giffgaff SIM Only Plans: Flexible Deals With O2 Coverage

giffgaff offers a range of flexible SIM-only plans. Find out about their Pay As You Go plans, monthly rolling, and SIM-only contracts.

In the UK, giffgaff now offers a range of SIM-only and mobile phone deals, with the flexibility to change your plan from month to month. You’ll get 4G & 5G coverage from O2, along with inclusive EU roaming (up to 5GB per month in the EU).

At present, giffgaff’s best value plans include 25GB data for £10 and 40GB data for £15 when you take an 18-month contract. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a one-month rolling plan without the long-term commitment, you can get 20GB data for £10. It’s also possible to use giffgaff on a Pay As You Go basis, with no monthly fee.

In this article, we’ll review the giffgaff mobile network. We’ll start by looking at the plans available, including giffgaff’s 18-month ‘good contracts’, the one-month rolling ‘golden goodybags’ and Pay As You Go ‘goodybag’ bundles. We’ll then look at some of the features you’ll get included on giffgaff, and how you can keep your current phone number when you switch to them.

giffgaff Bundles & Plans

In the UK, giffgaff now offers three types of plan:

• 18-month contracts (also known as ‘good contracts’)
• Monthly rolling plans (previously known as ‘golden goodybags’)
• Pay As You Go bundles (previously known as ‘goodybags’)

All of them give you an element of flexibility to change your plan each month (e.g. if you want more data or less data on your plan). However, you can be rewarded with a larger allowance of data when you commit to giffgaff for longer (e.g. when you choose an 18-month plan).

The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of the three types of plan:

	18 Month Contract (Good Contracts)	Monthly Rolling Plan (Golden Goodybags)	Pay As You Go Plans (Goodybags)
Contact Length:	18 month contract	1 month rolling	No contract (Pay As You Go)
Renews automatically?	Yes	Yes	No
Switch Plans:	Within giffgaff’s 18m range	Switch to any plan	Switch to any plan
Cancelling Your Plan:	Fees apply†	Cancel any time	Cancel any time
Data Allowances
£6 per month:	-	2GB data	1GB data
£8 per month:	6GB data	5GB data	4GB data
£10 per month:	25GB data	20GB data	15GB data
£12 per month:	27GB data	26GB data	25GB data
£15 per month:	40GB data	35GB data	30GB data
£20 per month:	120GB data	100GB data	80GB data
£25 per month:	unlimited data	100GB + Always On data data	80GB + Always On data data
£35 per month:	-	unlimited data	150GB data
Minutes & Texts:	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited

^† If you cancel your 18-month contract early on giffgaff, you’ll need to pay a early termination fee which is 50% of your current plan cost, multiplied by the number of months you have remaining on your contract.

In addition, you can use giffgaff on a traditional Pay As You Go basis with no monthly fees. If you do this, you’ll pay giffgaff’s standard Pay As You Go rates which are 25p per minute, 10p per text and 10p per MB.

Regardless of which SIM-only plan you choose from giffgaff, there’s no credit check and you’ll have access to the same 4G & 5G coverage from O2. You’ll also get inclusive EU roaming (up to 5GB per month).

There’s also 1GB of extra data at no extra cost from the third month onwards when you choose a plan costing £10 per month or more (excluding unlimited data plans).

In the following section, we’ll look at each type of plan in more detail.

18 Month Contracts

Also known as ‘good contracts’, giffgaff’s new 18-month plans are the latest addition to their SIM-only offering. With these plans, you need to commit to staying on giffgaff for the next 18 months. However, you’ll still have the flexibility to change your plan over time (e.g. moving upwards or downwards within giffgaff’s 18-month range).

The following table shows giffgaff’s new 18-month contracts:

Plan	Data	Monthly Cost
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	6GB data	£8.00 per month 18 month contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	25GB data	£10.00 per month 18 month contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	27GB data	£12.00 per month 18 month contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	40GB data	£15.00 per month 18 month contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	120GB data	£20.00 per month 18 month contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	Unlimited data	£25.00 per month 18 month contract	See deal

You can switch between giffgaff’s 18-month plans at any time without resetting the term of your commitment or incurring early termination fees. However, if you’re leaving giffgaff altogether, there’ll be an early termination fee. This is 50% of your current plan cost, multiplied by the number of months you have remaining on your contract.

Monthly Rolling Plans

Also known as ‘golden goodybags’, these are one-month rolling SIM-only plans that you can change or cancel at any time without incurring a penalty. You’ll also benefit from automatic monthly payments from a saved credit card or debit card.

In terms of the deals available, you won’t always get as much data as you would on an 18-month contract. For instance, you’ll get 20GB data for £10 on a monthly rolling plan (the equivalent 18-month contract comes with 25GB data).

The following table shows giffgaff’s one-month rolling ‘golden goodybag’ plans:

Plan	Data	Monthly Cost
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	2GB data	£6.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	5GB data	£8.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	20GB data	£10.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	26GB data	£12.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	35GB data	£15.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	100GB data	£20.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	100GB data + Always On data	£25.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	Unlimited data	£35.00 per month No contract	See deal

To get a monthly rolling plan, you’ll need to have your payment card details saved inside your giffgaff account. You’ll also need to set your plan to recur automatically. It isn’t possible to manually purchase a golden goodybag from a top-up voucher or from your Pay As You Go credit.

Pay As You Go Plans

If you’re looking for even more flexibility, giffgaff offers ‘goodybag’ bundles that you can buy on a Pay As You Go basis. You can buy a regular goodybag whenever you like, using your Pay As You Go credit, a top-up voucher or a credit/debit card.

