United Kingdom

National Anthem

Basics

Territory

The United Kingdom consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This article covers only the UK and doesn't cover the Crown dependencies of Guernsey and Jersey (known as the Channel Islands) and the Isle of Man, all of which are part of the UK's +44 numbering plan despite being outside the UK, or any British overseas territories.

Availability

At the largest airports, prepaid SIM cards are available from vending machines after passport control in the baggage reclaim hall before customs, and there are also manned specialist booths and convenience stores selling such SIM cards in the landside arrivals hall after customs.

Starter packs are available online through the website of the provider to be delivered for free. For this you need to have an UK postal address. In many UK stores like supermarkets (Tesco, Asda etc), newsagents or independent phone shops starters of major brands are sold for 99p. They don't include any credit and need to be topped up for use. All prepaid SIM cards are anonymous in the UK and don't require registration. That's why they are sent all over the world by vendors through eBay and other sales channels.

Operators

The UK has 4 network operators:

• EE (for Everything Everywhere, by British Telecom)

• Vodafone

• O2 (by Telefónica)

• 3 (= Three by Hutchison)

About 50 MVNOs operate on all four networks. Each of them cater to niche markets.

EU roaming regulations

Following a referendum held in 2016, the United Kingdom (and its overseas territory Gibraltar) left the EU on 31st January 2020, but remained in the EU's single market, and therefore bound by EU legislation including roaming regulations, until 31st December 2020. After this time, Article SERVIN.5.36 of the EU-UK trade agreement states with regard to "international mobile roaming" that:

1. The Parties shall endeavour to cooperate on promoting transparent and reasonable rates for international mobile roaming services in ways that can help promote the growth of trade among the Parties and enhance consumer welfare.

2. Parties may choose to take steps to enhance transparency and competition with respect to international mobile roaming rates and technological alternatives to roaming services, such as:

(a) ensuring that information regarding retail rates is easily accessible to end users; and

(b) minimising impediments to the use of technological alternatives to roaming, whereby end users visiting the territory of a Party from the territories of other Parties can access telecommunications services using the device of their choice.

3. Each Party shall encourage suppliers of public telecommunications services in its territory to make publicly available information on retail rates for international mobile roaming services for voice, data and text messages offered to their end users when visiting the territory of the other Party.

4. Nothing in this Article shall require a Party to regulate rates or conditions for international mobile roaming services.

Paragraph 4 prevents EU legislation from being imposed upon the UK, which would be politically unacceptable to the UK's pro-Brexit régime. There have been calls by UK consumer bodies for the UK's forthcoming trade agreements with non-EU countries to include mutual abolition of roaming surcharges. Even if such regulation of rates does not resume between the EU and UK in the spirit of paragraph 1, most UK providers did not reimpose roaming surcharges for roaming in the EEA, and many UK providers already voluntarily charge UK domestic prices for roaming outside the EEA, for example in the United States and Australia, in order to compete against their rivals. EE announced in June 2021 that it would start charging £2 per day to use domestic UK allowances when roaming in EEA countries except Ireland. EEA providers have started surcharging for roaming in the UK than UK providers are to start surcharging for roaming in the EEA. For example Three (Drei) in Austria has already reimposed surcharges for roaming in the UK.

Frequencies

Network	EE	Vodafone	O2	3 (Three)
2G GSM	1800 MHz	900 MHz 1800 MHz¹	900 MHz 1800 MHz¹	N/A
3G (DC)-HSPA	2100 MHz	900 MHz 2100 MHz	900 MHz 2100 MHz	2100 MHz
4G LTE(-A)	800 MHz (B20)² 1800 MHz (B3) 2100 MHz (B1) 2600 MHz (B7)⁵	800 MHz (B20) 900 MHz (B8) 1500 MHz (B32)⁴ 1800 MHz (B3) 2100 MHz (B1) 2600 MHz (B7)⁵ 2600 MHz (B38)⁵	800 MHz (B20) 900 MHz (B8) 1800 MHz (B3) 2100 MHz (B1) 2300 MHz (B40) 2600 MHz (B38)⁵	800 MHz (B20)³ 1500 MHz (B32)⁴ 1800 MHz (B3) 2100 MHz (B1)
5G NR	700 MHz (n28) 3500 MHz (n78)	3500 MHz (n78)	700 MHz (n28) 3500 MHz (n78)	700 MHz (n28) 3500 MHz (n78)

Where more than one frequency band is used per technology generation, the predominant frequency band in use is highlighted in bold.

Notes

¹ 1800 MHz for 2G is now rarely used by Vodafone & O2.

² 800 MHz (Band 20) access on EE is available only to contract customers with a VoLTE-compatible handset or modem, and is not accessible to prepaid customers except as part of Carrier Aggregation (CA).

³ 800 MHz (Band 20) access on 3 is available only with a VoLTE compatible handset or modem.

⁴ 1500 MHz (Band 32) is a supplementary downlink band used for Carrier Aggregation (CA) with compatible handsets and modems, currently with limited coverage.

⁵ 2600 MHz (Bands 7 & 38) is mostly limited in coverage to larger towns and cities.

Summary

• 2G/GSM is on 900 and 1800 MHz; EE use 1800 MHz alone while Vodafone & O2 mostly use 900 MHz (they used to also use 1800 MHz in built-up areas but this is now rarely seen as this frequency is now mostly used for 4G capacity). 3 does not have any 2G network.
• 3G/UMTS is on 900 and 2100 MHz; Vodafone and O2 have largely moved their main 3G frequency to 900 MHz to free up 2100 MHz spectrum for 4G capacity, while EE and 3 are 2100 MHz only.

• 4G/LTE started in 2013 on all networks and is now on B1 (2100 MHz), B3 (1800 MHz), B7 (2600 MHz), B8 (900 MHz), B20 (800 MHz), B32 (1500 MHz Suppl. DL), B38 (2600 MHz in TD-LTE) and B40 (2300 MHz in TD-LTE). The three most used bands are in bold, but this varies between providers.

• 5G started in 2019 on 3500 MHz (n78) in major city centres by all four national carriers. 5G was to be added by two more networks, Sky Mobile and BT, in 2020. As at October 2020, only Three and Vodafone offer 5G to prepaid customers.

Coverage and speed

Coverage is quite good on 2G and more than 90% of population on 3G, but there are still black spots without any mobile coverage. So if you go to a remote area in the countryside, it's wise to check coverage beforehand.

According to OpenSignal in 2020 EE leads in 4G/LTE coverage at 95% as well as in speed with 35.5 Mbps on average. In coverage Vodafone and O2 are on par in 2nd place trailed by Three with 80%. The same picture emerges when only the London metropolitan area is considered.

5G has started in some city centres in 2019 on 3500 MHz known as n78. So far most providers limit 5G to premium pay monthly customers, not for prepaid; the exception is 3 (Three) which claims that all SIM cards issued by the provider are 5G-ready.

Prepaid SIM cards are anonymous in the UK and at default unregistered, though some providers may encourage you to register with them. But this is only to link your SIM card to your online account. You don't have to specify any personal details, but your email address and set a password.

Prepaid is usually called "pay as you go" (in short "PAYG") in the UK, although there is usually a distinction between true PAYG incremental charges and prepaid monthly charges such as giffgaff's goodybags. This guide starts with all 4 physical network providers followed by their most significant resellers or MVNOs in the market.

London Underground

There is no mobile coverage in the train tunnels of the London Underground ("the Tube"), except on the Jubilee Line between Westminster and Canning Town where all four networks provide 4G coverage since March 2020. Just before the London 2012 Olympics, Virgin Media started to build up WiFi coverage in Tube stations. By 2017, 250 Tube stations are covered including their ticket halls, escalators, corridors and platforms. However, depending on the capabilities of your device, don't expect immediate coverage on the train as it calls at a station that you are not alighting at as by the time it connects to the WiFi network, the train's doors will have closed and the train would be moving again. Coverage is yet to be provided in several stations and coverage is not planned in four stations, most notably Heathrow T5. Further coverage information is available from Transport for London and Virgin Media.

