How to Get the Most Out of Your SIM Only Deal

SIM only deals are very popular, and people choose them over a contract for many reasons. First of all, you can save quite a lot of money per month, and it gives you greater flexibility around when you can change your handset. The only downside is, you will have to pay for a handset upfront or use one you already have.

That being said, if you are smart about it, you can gain a lot from switching to a SIM only deal. If you aren’t sure a SIM only deal is the right choice for you, we have a range of other contract deals you can look at.

What is a SIM Only Deal?

A SIM only deal is as simple as it sounds, it means you get a SIM deal with no handset. It can be a great way to get a good deal on data, texts and calls without paying a high contract each month – because you won’t be paying monthly for your device.

Traditionally, SIM only deals were Pay As You Go deals, however now there are Pay As You Go and Pay Monthly SIM only deals to choose from. SIM only pay monthly contracts tend to get you a lot more for your money however – if you are happy to sign up to a contract. These contracts are typically shorter than mobile phone contracts and start at around 12 months.

How Do SIM Only Deals Work?

With a SIM only deal you will pay a monthly fee like you do with a handset contract however it will be much cheaper as you don’t pay a handset monthly fee. So, for example our SIM only deals start from £6 per month.

With SIM only deal you get different data, minute and text allowances as you do with a phone contract. So, you need to make sure you are choosing the best one for you and your phone usage.

How Much Data Will I Need on a SIM Only Deal

Data is now one of the most important considerations to make when you are purchasing a mobile contract or SIM only deal. If you are someone who uses your phone out of the house a lot, away from Wi-Fi, and uses a lot of social media – you will likely want to consider a higher amount of data such as upwards of 30GB and preferably unlimited.

Even if you are someone who doesn’t use their phone much out of the house, you still want to consider having some data to use maps and other helpful apps.

Getting the Most out of Your SIM Only Deal

The best way you can get the most out of your SIM only deal, financially, is if you already own a handset and you don’t worry about having the latest model. On the other hand, you may want to purchase a new phone outright and then get a SIM only deal – this is also a good solution if you have the lump sum to do so.

We wouldn’t recommend a SIM only deal if you like to switch out your handset for the newest model every couple of years, as it can become expensive to pay outright for a new phone every 24 months. If this sounds like you, we would recommend looking at a pay monthly contract instead.

Can I Use a SIM Only Deal If My Handset is Locked?

Sometimes phones are locked to their network provider – so, for example your handset may be locked to Vodafone meaning you can only use a Vodafone SIM in it. However, once your previous contract has ended – which it must have done for you to take advantage of a SIM only deal, you can ask your provider to unlock your phone and then you are good to go.

Everyone is different when it comes to mobile phones, and the best deal for one isn’t always the best for another. Therefore, it is important to weight up whether SIM only is the best deal for you. If it is we have plenty of deals for you to take a look at! If not, have a browse of our equally as fantastic mobile phone deals.