g data for £31 month - Sim Only

Looking for a large data plan from O2? 

Look no further!  You can get a massive 30gb of 4g data on their promotional tariff on offer at the minute for just £31 a month.

This bundle includes Tu Go App for texting & calls via wifi when there is no coverage.  Priority for tickets & offers etc.

To grab this offer whilst it lasts, follow our link and click on any of the O2 sim only deals on the site to find the current offers for sims. Read the full t and c's on the O2 site.

O2 Sim Only

Which UK Phone Network Should I Choose? - O2

Overview Of The Phone Networks - O2

In the UK, there are 2 types of phone network, the main networks (currently 4 of them) - O2, EE (formerly Orange & T-Mobile), Vodafone & Three.

From this base, there are a selection of virtual networks and these guys buy air time from one of the 4 providers above.

Each network has its own quirks and benefits, depending upon your phone usage, age, location, type of calls you make & incentives / bundles etc, so depending on what you are looking for, 1 may suit you better than some of the others.

Let's take a look at these networks, 1 by 1 and see what we can learn about them.

O2

Formerly Cellnet / BT Cellnet - O2 is now owned by Telefonica and has a large customer base  & are available both on the internet through their website, via 3rd party websites, retailers, high street stores & comparison sites.

Products 

O2 provide rewards programmes & incentives designed to keep hold of their customers & especially appeal to a younger demographic, although is equally  suitable for all in my opinion.
They pricing is competitive, with 5p a minute, text & data, voicemail & customer service.  You do need to topup at least once every 6 months or add a bolt on, otherwise you will be disconnected. O2 have 10,000 hotspots across the UK for free wifi access.

Priority

Through their 'Priority' site, Pay as you go customers can get between 5 - 10% cashback every 3 months on your topups.  The priority programme also provides offers, tickets & experiences, so you can get, for example, VIP tickets at their venues.

Bolt Ons

There is also the bundles to their customers 'bolt ons' for text, data & calls packages (UK or international) ranging from 1 day to 31 days for various amounts of additional minutes, sms or data etc.

 

Network Coverage

O2 offer 2g, 3g & 4g coverage, & has 97% outdoor coverage.  It is the only operator with a regulatory requirement that it needs to achieve 98% indoor coverage by the end of 2017.
It uses 4g which it generally around 5 times faster than 3g, but is not available right across the country.  It is currently available in cities such as Brighton, Glasgow, Antrim, Manchester, Pontypool & more (but not every town/city yet).

 

Type Of Sim Only Cards

There are 3 types of sim card available with O2, Nano sim, Micro sim & Standard sim, so within this range you should find a type that suits your particular handset.

BT Pay Monthy Contracts & Sim Only For The UK

The landline UK provider BT also provide mobile & smart phone deals for each of the markets of Pay Monthly & Sim Only Cards. So no matter whether you already have a phone or not and want a decent package deal then they are worth a look.

What About Monthly Contract Deals From BT?

Most of the pay monthly deals are basically contracts that will tie you into 24 month terms, so make sure you get a deal that is likely to cover your needs for the next 2 years.

Then you need to consider the price & what you can afford for the next couple of years.  You will be credit scored to check your suitability for the contract so you need to ensure that you have a good credit profile, otherwise you maybe declined.  People with bad credit are probably more suited to PAYG or Sim Only deals in general.

The type of contract will vary, some offer a payment upfront and lower monthly costs, whereas others do not charge upfront but you may pay more over the term of the contract.

Generally the more you pay the more free texts, data & minutes you will get. The BT pay monthly contracts were carry features & benefits including:

• Exclusive offer for BT Broadband customers only
• BT Sport Lite for free on your smartphone - great for footie!
• 24 month contract with Unlimited minutes and unlimited texts*
• Upto 15GB* data using EE 4G network.*

*These bundles depend upon your choice of contract & payment and vary between these.  Some of the cheaper contracts will have 500mb, it depends upon what you select.

So, let's take a look at what you can get with a Sim Only deal with BT.

• To start with, you can get a  Multi SIM card which you can use in every type of mobile phone.

• Then there is the Gift - some packages offer £25 pounds or more depending upon the monthly payment you make, the higher the price the bigger the gift voucer - choose from either Amazon or iTunes gift card.

• Then there is the 500MB+ data using the EE network, again the more £ you spend, the bigger the data bundle you can select.