Customers, including prepaid of all 4 UK network providers and can use this WiFi for free. EE customers need to have topped up at least £5 in the last 30 days, for Vodafone you need to have bought a Big Bundle; O2 customers need to have topped up their phone at least once in the last 90 days; and Three customers need to have done any activity within the last 30 days. MVNOs are mostly unsupported. Giffgaff recently announced a beta launch, but it's not yet reliable. Virgin Media sells standalone passes for its WiFi too, but it's generally cheaper to meet the minimum requirements of network providers. After logging in for the first time, the system indefinitely remembers your device's MAC address for future usage and you will not need to log in again. Then at the beginning of your journey, you need to load any website in your web browser, which redirects to a splash page, and you should not need to do so again during the rest of your journey. Sometimes you might have to reload the splash page on longer journeys, and some Tube stations, e.g. Waterloo, randomly suffer authentication problems whereby you have to log in all over again, but waiting until the next station can avoid having to do so.

Channel Tunnel

In the Channel Tunnel between UK and France there is no WiFi, but mobile coverage 45 metres below the sea bed (up to 100 metres below sea level) in 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE. Coming from France to the UK, coverage is provided by all 4 French networks Orange, SFR, Bouygues and Free. In the opposite direction of travel, coverage is provided by the UK networks EE, Vodafone, O2, but not Three.

Content Lock

Prepaid SIM cards in the UK are delivered with a so-called "Content Lock" in place. This is to protect children from accessing adult content. The problem is that a white-listing approach is used for this, meaning that everything that has not been actively approved as non-adult will be treated as "adult".

This can seriously interfere with your internet accessibility, e.g. some users could not use their instant messaging services. Even emails and all "unguided" forums like Facebook or Twitter can be affected. However this can be bypassed using a VPN or proxy app/software to conceal your identity

The usual way to disable the content lock is to enter credit card data to prove your age; but this only works with UK-issued credit cards, and as a tourist you probably won't have one of those. Therefore when you buy a new SIM card in store insist that the lock will be removed right away (what takes one minute). For this you may need to provide some form of ID (or passport) to prove your age, if you look young.

Recharges

Topping-up your UK SIM can be done in three different ways, but only one of them remains accessible to most visitors. Top-ups are nearly always possible only in increments of £5 or £10, depending on the provider and top-up channel.

To top-up via an ATM (often known generically in the UK by Lloyds Bank's "Cashpoint" trademark) is widely accepted, but you need to have an UK-issued credit or debit card for that. Foreign cards are usually not accepted. This applies to Three UK in particular and O2, less to EE, Vodafone and many resellers that have begun to accept foreign credit cards.

Unfortunately, the same is true to online top-ups on the websites of the providers. Only debit and credit cards issued in the UK are allowed for recharges, but there are sporadic exceptions. This very restrictive policy is supposedly to avoid fraud, but shuts out many customers. As long as you are in the country you can always buy scratch cards or top-up vouchers from vendors that are widely available in shops throughout the UK. These shops are marked by a green top-up sign and normally sell credit for all providers. Minimum top-up amount is usually £5, with a few providers £10.

This leaves visitors with a tricky task - how to refill from abroad while not having this domestic option or a UK-based bank card, in order to keep a SIM card alive or just to add some credit. There are few private online service providers like, ding.com, uksims.eu , kwikpay.com or with Bitcoins Bitrefill that accept international cards for a 10-15% surcharge. As all these procedures are troublesome, think them over before you leave the UK. For Three UK we have listed some known bypasses below in the article.

SIM card validity

The four major network operators (EE, Vodafone, O2 and 3) and most of their MVNOs have an expiry policy of 6 months (or 180 days) since the last balance increase or decrease. It's usually sufficient to receive a call every 6 months, because this generates revenue, albeit small, for the network, but you can't rely on this as it's not official policy with most networks. Most networks also operate a grace period after expiry, during which they will reinstate an expired SIM card including credit if you contact them; Vodafone openly states that its grace period is 3 months.

The expiry policy is shorter with some MVNOs, but similarly any balance increase or decrease suffices. For example, Lycamobile is 90 days; Lebara is 84 days; Vectone and Delight are 120 days, Anywhere depending on top-up for 30-360 days.

If you want to keep your SIM alive for a future visit, remember that you may face problems topping up from abroad; compare validity periods in this guide. Also, for visitors from outside the EU/EEA, note that due to EU roaming FUPs, your SIM may be surcharged for EU/EEA roaming on a future visit if you used it in other EU/EEA countries more than the UK on your last visit.

EE (formerly Orange and T-Mobile)

EE (originally called Everything Everywhere) was created in 2010 by the merger of T-Mobile UK and Orange UK to become the largest operator in the UK under the joint ownership of Deutsche Telekom and Orange (formerly France Télécom). BT Group plc (formerly British Telecom) acquired EE in 2015/6, after having no UK network of its own since it sold O2 (formerly BT Cellnet) to Telefónica in 2006. Some old devices and SIM cards still show EE's network as T-Mobile, whose MNCs (mobile network codes), particularly 234-30, survived the 2010 merger, unlike Orange's MNCs which were dropped.

EE's 2G is on 1800 MHz, 3G/UMTS on 2100 MHz with the best coverage in the UK at 98%. They were the first to start 4G/LTE which is now broadcast on B1 (2100 MHz), B3 (1800 MHz), B7 (2600 MHz) and B20 (800 MHz) EE coverage map with B3 as main frequency. In 2018 EE claims to have 99% population coverage across the UK. This includes 98% coverage on 3G and 97% coverage on 4G. This is the widest 4G coverage of any UK network. 5G has started in towns and cities, but is not available for prepaid yet.

Most reviews agree that EE has the best network with the widest coverage and highest speeds in the country. In benchmark tests EE is frequently the top scorer in the UK. This comes at the highest prices on the market.

Availability

EE sells triple-size SIM cards with 4G/LTE included. They call them pack and they are sold for 99p in EE stores and outlets: (Store locator) or online to be sent to an UK postal address for free. They don't have any credit, but you can get starters with a first pack included for the price of the pack.

EE started supplying eSIMs for prepaid in mid-2020 for a price of £1.50, but subsequently ceased doing so. Even by February 2021, EE has not restarted issuing eSIMs to prepaid customers.

You may need an UK-issued credit card to top-up online. Alternative approaches for non-UK credit cards include:

• Buy a top-up voucher in-person, available all over the country. You'll get a receipt with a voucher code. To add the credit to your account, send a text to 150 containing the letters VO, followed by a space, and then the voucher PIN code.
• Top-up using the automated phone system (dial 150), which accepts some non-UK cards (verified with a US-issued Visa card as of 9/2019).

To check your balance, dial 150 or text BA or AL to 150.

If you don’t call, text or top-up for 180 days, you will be disconnected and you’ll lose any credit on your account.

Combo feature packs

Their packs for voice, text and data SIMs all come with a combo of roll-over data, unlimited voice (100 mins in £10 pack) and text included for a 30 days at max. speed: 

Data	Price
4 GB	£10
8 GB	£15
15 GB	£20
60 GB (*)	£30

(*) = a FUP of max. 25 GB applies in EU roaming

To activate, stop or change packs, go online on your EE account. All packs auto-renew after 30 days. Text 'STOP PACK' and 'YES' to 150 to disable auto-renew.

All packs in the table include data rollover. Unused data rolls over to the next month, if you buy a new pack. This doesn't need to be the same pack, but any monthly pack. 

If you have used up any of your allowances, you can start a new pack early. Check if you have enough credit and then text 'NOW' to 150. They'll remove your current pack and replace it with a new one.

