Get a free SIM card for your mobile phone: Pay As You Go offerings compared from 20 UK networks.
Whether you’re a smartphone fanatic or someone who only uses their phone on an occasional basis, there are some great deals to be had when you order a free Pay As You Go SIM card in the UK.
The best Pay As You Go SIM cards offer super-low rates that can even rival Pay Monthly SIM cards in terms of value for money. To take advantage of the best offers currently available, simply order a free SIM card below and slot it inside your mobile phone. There are no credit checks required or upfront fees to pay. There’s also no need to set up a direct debit: simply top-up your SIM card when you need credit to pay for your airtime.
In the table below, we’ve reviewed free SIM card offers from 20 of the UK’s most popular Pay As You Go networks. We’ve included mainstream providers as well as low-cost alternatives and specialist Pay As You Go mobile networks for calling another country. We’ve also compared the cost of each network to help you get the best value for money.
- Changing mobile network? If you’re keeping the same phone but changing to another network, it might be necessary to first unlock your handset. See our guides to unlocking an iPhone and unlocking a Samsung Galaxy handset.
- Coverage is identical on many mobile networks. Many networks share the same coverage provider: you’ll get identical levels of coverage when using any of these networks. To give an example, VOXI uses coverage from Vodafone and giffgaff uses coverage from O2.
- Keeping your mobile number. If you’re changing mobile networks, it’s super easy to keep your current phone number. Once you’ve ordered your new SIM card, get a PAC Code from your current network, either online or by text message. You can then pass this PAC Code on to your new mobile network and your phone number will be moved over on the next working day. For more information, see our guide to transferring your mobile phone number.
Best Pay As You Go SIM Card Offers
At present, VOXI is our top pick amongst the UK’s Pay As You Go offerings. They offer flexible one-month bundles with 99% 4G coverage from the Vodafone network.
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VOXI by Vodafone 9% of our readers choose to join VOXI*
Until the 19th February, customers signing up to VOXI can get 8GB of data and endless social data for £10/month. Heavy data users can get 20GB of data for £15/month, 45GB of data for £20/month or unlimited data for £30/month. Customers buying a 30-day bundle from VOXI will also receive unlimited calls, unlimited texts and “endless social data”. This allows you to access Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Viber and Facebook Messenger without using your normal data allowance. Most VOXI customers decide to convert their credit into a one-month bundle. However, if you decide not to do this, you can use VOXI at 30p/minute and 14p/text. Access to mobile data will require you to buy a bundle from £10/month. |
VOXI is Vodafone’s low-cost Other popular choices amongst readers of our website include giffgaff and 1pMobile. Both of them offer low Pay As You Go rates (giffgaff with their one-month goodybags and 1pMobile with their low Pay As You Go rates):
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giffgaff 4% of our readers choose to join giffgaff*
Most giffgaff members choose to buy a goodybag bundle. On giffgaff’s £10/month goodybag, you’ll get 6GB of data along with unlimited minutes and unlimited texts. Your goodybag allowances can be used in both the UK and Europe. For lighter users, giffgaff’s £8 goodybag can give you even bigger savings (you’ll get 500 minutes, unlimited texts and 2GB of data for £8/month). Alternatively, if you’d like a larger data allowance, you can get 15GB of data for £15/month or 40GB of data for £20/month. Always On data is available for £25/month (giving you unlimited downloads with the first 40GB per month at full 4G speeds). On giffgaff, you’ll get free calls and texts to other giffgaff members (to qualify, you just need to top-up your phone at least once every 3 months). giffgaff also offers discounted rates for international calling. |
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1pMobile 6% of our readers choose to join 1pMobile*
A unique requirement of 1pMobile is you’ll need to top-up your phone with at least £10 of credit every 120 days. This is equivalent to £30 of credit per year. If no top-ups are added to your account for more than 120 days, it’ll be closed automatically and your phone number will be lost. Because of this, we’d only recommend choosing 1pMobile if your typical monthly spend will exceed £2.50/month (otherwise, a non-refundable balance will build up over time on your account). |
If you’d like the lowest possible Pay As You Go rates, Other major Pay As You Go providers include:
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EE 4% of our readers choose to join EE*
For light users not buying a pack, calls will cost 35p/minute and texts will cost 15p each. Access to 3G & 4G internet is only available when you buy a Pay As You Go pack. The cheapest available pack is the £5 Everything Pack which gives you 100 minutes, 250 texts and 150MB of data. For more information, please read our full review of EE Pay As You Go. |
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O2 6% of our readers choose to join O2*
