In the market for a 30-day SIM or short term SIM only deals Read on and we'll arm you with everything you need to find a cheap 30-day SIM only contract.
Our best 30-day SIM deals this week
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VOXI sim only
5G- 100GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- Unlimited streaming on Netflix and other apps
- £20.00 per month
1 month contract From VOXI -
ID sim only
5G- 30GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- 3 months free Apple TV+ and Music
- £8.00 per month
1 month contract From iD Mobile -
Lebara Mobile sim only
- Exclusive
- 10GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- Discounted price for 3 months
- £1.49 per month
1 month contract From Lebara Mobile -
ID sim only
5G- 20GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- 3 months free Apple TV+ and Music
- £7.00 per month
1 month contract From iD Mobile -
GiffGaff sim only
5G- 20GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- £10.00 per month
1 month contract From giffgaff
What is a 30-day SIM?
A 30-day SIM is another term for a rolling-contract SIM deal, which are also sometimes known as one-month SIMs.
Unlike 12-month SIMs or 24-month SIM deals which commit you long term, with 30-day SIMs you’re free to leave anytime you like. The sole caveat is that you’ll have to provide 30 days’ notice.
In every other respect, 30-day SIMs are just like any other type of SIM deal. So as you’d expect, you pay a monthly charge in exchange for pre-determined allowances of data, texts and calls.
And you can generally expect to get at least some of the consumer benefits extended to customers on longer-term SIM contacts too.
How do 30-day SIMs work?
Almost identically to 12-month and 24-month SIMs. The sole difference is that instead of being legally bound to stay with your network for a year or more when you sign up, you’re free to leave with 30 days’ notice.
The good news is that when you’re on a 30-day SIM, you won’t have to worry about topping up. At the end of each month your contract automatically extends for another month, unless you explicitly inform your network that you’d like to cancel.
Which networks offer 30-day SIMs?
Almost all household-name networks offer short-term, 30-day SIMs, as do a range of lesser known networks too.
Below we’ve picked out some of our best 30-day SIMs, alongside a snapshot of what each network has to offer.
Virgin Mobile 30-day SIM-only deals
All of Virgin Mobile's SIM-only deals are on 30-day rolling contracts, with data allowances ranging from 4GB per month all the way to unlimited data.
As well as unlimited calls and texts, you get some handy extras, such as data rollover, EU roaming and data-free messaging on WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook.
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Virgin sim only
5G- 5GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- Roam like home in the EU
- £5.95 per month
1 month contract From Virgin Mobile -
Virgin sim only
5G- Exclusive
- 75GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- Includes a £30 Amazon Gift Card
- £14.00 per month
1 month contract From Virgin Mobile -
Virgin sim only
5G- Exclusive
- 75GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- Includes a £30 Amazon Gift Card
- £14.00 per month
1 month contract From Virgin Mobile
Smarty 30-day SIM-only deals
With a service based on Three’s network infrastructure, Smarty specialises in low cost plans with the USP of knocking money off your bills for unused data.
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SMARTY sim only
5G- 12GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- First 4 months half price
- £4.00 per month
1 month contract From SMARTY -
SMARTY sim only
5G- 12GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- First 4 months half price
- £4.00 per month
1 month contract From SMARTY -
SMARTY sim only
5G- 200GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- EU roaming included
- £14.00 per month
1 month contract From SMARTY
Three 30-day SIM only deals
Short-term SIMs from Three offer decent allowances for fair prices. Customers also benefit from the option to tether and an extensive, inclusive roaming scheme.
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Three sim only
5G- 4GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- £19.00 per month
1 month contract From Three Mobile -
Three sim only
5G- 4GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- £19.00 per month
1 month contract From Three Mobile -
Three sim only
5G- 4GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- £19.00 per month
1 month contract From Three Mobile
Vodafone 30-day SIM-only deals
Coverage on Vodafone is excellent. All its 30-day plans come with a three-month trial of SecureNet security software, while select contracts include roaming in up to 81 locations.
iD Mobile
Pick an iD Mobile 30-day SIM and you can expect well priced plans and inclusive roaming in 50 locations. Coverage is provided by partner network O2.
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ID sim only
5G- Exclusive
- 6GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- 3 months free Apple TV+ and Music
- £6.00 per month
1 month contract From iD Mobile -
ID sim only
5G- 20GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- 3 months free Apple TV+ and Music
- £7.00 per month
12 month contract From iD Mobile -
ID sim only
5G- 60GB of 5G data
- Unlimited minutes
- Unlimited texts
- download speed limit
- 3 months free Apple TV+ and Music
- £10.00 per month
1 month contract From iD Mobile
Plusnet Mobile 30-day SIM only deals
Plusnet Mobile is cheap, with the additional selling point of extra, complimentary data for existing broadband customers.
What to look for in a 30-day SIM
When you’re in the market for a 30-day SIM only deal, the two most important things to consider are: data allowance and freebies.
Data allowance
You don’t want to pay for more data than you need. But you a situation where you’re fearful that you’ll run out every month either.
So what to do? Well, the best, most sure-fire way to ensure you get a plan with enough data to is to check how much you’re using now and choose a new plan accordingly.
You’ll find details of data consumption in your network’s smartphone app (assuming you’ve downloaded it), or you can find out by getting in touch with your provider.
Freebies
The very best freebies, such as subscriptions to streaming services, tend to be reserved for customers who sign up for 12-month or 24-month SIMs. But if you look hard enough, you can still get some worthwhile incentives on 30-day SIMs.
By way of example, customers on O2 30-day plans qualify for membership of its Rewards and Priority customer benefit schemes. Which gets you discounts and freebies in high-street stores, as well as priority booking at O2 venues.
By the same token, Vodafone 30-day SIM customers benefit from its VeryMe’s schemes weekly giveaways, discounts and prize draws just the same as those signed up to its longer-term SIMs.
Pros and cons of 30-day SIMs
Pros
- Freedom to leave when you like
- Lots of tariffs to choose from
- Credit checks are less stringent. And some networks don't run them at all
- Good for a stopgap, when you don’t want to sign up to a long contract
Cons
- Allowances may be less generous than on longer term plans
- It’s not always practical to switch networks for a short time
- The very best customer benefits are usually reserved for longer-term SIM plans
Alternative SIM only plans
Not sure if a 30-day SIM is right for you? Perhaps one of these SIMs will suit you better:
How do I find a 30-day SIM plan?
The best and most practical way to find the right 30-day SIM is to work out how much data you think you’ll need. As a rule of thumb, the average Briton gets through about 3GB per month. But to find out for sure how much you use, take a look in your network’s app on your smartphone (assuming you’ve downloaded it) or get in touch with your network.
How do I cancel a 30-day SIM plan?
You'll likely be able to cancel within your network's smartphone app. Otherwise, you can just get in touch with your network and let them know you'd like to leave. But the critical thing to note is that you’ll need to give 30 days’ notice.
Will there a be a credit check on a 30-day SIM?
That depends on the network. While the likes of VOXI, Lebara and Smarty don’t apply credit checks, some networks may still check your credit score.
However, what we can see is that credit checks for 30-day SIMs will be much less stringent and easier to pass than those for phone-and-sim contracts or even those for 12-month or 24-month SIMs.
Do I have to top up 30-day SIMs every month?
There’s no need to top up your allowances every month when you’re signed up to a 30-day SIM. Your allowances will renew every 30 days automatically and will continue to do so until you tell your network that you’d like to cancel.
