Vodafone Basics SIM-only plans offer unlimited UK minutes & a 4G data allowance from £7/month.

In the UK, Vodafone now offers a range of basic SIM-only plans that are a cheaper alternative to their Vodafone Red and Vodafone Unlimited plans.

The Vodafone Basics plans promise to “include only the things you use everyday”. You’ll get their fastest-available 4G speeds in the UK, but you won’t get 5G coverage, picture messages or the ability to make international or premium-rate calls.

The Vodafone Basics SIM cards are an online-only exclusive for customers who are new to Vodafone. You can purchase the plans through a special page on Vodafone’s website.

Get Vodafone Basics SIM card →

At present, it’s possible to get a Vodafone Basics plan from only £7/month. This comes with unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts and an allowance of UK data. For instance, you’ll currently get 6GB data for £7, 30GB data for £8 and 50GB data for £10.

In this article, we’ll review the Vodafone Basics SIM-only plans in more detail. We’ll start by looking at the plans available, along with the features included and how it compares to other SIM-only plans. We’ll then compare the price against rival SIM cards from other mobile networks before looking at the coverage you can expect and how to keep your current phone number.

£7 Basics SIM: 6GB data
£8 Basics SIM: 30GB data
£10 Basics SIM: 50GB data
Calls & Texts: Unlimited minutes & texts
Coverage: 99% coverage on 2G, 3G & 4G
(enter postcode to check coverage)

About Vodafone Basics

SIM Only Plans

In the UK, Vodafone Basics is a new range of lower-cost SIM-only plans.

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

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly Cost
(may rise during contract)
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimited6GB£7.00
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimited30GB£8.00
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimited50GB£10.00

See all Vodafone Basics deals →

All of the plans come on a 12-month contract and you’ll need to undergo a credit check as part of the application process. You’ll also need to set up a monthly Direct Debit from your bank account to pay for your Vodafone Basics plan.

Limitations

According to Vodafone, their Basics SIM-only plans are designed to be “simple plans for everyday UK use”. They come without “some of the features that can make your plan more expensive”.

It’s worth being aware of the following limitations before you sign up for a Basics plan:

  • You’ll get the fastest available 4G download speeds. On Vodafone Basics, you’re limited to the fastest available 4G download speeds in your area. It isn’t possible to access 5G coverage. If you’re looking for access to 5G, this is only available when you get a Vodafone Unlimited or Vodafone Red plan.
  • Many additional paid-for services are barred. This includes international calling, MMS picture messages, premium-rate phone calls and premium-rate SMS text messages. You’ll still be able to share photos and videos through instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. You can also continue to use iMessage and FaceTime as normal.
  • Wi-Fi Calling and 4G Calling are not available on Basics. Vodafone does not offer Wi-Fi Calling or 4G Calling to customers with a Basics price plan.
  • Basics plans are only available to new Vodafone customers. In order to get a Vodafone Basics plan, you can’t be an existing Vodafone Pay Monthly customer. You’re still eligible to sign up if you’re a Vodafone Pay As You Go customer or if you’re a customer of another mobile network that uses coverage from Vodafone.
  • You can only sign up online. The Vodafone Basics plans are only available to customers who sign up online through a special page on Vodafone’s website. It isn’t possible to sign up in store or by telephone.

View Vodafone Basics Price Plans →

As a Vodafone Basics customer, you’ll have access to VeryMe Rewards as normal.

Comparison to Alternatives

£7 per month plans

For £7/month, Vodafone is offering a Basics plan with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 6GB of data.

Around this price point, there are several other mobile networks also offering competitive SIM-only deals:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly Cost
(may rise during contract)
SmartyUnlimitedUnlimited5GB£5.00
1 month
TalkmobileUnlimitedUnlimited6GB£5.95
12 months
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimited8GB£7.00
12 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimited6GB£7.00
12 months

£8 per month plans

Vodafone is currently offering a Basics plan with 30GB of data for £8 per month. You’ll also get unlimited minutes and unlimited texts included in your plan.

The following table shows some alternatives to Vodafone’s £8 Basics plan:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly Cost
(may rise during contract)
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimited25GB£8.00
12 months
giffgaffUnlimitedUnlimited25GB£10.00
18 months

£10 per month plans

For £10/month, Vodafone is offering a “Big data” Basics price plan with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 50GB of data.

Several other mobile networks also offer unlimited minutes and a comparable amount of data for £10 per month.

The following table shows some alternatives to Vodafone’s £10 Basics plan:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly Cost
(may rise during contract)
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimited30GB£8.00
12 months
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimited30GB£8.00
12 months
iD MobileUnlimitedUnlimited30GB£8.00
24 months
TalkmobileUnlimitedUnlimited60GB£9.95
12 months
SmartyUnlimitedUnlimited60GB£10.00
1 month
VOXIUnlimitedUnlimited60GB£12.00
1 month
Sky MobileUnlimitedUnlimited30GB£12.00
12 months

For a full comparison of SIM-only deals available in the UK, please see our full comparison of Pay Monthly SIM cards.

