You can get a UK Pay As You Go eSIM from Lycamobile and Uki Mobile. Compare Pay As You Go eSIMs for the UK.
In the UK, it’s currently possible to get a Pay As You Go eSIM from Lycamobile and Uki Mobile. These Pay As You Go eSIMs will allow you to get connected to the mobile network without the need for a physical SIM card inside your phone. You can also use it to activate dual-SIM functionality on your iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel smartphone.
In this article, we’ll look at the availability of Pay As You Go eSIMs in the UK, including the providers available and the best Pay As You Go eSIM deals. We’ll also look at how you can use a Pay As You Go eSIM inside your mobile phone.
Pay As You Go eSIMs: | From £1/month |
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Pay As You Go eSIM Providers UK: |
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Compatible Devices: |
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Best Pay As You Go eSIM
In the UK, it’s now possible to get an eSIM on Pay As You Go, with no need to sign a contract and with no need for a credit check.
Having an eSIM will allow you to access the dual-SIM functionality on newer iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel smartphones. For instance, you might be able to have two phone numbers at the same time on your device (e.g. both your work number and your personal number). An eSIM can also improve your mobile coverage by giving you access to another network, as well as giving you an extra allowance of mobile data.
At present, Lycamobile is our recommended network if you’re looking for a Pay As You Go eSIM plan in the UK:
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Lycamobile
As a special offer for March 2023, you can get Lycamobile’s Saver Plan for just £1 per month on an eSIM. This comes with 1,000 UK minutes and 6GB of data per month. The eSIM will give you 4G and 5G coverage on the O2 network, along with roaming at no extra cost in the EU (1GB per month). For customers who are looking for a little more data, Lycamobile also offers a 20GB eSIM for £10 and a 50GB eSIM for £15. For heavy data users, there’s also a 100GB eSIM for £20 and an unlimited data eSIM for £25. All of these plans work on a Pay As You Go basis so you can easily pause, change or cancel your plan at any time. |
If you’re a UK resident and are happy to sign up on a contract, you can also consider getting an eSIM plan on contract from EE, O2 or Vodafone.
UK Pay As You Go eSIM Providers
In the following section, we’ll look at the UK’s Pay As You Go eSIM providers in more detail.
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LycamobileIn the UK, Lycamobile offers a Pay As You Go eSIM from only £1/month with no contract and no credit check required. It’s a fully-featured mobile service so you can use it for both calls & mobile data. You’ll also get a UK phone number, along with 4G & 5G coverage on the O2 network. To get a Lycamobile eSIM, you can choose your plan and order through this page. Make sure to sign up as a new Lycamobile customer and choose the ‘eSIM’ option at checkout. Once your order has been placed, the eSIM will be sent to you straight away via email. ![]() All of Lycamobile’s Pay As You Go eSIM plans come with an inclusive allowance of UK minutes and mobile data. You’ll also get inclusive European roaming. Most Lycamobile plans also come with an allowance of international minutes which is handy if you’d like to call abroad to other countries. The following table shows Lycamobile’s latest Pay As You Go eSIM plans:
For more information, see the FAQs on the Lycamobile website. You can also read our in-depth Lycamobile review.
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Uki Mobile
Unlike the Lycamobile eSIM, Uki Mobile mainly pitches itself at tourists and visitors to the UK. Although there’s no reason why you wouldn’t be able to use it as a UK resident, there are two disadvantages to doing so:
Apart from that, you’ll get access to O2’s 4G network on your Uki Mobile eSIM. There’s also no contract & no credit check when you sign up for a Uki Mobile plan. The following table shows the latest Uki Mobile Pay As You Go plans:
As a special offer for readers of this website, you can save 5% on your Uki Mobile eSIM when you enter the KEN5 voucher code at checkout.
For more information, read our Uki Mobile review. |
Other Mobile Networks
Unfortunately, other UK Pay As You Go networks are still yet to offer eSIM on their Pay As You Go plans. This includes giffgaff who have said they’re still “looking into it”, and other mobile networks such as Lebara, SMARTY and VOXI who are yet to make an announcement.
If you’re looking for an eSIM plan from another provider, you can also consider Pay Monthly eSIMs from Vodafone, EE and O2. For more information, see our guide to eSIM on UK mobile networks and our comparison of the UK’s best eSIM plans. You’ll need to sign up for a Pay Monthly contract to get these other eSIM deals.
More Information
For more information, see our guide to eSIMs in the UK. You can also see our list of eSIM ready phones and the best eSIM deals.
Michael said:
Surprised you haven’t mentioned KeepGo. $3 a year for a UK roaming, data only eSIM. It was someone else commenting on them in the comments on this very website that first piqued my interest!