What is the best 'SIM Only' deal?

[stockhausen]

I am looking for a low cost but high availability SIM Only deal. I don't use much data, minutes or texts but I do want a service that is available in most places in the UK.

I am currently considering GiffGaff and iDMobile, both of whom seem to have reasonable offers at under £10 but I don't know anything about who carries their signal or the true extent of their coverage.

Vodafone also have a very good "Basics" deal via uSwitch for the next two days at £8 per month for unlimited texts and minutes and 4GB per month with a £20 Amazon gift voucher.

 

[Randomface74]

I'm using O2 payg. For someone who doesn't use much it's cheaper than any package by a mile.

 

[bremen1874]

GiffGaff = 02
iD Mobile = Three

 

[xb8browney]

IDmobile, and they're only 30days rolling.

 

[stockhausen]

I'm using O2 payg. For someone who doesn't use much it's cheaper than any package by a mile.

I take it that you can "roll over" month-to-month?
If you happen not to use it, does your payment run out after a while?
Can you get any information on your actual usage in any way?

 

[Randomface74]

Yeah it rolls over forever.
I don't know if usage is listed anywhere. I was on giffgaff before and they were good at that, that's how I did the math to switch to payg.
I hardly ever text because everyone uses whatsapp. I'd guess about 5 texts a month.
I hardly ever call because I'm usually home with a landline. I'd guess about 10 mins a month.
I hardly ever use data because I'm on wifi at home and at work. I'd guess about 100mb a month.
Use about £1 ish per month. Put 10 quid on and got 20 quid free so I'm good for a while.

 

[stockhausen]

Yeah it rolls over forever.
I don't know if usage is listed anywhere. I was on giffgaff before and they were good at that, that's how I did the math to switch to payg.
I hardly ever text because everyone uses whatsapp. I'd guess about 5 texts a month.
I hardly ever call because I'm usually home with a landline. I'd guess about 10 mins a month.
I hardly ever use data because I'm on wifi at home and at work. I'd guess about 100mb a month.
Use about £1 ish per month. Put 10 quid on and got 20 quid free so I'm good for a while.

Sounds like an absolute bargain and pretty similar usage and conditions for me
Although I may call out and text a bit more than you do and I plan to use "Signal" rather than "WhatsApp".

 

[stockhausen]

I'm using O2 payg. For someone who doesn't use much it's cheaper than any package by a mile.

I just went into my local store to buy an O2 "Classic" (i.e. £10) PAYG SIM card - they don't sell them in-store, I had to buy online

Should be her by the weekend and everything seems pretty cheap

No wonder local retailers are disappearing

 

[ttaskmaster]

NVM

 

[jpaul]

I hardly ever use data because I'm on wifi at home and at work. I'd guess about 100mb a month.
Use about £1 ish per month. Put 10 quid on and got 20 quid free so I'm good for a while.

is/was there an O2 payg offer on ?

I keep meaning to quit giffgaff payg which is expensive .. ideally I want a payg offering wifi calling (poor reception at home), but afaik that does not exist for payg

maybe the new proposed taller masts will fix my reception problem ... and irradiate the folks who live beneath - the little guy.

 

[cheesyboy]

I put Mrs Cheesyboy on IDmobile earlier this year - £5/month for 1GB was a great deal. unfortunately, she found the network coverage pretty terrible - nothing at home and not much when out and about. That'll be different for everyone, but it's ruled out the Three network for us.

She's now on a 1-year deal with Plusnet (EE), 2GB for £8.50/month, plus £40 cashback on Quidco (though it's tracking at £20....)

 

[jpaul]

is/was there an O2 payg offer on ?

ok - was this https://www.hotukdeals.com/vouchers...-as-you-go-sim-3270662?page=3#thread-comments

 

[stockhausen]

Voda were offering 100GB with unlimited texts and calls for £24/mo. I went with that because no other carrier has any signal in my part of the world, for some strange reason.
According to some junk email, BT are now offering the same for £20.

I'll never use most of it, but it's good to have and reasonably priced. Might be I'll get stuck in traffic one day and need five hours worth of YouTube data, or something.

That sounds like a horrible prospect - YouTube for five hours
No way would I want to be spending £24 a month, I just don't use a mobile enough to come anywhere near that.

I put Mrs Cheesyboy on IDmobile earlier this year - £5/month for 1GB was a great deal. unfortunately, she found the network coverage pretty terrible - nothing at home and not much when out and about. That'll be different for everyone, but it's ruled out the Three network for us.

She's now on a 1-year deal with Plusnet (EE), 2GB for £8.50/month, plus £40 cashback on Quidco (though it's tracking at £20....)

Everyone I have spoken to says that the iDmobile coverage is absolutely awful and generally unreliable; funnily enough, a lot worse that Three itself

I will definitely give O2PAYG a go, calls and texts seem pretty cheap

 

[Randomface74]

is/was there an O2 payg offer on ?

When you make an account and top up you get a bunch of emails with offers in, it's just on you to make sure you claim them.

 

[ttaskmaster]

NVM

 

[jpaul]

*NUDGING THREAD WITH RELATED ISSUE*

So seems data speed could be prioritized for a contract/sim with the coverage supplier eg.O2 versus (lesser) network providers eg giffgaff.

At home, have poor Giffgaff reception, for voice calls; I had thought that would be common to any O2 provider, but will now be getting an O2 sim.



https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly/o2-Pay-amp-Go-VS-Giff-Gaff/td-p/969017

1. mtpas (Government, police, army, vip)

2. o2 Business

3. o2 contract

4. o2 payg & tesco mobile (half owned by o2)

5. Other Mvno ( Dependant on how much data they have paid for)



O2 along with every other network have the ability to restrict parts of the networks from small area to whole towns and city's to the whole country if need be for mtpas sim cards this is the law for mtpas users



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mtpas-sim-cards


are just some examples above of mtpas just google it and see,