A pay as you go (PAYG) SIM card is ideal if you don’t want to sign up for a long-term contract, or you’re not keen on going through a credit check. Compare over 40 deals and across 5 trusted UK networks. Over 300,000 customers trust us to help find their SIM deal.
Uswitch tips
1. Choose your new deal
Select a deal below and click through to the network’s site.
2. Get your PAC code
You’ll need a special code to keep your number when you switch. It's quick and free:
Text PAC to 65075 to receive your code.
3. Give the code to your new network
Contact the new network after signing up to provide them with your PAC code, which will begin the process and will automatically cancel your previous plan. Alternatively, you can enter the PAC code when signing up on the network’s site.
Uses O2's Network
£6.00 a month
No contract
2 GBof 5G data
Uses O2's Network
£10.00 a month
No contract
20 GBof 5G data
£10.00 a month
No contract
30 GBof 5G data
£12.00 a month
No contract
100 GBof 5G data
Uses O2's Network
£8.00 a month
No contract
5 GBof 5G data
Uses Vodafone's Network
£15.00 a month
No contract
140 GBof 5G data
Uses Vodafone's Network
£10.00 a month
No contract
20 GBof 5G data
Uses Three Mobile's Network
£12.50 a monthfor 2 months, then £25.00
No contract
Unlimited5G data
£16.00 a month
No contract
200 GBof 5G data
Uses O2's Network
£20.00 a month
No contract
100 GBof 5G data
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Until 2024, many mobile networks have increased contract prices in line with inflation. Starting in January 2025, Ofcom will introduce a ban on inflation-linked price hikes for new contracts. Future price changes will need to be set and fully disclosed in pounds and pence.
Pay as you go (PAYG) SIM cards are an easy way to use your phone without needing a long-term contract or lengthy payment plans.
You simply pre-pay a set amount of money, which gives you a set number of call minutes, data, and texts. When you run out, you just top up again with an amount of your choice.
Pay as you go SIM only deals often come with a free SIM card, too. So all you need is a mobile phone you’re happy to use.
No, you generally won’t incur additional charges when you sign up for a pay as you go SIM only deal.
Since you pre-pay the amount you’re willing to spend, it’s just a case of using your phone until your money runs out. Then, you’ll have to top up again to get more calls, texts, and data.
Keep your current phone number, swap phones whenever you want
Pay what you want when you want
Avoid being tied down to a long-term contract.
No credit check
You can top up from as little as £5 per spend
You may not get the best rates for data, calls or texts
PAYG deals will work out as more expensive than a traditional pay monthly package
You will need to have a phone that’s unlocked
Almost all UK networks will offer pay-as-you-go SIM cards as part of their product offering.
Major UK mobile networks such as Three Mobile, O2, giffgaff and VOXI offer pay-as-you-go deals, and the price varies depending on how much data you need.
The best pay-as-you-go deal for you depends on your personal needs and requirements. Your best bet is to compare options across all networks until you find the ideal balance of allowance and cost.
Yes, you can often use a pay-as-you-go SIM card overseas. However, you will need to check your network's roaming policy first. You will likely have to pay more than you would if you used the phone at home, too.
Check out our network-by-network roaming guide for more info.
Pay as you go costs less in the short term, as you can top up any amount of your choosing.
If you don’t plan on using your phone a lot, it’s the perfect option. However, calls, texts and data are priced higher on PAYG. So if you expect to use your phone a lot, a monthly plan may be cheaper.
No, you can top up as much or as little as you want. There may be some instances where your credit has to be used within a specific time frame, but this will be a very long time.
Check your network’s policy for more details.
Yes, you can get a SIM only deal without a contract. All you need is the SIM, the amount you want to top up and a phone to use it in.
SIM free deals usually come with a certain amount of data, calls and text allowance for a set monthly price.
It’s similar to a standard pay monthly deal but without a mobile phone. PAYG works on a top-up basis, so you have to keep topping up the more you use your phone.
Yes, SIM cards expire, but you can keep using them for as long as you want, provided you top up a minimum amount and use your phone at least once over six months.
If you don’t use your SIM card at all, your network may lock the SIM, but this will be after a long period of time.
It’s unlikely you’ll be able to get unlimited data on a PAYG deal. That’s because pay-as-you-go doesn’t work in the same way as SIM only.
SIM cards can be ordered for free and then topped up with as little as £5 with no commitment or contract involved.
