Why should you switch to a 3 SIM Only deal?
Host of benefits
Keep your number
Fits all phones
£7.00
a month
£8.00
a month£9.00
a monthwas £18.00
£10.00
a month£14.00
a monthwas £26.00
£20.00
a month£5.00
a month£5.00
a month£6.00
a month
A SIM Only deal offers you a bundle of minutes, texts, and data just like a standard mobile phone contract. However, you don't get a smartphone, you only get a SIM card included, which enables you to save money and can also mean a shorter contract.
There are a number of reasons people choose to switch to a SIM only deals, including:
One of the main reasons to choose a SIM Only plan is to save money. SIM Only plans are cheaper because the operators don't have to offset the cost of a mobile phone, enabling you to get more minutes, data, and texts for less.
SIM Only plans also have shorter contract lengths than standard 24-month mobile contracts. 1-month, 12-month or 24-month SIM contracts are available, or you can even choose a Pay As You Go SIM card for even more flexibility.
One final benefit of SIM Only plans is they have less strict credit checks compared to pay monthly phone contracts, making them great for those with bad-credit, or those worried about their credit score being impacted by refusals. To avoid a credit check entirely, grab a Pay As You Go bundle.
A 1-month (or 30-day) rolling contract is a great way to enjoy the lower prices of a contract deal without having to commit to a lengthy contract. These 1-month contracts automatically renew every 30 days unless you tell Three you want to cancel. This makes them great if you are waiting for a new phone to launch, or want to buy a short-term SIM for using abroad.
When picking a Three SIM Only deal, you should primarily consider how much data you need, as that’s the main differentiator. Unlimited data is great for peace of mind, but you might be fine on far less.
Check out our full ‘how much data do I need?’ guide for an explanation of how far various allowances go for different activities.
The other things to consider are the price and duration of the plan. If you’re happy to commit for one or two years, the monthly costs will typically be lower, but you lose the flexibility of a 30-day plan.
Make sure to check out our exclusive deals highlighted above too, as these often give you far more for your money than you’d get when going to Three direct.
We've got a number of exclusive Three SIM deals available, which are all on 12-month plans. They all also come with 5G at no extra cost and Three+ rewards.
Three SIM Only deals are some of the cheapest available, typically undercutting the other big-name networks, and they come with a host of extras you won't get on all other networks.
| Three+ Rewards | ✔ |
| 5G Ready at no extra cost | ✔ |
| Tethering | ✔ |
| WiFi Calling and 4G Calling | ✔ |
| Control your spending | ✔ |
| Unlimited Data | ✔ |
| Manage account with My3 online | ✔ |
| Free WiFi on the London Underground | ✔ |
| Unlimited calls and texts | ✔ |
All SIM Only plans are 5G Ready at no extra cost. 5G is already widely available on Three and coverage is improving fast, so when 5G becomes available in your area (if it’s not already there) you will be able to enjoy the superfast speeds it brings, and until then you can still access Three's 4G network, which is available to the vast majority of the UK.
Not only that, but Three’s 5G is faster than rivals going by various independent tests, including some by RootMetrics and Ookla.
You also get access to the Three+ rewards app, which is jam-packed full of a rotating selection of discounts, competitions, presale tickets, and freebies, from a variety of brands.
Three also offer truly unlimited data plans with no speed caps or usage limits, and its SIM Only plans all come with unlimited minutes and texts.
Tethering, or a personal hotspot, is included with all current Pay Monthly, SIM Only and Pay As You Go plans, allowing you to use your data to get other devices online. You can use all or any of your data for tethering.
Similarly, all plans support Wi-Fi calling, and 4G Super Voice (or VoLTE) so you can stay in touch in more places, and plans also come with free Wi-Fi on the London Underground.
Three SIM Only plans are available on a 24-month, 12-month or 1-month (30 day rolling) contract lengths. That offers you a lot more flexibility compared to Pay Monthly phone plans which come with lengthy 24-month contracts.
24-month plans offer the maximum savings for those looking for the best possible value. 12-month plans are a good compromise between contract length and price, and 1-month rolling plans are great for those looking for the most flexibility. At the end of the month the plan will automatically renew (or roll) into the next month, unless you inform Three that you want to cancel.
Full details on Three's price guide
Three plans don’t come with data rollover, but there are a host of other benefits you don’t get elsewhere. They include access to the Three+ rewards app, and affordable roaming in a wide range of places beyond Europe.
Yes, although Pay Monthly customers have to pay £2 a day in Europe and £5 a day outside of Europe to use their allowances abroad.
However, Pay As You Go customers can still use their allowances abroad for free.
You can quickly and easily bring over your existing number to Three SIM Only. Check out our full guide to keeping your number to find out how.
The size of SIM card you need depends on the device you have. There are 3 SIM types (Standard, Micro and Nano), but the good news is that when you order a Three SIM card you’ll get a trio-SIM which gives you all 3 SIM types in one.
Then, you just pop out the one you want, so you don't need to worry about which type of SIM you need. You’ll select from the following options:
For use in most of the latest smartphones including the iPhone 14 range, the iPhone 13 range, the iPhone SE (2022), the Samsung Galaxy S23 range, the OnePlus 11, and many others, along with the latest tablets such as the iPad Pro 11 (2021), the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) and the iPad Mini (2022).
For use in many older smartphones including the iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy S5. Popular tablets with a micro SIM include the Apple iPad, Apple iPad 2, and the Apple iPad 4.
For use in the majority of very old smartphones and the majority of mobile broadband and Mobile WiFi dongles.
Yes, SIM cards with truly unlimited data are available on Three with no speed caps or restrictions.
They are available on 1-month, 12-month or 24-month plans and come with 5G at no extra cost, tethering included, and cheap roaming abroad in 71 countries.
Three offers Data Only SIM plans which are ideal for tablets, dongles, and Mobile WiFi. These come with data but without any minutes or texts, and come on 1-month, 12-month or 24-month contracts with unlimited data options available.
Yes. Three offers free Pay As You Go phone SIMs and charges 35p per minute, 15p per text or 10p per megabyte of data to use them. Alternatively, you can turn your credit into an add-on, giving you a bundle of minutes, texts, and data, right up to unlimited data, unlimited minutes, and unlimited texts for £35, valid for 30 days. By buying a bundle you also get to enjoy Go Roam, so you can use allowances free in 71 destinations.
Yes, you can order a free SIM for a mobile phone. When it arrives simply activate it and top-up with credit and away you go.
Exclusive deals
Exclusive deals you won't find on Three's own site. Whilst you save money on these deals you will receive the exact same product and services as buying direct from Three themselves. All orders, returns and customer services will be provided by Three.