Still it might be a better idea to add extra data online as an add-on:

Data	Time	Price	Activation
100 MB	7 days	£1.50	100MB WEEK
500 MB	7 days	£3	500MB WEEK
500 MB	30 days	£5	500MB
1 GB	30 days	£7.50	1GB
3 GB	30 days	£15	3GB

Activation is online. These add-ons won't expire when the base package runs out, but can be used for the given period. For activation text code to 150.

Data-only SIM

For data use only and SMS EE sells their '4GEE WiFi SIMs' as prepaid or PAYG offer too. It's a mobile broadband SIM without voice that can be used for tethering, hence the name 'WiFi SIM', not a WiFi pass. These starters are sold online or in their stores with pre-loaded data:

Price	Validity	Data
200 MB	30 days	£1
2 GB		£7
6 GB	90 days	£30
10 GB		£40
20 GB		£60

The total price for all of the validity must be paid in advance. For more data or months, one of these data add-ons can be activated online:

Data	Price	Price
	for 30 days	for 90 days
200 MB	£2	n./a.
2 GB	£7	n./a.
6 GB	£15	£17
10 GB	£19	£22
20 GB	£25	£35
30 GB	n./a.	£44

EU roaming

EE adopts "roam like at home" rules to all their pay-as-you-go allowances for EU roaming at domestic rates without restrictions. The Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Switzerland belong to their roaming zone without surcharges. EE still states a FUP of max. 25 GB per month for EU roaming.

More info

• Tethering and VoIP are allowed; peer-to-peer is not
• APN: everywhere
• Website: http://ee.co.uk/

Vodafone

Vodafone Group plc is a British global telecommunications company, which owns and operates networks in 22 countries. It is the only UK network to have never been owned by a non-UK company. The UK is therefore Vodafone's domestic home market.

Vodafone in the UK has a good coverage on 2G (900 and 1800 MHz) and 3G (900 and 2100 MHz) nationwide and has rolled out 4G/LTE on B1 (2100 MHz), B3 (1800 MHz), B7 (2600 MHz), B8 (900 MHz), B20 (800 MHz), B32 (1500 MHz Suppl. DL) and B38 (2600 MHz in TD-LTE) with B20 as main frequency : Vodafone coverage map.  

In 2018 Vodafone offers 99% population coverage across the UK. This includes 96% coverage on 3G and 4G each.  

Vodafone's 4G/LTE network is now accessible for prepaid customers on all plans. It also has started with 5G on 3600 MHz (n78) in about 40 cities in 2020 so far. Vodafone was the first UK operator to open up 5G for prepaid customers, through its youth brand Voxi (see below).

Availability

Order a free SIM card online to be sent to an UK postal address or from any Vodafone store for free. Although it is not possible to order an eSIM online, once a physical SIM card is received, it can be immediately swapped online to an eSIM without charge. Otherwise, they are sold for 99p in many supermarkets and news agents.

Recharge starting at £5 in their stores or many other kiosks or convenience stores throughout the country.

Vodafone accepts PayPal for online top-ups. That's how you can bypass the UK bank card scheme, but a bad FX rate is given by PayPal if you don't opt out of PayPal's FX conversion and let your card issuer do the FX. Some international credit cards also work for top-ups, making Vodafone currently the most accessible operator to be funded by a payment system from outside the UK.

To check balance, enter *#1345# or dial 2345.

Vodafone is degrading its pricing and conditions with effect from 12th January 2021, for new and existing customers on both its older Simply plan and its new Pay as you go 1 plan.

Vodafone's SIM cards are valid for 180 days after you "carry out any chargeable outbound activity such as making an outbound call (excluding calls to 191), sending an SMS, using data or topping up your account". You will receive warnings by SMS after 90 days and a further 45 days before your line is disconnected after a total of 180 days.

Vodafone started supporting wifi calling for prepaid customers in January 2021.

Data default rate

"£1 for 50MB of data (charged on the first 1KB)"

"With Pay as you go 1 you'll pay just £1 on the days you use your phone and get unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 50MB of data to use until midnight. And on the days you don’t use anything, you won’t pay anything."

Big Value Bundles

These combo plans are offered with unlimited calls and SMS for 30 days:

Price	Data	5G	Renewal code
£10	5 GB		BVB10
£15	10 GB		BVB15
£20	20 GB		BVB20
£30	50 GB	5G	BVB30
£40	unlimited*	5G	BVBULTD

(*) = capped at 25 GB in EU roaming.  

For purchase or renewal of bundles you can use their app, online account or text the code to 49501.  

Internet overuse in the UK is charged with £1 per day for 25 MB, up to a maximum of 125 MB per day, then charged at 4p per MB thereafter. Unused data rolls-over to the next month (except £40 plan), when it needs to be consumed.

If you need extra data, two add-on packages can be added to the Big Value Bundles:

• 500 MB extra for £5 by calling 34441
• 2 GB extra for £10 by calling 46205

Freebie Data

Vodafone gives you extra UK data for 30 days when you top up at least £10. These bonus data can't be used for roaming. Opt in by calling 4358 free from your Vodafone mobile before top-up.

• £10 top-up: 500 MB reward + £10 credit
• £20 top-up: 1 GB reward + £20 credit

Freebie Data can't be obtained nor used when having subscribed to a Big Value Bundle.

EU roaming

Vodafone adopted Roam like at home and all allowances can be used without surcharges for roaming in the EU/EEA. Only the unlimited plan is capped at 25 GB abroad. Some additional countries have been included to their surcharge-free "Europe Zone", including the Faroe Islands, the Isle of Man and Switzerland.

A list of roaming countries is available at https://www.vodafone.co.uk/explore/costs/travelling-abroad/ and a map here.

Voxi

Vodafone started in 2017 with an own youth oriented brand. Originally aimed at customers who are under 30 years of age, the network offers 30-day rolling plans with "endless" social data. Since 2019 age is not verified anymore and anyone can use Voxi. In 2020 5G in all plans, except the cheapest one for £10.

These plans are offered with unlimited calls and texts:

• 6 GB data: £10
• 12 GB data + Video Pass: £12
• 20 GB data + Video Pass: £15
• 45 GB data + Video Pass: £20
• unlimited data: £35

Unlimited use of social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Pinterest), chat apps (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Viber) and in some packages video apps (YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, My5, TVPlayer and UKTV) are included for free. Data volumes are valid in the EU/EEA too. You can add Music Pass for unlimited audio streaming (on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, Soundcloud, Amazon Prime Music and Napster) for £5. If you run out of data, you buy additional 1 GB for £3.

To join Voxi you can buy a discounted starter pack at 99p with a £10 voucher or at £9.99 with a £20 in shops. Otherwise you can migrate any usual Vodafone PAYG SIM card to Voxi through the Voxi website. An age restriction which was loosely enforced but not controlled, has been scrapped in 2019 and you don't need to specify your age anymore.

Note that Voxi is hybrid prepaid. This means that the monthly plan is charged on a credit card (some out-of UK cards accepted) or a PayPal account, but can be stopped anytime through your personal profile. For all additional consumption you need to top up. If you run out of data, you can restart any plan anytime.

More info

• APN: pp.vodafone.co.uk
• Website for Vodafone: http://www.vodafone.co.uk/
• Website for Voxi: https://www.voxi.co.uk/

O2

O2 UK by Spanish Telefónica has good coverage nationwide using 2G on 900 and 1800 MHz, 3G on 900 and 2100 MHz and has started 4G/LTE on 800 MHz (B20) only. This was added by B1 (2100 MHz), B3 (1800 MHz) and on TD-LTE B40 (2300 MHz) staying with B20 as main frequency: O2 coverage map..

In 2019 O2 offered 99% population coverage (including 98% coverage on 3G and 97% coverage on 4G). As it originally employed the 800 MHz band only, it has focused rather on wide coverage than on high speeds. So it gives a rather mixed picture, its 2G for voice and 3G is rather good, while its 4G is known to be slow. In 2018 it acquired new spectrum on band 40 (2300 MHz in TD-LTE) that it began to use in 2018 to boost coverage and speed in metro areas. Additionally, in October 2020 it purchased band 38 (2600 MHz in TD-LTE) spectrum that was previously held by EE and it is expected to be brought into service in parts of the country during 2021.

