By giffgaff now offers 18-month SIM-only deals, giving you more data and the flexibility to change your plan at any time. Find out how their contracts work.
In the UK, giffgaff now offers flexible 18-month contracts as an alternative to their one-month rolling Pay As You Go plans. You can get more data on the 18-month plans with a fixed allowance such as 6GB data for £8, 25GB data for £10, or 40GB data for £15. You can also benefit from the flexibility to change your plan over time, with fairer early termination fees and no credit checks, unlike most other SIM-only contract providers.
In this article, we’ll look at giffgaff’s new 18-month contracts and how they differ from the SIM-only contracts available from other providers in the market. We’ll also look at some of the features available on giffgaff’s new SIM-only plans, including 5G coverage from O2 and EU roaming at no extra cost.
Contents
giffgaff SIM Only Contracts
SIM-only contracts are a great value way of using your mobile phone. You’ll normally get lots of inclusive minutes, texts and data on a SIM-only contract, whilst paying a low monthly price.
However, there have historically been a number of disadvantages when you choose a SIM-only contract in the UK:
- SIM-only contracts can tie you in to set allowances for a long time. You’ll normally choose your SIM-only contract based on how much data is included on the plan each month. However, once you’re signed up for a plan, that monthly allowance is normally set in stone for up to 24 months. That’s tricky as you won’t always know how much data you’ll be needing in two years time. What’s more, it can cost you quite a lot of money if you want to add more data to your plan.
- There are expensive early exit fees if you want to change or cancel your plan. On most SIM-only contracts, you’ll need to pay more than 90% of the remaining monthly charges if you want to change or cancel your plan during the contract period. This means you can incur a hefty penalty if the plan is no longer suitable for your usage and you need to change plans.
- You’ll normally need to undergo a credit check when you sign up. As well as this being more hassle when you sign up, SIM-only contracts are not open to everyone as you’ll normally need to pass a credit check to get a SIM-only contract.
Over the past 10+ years, giffgaff has made their name in the UK offering flexible one-month rolling Pay As You Go plans. However, they’ve now expanded to enter the market for SIM-only contracts as well, with their own take on the concept which they call ‘good contracts’. Compared to other SIM-only contracts, there are four main differences when you choose a SIM-only contract from giffgaff:
On giffgaff’s contracts, you’ll have the flexibility to change your plan over time. Just like on their one-month rolling Pay As You Go plans, you’ll have the flexibility to change your allowances over time on giffgaff’s ‘good contracts’. For instance, you’ll be able to move your plan upwards and downwards within giffgaff’s 18-month range (e.g. to get more data when you need, or to save some money on your plan). You can also choose to refresh your data allowances early.- You’ll automatically benefit from improvements that giffgaff makes to their plans. In the past, giffgaff has regularly updated their plans to improve them with larger allowances of data. On giffgaff’s good contracts offering, you’ll also benefit from these automatic improvements to your plan.
- There are lower fees for exiting your contract early. You can change between giffgaff’s 18-month plans at any time without resetting the term of your commitment or incurring early termination fees. If you’re leaving giffgaff altogether, the early termination fee is 50% of your current plan cost, multiplied by the number of months you have remaining on your contract, plus the month in which you cancel.
- There are no credit checks to get a contract from giffgaff. This means there’s a lot less hassle when you sign up, and the plans are open to everyone.
To get one of giffgaff’s SIM-only contracts, start by ordering your new SIM card from giffgaff’s website. This comes with free next-day delivery when you order your SIM before 5pm on a weekday. You’ll be able to choose your desired plan when you activate your SIM card.