• You also get, which I think is brilliant for when you are out and about, - unlimited access to 5 million BT Wi-fi hotspots - obviously they will be in cities and other urban areas generally, but I really like this idea to save upon your monthly data allowance.  Just ensure you disable your data connection in your phone settings to make sure you connect using their wifi.

You will also need to turn it back on when you are out of range of the wifi hotspots, but at least it allows your apps and other usage to be used on their wifi rather than your own data allowance.

• You can also set a monthly spend cap to within how much you can afford to spend on your phone contract each month - this will allow you to budget more accurately.

• Many of their sim only deals also provide BT Sport Lite for free on your smartphone, so you can catch the football on the move.

• They were also providing fast 4G in more places than O2, Vodafone and Three, so your downloads maybe quicker.
These Sim Only Contracts typically run for 12 months and you get more data, text & minutes with the more money you spend. You can check out the BT deals here.

Mobile Phone Network Contracts In The UK

 

Which Handset Should I Buy?

When you finally decide to buy a new smartphone in the UK, the selection provides you with a range of choices.  Initally when you first see the phone, you may be swayed by its appearance.  Other influential factors may include what purchases your friends and family have made. Besides the physical looks, attraction & how tactile the device actually is, ease of use and a smooth transition between screens of the software loaded on the phone is another influencer.

Does the device load the website quickly, or does it take eons?  Most people like a webpage downloaded within 3 seconds maximum, so this is something to consider.

Initially you may decide to choose deciding upon the handset you want.

If however the smartphone is linked into a network contract, then you will also be tied to that deal for X amount of months.

 

What About The Network Contracts?

Network Coverage

If you live in a rural area, your decision on selecting a gsm may be affected by the networks available in your region.  Network coverage is generally good with all the main providers in the major cities, but some rural areas can get no signal, so if you buy a monthly deal on a network with no coverage, your phone will be unable to make calls / texts etc (unless you link it to a wifi signal).

Therefore it is best to check what each of the phone network's coverage is like in the area where you spend most of your time, since they may not all have the same coverage.

Contract Price

Many people may base their network buying decision based upon price.  Although price is of course a very important factor within this choice, there are also other variants to consider.

For example, I have been places where there was no Vodafone coverage, but there was some O2, and vice versa.  In this instance, it doesn't matter how many free minutes or data your provider gives you if you cannot use it!

Other influencers may include:

Family & Friends Choice Of Networks

If for example, all of your family & friends who you make most of your calls & messaging to are on one network, e.g. EE, then you may get discounted bundles to other users on the same network, so if this is the case, you can save some money each month if you choose the provider that your pals are on. 

Although this may not be quite as applicable on pay monthly contracts, it is highly useful on pay as you go, and sim only deals. This is because these prepay contracts charge you by the minute.

What Are Pay Monthly Contracts?

A pay monthly contract, or deal or plan, or bundle, or even package, are basically legal contracts between the customer & the network provider (and usually include a handset) that will run for a specific period of time, for a specified price (provided you remain within the terms and conditions of the original agreement, including usage).

Therefore if you select a 24 month contract, for example at £50 a month with no upfront fee, you will pay the network whichever you select from (EE, Vodafone, O2 or Three) which are the main networks in the UK, £50 x 24 = £1200 by the end of the 24 months at a rate of £50 each month.

These contracts are generally credit scored when you apply for the contract deal & maybe registered on your credit profile.  Therefore any missed payments will also be shown as can affect your overall credit score adversely.

You are agreeing to run the contract for 2 years if you agree to this contract.

What Are The Other Phone Contracts From The Networks In The UK?

Should your phone usage be low, or you do not think you will pass the credit score for a pay monthly contact deal, you can of course take a different route and choose a Pay As You Go or Sim Only Contract.

What Is A Pay As You Go (PAYG) Deal?

The Main Networks

Pay as you go deals are simply that.  At the outset, you will decide upon which network you want, either one of the big 4 main UK networks - 3 (Three), EE, O2 or Vodafone.

Each of these networks will have their own PAYG programme designed for customers who do not wish to be tied into a pay monthly contract, or are unable to pass the credit score.

As with all contracts, it pays to compare each of the packages on offer with each other for price, terms of the offer (does the top up expire on a set date or does it run indefinitely?).  All things are not equal with the networks.

Some will remove the phone number from their network if there is no usage in 6 months, whereas others require a topup every 120 days for example - each of these will vary from network to network and you need to check with the plan's terms & conditions on this before you agree.