Availability

The SIM cards are for free ordered online to be sent to an UK postal address or bought at their stores and outlets all over the UK for 99p or the package price. Standard, micro SIMs and nano SIMs are all available online via the O2 website. However, if a nano SIM is needed then you can use online live-chat function to specify the required SIM type to the agent.

It is still possible to find old O2 SIM cards, on the discontinued Classic Pay As You Go tariff of 1p/MB, 2p/text and 3p/min, on sale in Co-op supermarkets for under £1. These SIM cards have an expiry date by which time they must be activated. When activated, these SIM cards are on the Classic Pay As You Go tariff.

Cashcards for top-ups can be found all over the country in any O2 shop or anywhere where you see the green top-up logo. Then call 4444 free from your mobile, enter the number on your receipt and follow the instructions. Top-ups are between £10 and £50. To check balance press *#10#.

A top-up voucher expires after 12 months. Validity of the SIM is 180 days from date of last activity.

O2 has been stating since 2nd February 2020 that "it won’t be long before we can offer eSIMs to all our customers with compatible phones", but eSIMs for O2's prepaid customers remain unavailable a year later in February 2021.

They offer two prepaid product lines with voice, text and data: Classic Pay as you go, Big Bundles and International. Take care that plans come with an horrendous default rate of £3 per MB, but shut-off having reached £1 (or 330 KB) per day. You can't switch between these lines. Better buy bundles or bolt-ons from the start. Their Classic Pay as you go plan was withdrawn for new activations in 2019.

• Big Bundles: You need to top-up and choose one of the combo bundles (shown below) for 30 days as base plan. This can be added by Bolt-ons for extra data. All plans include unlimited calls & SMS: 
  • £10: 6 GB
  • £15: 15 GB
  • £30: 100 GB

Activation is online on your account or by calling 2202. All packages now include data roll-over to the next month.

Take care that you surf outside of these bundles at an excessive default rate of £1 per 50 MB.

• International

This plan features low IDD call rates. You will get free bonuses for top-ups of £10 or more and can add Bolt ons (for both see below):

Price	Calls	Texts	Data
£10	500 mins	500 SMS	5 GB
£20	1000 mins	5000 SMS	15 GB

To select or change plans go online or call 2202. For more data see bolt-ons. Also all packages includes data roll-over

Bolt-ons

These data add-ons for extra data can be added to all prepaid plans with voice and are valid for one month:

• 100 MB: £3
• 500 MB: £6.50
• 1 GB: £10
• 2 GB: £13.50 

Bolt-ons don't auto-renew. Activation is online on your account or by calling 2202.

Data-only SIM (called Tablet plans, iPad plans)

O2 sells prepaid data-only SIMs with no voice that are called Tablet plans or iPad plans. They come in all three sizes and in 3 different starter packs:

• 1 GB for 30 days: £10
• 3 GB for 90 days: £16
• 5 GB for 90 days: £25
• 12 GB for 90 days: £40

For topping up these data SIMs the following top-ups are offered:

Data	Time	Price
300 MB	24 hours	£3
300 MB	30 days	£5
1 GB	30 days	£10
3 GB	30 days	£16
5 GB	30 days	£20
10 GB	30 days	£25
5 GB	90 days	£25
12 GB	12 months	£60
20 GB	12 months	£75

You are allowed to change plans as often as you like. Data lasts for the period and renews automatically thereafter. On O2's mobile data plans all European roaming is blocked. 

EU roaming

O2 has adopted 'roam like at home' to all voice and data prepay plans with EU/EEA roaming at domestic rates. Some destinations like the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Monaco or Switzerland have been excluded from their Europe zone for pay-as-you-go and are now only available on Travel Pay As You Go. For £1.99 a day, you'll get 100 MB data there. To activate this pass text 'TRAVELON' to 21300. In 2018 roaming on 4G/LTE networks in many European countries has started. Roaming is generally blocked on Mobile Broadband plans like the Tablet or iPhone Plans.

More information

• APN : payandgo.o2.co.uk

• User Name: payandgo

• Password : password
• Website: http://www.o2.co.uk/

3 (= Three) UK

3 (Three) is the runner-up or challenger of the UK providers. While it started as late as 2003 and has the smallest market share, it has gained many customers by the most aggressive pricing. 3 has no 2G transmitters, only 3G, 4G and 5G with very limited voice/text fallback to EE's 2G (at former Orange sites) in some low coverage areas.

3 coverage map. You need to have a 3G phone on 2100 MHz and for 4G a device that can carry at least 800 and 1800 MHz (3, 20) bands. 2G-only phones simply don't work on Three. Coverage can be worse in the countryside compared to the three other UK networks, unless you have a handset that supports Three's VoLTE. Voice coverage in urban areas can be better than prepaid with the other networks, because Three supports wifi calling on prepaid with many handsets (including iPhones), meaning that you get coverage in London Underground (Tube) stations for example.

Three launched 4G/LTE services in 2013 which are now on B1 (2100 MHz), B3 (1800 MHz), B20 (800 MHz), B32 (1500 MHz Suppl. DL) with B3 and B20 as main frequencies. Though they claim "99.8% outdoor population coverage" in 2020, Three's 4G/LTE coverage doesn't add up to the level of its three rivals so far according to network tests. 5G is available for Three's PAYG customers without the need to purchase an add-on or take any action such as replacing their SIM card (customers however will obviously need to provide their own 5G-ready device).

On the other hand Three offers one of the most extensive coverage for roaming at domestic rates, limited not only to the usual EU/EEA area, but including many other countries too. Its roaming is called 'Go Roam' (previously "Feel at home"); see below.

Three sends out SIM cards for free, either online or in its stores. It stays valid for 6 months since the last activity. Three has different products which shouldn't be confused:

• Pay-as-you-go SIMs for phones as old and new plans
• Mobile Broadband plans for tablets and modems (some of which support voice and SMS)

Availability

Purchase for 99p in a store (supermarket, news agent etc.), also available online to be sent to an UK postal address.

Extra credit can be bought from anywhere displaying the green 'top up' logo. Vouchers are available for £10, £15, £20, £25, £30 and £50 and must be activated within 90 days of purchase online or by calling 444. Credit never expires on Three SIMs, but your SIM plan can be terminated when there is no activity for more than 180 days.

Three pubicly launched eSIMs on 25th September 2020, but quickly restricted availability to a small number of its shops in northern England, presumably because there were technical problems with the launch. Three then completely ceased issuing eSIMs on 5th November 2020 when all non-essential shops were required to close due to COVID-19. Even by February 2021, Three has not yet restarted issuing eSIMs.

Three supports wifi calling for all prepaid customers.

Top-ups

It has proven difficult to top-up Three UK SIM cards for non-residents outside the country. In the UK you can buy vouchers in shops, but outside the UK the only option is credit or debit cards. The problem is that Three UK limits acceptance to credit/debit cards issued in the UK only. This is checked by the registered UK address of this credit card (as opposed to the BIN which indicates the country of issue). So all cards not registered on an UK address are declined, which makes it very hard to top up. There have been some workarounds in the past:

• Some non-UK American Express credit cards can't be checked properly for their address and might work anyway.
• Curve, a debit card wallet can be registered on a (fake) UK address and a different delivery address in the EEA. Combined with a debit card without currency conversion fees like Revolut, this remains one of the least expensive options.
• The Kwikpay service accepts non-UK credit and debit cards and does the recharge on their online page (not through the app) for a £1 fee.
• You can buy a prepaid debit card while you in the UK and use it to top up Three SIM cards.
• As a last resort ,there are some third party agencies like mobiletopup.uk and myphonecard.co.uk that will do the top-up for a high surcharge of 10%-20%, but should only be used as a last resort.

