There’s nothing better than the feeling of getting a brand-new phone; opening that package is exhilarating, and you won’t be able to resist showing it off to your friends.
For many phone owners, this experience occurs when you get an upgrade on your contract. However, because phone buyers are getting savvier and realise the savings that they can make by buying their phone outright, consumers are looking for new options, including Pay-As-You-Go plans and SIM only deals.
A SIM only plan offers you the opportunity to save money because you don’t need to pay for the handset. Studies show that more and more people are buying their handsets outright and keeping them for longer and an increasing trend of exploring new ways to pay for their minutes, texts, and data.
One of the best ways to do this is to check out the SIM only deals on the market, including Lebara’s range of cost-effective SIM only deals.
If you search for a SIM only deal online, you’ll find lots of lists that compare the different packages on the market and how much they cost, but we understand that you may want more than just a price comparison of different options.
As a customer, you probably want to find the best SIM only deal that that not only comes at an attractive price, making you some handy savings but also provides a gold standard of service, support and experience.
A deal might come cheap in terms of headline price, but if it doesn’t suit your needs or is a good mix of data and mins that give you the allowance as per your usage , then you’ll end up paying extra each month for all the things that are missing! Or if the service is poor, you’ll be unsatisfied and won’t be able to do everything that you love.
That’s why we’ve put together this simple guide to choose the perfect SIM only mobile plan for you. Read on, we’ve shared some expert knowledge as one of the UK’s most trusted mobile service providers to help you get a cracking deal.
Figure Out Whether A SIM only deal is Right For You
SIM only deals are great because they are flexible and can be tailored to your needs. You have total freedom to get the data, minutes and texts that you want, without having to cough up the additional hefty cost each month for upgrading to a new handset.
If you do choose to switch to a new device none the less, taking out a SIM Only deal with your network provider gives you the choice of all the thousands of handsets on the market. All you have to do is buy the phone you want, sign up for a SIM only deal, get your free SIM, and you’re ready to go!
As you’re not paying each month for the cost of the handset, and saving money on all the interest that you have to pay when you take out a traditional phone contact, you still save a handsome sum of money on your phone plan when you take on a SIM only plan.
Another advantage of our SIM only deals is complete control- if you need more data, minutes or texts in the future, you can choose a bolt-on and add it to your package. You can also switch to a new plan for no additional cost- just get online and choose the plan you want to switch to next month, and it will be done in no time at all!
This means that if your circumstances change, you can quickly adapt. When you take on a SIM only plan with us, you get the opportunity to switch your plan or cancel at any time. We don’t lock you in a lengthy year long contract. With us, you don’t have to commit , it’s a 30-day rolling plan – so you have the choice to switch your plan with more or less allowance as you want and we get it done!
Most SIM only deals, including ours, don’t require a credit check, and therefore, if you don’t have a great credit score, it doesn’t stop you from getting an affordable great value mobile plan to help you get back on your feet.
The one factor that some consumers might consider to be a disadvantage of a SIM only phone plan is that it doesn’t come with a handset upgrade included. If you are one of those looking to get a new device, you’ll have to buy your phone yourself, and that means finding the perfect handset and then getting the best SIM only deal.
For some, this might be a deal breaker but often value seekers and those on a budget will see the advantage of shopping around for handset financing deals separate to the mobile network deal you sign up for! And, if you’ve already got a phone you love that still works, or you’ve found the perfect handset at a great price, then a SIM only deal is ideal.
When choosing the best mobile phone plan for you, take the time to consider what you need, so that you can make the best choice for you and your lifestyle. There are many different types of phone contracts on the market, so if you’re happy to sacrifice freedom and flexibility for the chance to upgrade your phone every few years, then a contract could be right for you.
Work Out What You Need
The next step in finding the best SIM only plan for you is to work out what you need. Every provider is different, and they all offer unique solutions, so to find the right deal for you, you’ve first got to work out what you need.
Try to find a plan that gives you slightly more than what you need, so that you don’t end up going over your allowance. Some providers will charge you a lot of extra money for additional minutes and texts.
Extra data can also be expensive, so try to find a plan with unlimited data if you use your mobile data to download lots of music or stream movies and basically do a lot of heavy duty data surfing on the go.
If you’re not sure what you need, or what you’ll want in the future, then find a SIM only provider that offers you a wide range of options. Lebara offers a good range of plans from 5GB to UNLIMITED data & mins. Our most popular plan is the cheapest on the market, at just £5 a month, you can get 5GB data, 1000 UK mins and texts as well as 100 international mins to 41 countries on fast reliable 4G network.