At the time of writing, you can get £10 of extra credit on O2 when you top-up your SIM card and buy a £10, £15, £20 or £30 Big Bundle within 28 days of ordering it. Simply text FREE10 to 21500 once you’ve received and topped up your SIM card. You’ll also get access to discounts and offers through O2 Priority. For more information, read our full review of the Big Bundles SIM card. O2 also offers some UK & International Bundles for customers wanting an allowance of international minutes. Tip: If you’re a regular mobile user, giffgaff offers much more data for a lower monthly price. For £10/month, you’ll get 6GB of data on giffgaff (versus just 3GB on O2). giffgaff is owned by O2 and uses the O2 network for coverage. Find out more about giffgaff. |
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Three 4% of our readers choose to join Three*
Regular users can save money by buying a 30-day bundle. Bundles start from £10/month for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 4GB of data. The allowances in your bundle can be used abroad in 71 Go Roam destinations including most of Europe, the USA, Australia and more. You can also earn Pay As You Go Rewards when buying a bundle from Three. Importantly, it isn’t possible to use a 2G-only handset on Three. This is because Three doesn’t provide any 2G coverage. Your handset will need to support at least 3G coverage to work on the Three network. |
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Vodafone 3% of our readers choose to join Vodafone*
For regular mobile users, it’s possible to buy a 30-day Big Value Bundle (e.g. 250 minutes, unlimited texts and 3GB of data for £10/month). You can rollover unused allowances when you automatically renew your bundle. For occasional mobile users, Vodafone offers the Pay As You Go 1 tariff. On Pay As You Go 1, you’ll be charged 20p/minute, 20p/text and 20p per 5MB of data (capped at £1/day for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and up to 500MB of data). Order Vodafone SIM card (Free) → Tip: VOXI is Vodafone’s low cost sub-brand, offering much more data for the same price. You can get unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 8GB of data and endless social data for £10/month. Find out more about VOXI. |
EE offers 250 minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of data on their 
On 
Three is one of the UK’s cheapest mainstream mobile networks for traditional Pay As You Go usage. They charge just 3p/minute, 2p/text and 1p/MB: the lowest rates in the UK after 1pMobile.
Vodafone offers a choice of two different tariffs on Pay As You Go.The following virtual network operators also provide a Pay As You Go service:
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1pMobile 6% of our readers choose to join 1pMobile*
On 1pMobile, you’ll pay just 1p/minute, 1p/text and 1p/MB for your usage. You’ll get 3G and 4G coverage from the EE network on your SIM. At present, 1pMobile has the lowest Pay As You Go rates of any mobile network in the UK. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that they require you to top-up by at least £10 every 120 days (equivalent to £30 per year). If you don’t top-up by at least £10 every 120 days, your account will be closed and your phone number will be lost. For this reason, 1pMobile may not be suitable for very light users wanting a SIM card mainly for use in emergencies. |
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ASDA Mobile 58% of our readers choose to join ASDA Mobile*
For light users, ASDA Mobile charges 8p/minute and 4p/text. There are no regular monthly charges and your Pay As You Go credit won’t expire (you just need to use your phone at least once every 180 days to keep it active). The minimum top-up amount on ASDA Mobile is just £1 each time. For regular users, ASDA Mobile has a competitive range of 30-day bundles. For instance, you can get 600 minutes, unlimited texts and 4GB of data for £10/month. Alternatively, there’s 2GB for £7/month and 8GB for £15/month. To take advantage of the offer, you should order a free SIM card from the ASDA Mobile website. |
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CMLink 0.7% of our readers choose to join CMLink*
CMLink is a Pay As You Go provider designed for customers who have a connection to China. Customers can buy a bundle from £5/month, with 1000 minutes being included for calling Mainland China and Hong Kong. Customers on CMLink can also roam at no additional charge when travelling to Mainland China and Hong Kong. In the UK, customers on CMLink will get 3G and 4G coverage from EE. |
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giffgaff 4% of our readers choose to join giffgaff*
giffgaff is a low-cost mobile service running on the O2 network. They currently offer 6GB of data along with unlimited minutes and unlimited texts on their £10/month goodybag. Heavy data users can get 15GB of data for £15/month and 40GB of data for £20/month. For more information, see the giffgaff website. |
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iD Mobile 1% of our readers choose to join iD Mobile*
iD Mobile is the own-brand mobile network from the Carphone Warehouse. Having launched in December 2016, the iD Mobile Pay As You Go service uses coverage from Three. Customers on iD Mobile Pay As You Go will pay 3p/minute, 2p/text and 1p/MB. Alternatively, customers can convert their credit into a one-month bundle such as 500 minutes, unlimited texts and 4GB of data for £10/month. It isn’t possible to use a 2G-only handset on iD Mobile (as with Three, iD Mobile doesn’t have any 2G coverage). |
