EE SIM Only Deals

- Can I get unlimited data with a EE SIM?
- Can I use my EE SIM abroad?
- Can I get 5G with a EE SIM?
- Can I get an EE SIM if I have a bad credit rating?
- EE 30 day SIMs
- Do I need to unlock my phone to use an EE SIM?
- What size SIM cards can I get with EE?
- Can I switch from my current network to a EE SIM?
- Does EE have good coverage?
- Is EE a fast network?
- How reliable is EE?
- Does EE have good customer service?
- EE Smart Benefits
- EE add-ons
- EE Plans
- FAQs
Can I get unlimited data with a EE SIM?
Yes, unlimited data with a EE SIM is available for 1 month (30 days), 12 month and 24 month contracts.
However, in accordance with the fair usage policy, you cannot use more than 600GB per month, as this is considered non-personal use. Furthermore, you cannot use more than 50GB per month when roaming internationally.
Can I use my EE SIM abroad?
You can roam in most countries with a EE SIM, however from 3rd March 2022, you may not be able to use your allowance for free within the EU.
If you have a EE SIM plan that allows you to select a free EE Smart Benefit, you can pick the Roam Abroad add-on, which will allow you to use your allowance for free within the EU, as if you were at home.
If you don't have access to EE Smart Benefits, or you have chosen a different Smart Benefit, you can either pay for the Roam Abroad add-on at £2 per day (charged automatically) or pay £10 per month (text ROAM ABROAD to 150).
For more information, see EE roaming.
Can I get 5G with a EE SIM?
Yes, all EE SIMs support 5G. However, you’ll need a 5G phone in order to enjoy the faster speeds.
You can check if you will receive 5G from your location by entering your postcode at EE’s coverage checker.
Currently, EE do not have any 5G agreements abroad, meaning you won’t be able to receive a 5G signal when roaming in another country, including within the EU.
EE has 5G in 160 towns and cities across the UK. Unlike other networks, EE only discloses these locations if the population is at least 10,000, meaning there are likely to be more than 160 5G locations.
- Aberdeen
- Aldershot
- Aldridge
- Alexandria
- Altrincham
- Ashford
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Aylesbury
- Ayr
- Barnsley
- Barrhead
- Bath
- Belfast
- Belshill
- Biggleswade
- Birkenhead
- Birmingham
- Blackburn
- Blackpool
- Bolton
- Borehamwood
- Bransholme
- Brentwood
- Brighton
- Bristol
- Burton-upon-Trent
- Bury
- Cannock
- Cardiff
- Castleford
- Castlereagh
- Chatham
- Chelmsford
- Cheshunt
- Chester
- Chester-le-Street
- Chesterfield
- Chorley
- Clevedon
- Clifton (Notts)
- Clydebank
- Colchester
- Coventry
- Crawley
- Cumbernauld
- Dartford
- Dinnington
- Doncaster
- Dudley
- Dundee
- Edinburgh
- Epsom
- Exeter
- Gillingham
- Glasgow
- Grantham
- Gravesend
- Grays
- Grimsby
- Guildford
- Halifax
- Hamilton
- Harlow
- Harrogate
- Hoddesdon
- Huddersfield
- Hull
- Ilkeston
- Inchinnan
- Ipswich
- Jarrow
- Kimberley
- Kingston-upon-Thames
- Leamington Spa
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Lichfield
- Lincoln
- Lisburn
- Liverpool
- London
- Loughborough
- Loughton
- Maidstone
- Manchester
- Middlesbrough
- Milnrow
- Milton Keynes
- Minster
- Mirfield
- Motherwell
- Neath
- Newcastle
- Newton-le-Willows
- North Shields
- Northampton
- Norwich
- Nottingham
- Nuneaton
- Oldham
- Oxford
- Paignton
- Paisley
- Plymouth
- Pontefract
- Poole
- Porthcawl
- Portishead
- Portsmouth
- Potters Bar
- Rickmansworth
- Rochdale
- Rochester
- Romford
- Rotherham
- Rugeley (West Midlands)
- Runcorn
- Salford
- Sheffield
- Shipley
- Solihull
- South Shields
- Southend-on-Sea
- Southport
- St Albans
- Stafford
- Staines-upon-Thames
- Stevenage
- Stirling
- Stockport
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Stratford-upon-Avon
- Sunbury-on-Thames
- Sunderland
- Sutton Coldfield
- Swadlincote
- Swansea
- Swindon
- Swinton
- Sydenham
- Tamworth
- Wakefield
- Walsall
- Waltham Abbey
- Waltham Cross
- Walton-on-Thames
- Warwick
- Washington
- Watford
- West Bromwich
- Westhoughton
- Weston-Super-Mare
- Weybridge
- Wickford
- Widnes
- Wigan
- Wolverhampton
- Worcester
- York
Can I get an EE SIM if I have a bad credit rating?