We’ve also got plans in the mid to high data ranges that give you increasing amounts of data, texts and mins as per your individual needs. If you can’t find the ideal bundle, then you can customise your plan with our bolt-ons which are for just £3, so you’ve always got enough of everything you need to communicate with your friends and have fun.
Find SIM only deals That Fit Into Your Budget
Cost is a crucial factor for many consumers looking to switch to a SIM only deal. If you’re trying to save money, then this solution will help, but only if you find the right plan.
Check out the terms of each plan, so that you can see how much you’re getting for your money. It would be best if you also read the small print, to make sure that you’re not in for any nasty surprises on your bill in the future.
For example, most phone providers don’t include international calls in their plans, which means that ifyou have family abroad, then you might end up spending a lot more money if you want to call them. All our plans include international minutes to 41 countries, and we’re always expanding our reach so that you can connect with the people you love, wherever they are in the world.
Searching for the best value SIM Only deal?
We compare some of the top SIM Only deals available right now so you can make an informed choice!
This comparison table is correct as at 17th Aug. 2020 and based on published information on all network websites.
You also need to keep an eye on your data usage- if you’ve not got unlimited data, then it’s easy to use too much, and some providers charge a lot of money for additional data. Most phones allow you to set warnings to stop you using too much data, so consider doing this if you’ve taken on a SIM only deal with limited data.
Lebara understands that accidentally going over your phone tariff is easy, and that’s why we offer flexible plans and fairly priced bolt-ons that you can add to your plan for the times you end up needing more than your regular monthly allowance.
While you’re reading the small print on your deal, check what options you have to switch/ change/ cancel and find out if there are any fees associated with doing this, as these could increase the cost of your plan. We offer every Lebara customer the chance to switch their plan or cancel their deal at any time, at no extra cost. So, if you need to leave, then you won’t be left with an extra bill to pay, or get stuck with a contract that you can’t use anymore.
Make Sure That You Can Get Signal In Your Area
There’s nothing worse than trying to call a friend when you need some urgent advice and find those bars showing signal missing on the screen!
It’s also annoying when you’re trying to check something on the internet, and you see that irritating spinning load wheel. If you’ve got no signal when you send a text, then you might find that it doesn’t go through, and if you don’t notice, then it could ruin your plans!
To avoid any of these scenarios happening to you, you need to make sure that your chosen SIM only deal provider gets signal where you live, and in the places that you like to visit the most. Use an online signal checker tool to find out if your chosen provider gets a signal in your area.
If they don’t, or their signal is weak, then you might not be able to use your data, calls and texts and make the most out of your phone deal.
Lebara runs on the Vodafone network, which prides itself on a strong signal coverage of 97% of the UK, so you can be assured of a reliable connection almost anywhere in the country if you take out a SIM only deal with us.
Read Reviews On Your Shortlisted Providers
Once you’ve narrowed down your choices of SIM only deals, you need to do some final checks to make sure that you’ve picked the right provider. Try using review platforms to find out what real customers have to say so that you get the plan you want and the support that you expect.
At Lebara, we pride ourselves in consistently improving value on products and providing world class experience to ensure that everyone gets the perfect mobile plan for their lifestyle.
We are delighted that our customers rate us as excellent with a score of 4.5/5 on TrustPilot for value and experience – one of the most trusted sites for independent product reviews ! Not only that, if you do face any issues, our service advisors are at hand every day via chat or a phone call to help you get on board and resolve any issues at speed.
Check Out Providers With Refer And Earn Schemes
In these challenging times, many of us need a little extra cash, whether it’s to pay the bills or treat ourselves to something we want.
Some phone companies, like Lebara, offer Refer & Earn deals that allow you to earn up to £50 per friend you bring on board. As an added incentive, your friend gets double data on their plan for the first month. So, it’s a win-win for everybody!
With our Refer & Earn programme, you can not only get your friend a great mobile phone deal but also earn yourself some extra cash to spend on that nifty gift you fancied or just splurge on the new restaurant you were eyeing on the high street.
At Lebara, we want you to find the best deal with us, so whatever your data and mins needs, we will have a plan to suit your usage. Keeping value and experience as the focus of our offering, we’ve designed our range of SIM only plans, to give you flexibility and total control at a price that often exceeds expectations.
To find out more information, visit our best SIM Only deals page.