The following table shows giffgaff’s regular Pay As You Go plans:

Plan	Data	Monthly Cost
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	1GB data	£6.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	4GB data	£8.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	15GB data	£10.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	25GB data	£12.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	30GB data	£15.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	80GB data	£20.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	80GB data + Always On data	£25.00 per month No contract	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	150GB data	£35.00 per month No contract	See deal

At present, you’ll get 15GB data for £10 on a Pay As You Go plan from giffgaff. This compares to 25GB data on an 18-month contract and 20GB data on a one-month rolling plan.

Pay As You Go Rates

If you don’t have a contract or an active Pay As You Go plan, you’ll pay giffgaff’s standard Pay As You Go rates. There are no monthly fees with this option: you just pay for what you use at the rates of 25p/minute, 10p/text and 10p/MB.

If you call or text another giffgaff member, this will be free as long as you’ve added some credit or purchased a plan in the last 3 months. Your free giffgaff-to-giffgaff calls can last for up to 60 minutes per call, but it’s always possible to hang up and re-dial if you’d like to keep talking.

giffgaff’s standard Pay As You Go rates are as follows:

Calling Rates:
Voice Calls	25p/minute to other UK networks (free to giffgaff)†
International Calls	Country dependent (check destination)
Calls to Voicemail	8p/call
Messaging Rates:
Text Message (SMS)	10p to other UK networks (free to giffgaff)†
Picture Message (MMS)	30p
Internet Rates:
Mobile Data	10p/MB

† You’ll get free calls, texts and video calls to other giffgaff members providing you top up at least once every three months. Free giffgaff-to-giffgaff calls can last for up to 60 minutes (though you can hang up and re-dial after one hour).

Most mobile users will be best off choosing a plan. For instance, £6 of Pay As You Go credit would give you either 24 UK minutes or 60MB of data at the standard Pay As You Go rates. For comparison, giffgaff’s £6 golden goodybag gives you unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts and 2GB of data.

Handset Deals

If you’re looking to get a new device, giffgaff sells a range of phones from Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, Nokia and more. All of their phones are sold unlocked and come with free delivery on the next business day. There’s also the option to split up the cost of your handset and to pay for it in interest-free instalments through Klarna (at 0% APR).

If you’re looking to save some money and to live more sustainably, giffgaff also sells a range of refurbished mobile phones. On average, refurbished smartphones create 89% less e-waste than buying a brand new smartphone. giffgaff’s refurbished handsets also have a minimum 12-month warranty, along with 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

giffgaff Features

Flexible Plans

Regardless of the plan you choose, there’s the option to move it up or down as you require.

If you’re on one of giffgaff’s 18-month contracts, you can move up or down to any other plan in giffgaff’s 18-month range (e.g. to get more or less data). When you do this, it won’t reset the term of your commitment and you also won’t incur any early termination fees for changing your plan.

If you’re on one of giffgaff’s one-month rolling or Pay As You Go bundles, you can change to any other plan, whenever you like.

Small print: Pay monthly plans allow you to change plan mid-contract. See giffgaff.com/terms for more details on how to switch your plans.

No Credit Check

On all of giffgaff’s SIM-only plans, there’s no need for a credit check when you sign up. This means there’s one less thing to worry about and less hassle when you sign up for a SIM card.

If you buy a mobile phone on a 24-month payment plan with Klarna, a status and credit check will apply for this with Klarna. However, there’s no credit check required if you decide to pay for your phone in one go.

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.

Unlimited Data Plans

If you’re looking for unlimited data on giffgaff, you can currently choose from the following plans at £35 per month:

Plan	Data	Monthly Cost
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	Unlimited data	£35.00 per month 1 month rolling	See deal

Both of these plans come with access to O2’s 5G network and no speed restrictions. However, there’s a fair usage threshold of 650GB per month. In addition, giffgaff says you shouldn’t tether your phone to more than 12 devices at the same time.

If you’re looking for a lower-cost plan where there’s no need to worry about losing your data connection in the middle of the month, you can consider getting one of giffgaff’s Always On data plans instead. With these plans, you’ll get a certain amount of full-speed 5G data (between 80GB and 120GB per month). If you exceed this, you can continue using data but your download speeds will be reduced to a maximum of 384kbps between 8am and midnight.

Plan	Data	Monthly Cost
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	100GB data + Always On data	£25.00 per month 1 month rolling	See deal
O2 coverage Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	80GB data + Always On data	£25.00 per month 1 month rolling	See deal

For more information, see our full guide to unlimited data plans in the UK.

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.

Certified B Corp

giffgaff is a certified B Corp with a score of 85.8. This score is based on five main areas: how they treat their customers, colleagues, the community, the environment, and how they run their business.

According to giffgaff, they’ve generated more than £1m worth of charitable donations together with their members. In addition, all of their SIM cards are made from recycled plastic, with fully recyclable packaging. In addition, giffgaff offers a choice of refurbished mobile phones, allowing members to save money and to be more sustainable.

Keeping Your Phone Number

If you’re changing from another mobile network to giffgaff, it’s a straightforward process to keep your current phone number.

Start by ordering your new SIM card from the giffgaff website. Once you’ve done that, you can request a PAC Code from your old network. This can normally be obtained 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 transferring your phone number to giffgaff, please select your current mobile network from the drop-down menu below:

Be aware that it isn’t possible to transfer credit from your old mobile network to giffgaff. For this reason, you should try to use it up before your phone number moves over.

More Information

For more information about giffgaff’s bundles and plans, please see giffgaff’s official website.