SIM Only Mid-Contract Price Rises: What You Need to Know (2026)

Staying connected with a SIM-only plan is one of the most popular ways to keep mobile costs down in the UK. With no handset repayments and a choice of contract lengths, from 30-day rolling plans to 12 or 24-month contracts, SIM-only gives you flexibility and lower monthly costs. But one thing that catches many people out is mid-contract price rises, where your monthly bill increases before your minimum term has ended.

This guide explains which UK networks raise prices mid-contract, which ones do not, and what your options are if your bill goes up. It has been updated in April 2026 to reflect the price rises that have now taken effect.

Reviewed by: Phil Brown, founder of SIM Only Finder. Phil previously worked in UK mobile retail at Three UK, advising customers on SIM plans, contracts, and network choices. He has spent over a decade running consumer comparison platforms and reviews networks and SIM-only deals based on that hands-on industry background. About the author

Last reviewed: April 2026. Updated regularly to reflect current network pricing policies.

What are mid-contract price rises and why do they happen?

A mid-contract price rise is when your mobile network increases the cost of your monthly plan before your agreed minimum term has ended. Even if you signed up to a 12 or 24-month SIM-only contract at a set price, your bill can still go up part way through.

Networks justify these increases by pointing to inflation, rising operating costs, and contract terms that allow annual adjustments. Following an Ofcom ruling in January 2025, all price increases for new and upgrading customers must now be shown in pounds and pence rather than as a percentage, and must be clearly displayed at sign-up. This means if you joined a network recently, you should have been told exactly how much your price will rise each April before you signed up.

For SIM-only customers, this matters because price predictability is one of the main reasons people choose these plans in the first place.

Networks that do not raise prices mid-contract

The following networks either offer 30-day rolling plans where you can leave at any time, or have specifically committed to no mid-contract price rises on their longer contracts.

• 1pMobile: primarily offers 30-day and pay-as-you-go plans, so while traditional mid-contract rises do not apply, you would still be free to switch if prices changed.
• Asda Mobile: does not build price increases into its plans but does not rule them out entirely. You would receive 30 days notice of any change.
• Giffgaff: guarantees no price increases on its longer contracts during the initial term for customers who signed up by the end of 2025. Confirm current terms before signing up.
• Honest Mobile: takes the opposite approach and reduces prices by up to 5% each year, to a maximum of 30% reduction, the longer you stay with them.
• iD Mobile: currently promises no annual price rises on SIM-only plans across 30-day, 12-month, and 24-month contracts. Note this applies to SIM-only plans only, not handset contracts.
• Lebara: 12-month plans will not be subject to price increases during the minimum term, giving you a stable monthly cost for the duration of your contract.
• Lycamobile: has committed to a price freeze on its pay monthly plans for the rest of 2026, following a similar commitment in 2025. Lycamobile notes its SIM-only prices have not risen since the launch of its pay monthly products.
• Mozillion: states no mid-contract price increases across its 30-day, 12-month, and 24-month SIM-only plans.
• ParentShield: offers 30-day plans only, so you would be free to switch if prices changed.
• Smarty: offers 30-day rolling plans only, so you are not locked into a longer commitment.
• Spusu: has committed to no price rises in 2026, making this the third consecutive year spusu has frozen its prices. All spusu plans are 30-day rolling, so you would be free to switch regardless.
• Talkmobile: offers 30-day and 12-month SIM-only deals and has committed to no annual price increases on its current plans. Check current terms before signing up.
• Voxi: offers 30-day rolling plans only.

Networks that do raise prices mid-contract

Several major UK networks apply mid-contract price rises annually, typically in April. The April 2026 rises have now taken effect. Thanks to the Ofcom change in January 2025, new customers must be shown these increases in pounds and pence at sign-up. If you joined recently, check your contract for the exact figure.

EE: customers on SIM-only plans taken out on or after July 2025 will see a £2.50 per month increase from 31 March 2026. Customers on plans taken out between April 2024 and July 2025 face a £1.50 per month increase. Customers on older plans will see an increase of CPI plus 3.9%, based on the December CPI figure published in January each year. The December 2025 CPI figure was 3.4%, giving a total increase of 7.3% for older plans in April 2026.

O2: customers are seeing increases of up to £2.50 per month from April 2026, which is higher than originally signalled and has been criticised for going against the spirit of Ofcom's ruling. See our article on O2's April 2026 price rise for more detail.

