What you need to know:
What are SIM Only Contracts?
If you don’t know what they are by now then you have been missing out on saving money on your mobile phone bill for all that time! SIM only deals are an excellent way to get a much more value, much more minutes, texts and data when compare to your regular mobile phone contracts. The premise is simple. There is no mobile phone provided with SIM only plans and so the mobile providers are able to transfer the cost of subsidising the phone into extra value for the SIM card contract. This translates to more minutes, data, and texts at a cheaper monthly cost.
Of course, this works out extremely well if you have a phone that you are satisfied with and are happy to continue using. This is a great money saving alternative that will also prevent you from being locked into an 18-24 month contract that is common with mobile deals.
Save money with flexibility, convenience and choice
The aim of pay monthly SIM only plans is to give more flexibility, choice, convenience and value than comparative pay as you go and other pay monthly mobile contracts. Given this, it is often the best option for you if you are looking to save money, don’t want to get stuck in a long-term contract and have a mobile phone that you are happy with.
You do not have to use an old mobile phone to save money though and this is a common misconception. Even if you have to buy a new mobile phone SIM Free or unlocked you can still save money over the long term by choosing a cheap SIM only deal. Even then it doesn’t have to be the cheapest one because if you keep your phone for the long-term, the money you save on your monthly line rental will eventually pay for the cost of your phone.
What mobile phone networks can I get SIM Only Contracts on?
Pay monthly SIM only offers are available on the following networks:
- O2
- Orange
- T-Mobile
- Virgin
- Vodafone
- Three
What are the benefits of a SIM Only Contract?
- Keep your existing mobile phone – This is where the money saving is most potent. If you have an existing mobile that you have bought outright or is from a previous mobile contract then you are primed to take advantage of SIM only contract deals.
- A short to medium length contract: There are two main options to choose from, either a 30 rolling contract or a 12-month contract. There is even more value, the longer the term but either way you will find something to suit your needs. The most popular option is to go for the 12 months but 1 month contracts provide more flexibility if you need to change.
- Lower prices, better allowances: When compared with a pay monthly mobile tariff, SIM only packs in as much (sometimes more) minutes, data and texts for half the price. That means you might be paying £30 for 600 Minutes, 1500 texts and 500MB of data when you could be getting 600 Minutes, 3000 texts and 1GB of Internet data for only £15 a month.
- Make calls to any network, anytime. No matter which network you choose, they will all provide you with minutes that allow you to call other mobile networks that your friends and family might be on.
- Save time without the need to top up like PAYG SIM cards – The great advantage over pay as you go is that you won’t have to worry about running out credit and having to tediously top up every time you are low.
- Flexible tariffs that are designed for your usage – There are now a very wide range of SIM only deals to choose from whether you want something cheap and cheerful or a buffet style plan we’ve made it easy for you to compare the best option for you.
- Tailored tariffs for iPhone and BlackBerry – All the main networks now offer tailored packages for these phones as well as micro SIM cards for iPhone 4, 4S and other compatible phones.