Finding the best Pay As You Go SIM card plan

The decision whether to stick to an operator for long with a subscription plan or keep the exit door open by topping up is very subjective. Most often, however, the latter choose people willing to test the quality of a network: its download speed, video and music streaming capabilities, the quality of inter- and intra-network calls... It is also a good solution for owners of phones with two or three SIMs who are smart enough to use the cheap-to-free offers for calls within the network.

If either description is about you, then start your search for a Pay As You Go SIM card plan. What should you not omit to ensure you get the best plan?

Pay As You Go Phones or SIM Only

Most providers will offer you to choose between paying just for the minutes, texts and data within the plan and paying for that along with the price of a phone or a tablet. It is up to you to decide whether you need a new phone or would suffice with your favourite long-timer.

Comparing the rates

Finding the best offer is tantamount to finding the cheapest rate for the same quality; hence, never be lazy to check the payg tariff rates across the board. It is recommendable that you make a distinction between the rates of minutes, texts and data within and outside the Pay As You Go plans.

The ones within the plans are not so straightforward to compare because of the free allowances they contain. In this case, it is best to compare the prices for plans matching accurately your consumption. For example, see what's the pay for 500 minutes, unlimited texts and 4 GB of Internet. As for the rates outside the plans, it is best that you find independent rate comparison websites which continually update their information.

Networks

At O2, you can have both types of Pay As You Go plans and many ways to top up. The range includes topping up online, from a cash machine, by phone, in a bank, from Facebook. You are also allowed to top up automatically if you are sure to know when your SIM card funds will run low.

Vodafone has attractive offers for Pay As You Go plans with very low phone prices attached, ones containing very popular phones included. Promos run for a limited period so hurry to take your phone and enjoy the freedom of quitting at any moment with a new phone.

Virgin Mobile allows you to see the tariffs outright. Generally, you will be asked to pay £10 or £15 for unlimited data and either more minutes of calls or more free texts. The tariffs for a minute of calls outside the plan costs 26p.