Data Reward SIM

Three introduced its new "Data Reward SIM" originally in 2016 to match the offer of FreedomPop (see below). Despite its name, it is a full-service SIM with voice, SMS and data, which is still charged at the favourable 3p/min, 2p/SMS and 1p/MB of the previous voice SIMs, and 200MB every month completely free which can be used also in Three's "Go Roam" countries.

With the demise of Three's 3p/2p/1p pricing on its PAYG flagship voice SIMs on 16th February 2021, the "Data Reward SIM" is now Three's most cost-effective prepaid product for anyone using less than 700MB (or £5) per month. Thanks to the prevalence of free wifi in many large UK cities, particularly in London, one needs mobile data only to fill in the small gaps between wifi hotspots, and using less than 700MB per month is very achievable.

It can be ordered online for free, or is available in Three stores for a charge including one month's data, and on eBay for 99p without credit (labelled as 'internet with legs'). You can register a maximum of 5 "Data Reward SIM" cards in the same name. Unlike Three's other prepaid SIMs, the minimum top-up on a Data Reward SIM is only £2.

To start the 200 MB per month free data, you need to register at Three.co.uk/freedata while on mobile data (not wifi) and probably with your APN set to "3internet" rather than the default "three.co.uk". After you have successfully registered for the free data, you need to change the APN back to "three.co.uk" because "3internet" causes excessive battery drain, at least on iPhones. It is very common to encounter a chicken-and-egg scenario while registering for the free data, whereby you can't load Three.co.uk/freedata because you have no data allowance to load the page, and you can't get a data allowance because you can't load Three.co.uk/freedata. In the likely event that this happens to you, you should first create a memorable name and place at My3, and then contact Three's live chat support who can resolve it, often by giving you £0.50 free credit and/or some extra free data. Three's product knowledge of this offer is poor and they might tell you incorrectly that you need to top up. Therefore while chatting to Three's live support, you should be very insistent that the Data Reward SIM's packaging states that you are entitled to 200MB free per month and that a top-up is not a condition of the free data. They might offer to give you a one-off allowance of 200MB without understanding that the 200MB is supposed to be a recurring monthly allowance. Others have registered instead at http://devicereg.three.hostedservice.net.

Data allowances don't roll over, but can be used on Three's "Go Roam" (see below) roaming option too. The monthly cycle for the free 200MB is supposed to start on the day of activation, but usually starts on the day preceding activation. The following monthly data bundles are available on the "Data Reward SIM":

• 2 GB: £15
• 5 GB: £20
• 10 GB: £25

"Pay As You Go on Three" and "New Pay As You Go on Three" tariffs

This product is intended for smartphones only. For tablets and modems, it's better to choose the Mobile Broadband offer instead.

Three discontinued its previous 3p/2p/1p tariff for new customers in early 2020 and increased the prices for existing customers with effect from 16th February 2021. Therefore the previous tariff has no advantages either for low users or for high users.

Tariff Line	Old 1-2-3 PAYG on Three	Supercharged New Three
Link	Pay As You Go	New Pay As You Go
Default rates	10p/min, 10p/SMS, 5p/MB	10p/min, 10p/SMS 5p/MB
Unlimited calls and texts and data quota for 1 month	500 MB: £5 4 GB: £10 10 GB: £15 12 GB: £20 36 GB: £27.50 unlimited: £35	6 GB: £10 20 GB: £15 50 GB: £20 unlimited: £35
Data Add-ons		1 day of unlimited data: £5 1 GB: £5 3 GB: £7 6 GB: £8
1 month =	30 days	one calendar month

Also valid in the EU/EEA and all 'Go Roam' countries (see below).

There is a 1 TB fair usage policy in the UK only, max. 20 GB in European Go Roam countries and max. 12 GB in non-European Go Roam countries (with unlimited domestic calls & texts) without surcharges.

When data is used up, you are free to buy another pack without waiting until the end of the previously bought add-on pack. After a data add-on is used up, charges revert to the £0.01 per MB default rate if another add on isn't bought.

Mobile Broadband

Three's Mobile Broadband prepaid SIM is a data-only SIM with text but no voice calls for tablets, modems or routers. You can use it in smartphones too. They are often sold as ready-to-go kits with data volume pre-loaded:

• SIM card with 1 GB data valid for 1 months: £10
• SIM card with 3 GB data valid for 3 months: £16

• SIM card with 12 GB data valid for 12 months: £40
• SIM card with 24 GB data valid for 24 months: £60

You can top-up online on your My3account with these data packages:

• pay-per-day: 500 MB for up to midnight on the next night: £2.99
• 1 GB for a month: £10
• 3 GB for a month: £15
• 7 GB for a month: £25

Roaming: "Go Roam" feature (previously "Feel at Home")

"Go Roam" countries and territories where Three UK customers can roam at UK domestic prices

Three's roaming policy dubbed 'Go Roam (formerly 'Feel at Home') applies to 59 countries and territories, which are unchanged since 2017 and still current in early 2021: all 30 EU/EEA countries, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Gibraltar, Guatemala, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Isle of Man, Israel, Jersey, Macau, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, United States (on both AT&T and T-Mobile), Uruguay, US Virgin Islands and Vietnam.

Three misleadingly advertises that Go Roam applies in "71 destinations" because it counts several countries multiple times. For example it counts "Ireland" and "Republic of Ireland" as separate destinations, counts the Åland Islands in addition to Finland, counts two parts of Spain in addition to Spain, counts two parts of Portugal in addition to Portugal, and counts eight parts of France in addition to France. Despite this misleading inflation of the the total from 59 to 71 "destinations", Three offers roaming at domestic prices in more countries and territories than any other UK network and than nearly any other national network in the world.

Go Roam applies when roaming in any of these countries or territories with a Three UK SIM card and means that data is charged exactly the same as domestic data in the UK without roaming surcharges. Three now offers 4G/LTE roaming in most, but not all destinations. You can easily find out whether is available when you fill in your destination country on this site, and check the map on the following site if it has a 4G layer.

In the USA it's now a good option again as they offer both AT&T and T-Mobile on 4G/LTE. Note that tethering aka mobile hotspot use is blocked on Three's PAYG voice SIM cards (not Mobile Broadband plans) outside the UK.

Furthermore, you can't use it for more than 2 to 4 months of continuous roaming outside Europe and only up to 15 GB per month (20 GB in Europe) or will be surcharged at 0.5p per MB otherwise. Using its PAYG rate of 1p/MB instead of a bundled rate, the same 1p/MB is charged in the EU/EEA up to a limit of £42 per month (or 4.2 GB) when roaming will be cut off to avoid excessive charges.

Tethering

Mobile hotspot use was a frequent annoyance of Three plans, as they used to ban and block it. After the intervention of UK regulator (Ofcom) Three has changed the rules for tethering on their PAYG plans. Starting from 2018 mobile hotspot use is now available in the UK and roaming all over the EU/EEA. The only exception remain the Go Roam countries overseas like USA or Australia where you still need to buy an add-on to use your device as a WiFi hotspot. Users reported problems with Smarty and tethering from iPhones.

Smarty

Similar to Vodafone's youth brand Voxi, Three started in 2017 an own secondary brand called Smarty aimed at young people. They only offer monthly plans as hybrid prepaid. This means that it need to be funded with a credit or debit card. Note that not all non-UK credit cards may be accepted, but PayPal remains a solid option.

A Smarty SIM is not available in stores, but widely online through platforms like Amazon.co.uk or ebay.co.uk with international delivery. You can order it on Smarty's website to be delivered to an UK postal address for free. They offer these plans with unlimited voice, text and a data share for 30 days:

• 500 MB: £5
• 30 GB: £10
• 50 GB: £15
• unlimited data: £20 

For more data you can add 1 GB for £1.

