By 1p Mobile offers flexible Pay As You Go plans from 1p/minute, 1p/text and 1p/MB. They also offer 30-day plans from £6 per month.
In the UK, 1p Mobile offers flexible Pay As You Go plans with access to EE’s 4G & 5G network for coverage.
On their classic Pay As You Go plan, you’ll pay just 1p/minute, 1p/text and 1p/megabyte. There’s no monthly subscription fee but you’ll need to spend at least £10 every 60 days on your SIM. This is equivalent to spending £5 per month on average.
Alongside this, 1pMobile has a number of 30-day bundles such as 4GB data for £7.50, 25GB data for £10, and 50GB data for £12.50. On all of those plans, you’ll get unlimited UK minutes and unlimited UK texts included. This makes it a better option for regular mobile users.
As a special offer for customers ordering through this link and using the VAKTT4GB voucher code at checkout, you’ll get a 4GB Data Boost for free when you activate a 1pMobile SIM card. It’s free to get a 1pMobile SIM card when you top-up it up with at least £10 of credit.
1p Mobile is offered by Telecommunications Management Limited, the sister company of Utility Warehouse and part of the FTSE 250-listed Telecom Plus PLC group.
Order 1pMobile SIM card (Free with £10 top-up) →
(enter the VAKTT4GB voucher code at checkout for 4GB of free data)
| Pay As You Go Rates: | 1p/minute 1p/text 1p/MB |
|---|---|
| Exclusive Offer: | Get 4GB of free data with VAKTT4GB voucher code (new customers only) |
| Spend Requirement: | £10 minimum spend every 60 days |
| Pay As You Go Bundles: |
|
| Coverage: | 4G & 5G coverage from EE (check postcode) |
Contents
Plans & Pricing
Classic Pay As You Go
1p Mobile is best known for their classic Pay As You Go plan. With this, there’s no monthly fee for maintaining your 1pMobile SIM card. You’ll just pay for what you use at the rates of 1p/minute, 1p/text and 1p/MB.
In the past, this Classic Pay As You Go offering from 1p Mobile was one of the standout choices for light mobile users. However, from October 2024, there’s now a minimum spend requirement of £10 for every 60 days that you’re a customer on their network. This makes it a less suitable option if you’re a light user.
To give an example, if you were to spend £8 over a given 60-day period, an additional £2 of credit would be deducted from your 1p Mobile account. In contrast, most other classic Pay As You Go SIM cards do not have a minimum spend requirement. This means you’re able to keep your unused credit.
The following table shows 1p Mobile’s Pay As You Go rates in the UK:
| Calling Rates: | |
|---|---|
| Voice Calls | 1p/minute (any network, any time) |
| Calls to Voicemail | 1p/minute |
| Calls to Special Rate Numbers | 5p/minute access charge + service charge from the company you’re calling |
| Messaging Rates: | |
| Text Message (SMS) | 1p |
| Picture Message (MMS) | 30p |
| Internet Rates: | |
| Mobile Data | 1p/MB |
The prices stated in this table are for UK usage. If you’re travelling outside Europe or making international phone calls, higher charges will typically apply. Source for pricing information: 1pmobile.com.
You can check your Pay As You Go balance at any time by calling 150 from your 1pMobile handset. It’s free to do this.
The minimum spend requirement was previously £10 every 90 days, from February 2024 to October 2024. Before this, there was no minimum spend requirement. However, customers were required to top-up by at least £10 every 120 days.
Monthly Bundles
If you use your mobile phone fairly regularly, it can be better value buying a 30-day bundle. On 1p Mobile, these are also referred to as Boosts. You’ll need to pay a monthly fee for the Boost, which gives you unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts, and an allowance of data.
The following table shows a list of 1p Mobile’s Boosts:
| Network | Data | Monthly Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2GB data | £6.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 4GB data | £7.50 per month No contract | See deal |
| 10GB data | £8.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 25GB data | £10.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 50GB data | £12.50 per month No contract | See deal |
| 100GB data | £15.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 200GB data | £20.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| Unlimited data | £25.00 per month No contract | See deal |
If you’re mainly after the inclusive minutes and texts, and if you’re willing to pre-pay upfront for one year, there’s also a £48 per year SIM card on 1p Mobile. This will give you unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts and 500MB data per month. It’s available for the equivalent of £4 per month, but there’s no refund if you cancel during those 12 months.
