Best O2 SIM and mobile phone deals

Catherine Hiley
September 27, 2023

O2 has a lot to offer if you’re in the market for a new SIM only deal. Enjoy 5G speeds, EU roaming and perks like early-access to A-list event tickets.

To learn more about O2 and how to choose a SIM deal, read on and all will be revealed.

Why should I choose an O2 deal?

EU roaming: With its 12 and 24-month SIM only plans, O2 continues to offer inclusive EU roaming, which entitles you to use your texting, calling, and data allocation (up to 25GB) in any place that is a part of O2’s “Europe Zone” at no additional cost.
Great coverage: Excellent 3G and 4G coverage is provided by O2, which reaches 99% of the UK’s population. Additionally, its 5G network is available in a wide range of UK locations.
Monthly data rollover: At the end of the month, O2 SIM only users can carry over any unused data.
O2 Priority and O2 Rewards promotions: One of the best bonus efforts out there is O2’s exclusive customer rewards scheme. You can receive special offers from high street retailers, weekly goodies and early access to concert tickets at O2 venues.
Free Wi-Fi: Get connected in over 15,000 different locations across the UK – O2 provides free access to Wi-Fi hotspots around the country. You can even use Wi-Fi to make free phone calls.
Data rollover: You can rollover unused data and store it to use at any point in the next two months.
Excellent customer support: When calling from a pay monthly phone, all calls to O2’s customer service support line are free.
Additional benefits: Free subscription trials to services like Prime Video, Apple Music, and Disney+ are included with many O2 SIM plans. Additionally, you can get double the data on your O2 SIM only deal and faster internet if you also use Virgin Media broadband.

How to find the best O2 deal for me

O2 is a great option if you’re looking for a new network. It offers a 97% nationwide 4G coverage and 5G in an ever-increasing selection of UK locations. Additionally, it’s one of the few major networks to still provide free EU roaming.

It also has a great rewards programme that offers freebies, savings and priority tickets for events at O2 venues.

Once you’ve made the decision to purchase an O2 SIM, the next thing you must determine is how much data you require. The majority of O2 SIM only packages include unlimited calls and texts. So the main choice you have to make is how much data you anticipate using and what you’re looking to pay each month.

Typically, a smartphone user uses 3GB of data per month on average. Usually, this is sufficient for everyday tasks like reading emails, using WhatsApp and browsing social media.

But a lot of this depends on how much of the day you spend using Wi-Fi, whether at home or at the office. So, if you’re constantly on the go, you may want to think about getting a bigger data plan.

You should be able to see a monthly breakdown of your data usage in your current network’s mobile app, so make a note of your average use and choose a new deal based on that.

We have plenty of O2 SIM only deals you can compare in our table below. You’ll see our three cheapest O2 deals with 5GB+. But you can filter by price, data and contract length to find the deal you want. Or, if you want to find out more about O2, keep scrolling to find out all you need to know about the network.

Coverage area

The coverage you get with O2 is excellent. Its 4G network has outstanding coverage for both indoor and outdoor calls, and it spans 99% of the country’s population. On top of that, O2 has one of the largest 5G networks in the nation with extensive coverage around the UK.

Customer service

Any calls made to O2’s customer support line are free for O2 SIM only customers, whether you’re in the UK or using your phone overseas.

The service is accessible Monday through Friday from 8am to 8pm and on weekends from 9am to 6pm. If you’re on your mobile, dial 202 to get in touch with them. You may also call from a landline at 0344 8090202. Standard network rates will apply to all landline calls.

A variety of how-to articles are available on the O2 website to assist you with everything from using O2 services to their fullest potential to billing issues and other common queries.

Benefits

One of O2’s most appealing features is its unique rewards plan. In addition to enticing deals and promotions from high street restaurants and shops, you also get:

O2 Priority tickets: If you love live performances, you’ll be happy to know that O2 customers can purchase tickets for live events at O2 venues two days before they go on sale to the general public.

Live event extras – At O2 venues and Twickenham, you’ll be able to take advantage of a number of benefits, including priority queues, exclusive lounge access, food/beverage discounts and free cloakrooms.

Roaming

O2 is currently one of the only networks to not reinstate roaming fees. If you’re visiting O2’s designated Europe Zone, you can use your mobile as normal without any roaming charges.

However, if you exceed the 25GB fair usage policy you’ll have to pay £3.50 per every extra GB of data you use.

If you’re travelling further than Europe, you can get O2’s Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On, or just pay a flat rate of, for £6 per day for roaming in locations like the US.

Mobile app

The free MyO2 app, which is available for both Android and iPhone devices, lets you manage bills, data and other details of your account. Call charges can also be checked using itemised billing.