Additionally, they offer Data Discount Plans with a payback scheme: You can buy 1 GB for £5, 2 GB for £6, 3 GB for £7 a.s.o., and will be given back £1 for every GB not used. These data don't expire.

Smarty doesn't include Three's extended "Go Roam" zone, but apply a rather standard EU, EEA roaming including Switzerland. They also apply a fair usage policy of 20 GB per month for roaming without surcharges.

Tethering is allowed, but be warned that iOS users were not able to tether because of the lack of a profile.

More info

• APN for Three: three.co.uk
• APN for Smarty: mob.asm.net
• Website for Three: http://www.three.co.uk/
• Website for Smarty: https://smarty.co.uk/

giffgaff

Giffgaff is a wholly owned subsidiary of O2 UK, and operates as MVNO on O2 UK network. For details check O2 above.

Availability

In some UK stores like Tesco or Poundland they are sold at the checkout register for 99p. Giffgaff SIM cards can be ordered by mail in different ways. You can officially order the SIM to an UK address with delivery by 1st class mail usually within 2 to 3 days on this site: Order. Giffgaff announced official delivery to non-UK addresses in 2016. According to giffgaff, "your SIM will arrive within in 3-5 business days in Europe or from 5 business days for the rest of the world" through this site Order.

You will receive £5 free credit upon activation, if you are introduced by an existing giffgaff member, and in some cases the introducing member also receives some free credit.

Registration

To activate your SIM on their website, you ideally need a credit or debit card, otherwise you can credit your account with a top-up voucher from convenience stores, supermarkets and petrol stations. Since end of 2016, giffgaff has officially supported non-UK credit and debit cards. Giffgaff or original O2 reload cards both work. As a last resort you can also buy top-up vouchers online at private facilitators like mobiletopup.co.uk for a surcharge.

Check your balance by dialling *100#.

Your SIM card stays valid for 6 months after any of these activities: an outgoing call (including to free 0800 numbers), SMS or MMS, at least 4 incoming calls (of >10 secs), a data connection, a top-up or receiving "payback" in early June or early December for introducing new members or posting in giffgaff's forums.

Data feature packs

Default rate is 10p per MB.

These following bundles called "goodybags" come with unlimited domestic calls and texts and a data volume for 30 days:

Price	Data
£6	500 MB
£8	3 GB
£10	6 GB
£12	10 GB
£15	15 GB
£20	80 GB*
£25	unlimited ^*

(*) = EU/EEA roaming data without surcharges is capped at 20 GB

(^) = first 80 GB each month at high 4G speeds, then throttled to 384 kbps from 8am to midnight.

Check balance in packages by *100*7#. Packages must be activated online through your account.

EU roaming

All minutes and texts roaming in the EU/EEA are without any extra cost. Roaming data without surcharges is capped at 20 GB abroad in the larger plans. Take care that roaming on the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man is now charged at £0.20 per MB. In 2018 roaming was extended to 4G/LTE in many countries. For roaming out of the goodypacks you need to have activated your SIM card in their UK network first and have used it within the last 60 days in the UK. Otherwise, roaming will be charged at the standard UK rate of 10p/MB. Take care, that you can't use giffgaff SIM more than 63 days in 4-month period in roaming, otherwise you'll be charged at 0.36p/MB

More infomation

• APN: giffgaff.com 
• Tethering is allowed

• Username: giffgaff

• Website: http://www.giffgaff.com

Tesco Mobile

Tesco Mobile is the MVNO of UK's leading retail chain operating on the O2 network. From 2014 Tesco Mobile has allowed all customers on the O2 4G/LTE network. They now offer three different plans:

• Triple Credit

• Rocket Packs
• Lite

Both tariff lines can't be mixed, but switched online on your account or by calling customer support at 282. You will loose all credited allowances when changing plans.

Availability

Their SIM cards can be ordered online for free or can be bought in all Tesco megastores in the UK: Tesco store locator for 99p.

You can top-up with e-top-up cards or by voucher from any Tesco store available from £10 to £50. To top-up by voucher, call 4444 for free. Check balance by calling 282.

You need to use your SIM every 180 days to keep it alive.

Triple Credit plan

On the Triple Credit tariff you get free credit when you top-up. For a £10 top-up you get £30 credit, for £15 get £45 and for £20 get £60 worth of credit. For a £10 top-up you can choose 250 MB data and for a £15 or £20 top-up a 1 GB data pack 'for free'. Default rate is at £0.10 per MB.

There are restrictions for the bonus credit given out for Triple Credit you should be aware of: Only the 1st top-up per month will be awarded triple credit. You can't activate data bundles for this credit. It's only valid for 1 month, while general credit stays valid for 6 months.

Rocket Packs

Their combo packs have been introduced in 2016. This is a different plan or tariff line that can't be mixed with or switched to Triple Credit. You can activate these combo packages for 30 days:

Price	Calls	Texts	Data	Activation
£7.50	500 mins	5000 SMS	2 GB	app
£10	5000 mins		8 GB	ROCKET10
£12.50			15 GB	app
£15			25 GB	ROCKET15
£20			40 GB	ROCKET20

All call and text allowances are domestic except for the EU roaming promotion (see below). For activation go online or text code to 28948. All packs can be renewed ahead of time. Overuse fee is £0.10 per MB, but no data-only pack can be added. To check balance in packages, text BALANCE to 2112.

Lite

Lite is the name of their default plan for light users and data always stays at 10p per MB.

EU roaming

Data and calls and texts while roaming within the EU/EEA will come out of your UK allowances, free credit or bundles without extra cost. Note that Jersey, Monaco, Guernsey, Switzerland and the Isle of Man have been excluded from the zone. Tesco mentions a FUP of using it predominantly at home during a 120 days period.

More information

• Tethering is allowed
• T&Cs don't allow P2P, VoIP, continous streaming.
• APN: prepay.tesco-mobile.com  
• Username: tescowap  
• Password: password
• Website: http://www.tescomobile.com/

ASDA Mobile

ASDA Mobile is the MVNO of Tesco's biggest rival supermarket ASDA. It used to operate on the Vodafone network and migrated in 2014 to the EE network with 4G/LTE since 2017. In April 2021, it migrated back the Vodafone network, and all existing customers need to migrate their SIMs to the new network. 5G is also available as part of the Vodafone network deal.

Availability

ASDA Mobile SIM cards can be bought online on their website or in many ASDA supermarkets and grocery stores throughout the UK: store locator for 50p. They stock hybrid mini/micro and nano sizes. All new SIMs come with free 10 minutes, 10 SMS and 10 MB data.

You can top up at any ASDA store or anywhere you see their logo with a top-up voucher. To check your balance, text 'BAL' to 2732.

ASDA Mobile has the longest validity period of any MVNO in Britain. You will need to use it within 270 days, but it can be revived by a top-up for up to a year.

Data feature packs

Default data rate out of bundles is 4p per MB. These standard combo bundles can be added:

Price	Calls & Texts	Data	5G	Activation (SMS to 2732)
				Once-Off	Recurring
£5	unlimited	1 GB	n/a	BUN5	AUTOBUN5
£7	unlimited	3 GB		BUN7	AUTOBUN7
£10	unlimted	10 GB	5G	BUN10	AUTOBUN10
£15	unlimited	18 GB		BUN15	AUTOBUN15
£20	unlimited	30 GB		BUN20	AUTOBUN20
£25	unlimited	50 GB		BUN25	AUTOBUN25

Asda Mobile also introduces special fully unlimited plans with speed caps (5G available):

Price	Calls, texts & data	Speed cap	Activation (SMS to 2732)
			Once-Off	Recurring
£20	unlimited	2 Mb/s	BUN20U	AUTOBUN20U
£25		10 Mb/s	BUN25U	AUTOBUN25U
£30		150 Mb/s	BUN30	AUTOBUN30

To stop recurring plan, text STOPAUTO to 2732. For data-only you can add one of these bundles. They can also be added for more data to combo bundles:

• £2: 1 GB
• £5: 2 GB
• £7: 6 GB
• £10: 12 GB

All packages are valid for one month and don't auto-renew. To activate, use your online account.