In our opinion, 1p Mobile is currently one of the better value options if you’re looking for a Pay As You Go plan with coverage from EE. However, the amount of competition has recently increased in this area, with both Lyca Mobile and Spusu now also offering EE coverage on their plans.
Exclusive Offers & Voucher Codes
As a special offer for readers of this website, you can get a 4GB data boost for free when you order a new 1pMobile SIM card through this link. You’ll need to enter VAKTT4GB as your voucher code at checkout to take advantage of this deal.
Get 4GB Free Data using VAKTT4GB →
This exclusive offer is only available to new 1pMobile customers and requires you to make a minimum initial top-up of £10 on your SIM card. Your 4GB data boost will then be valid for 30 days.
Gold Numbers
If you’d like to choose a phone number, 1p Mobile is fairly unique in that they’ll allow you to choose your phone number, but at an additional cost. It costs £5 to choose a regular phone number, or you can get a memorable ‘gold number’ for £30.
You can search the list of memorable numbers on the 1pMobile website.
If you’re happy to be assigned a new phone number at random, you can join 1pMobile without paying for a phone number. Alternatively, you can transfer your existing phone number from another network at no additional cost.
Comparison to Alternatives
Pay As You Go Rates
1p Mobile has the lowest per-minute, per-text and per-megabyte rates of any Pay As You Go network in the UK. However, the requirement to spend at least £10 every 60 days makes it a less suitable option if you’re a light mobile user.
On the other mobile networks, you’ll typically pay more for your usage than you would on 1p Mobile. For instance, giffgaff charges 25p/minute, 10p/text and 10p/MB. On the other hand, if there’s no minimum spend requirement, it could still work out to be a cheaper option overall.
For more information, see our guide on the best Pay As You Go SIM cards for light users.
£10 Per Month Bundles
On 1p Mobile, you can buy a £10 bundle which gives you 25GB data, along with unlimited UK minutes and unlimited UK texts.
The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of what you can get for £10 per month on other Pay As You Go networks:
| Network | Data | Monthly Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80GB data | £10.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 25GB data | £10.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 20GB data | £10.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 15GB data | £10.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 10GB data | £10.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 8GB data 25Mbps max speed | £10.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 8GB data | £10.00 per month No contract | See deal |
£15 Per Month Bundles
1pMobile’s £15 bundle comes with 100GB data, plus unlimited UK minutes and unlimited UK texts.
This also compares fairly strongly to the £15 plans on other Pay As You Go networks in the UK:
| Network | Data | Monthly Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
Offer ends 29th May | 105GB data | £15.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 100GB data | £15.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 50GB data | £15.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 30GB data | £15.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 25GB data | £15.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 25GB data 25Mbps max speed | £15.00 per month No contract | See deal |
| 25GB data | £15.00 per month No contract | See deal |
For more information, see our guide to the UK’s best value Pay As You Go bundles.
Network & Coverage
4G & 5G Coverage from EE
In the UK, 1p Mobile is a virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses EE as their network coverage provider. As a 1p Mobile customer, this means you’ll receive the same coverage as customers on EE.
At the time of writing, customers of 1p Mobile can access 99% population coverage on EE’s 4G network. This includes full access to EE’s band 20 LTE (800MHz) spectrum. In addition, there’s 5G coverage which is available to more than 60% of the UK’s population, providing you have a 5G-ready device.
Before you sign up to 1pMobile, it’s worth checking the coverage in your area. You can do this by entering your postcode on the 1pMobile website:
Check 1pMobile Coverage (1pmobile.com) →
You’ll have access to Wi-Fi Calling and 4G Calling on 1pMobile, as long as you have a compatible mobile phone.
APN Internet Settings
Before you’re able to access the internet on your phone, it may be necessary to input the Access Point Name (APN) settings for your 1p Mobile SIM card.
On an iPhone, you can do this through Settings > Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options > Mobile Data Network. Meanwhile, on Android, you can do this through Settings > Wireless & networks > More > Mobile networks > Access point names.
You’ll need to input the following settings to access the internet on 1pMobile:
- Name: 1pMobile
- APN: data.uk
- User: user
- Password: one2one
- Type: CHAP
For more information, see the help documentation on the 1pMobile website. Alternatively, if you’re using a 1p Mobile SIM card in a handset that’s locked to EE, you may need to use alternative APN settings that are detailed on the 1pMobile website.
International Roaming
On 1pMobile, you can use your mobile phone abroad through international roaming. To do this, you’ll need to enable both the “international calling” and “international roaming” features within your 1pMobile account. This can be done by logging in to the 1pMobile website and enabling both of these options in the “Network settings” section.
