Will I be charged if I go over my data allowance?

If you go over your data allowance, you may be charged for additional data, depending on the type of plan you have and the policy of your current network. You may be charged at an out of plan rate, or you won’t be charged at all, with data access cut off until the next billing cycle instead.

If you have a 1 month rolling SIM plan, typically you won’t be charged if you go over your data allowance. Unlike pay monthly contracts, 1 month rolling SIMs generally lack a formal agreement authorising the network to bill you for extra services beyond your standard monthly fee. If you go over your data allowance, data is usually cut off until the next billing cycle, unless you manually opt to purchase a one-off data add-on.

On the other hand, with pay monthly contracts, most networks will automatically charge you at an out of plan rate if you go over your data allowance. You will receive a warning text message when you reach 80% of your data allowance, followed by another when you reach 100%. Any additional charges will automatically be added to your bill.

However, there are a few exceptions. For example, EE will not let pay monthly customers go over their data allowances. This means you won’t automatically be charged for data, but data will stop working until the next billing cycle or you purchase a data add-on.

Since 1st October 2018, Ofcom rules state that networks must allow pay monthly customers to set a bill cap. This can be set as low as £0, ensuring you won’t be charged any extra other than your standard monthly bill.

Avoid going over your allowance

There are several ways in which you can avoid going over your data allowance.

Android and iOS both have built-in data usage monitors. You’ll be able to monitor how much data you use over a specified period, as well as see a breakdown of usage per app. In addition, you can also set up alerts and restrictions when you reach a specific amount of data. Third party apps are also available, which offer more advanced features and tools.

Most networks will send you a text message when you reach 80% of your data allowance. When you’re approaching your limit, use Wi-Fi if possible, and take advantage of public Wi-Fi when available. Any data used when connected to Wi-Fi will not be deducted from your allowance.

If you frequently find yourself going over your data allowance, you should probably switch to a different plan with more data. Data is cheaper than ever, so check out or SIM only and phone deals, to find yourself a plan which has more data but may actually cost less.

If you’re unsure of how much data you need, you can use our data usage calculator, which will give you a good estimation of how much data you need per month based on your usage patterns.

In addition, networks must allow customers to set a bill cap for their plan, in accordance with Ofcom rules introduced on 1st October 2018. You’ll be able to set a bill cap through your online account or your network’s app. If you don’t want to be charged any extra outside your standard plan, you can set your bill cap to £0.