EU roaming

If you have a bundle, you can use it as you would do at home, as long as you're in one of the EU/EEA countries including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

More information

• Tethering is allowed
• APN: everywhere
• Website: http://mobile.asda.com

Lebara

new logo

Lebara (previously called Lebara mobile) is one of UK's leading ethno market providers operating on the Vodafone network (see above) on 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE. For details about the network, check Vodafone above.

Availability

The SIM card can be bought online to be send to an UK postal address, from eBay or other suppliers delivered worldwide or offline in the UK at stores for free or 99p.

They give 50% free credit with your first top-up. Online you may use PayPal for top-ups starting at £5. Offline you can buy scratch cards. To top-up by voucher, enter *#1345*<voucher code>#. To check your balance, type *#1345#.

Lebara has very rigid deactivation rules. Without having used it for 84 days, it will be switched off and both your credit and number will be lost.

Data feature packages

9p per MB is charged, if no data bundle is booked or all data are used up.

These "all in one" combo packages contain an UK allowance, capped EU data, voice and IDD minutes and SMS:

Price	Data		EU cap	Voice/SMS	IDD Voice	Activation
	by app	offline
£5	2 GB	1 GB	3.2 GB	1000	100 mins	R1
£10	6 GB	3 GB	6.3 GB	unlimted	500 mins	R2
£10	10 GB	5 GB			100 mins	R3
£15	15 GB	7 GB	9.4 GB		1000 mins	R4
£20	20 GB	10 GB	12.5 GB		unlimited	R5
£25	unlimited		15.7 GB		100 mins	R7
£30			18.8 GB		unlimited	R8

For activation text code to 38885. For using more, you can buy data bolt-on. To stop renewal, send SMS with STOP and activation code to 38885. 

If you don’t have sufficient credit, Lebara will try to auto-renew for seven days or until you cancel auto-renewal. To cancel auto-renew text WEB<size>*STOP to 38885 or opt out via your MyLebara account. 

Lebara offers a so-called "bolt on" for extra data when the original package is used up: 1 GB for £3. For activation text '1GB' to 38885. Be aware, that a bolt-on is only valid for the rest of running time of the original package. 

EU & International roaming

You can use your mobile in the EU as if you were in the UK at no extra cost up to the specified cap. Packages can also be used in India up to 10 GB, thereafter 5p/MB.

More infomation

• Tethering is banned    
• APN: uk.lebara.mobi   
• Username and password: wap   
• Website: http://www.lebara.co.uk/

Lycamobile

Lycamobile is the main competitor of Lebara in the ethno market. In the UK it's a MVNO on the O2 UK network in 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE. For details about the network refer to O2 above.

Availability

The SIM is sold online to be sent to any UK postal address or offline at their stores and outlets for free or 99p.

There and in many other stores, you'll find their top-up vouchers. To top-up by voucher, enter *131*<voucher PIN>#. Check balance by *131#. Credit expires after 90 days and your SIM card will be suspended after 120 days only without a recharge.

12p per MB is charged, if no data bundle is activated or is used up

Data feature packs

These data packages are all valid for 30 days in the UK and EU/EEA:

• 500 MB: £5, activation:*139*5001#
• 1 GB: £7.50, activation: *139*7001#
• 2 GB: £10, activation:  *139*1001#
• 3 GB: £12.50, activation: *139*1201#

There are these combo packages with data, voice, SMS and IDD mins valid for 30 days:

UK Plan	Data		Voice	SMS	IDD mins	Price	Activation
	Online	Offline
Smart	2 GB	1 GB	1000	1000	100	£5	*139*5555#
National Plus	10 GB	5 GB	unlimited			£10*	*139*21544#
Mega Plus	100 GB					£25*	*139*2055#
Forever Data	9 GB#				-	£20	*139*2544#
Go Unlimited	unlimited (EU: 20 GB)				100	£25*	*139*3055#
Go Unlimited Plus	unlimited (EU: 22 GB)				unlimited	£35*	*139*4055#

Lycamobile gives out different data volumes, depending whether you have bought the plan online or not. 

(*) -  These packages are discounted up to 50% when you purchase them for the first time with a new SIM card. 

(#) - First 9 GB at 4G speeds, after speed throttled to 128 kbps. 

Lycamobile will automatically renew your bundle once it expires. Charge for the bundle will be deducted from your main balance at the time of auto-renewal of the bundle. To cancel the auto renewal dial *190# before the expiry date and follow the instructions or call customer service for free on 353 before the expiry date.

For your plan, you can buy data bolt-ons, valid to the end of your package:

Price	Data	Activation
£5	1 GB	*139*602#
£7.50	3 GB	*139*603#
£12	5 GB	*139*604#
£20	10 GB	*139*605#

EU roaming

Lycamobile in UK applies "roam like at home" to all plans without surcharges. The same default rate of 12p per MB applies in the EU for overuse.

More info

• Tethering / mobile hotspot use is banned and blocked
• APN: data.lycamobile.co.uk
• Username: lmuk (that's lowcase L, not capital I)
• Password: plus
• Website: http://www.lycamobile.co.uk/

Vectone Mobile

Vectone Mobile is a MVNO using the EE network on 2G and 3G and now on 4G/LTE too (for details see EE above).

Their SIM can be purchased online or in many supermarkets, petrol stations and kiosks throughout the UK. Mini and micro SIMs are free or 99p, but nano SIMs need to be ordered online for £1.

Top-ups are in shops like Tesco and Sainsbury's, petrol stations like Esso and BP, post offices, Payzone and Epay using multifunction voucher. Topping up online, you can use Paysafecards that are sold in many countries. Only online you get data bonuses for recharges: top-up £5 - 1 GB for 7 days, top-up £10 - 3 GB for 15 days and top-up £20 - 10 GB for 30 days.

Check balance by *102#. Credit stays valid for 90 days and the SIM card will be suspended after not having used it for 120 days.

Default rate is 9p per MB. A minimum balance of 50p is required to use data.

Data feature packs

Vectone Mobile offers these data and combo packages that exclude EU/EEA roaming and are valid only in the UK:

• UK Plans (without EU roaming):

Price	Data	Calls	Texts	Activation
£3	1 GB	100 mins	100 SMS	*2357#
£4	3 GB	300 mins	300 SMS	*1006#
£6	5 GB	500 mins	500 SMS	*1208#
£10*	30 GB (10 GB)	unlimited	unlimited	*1337#
£15*	50 GB (20 GB)	unlimited	unlimited	*1001#
£25*	100 GB (30 GB)	unlimited	unlimited	*1098#

(*) - The higher data volume is given only when you purchase the bundle online through credit/debit card or PayPal.  

• All-in-one bundles (without EU roaming)

Price	Data	Texts	Calls	IDD calls	Activation
£5	1 GB	150 SMS	150 mins (national & IDD)		*1044#
£10	5 GB	unlimited	unlimited	500	*1028#
£15*	20 GB (10 GB)	unlimited	unlimited	unlimited	*1043#
£20*	25 GB (12 GB)	unlimited	unlimited	unlimited	*1401#

(*) - The higher data volume is given only when you purchase the bundle online through credit/debit card or PayPal.

• Data plans (without EU roaming)
  • 10 GB (3 GB)*: £7.50, activation: *500#
  • 20 GB (7 GB)*: £10, activation: *750#

(*) - The higher data volume is given only when you purchase the bundle online through credit/debit card or PayPal.

All plans are valid 30 days. Data pack will be auto-renewed once the validity expires. To opt out, call customer service enter *1122#. Overuse is charged by the default rate. Check allowances in packages by *1252#. Only one package can be activated. Tethering aka mobile hotspot use is not allowed. All these packages are auto-renewable. To stop renewal, dial *1160#. To check data remaining, dial *1260#. 