Network & Coverage

2G, 3G & 4G UK Coverage

Customers with a Vodafone Basics plan can access 99% population coverage on Vodafone’s 2G, 3G and 4G networks in the UK.

Before signing up for a Vodafone Basics plan, we’d strongly recommend 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, it isn’t possible to access 5G coverage, Wi-Fi Calling or 4G Calling on a Vodafone Basics plan. You should therefore choose another SIM-only plan if you want access to these features on Vodafone.

For more information about mobile phone coverage in the UK, please see our guide to UK mobile network coverage. You can also read our in-depth guide on Vodafone’s UK network and coverage.

International Coverage

In the past, international roaming was not available on Vodafone Basics plans.

As of March 2022, this has now changed and you can use your mobile phone abroad on Vodafone Basics. You’ll pay £2 per day to use your mobile phone in Europe, or £6 per day to use your mobile phone in 105 Roam-further destinations.

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 mobile broadband.

On Vodafone Basics, you can tether and share your mobile data allowance with other devices. There’s no limit on how much data you can share in this way.

Keeping Your Phone Number

If you’re moving from another mobile network to Vodafone, it’s easy to bring your phone number with you.

Start by asking your current mobile network to give you a PAC Code. You can normally 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 new Basics SIM card from the Vodafone website. When your SIM card arrives in the post, place it inside your mobile phone and then enter your PAC Code on Vodafone’s online form. After you do this, 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:

PAC Code Finder: Transfer Your Phone Number to Vodafone

Select your current mobile network:

  More Options

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Vodafone Basics plan?
Vodafone Basics is a no-frills SIM-only plan which, according to Vodafone, “only includes the things you use every day”. You can get a Vodafone Basics SIM card from £7/month with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and an allowance of UK data (between 6GB and 50GB per month).
What allowances will I get with Vodafone Basics?
You’ll get 6GB of data for £7/month, 30GB of data for £8/month or 50GB of data for £10/month. All Basics price plans also include unlimited minutes and unlimited texts. A 12-month contract applies on Vodafone Basics plans.
What are the key restrictions on Vodafone Basics?
The main restriction on a Vodafone Basics SIM card is you won’t be able to use it on Vodafone’s 5G network. In addition to this, some paid-for services like international calls and premium-rate calls are not available.
Who can sign up for Vodafone Basics?
Vodafone Basics is only available to new Vodafone customers. You can sign up online through this special page on their website. It’s an online-only exclusive so you won’t find it in Vodafone stores.
What type of coverage is available on Vodafone Basics?
In the UK, you’ll get 99% population coverage on Vodafone’s 2G, 3G & 4G networks. However, unlike on Vodafone Red and Vodafone Unlimited plans, you won’t get access to Vodafone’s 5G network. Wi-Fi Calling and 4G Calling are also not available on Vodafone Basics plans.
Can I keep my current phone number?
Yes. It’s a straightforward process to keep your current phone number. Ask your existing mobile network to provide you with a PAC Code. You can get one free of charge through your mobile network’s app or website, or by texting PAC to 65075. You should then provide Vodafone with this PAC Code, either when ordering your SIM card or once it has arrived.

More Information

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

Your Comments 29 so far

We'd love to hear your thoughts and any questions you may have. So far, we've received 29 comments from readers. You can add your own comment here.

  • Mark said:

    Hi Ken

    Do you know if the basic plan supports esim? I’m new to the UK and looking to have both numbers on the one phone.

    athanks for helpful article.

    Mark

  • Simon said:

    If I pay for example 6 pounds per month for 4GB data, does that mean 4GB total data spread over the 12 months or does it mean 4GB per month ? If the latter and a part of the data allocation is unused, does it roll over to add to the following month ? Sorry for the silly sounding question but nowhere can I find what Vodafone really means by 4GB data etc.

    • Ken replied:

      Hi Simon,
      You’ll get 4GB per month. Unfortunately, there’s no data rollover available – you’ll just get another 4GB when your allowances next refresh.
      Hope this helps,
      Ken

  • Mark Jones said:

    For those that want the Vodafone network plus Wi-Fi / 4G calling, the new Asda mobile is working very well for me.

    • Ravik replied:

      Hi, can anyone please advise me to buy £10 deal 30gb data would allow me to access 4g and 5g network or not?
      This is mine first time purchase basic plan but I am not really sure about the plan, would it be worth it to go for or shall I quit?

  • Adam said:

    Hi, I’m on an old Basics sim only contract (mid 2019…)

    I am able to use Voice of WiFi through my Xiaomi Mi9, so is this a new limitation on the Basics sim-only contracts since 2019(ish) or is my phone just special?

