giffgaff SIM Only Deals

Giffgaff offer the most flexible SIM Only plans in the UK, all at some of the cheapest prices around. There aren't many other networks that deliver better value for money.

With giffgaff, there are no contracts. Instead, you purchase a goodybag, which gives you a set amount of data. A goodbag lasts for 1 month, and you can purchase one whenever you like, including multiple goodybags in a single month. You can even setup a goodbag to recur automatically.

Goodybags can be cancelled or changed at any time you wish.

Can I get unlimited data with a giffgaff SIM?

Yes, giffgaff offer two different types of unlimited SIM deals.

You can get a golden goodybag unlimited SIM, which gives you unlimited data for £35 per month.

Alternatively, you can get an Always On goodybag for £25 per month. You will get 80GB data per month up to 5G speeds. After you have used 80GB data for the month, you can continue to download, however your download speeds will be reduced to 384kbps from 8am to midnight.

Can I use my giffgaff SIM abroad?

Despite Brexit, you can continue to roam for free within the EU with all giffgaff SIMs. You will be able to use your existing data, minutes and texts from your goodybag allowance at no additional cost, as if you were at home. If you don’t have an active goodybag, you will be charged at the same UK out of plan rate for the services you use.

When roaming in the EU, you can use no more than 20GB data per month, in accordance with giffgaff’s roaming fair usage policy.

For all other countries outside the EU, you won’t be able to use your goodybag allowance. Instead, you will be charged at separate out of plan rates.

For more information, see giffgaff roaming.

Can I get 5G with a giffgaff SIM?

Yes, 5G is available with all giffgaff SIMs at no additional cost, however you’ll need a 5G phone in order to receive 5G speeds.

As giffgaff is a subsidiary of O2, it uses the same 5G network as O2, which delivers the second fastest speeds in the UK.

giffgaff 5G is available in most major towns and cities, and is continuously expanding. Currently, giffgaff 5G includes the following 183 locations:

• Aberdeen
• Allesley
• Altrincham
• Ambleside
• Ashford
• Aughton
• Aylesbury
• Banbury
• Banstead
• Basildon
• Basingstoke
• Bedford
• Belfast
• Birkenhead
• Birmingham
• Birstall
• Blackburn
• Blackpool
• Blaydon
• Bolton
• Bournemouth
• Bradford
• Bridge of Don
• Brighton
• Bristol
• Bromborough
• Burton Upon Trent
• Bury St Edmunds
• Byfleet
• Calverley
• Cambridge
• Cardiff
• Chadwell St Mary
• Chatham
• Cheadle
• Chelmsford
• Cheltenham
• Chertsey
• Chertsey South
• Chesterfield
• Chilworth
• Chipstead
• Clacton-on-Sea
• Colchester
• Coventry
• Danderhall
• Darlington
• Dartford
• Derby
• Dewsbury
• Dinas Powis
• Doncaster
• Dudley
• Dundee
• Dunstable
• Durham
• Dyce
• Eastbourne
• Edinburgh
• Egham
• Epsom
• Esher
• Falmer
• Gateshead
• Gillingham
• Glasgow
• Gloucester
• Gravesend
• Grays
• Great Yarmouth
• Grimsby
• Guildford
• Halifax
• Harlington
• Harlow
• Hastings
• Hebburn
• Hemel Hempstead
• Hextable
• High Wycombe
• Horwich
• How Wood
• Huddersfield
• Hull
• Inverness
• Ipswich
• Iver Heath
• Jarrow
• Joyden’s Wood
• Kemprow
• Kettering
• Lancaster
• Leeds
• Leicester
• Lincoln
• Lisburn
• Liverpool
• Llandudno
• London
• Loughborough
• Lowestoft
• Luton
• Maidenhead
• Manchester
• Mansfield
• Middlesbrough
• Milton Keynes
• Molesey
• Monifieth
• Morley
• Musselburgh
• New Denham
• Newbury
• Newcastle Under Lyme
• Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Newtownabbey
• North Shields
• Northampton
• Norwich
• Nottingham
• Nuneaton
• Oldham
• Orpington
• Oxford
• Penarth
• Peterborough
• Plymouth
• Plympton
• Portsmouth
• Potters Bar
• Rainham
• Reading
• Redhill
• Richings Park
• Rochdale
• Rotherham
• Royal Leamington Spa
• Royal Tunbridge Wells
• Rugby
• Sheffield
• Shelf
• Shepperton Green
• Shinfield
• Shirehampton
• Slough
• South Shields
• Southampton
• Southend-On-Sea
• St Albans
• Staines
• Stapleford
• Stevenage
• Stockport
• Stockton
• Stoke-on-Trent
• Stranraer
• Sunbury
• Sunderland
• Swansea
• Swindon
• Tatling End
• Thornaby On Tess
• Thorpe
• Thundersley
• Trumps Green
• Tynemouth
• Virginia Water
• Wakefield
• Wallasey
• Waltham Abbey
• Warrington
• Washington
• Watford
• West Bromwich
• Whickham
• Whitley Bay
• Wickersley
• Windsor
• Wolverhampton
• Woodbine Close Park
• Worthing
• Wythenshawe
• York

Can I get a giffgaff SIM if I have a bad credit rating?

Yes, giffgaff SIMs are contract free, meaning they are ideal for those with bad credit ratings.

You pay for your goodybag (plan) per month, and you can cancel or change at any time. There are no long term contracts or legal obligations to keep paying for a goodybag.

Giffgaff 1 month SIMs

All giffgaff goodybags (plans) last for 1 month. If you run out of data, you can purchase multiple goodybags in a single month.

Giffgaff 1 month SIMs range from 1GB data to unlimited data.