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Lebara Mobile 0.6% of our readers choose to join Lebara Mobile*
Lebara Mobile is a specialist provider of international calling. You can buy a 30-day bundle from £10/month with inclusive international calling (e.g. 100 international minutes, unlimited UK minutes and 4GB of UK data). Alternatively, light users can use traditional Pay As You Go to call abroad from 1p/minute. Lebara Mobile offers 2G, 3G and 4G coverage from Vodafone. For more information, please read our full review of Lebara Mobile. |
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Lycamobile 1% of our readers choose to join Lycamobile*
Lycamobile is another specialist provider of international calling. They offer international calls from 1p/minute and international text messages for 19p each. Domestic calls to a UK mobile are charged at 19p/minute and texts to a UK mobile are charged at 19p each. You can read our full review of Lycamobile here. |
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Orange
As of February 2015, it’s no longer possible to order a SIM card from Orange. Customers are instead advised to join EE Pay As You Go. EE has 4G connectivity and allows you to browse the internet from £1/week. Alternatively, ASDA Mobile gives you coverage from EE but at a much lower cost (8p/minute, 4p/text and 5p/MB). In July 2018, customers remaining on the Orange Pay As You Go service were migrated to EE. |
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The Phone Co-op 0.8% of our readers choose to join The Phone Co-op*
The Phone Co-op (previously known as the Co-Operative Mobile) charges 8p/minute, 4p/text and 10p/MB when you’re browsing the internet (this works out to be around £1/day if you’re using 10MB of data). For regular users, it’s possible to buy an all-inclusive bundle from £10/month. The most popular bundle from Co-op costs £10/month and gives you 500 minutes, 1000 texts and 1GB of 3G internet. In June 2018, The Phone Co-op became a part of The Midcounties Co-operative. Since the merger, you’ll earn 12 points for every £1 you spend on the network, which is equivalent to 5% back on your spend. |
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RWG Mobile 0.5% of our readers choose to join RWG Mobile*
RWG Mobile advertises itself as “the mobile network for Wales”. It uses coverage from the EE mobile network, and offers bilingual customer support in both English and Welsh. |
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Tesco Mobile 1% of our readers choose to join Tesco Mobile*
For regular mobile users, it’s possible to buy a Rocket Pack bundle from £5/month. The most popular Rocket Pack costs £10/month and gives you 500 minutes, 5000 texts and 3GB of 4G internet. For lighter users not purchasing a Rocket Pack, Tesco Mobile has the Triple Credit tariff. Here, you’ll pay 25p/minute, 10p/text and 10p/MB. When you top-up your phone with £10, you’ll also get £20 of bonus free credit which will last for one month. For more information, please read our full review of Tesco Mobile Pay As You Go. |
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T-Mobile
As of February 2015, it’s no longer possible to order a T-Mobile SIM card. Customers wanting to join T-Mobile are instead advised to join EE. EE has 4G connectivity and offers Everything Pack bundles that are very similar to the Smart Packs previously offered by T-Mobile. Alternatively, ASDA Mobile offers 4G coverage from EE with better value monthly bundles from £5/month. Customers already on T-Mobile can stay on their existing plan for as long as they like. |
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Vectone Mobile 0.4% of our readers choose to join Vectone Mobile*
Vectone Mobile is a specialist provider of international calling. See our international calls price comparison table to see how Vectone Mobile compares to rival networks. |
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Virgin Mobile
As of August 2019, Virgin Mobile is no longer available to new Pay As You Go customers. Previously, it was possible to buy a JAM Pack bundle from £10/month on Virgin. However, these bundles weren’t very competitive and they were restricted to 3G download speeds on the EE network. If you’re looking for an alternative mobile network that also uses EE coverage, we’d recommend getting an ASDA Mobile SIM card. They offer 4GB of data for £10/month (twice what was previously available on Virgin Mobile’s JAM Packs) along with 4G coverage from EE network. Virgin Mobile still continues to offer Pay Monthly SIM cards. |
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VOXI 9% of our readers choose to join VOXI*
VOXI is Vodafone’s low-cost Pay As You Go network. Customers can buy a one-month bundle from £10 with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 8GB of data and endless social data included. For more information, read our full review of the VOXI network. |
ASDA Mobile offers a free Pay As You Go SIM card with 
Tesco Mobile offers a choice of two Pay As You Go tariffs: there’s For more information about any of the tariffs listed on this page, please click through to the mobile network’s website. Our recommended deal is currently to order a free SIM card from VOXI.