Sky Mobile: raised prices by £1.50 per month from 14 February 2026 for the majority of customers. This was the first time Sky had raised prices for in-contract customers in over seven years. Customers were given a 30-day window from the date of their notification to cancel without penalty. Notifications went out from 6 January 2026 and that exit window has now closed. Customers still within contract on Sky Mobile cannot exit penalty-free at this point and will need to wait until their minimum term ends to switch.

Tesco Mobile: non-Clubcard price plans increase each April. The amount is displayed in pounds and pence at sign-up. Clubcard Price deals are frozen for the duration of the minimum contract term.

Three: customers who signed up after November 2025 will see fixed increases from April 2026 based on their data allowance: £1.80 per month for plans of 4GB or below, £1.90 per month for plans between 5GB and 99GB, and £2.30 per month for plans of 100GB and above. Customers on contracts taken out between November 2022 and September 2024 are being moved from CPI-linked rises to the new pounds-and-pence system from April 2026. Customers on older contracts face an increase of CPI plus 3.9%, which for April 2026 is based on the December 2025 CPI rate of 3.4%, giving a total increase of 7.3%. See our article on Three's revised price hike policy for more detail.

Vodafone: customers who joined on or after November 2024 face a fixed increase of £1.50 per month on Basics SIM-only plans, or £2.50 per month on other SIM-only plans, each April. Customers on older inflation-linked contracts face a 7.3% increase for April 2026, based on the December 2025 CPI rate of 3.4% plus Vodafone's additional 3.9%. See our article on Vodafone's annual price increases for more detail.

How the timing works

For most networks, price rises take effect in April each year. The exact amount depends on when you signed up and which network you are on. Networks are required to notify you in advance, usually by text or email, before any increase takes effect.

If you signed up before January 2025, you may be on an older inflation-linked contract where the increase is calculated as CPI plus a fixed percentage. The December 2025 CPI figure was 3.4%, so networks applying this formula are increasing prices by 7.3% in April 2026. If you signed up more recently, you should have been shown a specific pound-and-pence figure at the time of purchase.

If your contract is still within its minimum term, you will generally not be able to leave without paying an early exit fee, even if your price has gone up. Sky Mobile is the exception to this, but the exit window for the February 2026 rise has now closed.

What can you do if your price goes up?

If you are on a 30-day rolling plan, you can switch at any time with no exit fee. Text PAC to 65075 to keep your number and move to a cheaper plan. Our 30-day SIM-only deals page shows current options sorted by price.

If you are mid-contract on a 12 or 24-month plan, check whether your provider's terms give you the right to leave if a price rise is applied. If not, compare the cost of staying versus paying an exit fee and switching to a better deal. For many people, particularly those close to the end of their contract, staying put and switching at renewal is the most straightforward option.

If you want to avoid mid-contract rises entirely on your next plan, look at networks that have committed to price freezes, or choose a 30-day rolling plan that keeps you flexible. Our no credit check SIM-only deals page includes several price-freeze networks if that is also a consideration.

FAQs

What counts as a mid-contract price rise?

A mid-contract price rise happens when you are still within your agreed minimum term and your monthly charge goes up even though you have not changed or upgraded your plan. It is a price increase during your fixed commitment period.

Does a price rise mean I can cancel without penalty?

Not automatically. Most networks include the right to apply annual price rises in their terms and conditions, which you agree to at sign-up. This means a rise alone does not usually give you the right to leave without paying exit fees. Sky Mobile is an exception, as it triggers a 30-day penalty-free exit window when it applies a price rise — but the window for the February 2026 rise has now closed.

If I am on a 30-day rolling SIM-only plan, am I protected?

You are more flexible but not fully immune. A 30-day plan means you are never locked into a long minimum term, so you can switch whenever you like. However, your provider can still increase your monthly price with notice. The key advantage is that you can leave quickly if you are unhappy with a price change, without paying any exit fees.

Why do networks raise prices every April?

Most UK networks apply annual price adjustments in April, timed to align with inflation figures published earlier in the year. Networks cite rising infrastructure costs, network investment, and operating expenses as justification. Since the Ofcom ruling in January 2025, newer customers must be told exactly how much their price will rise before they sign up, which makes it easier to factor in the true long-term cost of a plan.

Editorial policy

This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current network pricing policies. Network terms change frequently, particularly around April each year when most providers apply annual increases. Always check the current terms with your network before signing up.