If you have a bad credit rating, you may struggle to be accepted for a long term contract with EE, such as a 12 month or 24 month contract. However, you should be eligible for a EE 1 month SIM Only plan. 1 month plans are generally more expensive when compared to longer term contracts, so you will have to pay a slight premium.
EE 30 day SIMs
If you don’t want to be tied to a long contract, EE offer 1 month (30 day) rolling SIM contracts.
All EE 30 day SIMs come with unlimited minutes and texts, with data ranging from 1GB to unlimited.
You can cancel an EE 1 month SIM at any time you want. You can also change your plan to a lower or higher cost tariff whenever you like.
Do I need to unlock my phone to use an EE SIM?
If you bought your phone from EE, or it originally came with an EE SIM, then you shouldn’t need to unlock your phone in order to use an EE 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 dialing *#06# from your phone.
What size SIM cards can I get with EE?
EE offers all SIM cards sizes, including eSIMs. You will be sent a standard SIM card size, which will have cutouts to be broken down to a micro SIM or nano SIM. You can request a eSIM from EE if you have a phone which supports the technology.
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Standard - the largest SIM card size, which is generally used with older non-smartphones. Newer phones are likely to use micro or nano SIMs.
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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.
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Nano - The smallest and most common SIM card size used in phones sold today. Used by the newer iPhones and Samsungs.
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eSIM - A digital SIM card. eSIMs are still a new technology, and are not commonly used in the UK right now. However, EE do offer eSIMs for newer phones which support it, such as the Apple iPhone 15.
Can I switch from my current network to a EE SIM?
Yes, it’s easy to switch to EE. 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 EE. You can do this at the time of purchase, or by contacting EE after you have received your EE SIM card.
After you have given your PAC code to EE, they will begin the switch or 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 EE SIM to complete the switching process.
For more information, see transferring your phone number to a new network.
Does EE have good coverage?
As the largest network in the UK, EE is consistently ranked the number one network for best coverage. EE have the most 4G and 5G locations across the country, and has been ranked first for 5G coverage 7 years in a row.
According to Ofcom, EE have the largest 4G geographic coverage at 85%, which is capable of reaching 99% of the population. Furthermore, EE added 4G to an extra 500 locations in the past year, and plan to upgrade their existing spectrum for better indoor reception.
EE claims to be the best network for 5G, with more phone masts than any other network. This equates to around 50% reachability of the population, and is continuously growing, with new locations always being added to the network.
You can use the EE coverage checker tool to see the signal you will receive from your postcode.
Is EE a fast network?
EE is the fastest network in the UK, and has been independently verified by multiple reports.
According to Opensignal’s recent report, EE is ranked first for a number of speed based metrics, including download speed and 4G / 5G availability.
The average download speed is 44 Mbps, which is almost double the competition, with Three in second place at 25.2 Mbps. Average upload speed is 9.8 Mbps, which also ranks first.
EE is also has the fastest 5G speeds, with an average 109.5 Mbps download speed and 12.5 Mbps upload speed.
How reliable is EE?
With the largest number of phone masts in the UK, EE is a very reliable network. Even if the nearest phone mast is suffering from an outage, there is likely to be another one close by, which your phone will automatically connect to.