If you’re asked to specify the size of SIM card required in your phone (e.g. Standard SIM, Micro SIM or Nano SIM), please see our guide to smartphone SIM card sizes.
The “£10 top-up buys” calculation is based on a user who tops up by £10 every month. If you top up less regularly than once every month, your allowances may run out before the next top-up.
* Statistics on mobile network chosen by readers of this article. Based on the number of Free SIM click-throughs from the 23rd June 2019 to 22nd September 2019.
** Mobile internet charges. For networks that charge on a per-megabyte basis, we have given the average daily data cost for a smartphone user consuming 10MB of data. If you’d like to create a custom comparison using a different estimate, you can enter your own estimated data figure on our interactive Pay As You Go price comparison table.
Dale Fairbairn said:
Can you recommend which sim would be best for tablet use on holidays in Turkey, data and text usage are main priority not calls.
Ken replied:
Hi Dale,
Thanks for your comment. I’d probably go with a SIM card from VOXI. Turkey is part of their “Europe Zone” so you’ll be able to use your UK allowances whilst you’re there at no extra charge.
Hope this helps,
Ken
john said:
I am leaving virgin PAYG as the tariff is increasing to £2 per call / text.
HELP ME !! (and others) I am a light user on the mobile phone, which is the best provider to move to. Consider price for calls / texts, how many days of inactivity, and must you keep topping up in a set period of time. Another thing I will miss from virgin mobile is free voicemail, are there any mobile providers that provide free voicemail.
Ken replied:
Hi John,
Thanks for your comment. I’ve prepared a guide here to the best value Pay As You Go SIM card for light users. Does that help to answer your questions, or do you have any other additional questions or things we can help to clarify?
Thanks,
Ken
Kim said:
Hi,
Most providers on pay-as-you go [T & C] says one must top up every 30-120 days regardless of whether the phone is active or not. The existing top-up must be used up- no provision whereby you only top up when your credit is low.. If you don`t automatically top up, your line will be de-activated and you will loose any credit on your card. There is no refund.
The only exception is 3.co.uk. You top up when your credit is. No 30-120 days cut-off point.
Can you tell me of “any other providers” which operates like 3.co.uk and also offers real savings on overseas calls. Thank you.
Ken replied:
Hi Kim,
Thanks for your comment. The information in your comment is actually incorrect. On most mobile networks, as long as you don’t buy a Pay As You Go bundle, your Pay As You Go credit will last indefinitely providing your account remains active (which normally means using it at least once every 180 days). There are a couple of exceptions to this, which are detailed in my guide to Pay As You Go inactivity.
Hope this helps,
Ken
kim replied:
“We received your inquiry regarding the duration of top up.
We would like to clarify you that you need to top up your account at least once in every 120 days. When you do not top up at least once every 120 days your Vectone Mobile SIM will be disconnected from the Network automatically.”
There are a few other companies with the same T & C. Light users-please beware. Are Lebara, Lyca, Vectone own by the same people/company?
Ken replied:
Hi Kim,
Sadly, lots of the ethnic operators (Delight, Lycamobile, Lebara & Vectone) implement a top-up expiry. They’re run by different companies (except Delight and Vectone are which both part of the same company), but they have similar policies. If you follow the guide here, however, you can choose a mobile network where your top-up doesn’t expire.
Hope this helps,
Ken