Virtual Networks

Or you may select one of the smaller 'virtual networks' such as Giff Gaff, TPO, Lyca Mobile or Lebara as well as many others (see SmartPhone Networks In The UK article for a list of the current providers).

These plans are also subject to fair usage & terms and conditions, so ensure you read them to make sure you agree at the outset.

On these contracts, you will be generally charged a flat rate for each of the texts, minutes & data, over the course of each month.  Some networks also offer unlimited texts & minutes deals on Pay as you go, provided you adhere to their fair usage policies.

Add Ons

Some also offer bundles & add ons, which feature X amount of minutes, texts, data etc for a given period, for a set price (i.e. £10 for 30 days)  when the bundle will expire & the credit will be lost.

What About Sim Only Contracts?

The other option within the contracts available in the UK are the Sim Only deals.  These typically run for either 1 month or 12 months and you will generally need an unlocked phone already (unless you are sticking with the same network as the device is already locked into). 

You then simply buy a sim only card for the length of time you require, and put it into your unlocked phone.  Locked phones will generally not be able to use a sim from a different network provider as the original issuer lock it with a code to their network.

In the UK, you can however request a PAC code from the original network which enables you to unlock the smartphone.  These codes usually arrive by email, and you will need to allow around 10 days to receive the code.  You then insert the new sim into the phone (after you have removed the old one), and type in the correct code when prompted.

Sim Only Contracts will generally run for a timeframe and again are a form of agreement between yourself and the network that you will spend X amount each month for X amount of months.

So, the choice is yours, in the UK you can get yourself a simple Pay As You Go Deal, which tend to be more expensive price per minute, a Sim Only Deal or A Pay Monthly Contract.  Each of these come with it's own features & benefits depending upon your own individual usage of the phone.

UK Smartphone Network Retailers

As well as the 4 main networks in the UK for smartphones, there are also the retailers (online), who provide the handset & tariff plans from the 4 networks, as well as offers & incentives on some phones in order to encourage purchase through their website.

Some of these deals can include £££ cashback, gifts & next day delivery.

These retailers include:

Affordable Mobiles
Mobiles.co.uk
BuyMobiles.net
MobilePhonesDirect
Carphone Warehouse
SmartPhone Company
Direct Mobiles
E2Save Mobiles & others.

If you want to compare bundles for a phone from the UK networks as well as the UK online retailers, then take a look at our Mobile Phones comparison site & select the handset of your choice, and choose the minute, data & text options you want to come up, along with your cost & bingo! you will have a selection of phones that you can then fine tune to your hearts content, before clicking through to the most suitable offer on the relevant store's site. 

Should you prefer to buy your new contract from the chosen network, you can also select them from the drop down box and get that plan instead. Simples!

EE Price Drop - Mobiles.co.uk

There is a promotion currently featuring the EE price drop on Mobiles.co.uk.  With the EE network being first UK network that brought 4g about and with the biggest 4g coverage in the UK at the minute, if you like this idea, then you need 4g from EE!

Check out the latest deals and bundles at our comparison site, some come with gifts Gear VR & coupon codes, depending on your choice of handset, whether it be the popular iPhone 7 or the Samsung Galaxy s8 in your chosen colour,  EE do seem to have the accolade of the best network in a few circles.

Grab a EE price drop deal here after you have compared your bundles.

The SmartPhone Networks In The UK

In the UK, GSM tends to be the standard for the smartphone networks, and these networks offer text, data & minute allowances per month for pay monthly contracts, and for some pay as you go, or sim only deals, although some allowances can be monitored daily for PAYG.

The main networks are as follows:

O2 (previously BT Cellnet & Cellnet) - This network is owned by the Telefonica
EE (previously T Mobile & Orange) - This network is owned by the BT Group
3 / Three (previously 3G & Hutchison 3g) This network is owned by the CK Hutchison Group
Vodafone - Vodafone

There are then virtual networks that literally "buy space"  from the above networks.