  • Jenny Stokes said:

    This is a query about a Vodafone 4GB Basics deal to use with a HUAWEI B535 router.
    The Huawei B353 router is to be connected to a Venus GX that manages my PV and battery energy storage system. I can link with the Venus GX using my mobile phone or lap top when I am close to the equipment, but occasionally I want to link to it over the internet. My query is: accessing the Venus GX over the internet will transfer data over the mobile network. A Vodafone data only deal such as Red 1GB is all that is required to transfer data over the mobile network, but it costs more (£11/month rather than £6/month) than the 4GB basics, which allows calls and texts that I don’t need. Is it okay to use the 4GB Basics SIM deal?

    • Ken replied:

      Hi Jenny,
      Thanks for your comment. Yes, I can’t see any reason why you wouldn’t be able to use a Basics deal. Most of the things you lose out on (e.g. the ability to use your SIM card abroad, making premium rate calls and the ability to use 5G) aren’t really relevant for this use case, so you’re almost certainly better off getting a Basics plan.
      Hope this helps,
      Ken

  • John said:

    Hi,

    I have 2 Basics Contracts, which are both expiring soon. Vodafone are saying I can’t get off those deals and move to the newer, cheaper £6 / 3GB package. Have you any experience of changing to a new 12 month contract at the end of a 12 month Basics contract?

    • Ken replied:

      Hi John,
      Thanks for your comment. Technically speaking, I believe all of the Basics contracts are new customer deals which is possibly why they’re not offering it to you as an upgrade. You potentially have three options:
      1) Consider switching to another mobile network that also uses coverage from Vodafone – for instance, something like Talkmobile which is owned by Vodafone.
      2) Ask them to switch you to a Pay As You Go plan. Once you’ve done that, it might then be possible to sign up as a new Basics customer, as I believe the plan is still open to current Pay As You Go customers. Note that I haven’t actually tried this, so no guarantee that it’ll work.
      3) The only sure-fire way would be to leave Vodafone for another network e.g. to a Pay As You Go network such as giffgaff. Once you’ve done that, and once you’ve ported your phone number out, you’ll be able to re-join Vodafone as a “new customer”.
      Obviously, this all involves a little bit of hassle, which is a shame as Vodafone could easily arrange it all for you if they wanted!
      Ken

      • John replied:

        Hi Ken,

        Many thanks for getting back to me so quickly and for taking the time to answer my questions. Excellent reply. Everything I need to know!

    • Ken replied:

      Hi Dani,
      Thanks for your comment. Yes, the Vodafone Basics plans should allow you to do this, subject to coverage being available in your area 🙂 You can access average download speeds of 23-35Mbps on Vodafone Basics. This compares to a minimum speed requirement of around 0.1Mbps for a voice call and about 0.8Mbps for a video call.
      Hope this helps,
      Ken

  • Ken said:

    Hi all,
    Some great news! As of today (the 2nd October 2020), you’ll now get the fastest available 4G speeds on all Vodafone Basics plans. Previously, these plans were limited to a maximum download speed of 10Mbps. I’ve updated the article above to reflect these changes.
    Ken

  • AndyT said:

    Thanks for such a useful site. I have voda basics sim and recently noticed on the voda app on my old iPhone se (not the recently released one) it offered wifi calling. I selected it, waited a bit, rebooted phone, into settings and its there and working. Maybe another gift during lockdown? Very useful for me as I switched to voda a couple of years back just to get good in home coverage by buying their sure signal 3g box. However wifi calling works elsewhere as well.

  • Jiver said:

    You have to pay for the first minute of every call according to their website but nobody seems to mention this!

    • Ken replied:

      Hi Jiver,
      Thanks for your comment. The Vodafone Basics plans all come with unlimited UK minutes so it shouldn’t be necessary to pay anything when calling landlines and mobiles. Do you have a link or reference to the information you’ve found?
      Thanks,
      Ken

  • Richarc said:

    WiFi and 4G calling is available, they work for me, also I have multiple “basics” sims and was already a customer so this is incorrect in saying only available to “new” customers

  • A. Aldhafir said:

    I have just bought Vodafone basic sim only , but the problem is that I can’t use the data,it does not work, I can’t even open a web page. I don’t know why, I did try it with different handsets but it’s the same result. The voice calling and receiving calls is very good. I live in central London and I have 3 mobile and it works very well but I wanted to change to Vodafone but their data doesn’t work.
    So I need to cancel Vodafone and stay with 3 mobile.

    • iain woods replied:

      I also have one of these SIMS and the data is shocking.Wont connect to 4G 98% of the time,so it’s basically 2G all the time.Vodaphone cannot resolve the issue either. Strangely enough,the 4G works perfectly in the vodaphone store.Been with them years but when this SIM expires,will be no longer!

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