Last Updated: 10th November 2025, 18:44
Mobile phone service costs have fluctuated significantly over the years, mainly due to prices being inflation-linked and therefore unpredictable. What most users will now see is a new era of clearer, yet steeper, fixed annual price hikes.
Like other networks that adopted mid-contract price increases, Three display mid-contract price increases in pounds and pence. Effective from November 9, 2025, Three has introduced higher fixed-rate increases for all new and upgrading customers. However, customers won't feel the first impact of this change until April 2026.
Following on from Three’s initial price increase structure they have opted to keep price increases based on the amount of data included in a given price plan.
From Fairer Fixes to Higher Costs
Three UK's policy change is notable because, before its merger with Vodafone, the operator had adopted a comparatively mild approach to mid-contract hikes. Their existing policy advised customers that their monthly charge would increase by a fixed amount each April, based on their data allowance. For example, this meant that customers with plans of 4GB or less faced a £1.00 increase, while those with plans of 100 GB or more saw a £1.50 rise.
The incoming changes, applicable to contracts signed or upgraded on or after November 9, 2025, represent a price increase across all plan categories based on data included.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of the old annual fixed increases versus the new policy for affected customers:
A key point to note is that this new policy does not take effect immediately upon signing a new contract; instead, the first fixed increase under these new rates will be applied in April 2026 and will be applied annually going forward.
Offering Protection for Existing Customers
One thing that sets Three UK apart from some of its competitors is the scope of this policy change. The new flat-rate hikes will not be imposed on existing customers who remain on their current plans. This offers a welcome level of protection to those already signed up with Three, preventing unexpected mid-contract changes.
The new pricing policy applies strictly to people who either join Three UK as new customers or choose to upgrade and re-contract after the November 9, 2025, cut-off date. Anyone opting to refresh their plan or hardware will, of course, be subject to the new, higher fixed increase terms for the duration of their latest contract.
Three's move is a necessary realignment within a shifting regulatory landscape. While these changes offer future customers guaranteed transparency in the form of a fixed annual cost, that cost is now higher than previous commitments. For consumers entering the market for the first time or looking to upgrade, factoring in these new, higher fixed charges will be an essential part of the decision-making process.
