UK Pay As You Go eSIMs: Best eSIM Plans With No Contract & No Credit Check

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.

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:

Lycamobile Get your eSIM straight away. Just choose the “eSIM” option at checkout. 6GB data & 1,000 UK minutes for £1/month: Or 20GB data & unlimited minutes for £10. 4G & 5G coverage from O2. 99% UK population coverage from the O2 network. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, Galaxy & Pixel. See all Lycamobile eSIM compatible devices. In the UK, Lycamobile is the first mobile network to offer a Pay As You Go eSIM. They have a range of eSIM-ready plans from £1 per month, with no contract and no credit check required when you get a Lycamobile eSIM. You’ll get instant online delivery of your eSIM: just choose the ‘eSIM’ option when you order your plan online. 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. Get a Lycamobile eSIM online →

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.

Lycamobile In 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: Network Minutes Texts Data Monthly Cost Saver Plan 1,000 0 6GB £1.00 UK Plan Smart 1,000 +100 intl. 1,000 3GB £5.00 National Plus Unlimited +100 intl. Unlimited 20GB £10.00 National Plan Extra Unlimited +100 intl. Unlimited 26GB £12.00 UK Plan Super Extra Unlimited +100 intl. Unlimited 50GB £15.00 UK Plan Mega Plus Unlimited +100 intl. Unlimited 100GB £20.00 UK Plan Unlimited Unlimited +100 intl. Unlimited Unlimited £25.00 UK Plan Unlimited Plus Unlimited +unltd intl. Unlimited Unlimited £30.00 For more information, see the FAQs on the Lycamobile website. You can also read our in-depth Lycamobile review. Plans From Data Plans Network £1/month 6GB to unlimited 5G coverage (powered by O2)

Uki Mobile Uki Mobile is another provider of Pay As You Go eSIMs in the UK. Available exclusively through Airalo (which calls itself the world’s first global eSIM store), the Uki Mobile plans start from US$10/month (approx £8.40 per month). 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: Uki Mobile offers a data-only eSIM. You won’t get a UK phone number included. As such, it isn’t possible to use the Uki Mobile eSIM for calling or texting. You’ll need to pay for your Uki Mobile eSIM in US dollars. As it’s a foreign currency transaction, there can be extra fees from your bank. The exchange rate and the resulting price in pounds sterling can also differ over time. 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: Network Minutes Texts Data Cost None None 1GB US$5 (~£4.20) valid for 7 days None None 3GB US$10 (~£8.50) valid for 30 days None None 5GB US$15 (~£12.70) valid for 30 days None None 10GB US$22.50 (~£19) valid for 30 days None None 20GB US$36 (~£30) valid for 30 days 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. Plans From Data Plans Network US$10/month (approx £8.50) 1GB to 20GB 4G coverage (powered by O2) Uki Mobile offers a data-only eSIM: you can’t use Uki Mobile for phone calls or text messages. 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.