The following table shows giffgaff’s new 18-month contracts:
| Plan | Data | Monthly Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6GB data | £8.00 per month 18 month contract | See deal |
| 25GB data | £10.00 per month 18 month contract | See deal |
| 27GB data | £12.00 per month 18 month contract | See deal |
| 40GB data | £15.00 per month 18 month contract | See deal |
| 120GB data | £20.00 per month 18 month contract | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £25.00 per month 18 month contract | See deal |
See all giffgaff SIM-only deals →
Compared to giffgaff’s one-month rolling plans, you’ll get more data when you sign up to an 18-month contract. For instance, you’ll get 25GB data for £10 on contract from giffgaff. This compares to 20GB for £10 on a monthly rolling plan.
giffgaff Features
Handset Plans
Although giffgaff is best known for their SIM-only plans, it’s also possible to buy a handset from them. When you do this, you’ll have the option to split up the cost of your handset and to pay in interest-free instalments through Klarna (at 0% APR).
giffgaff offers handsets from a wide range of brands including Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola and more. They also offer refurbished phones, allowing you to get a mobile phone for less. In addition, refurbished smartphones create an average of 89% less e-waste than buying a brand new smartphone, with giffgaff’s refurbished handsets having a minimum 12-month warranty and a battery life guarantee.
Klarna Terms:
0% APR. Finance subject to status and credit checks with Klarna Bank AB (publ). UK residents aged 18+ only. Direct Debit. giffgaff Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and acts as a credit broker and not a lender, offering credit products provided by Klarna Bank AB (publ). Terms apply, see giffgaff.com/terms. giffgaff Limited, UB8 1HB
4G & 5G Coverage From O2
On giffgaff, you’ll have access to 99% population coverage across the UK. This is provided by O2’s 2G, 3G and 4G networks.
In addition, if you’re using a 5G-ready phone, you’ll have access to O2’s 5G network in 750 UK towns and cities. This covers around 50% of the UK’s population.
Before you sign up as a giffgaff member, it’s worth checking to make sure you can get coverage where you live. You can do this by entering your postcode on giffgaff’s online coverage map:
Check giffgaff coverage (giffgaff.com) →
5G T&Cs: 5G available in selected areas. 5G device, sim and tariff required to access 5G. See https://www.giffgaff.com/help/articles/does-my-area-have-5g-coverage
Inclusive EU Roaming
On giffgaff, you can use your plan allowances at no extra cost (up to 5GB per month) when you travel to 37 European destinations. This includes popular tourist hotspots such as Spain, Italy, France, Portugal and more.
giffgaff’s inclusive European roaming has a fair use limit of 5GB data per month. For most users, this should be more than enough. According to Ofcom, the average UK mobile user consumes about 4.5GB data per month. This is equivalent to about 1GB data if you’re travelling abroad for one week. If you exceed the 5GB per month limit, you’ll pay an extra 10p/MB.
giffgaff App & Community
You can use the giffgaff app to see how much data you’ve used and also to top-up your account on the go. It will also give you access to thousands of public Wi-Fi hotspots, including when you’re travelling on the London Underground.
If you need help and support, this is available through giffgaff’s online community. According to giffgaff, the majority of questions asked on their community will get answered by other members within two minutes. For any account-specific queries (e.g. to do with your SIM card or payments), you can ask a giffgaff agent online.
Keeping Your Phone Number
It’s easy keeping your current phone number when you switch to giffgaff.
To start off, order your new SIM card on giffgaff’s website. Once you’ve done that, you can ask your current mobile network to give you a PAC Code. This will be available through your mobile network’s website or app, or by texting PAC to 65075.
You’ll normally get your giffgaff SIM card delivered on the next working day after you place your order. Once you’ve activated it and chosen your plan, you can submit the PAC Code online through a form on giffgaff’s website. This will schedule the transfer of your phone number (normally for the next working day, as long you submit it before 3pm).
For a step-by-step guide on how to transfer your phone number to giffgaff, please select your current mobile network from the drop-down menu below:
More Information
For more information about giffgaff’s latest SIM-only plans, please see giffgaff’s official website. You can also read the official announcement on giffgaff’s online community.
18 month commitment. You can activate your first Plan using a voucher or a card but a payment method must be saved and set to auto-renew monthly for future Plan payments.
For all goodybags and plans with over 5GB UK data, data roaming in EU and selected destinations is capped at 5GB. You’ll be charged 10p/MB once 5GB is used.
Prices correct as of Friday, 9th June 2023.
Terms apply, see giffgaff.com/terms.
Miles said:
Im not convinced Giiffgaffs new 18 contracts will be a hit. The whole reason people use GG is to avoid monthly contract commitment. £8 x 18 is £144! Very strange choice