If you’re travelling within Europe, you’ll benefit from roam-like-at-home. This means you’ll continue to pay your normal UK rates whilst travelling in Europe. You can also use your Data Boost allowance when you’re travelling in Europe (up to a maximum of 14GB per month).
If you’re travelling outside Europe, additional roaming fees will apply. These fees will be higher than your normal UK rates. For instance, if you’re travelling to the USA, you’ll pay 9p/minute, 9p/text and 2p/MB. It isn’t possible to use your Boost allowances outside Europe.
Keeping Your Phone Number
If you’re moving from another mobile network to 1p Mobile, it’s a straightforward process keeping your current phone number.
To do so, start by asking your current mobile network to provide you with a PAC Code. You can get one from your mobile network’s website or app, or by texting PAC to 65075.
Once you’ve gotten a PAC Code from your old network, order your new SIM card from the 1pMobile website.
After your new SIM card arrives, you can log in to your online account to submit your PAC Code to 1pMobile. Once you’ve done this, your phone number transfer should normally be processed on the next working day. You should try to use up the remaining Pay As You Go credit on your old mobile network as it can’t be transferred to 1pMobile.
For a step-by-step guide on moving your phone number to 1p Mobile, please select your current mobile network from the drop-down menu below:
About 1p Mobile
1p Mobile has been available in the UK since September 2016. It’s offered by a company called Telecommunications Management Limited (TML), which has operated in the UK since 1998. TML is part of the FTSE 250-listed Telecom Plus PLC and is the sister company of UW (also known as the Utility Warehouse).
According to the Telecom Plus PLC group financial report (November 2023), the group has 420,000 mobile network customers. However, it isn’t clear how these customers are split up across the 1p Mobile and Utility Warehouse brands.
In our opinion, it’s a positive that 1p Mobile is part of one of the UK’s largest public companies. In addition, the network is now firmly established, having been in operation for more than eight years. On the other hand, their recent introduction of a minimum spend requirement (February 2024) dilutes one of the key selling points that helped them to grow and acquire their customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
| How much will I pay to use 1p Mobile? | You’ll pay 1p/minute, 1p/text and 1p/MB on 1p Mobile. There are no regular monthly fees. However, there’s a minimum spend requirement of £10 every 60 days. A full list of Pay As You Go rates can be found on the 1p Mobile website. |
|---|---|
| Does 1p Mobile have any voucher codes available? | Yes. You can get a 4GB Data Boost for free when you order your 1p Mobile SIM card through this link and use the VAKTT4GB voucher code at checkout. |
| Does the Pay As You Go credit on 1p Mobile expire? | Your Pay As You Go credit won’t expire, providing you spend at least £10 of credit every 60 days.
If you spend less than £10 in a given 60-day period, the shortfall will be deducted from your credit. For instance, if you’ve spent £8 over 60 days, the remaining £2 of credit will be expired from your account. |
| What network does 1pMobile use for coverage? | 1p Mobile piggybacks on the EE network for coverage. This means you’ll get 99% population coverage on EE’s 4G network. You can also get 5G coverage in selected areas with a 5G-ready phone. Enter your postcode on the 1p Mobile website to check the coverage available in your area. |
| Can I keep my existing phone number? | Yes. It’s a straightforward process to keep your phone number when moving to 1p Mobile. Simply ask your existing mobile network to provide you with a PAC Code. You can get this through your mobile network’s website or app, or by texting PAC to 65075. Give the PAC Code to 1p Mobile once you’ve activated your SIM card. |
| Who owns 1p Mobile? | 1p Mobile is owned by Telecommunications Management Limited. It’s part of the FTSE 250-listed Telecom Plus PLC and is also the sister company to Utility Warehouse. |
More Information
For more information about 1p Mobile, please see their official website.
Mike said:
1p mobile was the last classic payg system. Now with this update at £5 per month for 500 mins, texts or gb or any combination that seems poor value considering the other £5 per month sim only deals offering so much more for a fiver a month. Time marchs on along with inflation.
Ken said:
Hi all,
Just a quick note to let you know that 1pMobile have updated their terms so that you’ll now need to use at least £10 of credit every 60 days. This was previously just £10 every 90 days. I’ve updated the article above to reflect.
Ken
Paul Janicki said:
Just seen this unlimited bundle (500GB personal usage FUP) option on the website: https://www.1pmobile.com/siminfo?simtype=SBUNLIMITED