Contract lengths

With O2, there are many choices for contracts, 12 month SIM only deals are the most popular, and these are typically less expensive than 30-day pay as you go deals. O2 also provides 24-month contracts, which have even lower monthly fees.

To avoid incurring a cancellation fee, make sure you are absolutely certain that you want to sign a long-term contract. However, we strongly advise against opting for a 30-day plan and choosing a 12 or 24-month SIM only contract instead. That’s because only the longer term SIM plans from O2 include EU roaming, as well as lower monthly costs.

Upfront costs or set-up fees

O2 SIM cards are free when you sign up for a deal. There are no set up fees or costs included, you simply pay an agreed monthly sum for your data and calls.

O2’s SIM cards are incredibly simple to activate. Simply insert the SIM into your phone and it should begin functioning right away. Try restarting your device if it doesn’t.

Data rollover

At the end of the month, O2 customers may carry over leftover data that hasn’t been used. However, you are only allowed to store two months’ worth of data, so you can’t accumulate an endless supply of gigabytes.

For instance, the most you could roll over on a 5GB deal is 10GB.

Tariffs

O2 offers a range of SIM only deals, but you can also opt for Pay Monthly and Pay As You Talk plans.

The contracts for the pay monthly plans span between 18 and 24 months and offer a variety of package options.

Pay As You Go call rates begin at 35p per minute and 12p per text, however bolt-ons can be purchased with every top up.

Wi-Fi calling

O2 customers O2 may make calls while connected to Wi-Fi instead of using cellular data. So even when there isn’t any mobile reception or only weak signal strength, you can still make your important calls..

Tethering policy

O2 customers can use their phones as a mobile hotspot to connect tablets, laptops and other devices to the internet.

However, if you have an iPhone and are on pay as you go, you might need to update your iOS.

Of course, tethering your phone to other devices can quickly use up your data cap. Therefore, unless you have a large data allowance and a lot of it typically remains unused, it’s a good idea to use it sparingly.

O2 Refresh

O2 Refresh is an initiative that enables customers to switch to a new phone whenever they want, much like similar programmes from other networks.

This is done by separating the price of the phone from the price of your allowances. The device and airtime plan are therefore two contracts that are actually active at the same time. If you are interested in an upgrade, you trade in your old phone and settle the balance.

Volt benefits

Now that O2 has merged with Virgin Media to become VMO2, you’ll get a whole host of extra benefits if you have Virgin Media broadband and an O2 SIM or mobile phone plan. You’ll get double your mobile data and a broadband boost to the next level up on your current plan (up to a max of 1Gbps). And all for no extra cost.

On top of this, you’ll also get Virgin Media’s Wi-Fi guarantee, which means you can get up to three Wi-Fi pods for no additional charge. And you’ll be automatically enrolled into O2 Travel Inclusive Zone, which means you can roam in 75 destinations without paying anything extra.

O2 mobile phone deals

Looking for a cheap pay monthly deal rather than SIM only? Good news, O2 has all the latest handsets on a range of affordable price plans. Here’s a look at what you can get:

Other networks

If you’d like to see what else is on offer across the market, then there are a host of SIM only deals available from other top UK networks. All of the following brands offer cheap SIM only deals to compare:

FAQs

Will I need to sign a contract?

You’ll have to sign a contract if you choose a long term SIM only deal. But O2 also offers rolling monthly SIM only plans which can be cancelled at any time, so no contracts are required.

Does O2 only do 36 month contracts?

No, O2 offers a range of contract options, 36 is usually the longest of the bunch, but you can sign up for 12 months and 24 months too when you choose your O2 SIM only deal.

Is O2 connected with Virgin Media?

Yes, O2 and Virgin Media merged in 2021. This a big plus point for Virgin customers as it means they now benefit from being on O2’s extensive UK coverage.

Catherine Hiley

Catherine is an experienced senior editor and telecoms expert, working for Look After My Bills at Future. Before joining the team, she spent seven years at Uswitch.com, where she headed up the telecoms content team, which covered mobiles, SIMs, broadband, TV, tech and gaming. While there, she managed a successful editorial team and wrote everything from deals roundups, lighthearted listicles and product reviews to in-depth how-to guides and interviews with industry experts. As part of her role, Catherine is a successful spokesperson who is often quoted in national news publications, including The Guardian, The Metro, The Sun, The Independent and The BBC.She’s also done plenty of regional TV and radio interviews and is always on-hand to give a quote about the latest iPhone, broadband price rises or anything in between. Catherine has a Master’s degree in English and is passionate about using content to help consumers save money. When Catherine’s not testing out the latest gadgets, writing guides or hunting down the best deals, she’s usually playing with her cats, listening to loud rock music or planning her next Disney holiday.

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