How pay as you go works, the four situations it genuinely suits, per-unit billing, and the point at which a monthly plan becomes cheaper.
Written July 2026 · no prices published · nothing for sale
You buy credit in advance and spend it, or turn it into a bundle lasting a set period. There is no contract, no credit check and no handset finance, so phones are bought outright.
| Situation | Why prepaid fits |
|---|---|
| A glovebox or emergency phone | No monthly cost and nothing to cancel |
| A child's first phone | The spending ceiling is the entire point |
| Somebody new to the UK | No credit history required |
| Trying a network before committing | The cheapest possible test |
One brand does not sell allowances at all — it charges per minute, per text and per megabyte on the widest network in Britain.
For somebody making a few calls a week who barely touches data, that is the cheapest arrangement in the country. For anyone with a normal data habit it climbs very quickly. Work out a typical month before assuming either way.
Once the phone is in weekly use, prepaid stops being the cheap option. A rolling monthly plan from a budget brand on the same masts almost always costs less and cancels just as freely.
Keeping your number costs nothing either way — the free switching code works exactly the same on prepaid as on contract.
Ring us and we will go through it with you. Nothing is offered for sale at any point.
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