EU roaming

Vectone Mobile don't allow to use packages in EU/EEA zone for prepaid users. There are valid domestic only. You can stay on default rate 9p per MB or buy 2 GB for £10 (activation: *2348#) valid for 30 days and with auto-renew. 

More infomation

• Tethering is included in all plan, but is limited to 10 GB in general (in some plans is lower). 
• APN: webuk.mundio.com
• Data can't be used on BlackBerry phones.
• Note that there are lot of complaints on the internet about Vectone's poor customer service
• Website: http://www.vectonemobile.co.uk/

iD Mobile

iD Mobile is a MVNO using the Three network in 3G and 4G/LTE (for specifics see Three above). It's owned by Carphone Warehouse and was launched in 2015. First, they only sold contracts, but in 2016 PAYG was added and their SIM cards finally offered in Carphone Warehouse branches. Their rates are very similar to Three's.

Availability

An iD Mobile PAYG SIM can be bought through their website or over the phone using a UK-issued debit or credit card or you can go to any Carphone Warehouse store in the UK (locator). Their SIM is free for the price of the first included package. If you don't select a bundle, you'll need to top-up at least £5 for a start.

Top-ups can be made online on your account using a UK credit/debit card. If you don't have one, you need to top-up at any Carphone Warehouse branch starting from £5. This seems to be a major disadvantage to Three which has many more top-up locations in the country. Furthermore, iD mobile's top-ups are only valid for 90 days and the SIM card will be discountinued after 365 days of inactivity.

Their data PAYG rate outside of packages is a low 1p per MB. A rate that is currently matched only by Three.

Combo plans

For bundles iD mobile only offers 3 combo plans with data, unlimitedminutes and SMS for a month:

• £6: 1 GB
• £8: 4 GB
• £10: 6 GB
• £15: 20 GB
• £20: unlimited GB

For overuse, their default rate applies. You can make the bundles once-off or recurring in your account.

EU roaming

The minutes, texts and data you use for roaming in the EU/EEA come out of your monthly allowances mentioned above at domestic rates. They also include Azerbaijan, Belarus, North Macedonia and Kazakhstan in inclusive roaming zone.

More info

• Tethering / mobile hotspot use is banned
• APN: id
• Website: http://www.idmobile.co.uk/

Anywhere

Anywhere is one of UK's multi-network operator. It operates on the networks of Three, O2, EE and Vodafone (depending on the plan). 

You will pay much more for having the combined coverage of three UK networks at a very limited validity of your credit. 

Availability

The SIM card can be bought online to be send to an UK postal address, from argos.co.uk, from Sainsbury's and some other shops. Two different tariff lines are offered that can't be changed: Pure and Plus+.

The starter pack includes the sales price as credit. Pure SIM cards range from £10 for one month to £60 for a year. Plus+ SIM cards from £10 for 30 days to £180 for 180 days. You will need to enter an UK address for activation.

Top-ups can be made online via credit card or by calling 333. Better check before, if your non-UK credit card is accepted. You wont find any option to buy reload vouchers locally. Be also aware of their limited validity. There are top-ups from £10 credit for one month to £60 for one year. To check balance, dial 222.

Pure

This plan operates on EE, O2 and Vodafone's 2G and 3G network, no 4G/LTE so far. It hasn't any data plans, but charges at a flat 10p rate per MB (equal to 1 GB = £102).

Plus+

This plan operates on EE's, O2's and Three's 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE networks. You can choose one from these three packages with unlimited calls, SMS and some data:

• £30: 4 GB
• £35: 6 GB
• £40: 10 GB

EU roaming

Data, calls and texts while roaming within the EU/EEA will come out of your UK monthly allowances, credit or bundles without extra cost. 

More information

• Tethering is allowed
• APN for Pure plan: mobiledata
• APN for Plus+ plan: Anywhere
• MMS doesn't work! 
• Website: https://anywheresim.com/

CTExcel

CTExcel is the brand name used by China Telecom for its MVNOs operating outside China. Unlike Chinese SIM cards, there is no censorship on this SIM. While they target Chinese in particular, anyone can sign up for a CTExcel SIM. In the UK, they use the EE network since 2012 in 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE. For details check EE network above.

Availability

Their primary way of distributing SIMs is by mail; they can be ordered online to be sent to any UK postal address with an initial top-up required. If you choose to purchase a SIM in this manner, you will receive an e-mailed activation code that you must type into the CTExcel website to activate the SIM once it has arrived.

They also have a network of sales partners that sell their SIMs (list of outlets). They are primarily Chinese supermarkets and travel agencies, with the exception of SIMLocal at Heathrow Terminal 3 Arrivals. Currently they offer two different cards:

• 英伦酷玩系列 - British Cool Play SIM card
• 中英畅行套餐 - Chinese and UK Dual SIM card

The Chinese-UK dual SIM card comes with two numbers, but higher rates and is only better for users who expect calls from China.

Top-ups can be done at any PayPoint or Payzone-supporting merchant while in the UK, as well as online with any international (not only UK-issued) Visa/Mastercard or PayPal from inside or outside of the UK.

CTExcel operates a 90-day expiry policy. If you don't use your SIM (topping up the SIM doesn't count) for 90 days, it will expire. As it roams in most countries, a roaming SMS at least every 90 days is recommended to keep it active. Alternatively, they offer a keep alive service at £1 per month

They will charge a one-time £2 fee for an LTE-capable SIM, or to upgrade a previous 3G SIM to an LTE SIM. All bundles ordered on that SIM will have LTE as long as the SIM remains valid. The free SIM option does not include LTE.

Data feature packages

Default data rate is 5p per MB. All stand-alone bundles are valid for 30 days, while add-ons are valid until the end of the base bundle.

UK Cool Play SIM card

Price	Data	EU cap	Minutes	Minutes to China	SMS	Activation
99p	100 MB		60 mins	600 mins	50	UN0099
£1.99	500 MB					UN0199
£4.90	1.5 GB		500 mins	n/a	500	UN49
£9.90	6 GB				unlimited	UN99
£11.90	10 GB		1000 mins			UN119
£14.90	15 GB					UN149
£19.90	40 GB		unlimited			UN35
£29.90	150 GB	50 GB				UN50

• for the Chinese/UK Dual SIM card:
  • £9.60: 300 minutes, 300 mins to China/HK/Macao, unlimited text, 1 GB data,
  • £14.60: 600 minutes, 600 mins to China/HK/Macao unlimited text, 4 GB data
  • £18.60: 1000 minutes, 1000 mins to China/HK/Macao, unlimited text, 6 GB data

These add-ons can be applied to an existing bundle for extra data; they can't be purchased on their own:

• £5: 500 MB data, text AO5 to 888 to activate (only letter O)
• £8: 1024 MB data text AO10 to 888 to activate (first letter O, then number 0)

EU Roaming

CTExcel allows "roam like home" in Switzerland, Monaco, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man as well as the EU/EEA, debiting all usage from domestic allowances including packages.

More infomation

• APN: tslpaygnet
• Website (partly in English): https://www.ctexcel.com/indextemp.jsp (mostly in Mandarin Chinese, click on the top right to change the language to English)

Discontinued offers

Mobile by Sainsbury's

The supermarket chain Sainsbury's suspended the Mobile by Sainsbury's service in January 2016.

Post Office Mobile

The UK Post Office closed down a shortlived attempt to build a UK mobile phone network service as its offering was unable to compete in the crowded British mobile telecoms market.

Talkmobile

This Vodafone MVNO closed down at the end of August 2017.

Delight Mobile

Parent company Mundio closed its brand Delight Mobile in 2018 and moved all its customers to its sister brand Vectone Mobile.

Virgin Mobile (PAYG)

Virgin Mobile PAYG is no longer available to new customers. In August 2019, Virgin Mobile stopped selling prepaid SIM cards to new customers. Existing customers have grandfathering and can stay on the plans. But Virgin now accepts only postpaid clients.