Vodafone Basics SIMs: Get 6GB For £7, 30GB For £8 & 50GB Data For £10

With Vodafone Basics, you can get 6GB data for £7, 30GB data for £8, or 50GB data for £10. These budget-friendly plans give you 99% coverage on Vodafone’s 4G network.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly SIM-only plan from a big name mobile network, Vodafone now offers a range of discounted ‘Basics’ plans.

Available exclusively through a hidden page on their website, Vodafone Basics is designed to offer “simple plans for everyday use”. You’ll get access to Vodafone’s 4G network with 99% population coverage, as well as exclusive customer offers through VeryMe Rewards. There’s also a shorter 12-month contract, which gives you more flexibility compared to the standard 24-month contract.

The main limitation that’s worth being aware of is the fact that you won’t get access to 5G. In addition, there’s no ability to make international or premium-rate phone calls on a Vodafone Basics plan.

Get Vodafone Basics SIM card →

At present, it’s possible to get a Vodafone Basics plan from £7/month. This comes with unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts, and an allowance of UK data (up to 50GB per month). At present, you can get 6GB data for £7, 30GB data for £8, or 50GB data for £10.

In this article, we’ll review the Vodafone Basics SIM-only plans. We’ll start by looking at the plans available, along with the features included and the key limitations to be aware of. We’ll also look at the coverage available and how you can keep your current phone number on the plan.

Prices From:	£7 per month Increases annually on 1 April by £1.00
Contract Length:	12-month contract
Benefits:	SIM-only plans from just £7pm, with a shorter 12-month contract. Access to 99% population coverage on Vodafone’s 4G network. Unlimited UK minutes & up to 50GB data (enough for most users). Access to offers, discounts & weekly freebies through VeryMe Rewards.
Drawbacks:	You won’t have access to 5G or international calling. No unlimited data options (not suitable for very heavy data users).
Coverage:	4G coverage from Vodafone (check postcode)

Vodafone Basics Plans

In the UK, Vodafone Basics is a range of lower-cost SIM-only plans from Vodafone. They’re available from just £7 per month on a 12-month contract (compared to the starting price of £21 per month on Vodafone Red plans).

The following plans are currently available within the Vodafone Basics range:

Network	Data	Monthly Cost (will rise each April by £1)
Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	6GB data	£7.00 per month 12 month contract	See deal
Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	30GB data	£8.00 per month 12 month contract	See deal
Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	50GB data	£10.00 per month 12 month contract	See deal

What Do You Get?

• Vodafone’s fastest available 4G speeds. You’ll get access to the fastest available download speeds on Vodafone’s 4G network, without any speed limits or slowdowns. According to Vodafone, that’s an average speed of 23-35Mbps. It’s enough for pretty much anything you’d like to do on your phone (including the streaming of ultra HD video).
  
• 99% UK population coverage. You’ll get the exact same 4G coverage as customers on Vodafone’s other plans. You’ll also get Wi-Fi Calling and 4G Calling included on these plans.
• Up to 50GB data per month. In our opinion, that should be more than enough for the vast majority of users. According to Ofcom (2023), the average UK mobile user consumes about 8GB data per month. Therefore, only very heavy users are likely to need more than 50GB data per month.
• Unlimited UK minutes & texts. All of the Vodafone Basics plans come with unlimited UK minutes and unlimited UK texts. This makes it perfect for staying in touch, and for use as a landline replacement.
• ‘VeryMe’ Rewards’ offers and freebies. With Vodafone Basics, you’ll get access to VeryMe Rewards. This is the exclusive customer loyalty programme from Vodafone, giving you exclusive offers, discounts and freebies each week. Some of the highlights include their #FeelGoodFriday giveaways (such as a free coffee or supermarket voucher), as well as the discounts from the Gourmet Society, Coffee Club and Kids Pass.

What’s Excluded?

• You won’t get 5G coverage on Basics. With Vodafone Basics, you’re restricted to 4G coverage (with an average download speed of 23-35Mbps). In contrast, Vodafone Red plans will also give you access to 5G, with download speeds that are around five times faster. Although it’s a nice to have, we don’t think it’s a necessity at the moment as you can already do everything you’d want to do on a regular 4G connection. The only time you’ll really notice a difference is when you’re downloading large files (e.g. new apps and games), which will be a little faster on 5G.
• Some additional paid-for services are barred. This includes international calling, MMS picture messages, premium-rate phone calls, and premium-rate SMS text messages. However, you’ll still be able to share photos and videos through instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. You’ll also be able to use iMessage and FaceTime as normal.
• International roaming will cost extra. There’s a daily fee for using your mobile phone abroad. This fee depends on where you’re travelling to, but it’s normally £2.42 per day in Europe and £7.39 per day in most other countries.
• It’s online-only and is just for new Vodafone customers. To get Vodafone Basics, you’ll need to sign up through a special page on their website. It isn’t possible to sign up in store or by telephone. You’ll also need to be new to Vodafone Pay Monthly. It isn’t possible to transfer from another Vodafone Pay Monthly plan to Vodafone Basics.

Network & Coverage

4G Coverage from Vodafone

When you’re using a Vodafone Basics plan, you’ll have access to 99% population coverage on Vodafone’s 4G network. This is the same 4G coverage that you’ll get on Vodafone’s other mobile plans, complete with 4G Calling (VoLTE) and their fastest available download speeds on 4G.

Before you sign up for a Vodafone Basics plan, it’s worth double-checking the coverage in your area. You can do this by entering your postcode on Vodafone’s online coverage map:

Check Vodafone Coverage (vodafone.co.uk) →

Unfortunately, 5G coverage isn’t available on Vodafone Basics. This means you’ll miss out on the faster download speeds that would typically be available on 5G (approx 100-150Mbps). Having said that, the typical download speeds of Vodafone’s 4G network (23-35Mbps) should already be fast enough for almost anything you’d like to do on your phone, so it isn’t a major omission.

International Roaming

As long as your Vodafone Basics plan was taken on or after the 22nd July 2022, you’ll be able to use it abroad through international roaming.

The cost of international roaming depends on the country you’re travelling to:

• In Europe: You’ll pay £2.42 per day to use your phone in most European countries. Alternatively, there are passes available that will bring the total price down (e.g. to £12 for 8 days of European roaming, or to £17 for 15 days of European roaming).
• Outside Europe: Usage outside Europe will typically be much more expensive (£7.39 per day in most countries).

You can check the costs of international roaming on the Vodafone website.

Tethering & Personal Hotspot

Tethering or personal hotspot refers to the process of sharing your smartphone’s internet connection with another device (e.g. with your laptop or tablet). It’s often used as a convenient way to get your other devices connected to the internet through a mobile broadband connection.

On Vodafone Basics, you can tether and share your mobile data allowance with other devices. Any data that’s used will simply count towards your download limit in the normal way.

Keeping Your Phone Number

If you’re switching from another mobile network onto a Vodafone Basics plan, it’s a straightforward process to bring your phone number with you.

Start by asking your current mobile network to give you a PAC Code. You can get one through your mobile network’s website or app, or by texting PAC to 65075.

Once you’ve gotten a PAC Code from your current network, order your Basics SIM card from the Vodafone website. You’ll then be able to provide your PAC Code to Vodafone, either during the sign up process, or afterwards through this online form. After providing the PAC Code to Vodafone, your phone number transfer will normally take place on the next working day.

For a step-by-step guide on transferring your phone number to Vodafone, please select your current mobile network from the drop-down menu below:

More Information

For more information about Vodafone Basics, please see the official Vodafone website.