The virtual smartphone networks include:

1p Mobile - Uses the EE network
360Coms Telecom  - Uses the Vodafone network  - Upfront payment for 3 / 6  or 12 months
AfriMobile - Uses Three Network 
Age UK My Phone - Uses The Vodafone network
Airwave Smart Mobile - Uses the EE network
AlwaysOnline Wireless - Uses the Three Network   
Anywhere Sim - Uses O2, Vodafone, EE, Three networks 
Asda Mobile - Uses the EE network - now defunct
Axis Telecom - Uses the EE network
BT  - Uses the EE network & offers sim only or pay monthly phone deals
C4C Mobile - Uses The O2 network  
Call & Give  - Uses the EE network 
Champions Mobile - Uses The O2 network
CTExcel -  - Uses the EE network  
Delight Mobile -  Uses the EE network  
Econet Mobile  - Uses the EE network
Ecomy Mobile  - Uses the EE network   
Ecotalk - Uses Three Network
ETS Mobile - Uses the EE network
FreedomPop - Uses The Three Network  
Fome Mobile - Uses The O2 network  
Gamma Telecom - Uses The Three Network
Giff Gaff  - Uses The O2 network 
HP Mobile Connect - Uses the EE network  
iD Mobile - Uses Three Network
JOi Telecom - Uses Three Network     
Jump O2, Vodafone, EE, Three    
KC Mobile - Uses The O2 network
Lebara Mobile Uses the Vodafone Network  
Lycamobile - Uses The O2 network
Meem Mobile - Uses the EE network     
Natterbox - Uses the EE network
rdTelekom - Uses the EE network
w PAYG - Uses the EE network
Pebble Mobile Network - Uses O2, Vodafone, EE, Three Networks
Plusnet Mobile - Uses the EE network & offer 1 month sim only contracts
Rok Mobile - Uses Three Network
RWG Mobile - Uses Three Network
Sky - Uses The O2 network
Smarty - Uses the EE network
Talk Home Mobile - Uses the EE network
Talkmobile -Uses the Vodafone network (now owned by Vodafone & Pay monthly only)
TalkTalk Mobile - Vodafone transitioning to O2 network 
Telecom Plus - Uses the EE network
Telfoni - Uses Three Network
Tello - Uses Three Network
Tesco Mobile - Uses The O2 network
The People's Operator - Uses Three Network
The Phone Co-op - Uses the EE network  Vodafone (Vodafone with fairphone handset only)    
Toggle Mobile - Uses The O2 network
Truphone - Uses The O2 network
U2i Mobile - Uses the EE network
Vectone Mobile - Uses the EE network
Virgin Media (Previously Virgin Mobile) - Uses the EE network
Vivio - Uses the Vodafone network
VoIP.co.uk (Firstcom Europe) - Uses Three Network
White Mobile  - Uses the EE network
These virtual networks range in size, customer base & the products that they specialise in. For example, some offer cheap UK bundles, whereas others focus upon European deals.  Some provide 2g and others are on 3g or 4g. Some are on all 3.

Some of the networks focus on a sim only monthly payment plan, ranging from 1 month to 12 months, whereas others focus on a flat rate pay as you go amount, with variations between the cost of the calls, sms & data bundles.

Others perform credit searches, some have a prepayment upfront system so there is no credit score.
Depending upon your own needs & requirements, certain network deals will be more suitable for some people, so it pays to do your research.

O2 Shop Bundles

When you are searching for cheap phone & sim bundles, you can checkout the O2 Shop via our comparison site here, in order to gage the latest handsets & network packages available on their ever evolving site.

All their packages come with O2 Priority Offers & Discounts, and many bundles come with unlimited texts, although there is choice within their product range for those who do not send many sms messages.

There is also a decent selection of phones from Alcatel to ZTE, with IPhone & Samsung handsets also in the mix!

Where their network coverage is unavailable, you can use Tu Go App for sending calls & text via wifi where there is no phone signal & their wifi hotspots around the country to save your data allowance.

Their contracts for handsets are generally 24 months, with sim only deals offered between 1 month & 12 months.

For more deals on O2 Shop look at our comparison site here.

Big Data Allowance O2 Sim Only 16GB Data

Want an O2 Sim Only deal with a big data allowance?  Look no further, we have found a massive 16gb data, with a multi sim card along with unlimited text & minute bundles on the O2 network.

This data deal comes with a 12 month contract, so you can use the sim only in a range of unlocked phones & download to your heart's desire.

Since you will be using the O2 network & are therefore an O2 customer, you can also qualify for those Priority discounts & offers that the company promote. These have included priority tickets & VIP deals amongst other things.

You can also choose which retailer you prefer for this bundle, including mobiles.co.uk or Carphone Warehouse as well as the O2 sim only deals here.