You can upgrade, downgrade or cancel your goodybag whenever you like.

Do I need to unlock my phone to use a giffgaff SIM?

If you bought your phone from giffgaff, or it originally came with a giffgaff SIM, then you shouldn’t need to unlock your phone in order to use a giffgaff SIM.

Since December 2021, it is illegal for any network to sell a mobile phone that is locked to a specific network.

If you bought your phone before this date, it may be locked to your current network. If you’re unsure if your phone is unlocked, simply insert a SIM from a different network - if your phone is locked, an error message will be shown.

All providers must unlock your phone for free. You will need to contact your current network to do this. They will ask for your IMEI number, which you can obtain by dialling *#06# from your phone.

What size SIM cards can I get with giffgaff?

giffgaff offer all SIM cards sizes. You will be sent a standard SIM card size, which will have cutouts that can be broken down to a micro SIM or nano SIM.

1. Standard - the largest SIM card size, which is generally used with older non-smartphones. Newer phones are likely to use micro or nano SIMs.

2. Micro - Once considered a smaller replacement for standard SIMs, micro SIMs are less prevalent today, being replaced by the even smaller nano SIM. Older smartphones or budget phones may still use a micro SIM.

3. Nano - The smallest and most common SIM card size used in phones sold today. Used by the newer iPhones and Samsungs.

Can I switch from my current network to a giffgaff SIM?

Yes, it’s easy to switch to giffgaff. From your current network, text PAC to 65075 for free. You will receive a reply text within 5 minutes, which will contain your PAC code.

You will need to give this PAC code to giffgaff. You can do this at the time of purchase, or by contacting giffgaff after you have received your giffgaff SIM card.

After you have given your PAC code to giffgaff, they will begin the switch on your behalf, which normally takes 3 working days. Once the switch has completed, you will lose signal with your current network. When this happens, you can insert your giffgaff SIM to complete the switching process.

For more information, see transferring your phone number to a new network.

Does giffgaff have good coverage?

Giffgaff has the same excellent coverage as O2, with reachability for over 99% of the UK population. Giffgaff is a virtual network, and is a subsidiary of O2 UK.

In 2021, O2 were awarded Best Network for Reliability thanks to their excellent coverage.

Furthermore, giffgaff via O2 has one of the largest 5G networks, with coverage in 183 towns and cities across the UK. In order to benefit from 5G speeds with giffgaff, you’ll need a 5G phone.

To check the signal you can receive from your location, you can enter your postcode into giffgaff’s coverage checker. You will receive a breakdown of the type of signal you can receive (2G, 3G, 4G and 5G), and its strength.

Is giffgaff a fast network?

Giffgaff is a very fast network, and can deliver some of the fastest 5G speeds in the UK.

In OpenSignal’s September 2021 report, giffgaff via O2 was the second fastest 5G network, with average download speeds of 91.2 Mbps.

As for 4G, average download speeds clocked in at 17.1 Mbps, with average upload speeds of 5.4 Mbps.

As giffgaff is a subsidiary of O2, you can the same fast speeds from O2.

How reliable is giffgaff?

Giffgaff is a very reliable network, using the same infrastructure as O2, for minimal disruption and downtime.

Giffgaff’s most notable service disruption occurred 4 years ago on 6th December 2018. Thousands of customers reported disruption, and were unable to use their data, make calls and send texts. However, the issues were quickly addressed, with normal service resumed by the end of the day.

If you’re experiencing reliability issues with giffgaff, or you’re unable to receive a signal, enter your current location into the giffgaff signal checker. From here, you’ll be able to see if there is any planned maintenance taking place, or if other customers are experiencing connectivity issues. Giffgaff also provide a troubleshooting page for solutions if you’re experiencing connectivity issues.

Does giffgaff have good customer service?

As giffgaff is a budget network, some compromises have had to be made when it comes to customer service.

Giffgaff do not have any call centres. In order to get support, you are advised to search the help hub or use the community forum.

If you still need help, you can contact a giffgaff agent. Response times take up to 24 hours. Currently, there is no web chat help service.

Giffgaff goodybags

Giffgaff goodybags are essentially tariffs, and include different amounts of data. All giffgaff goodybags include unlimited minutes and texts, as well as 5G coverage.

There are no long term contracts. Instead, giffgaff goodybags last for 1 month, and can be set up to automatically repurchase each month.

If you run out of data before your goodybag expires, you can purchase another goodybag at any time you wish.

You can change your goodybag at any time. If you don’t require as much data, you can downgrade to a less expensive plan. Alternatively, you can pay more for a goodybag with more data, upto unlimited data.

As goodybags only last for 1 month, you can cancel them at any time. If you cancel a goodybag, any remaining allowances will last until the end of your billing cycle.

What’s the difference between a giffgaff golden goodybag and a normal goodybag?

With a normal goodybag, you can purchase one at any time you wish. If you run out of data, you can purchase multiple goodybags in a single month. You can pay for a goodybag via multiple payment methods, including card, PayPal, vouchers and giffgaff credit.

On the other hand, golden goodybags can only be purchased on a monthly recurring basis by credit or debit card. You can only pay for 1 each month, and you cannot manually purchase additional golden goodybags. If you run out of data for the month, you can still purchase a normal goodybag on top of your golden goodybag. You can change or cancel your golden goodybag at any time you wish.

Both normal goodybags and golden goodybags last for 1 month, and include unlimited minutes and texts. You can cancel or change them at any time.

Until recently, you could only get 5G with giffgaff by purchasing a golden goodybag. However, this has now changed, and 5G is included with all giffgaff goodybags at no additional cost.

Golden goodybags are more expensive and include more data.

FAQs