The recent and most noteworthy EE outage occurred in early October 2021, where many people had issues with connectivity and signal reach. However, the outage was quickly resolved, with many customers not even aware of the outage.
Does EE have good customer service?
EE has great customer service, which is something you would expect from one of the most expensive networks in the UK.
All of EE’s call centres are within the UK and Ireland. They do not have call centres in other locations abroad.
EE’s help centres are open 7 days a week, from 8am to 10:30pm.
You can contact EE by phone for free:
- 150 from an EE mobile
- 0800 079 8586 from an EE landline
- 0800 956 6000 from all other numbers
They also have a live chat service, which you can access from their website.
If you have the EE app on your phone, you can talk to them directly from the app. The EE app is available for Android and iPhone.
In Ofcom’s September 2021 report, EE received an average of 1 complaint per 100,000 customers, which is joint lowest with Tesco Mobile.
EE Smart Benefits
With EE Smart Benefits, you can choose an extra perk at no additional cost, ranging from music to video games.
EE Smart Benefits are available with Smart, Full Works and All Rounder plans. These plans are available for phone contracts and SIM only contracts.
- Apple Music
- BT Sport
- Entertainment Data Pass
- Microsoft 365 Personal
- Netflix
- Roam Abroad Pass
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
You can change your EE Smart Benefit every 30 days.
To choose your EE Smart Benefit, text PICK to 150, or use the EE app.
You can only have one free Smart Benefit at a time. You can purchase an additional Smart Benefit as an EE add-on.
EE add-ons
If you’ve run out of allowances, or you’d like to purchase an additional Smart Benefit, you can purchase an EE add-on.
Depending on the type of add-on, they can either last for 7 days or 30 days. You can buy the same add-on multiple times if you run out of the add-on allowance within this period.
You can purchase an add-on by either logging on to My EE, using the EE app, sending a text or by calling 150 from your EE mobile.
Add-on | Text | |
---|---|---|
200 mins / month to numbers beginning with 084 or 08 | Text 08MINS200 to 150 | |
100 photo messages (UK) | Text 100MMS to 150 | |
200 photo messages (UK) | Text 200MMS to 150 | |
Use your allowance roaming in the EU | Text RO followed by the country name to 150 (example RO SPAIN) |
EE Plans
On 17 August 2022, EE revamped their existing plans and introduced additional benefits.
Essentials plan
The new entry-level Essentials plan will be available from 17 August 2022, for SIM only, phones and connected devices. They will be the cheapest plans offered by EE.
As the cheapest plans offered by EE, they will have a 100Mbps speed limit. However, this is the approximate average speed you can expect from 5G with EE, so it shouldn’t be noticeable in most situations.
Essentials plans range from 1GB to unlimited data. They also include 6 month trials for Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and Apple News+, which is worth around £170.
All Rounder plan
Unlike the Essentials plan, the All Round plan doesn’t have a speed limit, for full 5G speeds up to 1Gbps. They don’t include any free trials for Apple services, however they do come with a single Smart Benefit, which is worth £15 per month.
Full Works plan
Full Works Plan includes 3 Smart Benefits and no speed restrictions. You don’t get an Apple One subscription, however you can use one of your Smart Benefits towards Apple Music.
FAQs
Can I get 5G with a EE SIM?
Yes, 5G is available with all EE SIMs at no additional cost. However, you'll need a 5G phone in order to receive a 5G signal.
Where can I find the best EE SIM Only deals?
You can use our comparison tool to find the cheapest EE SIM deals.
Can I roam for free in the EU with a EE SIM?
It depends on the EE SIM plan you have. From 3rd March 2022, you may not be able to use your allowance for free within the EU.
If you have a plan that allows you to select a free EE Smart Benefit, you can pick the Roam Abroad add-on, which will allow you to use your allowance for free within the EU, as if you were at home.
If you don't have access to EE Smart Benefits, or you have chosen a different Smart Benefit, you can either pay for the Roam Abroad add-on at £2 per day (charged automatically) or pay £10 per month (text ROAM ABROAD to 150).
For more information, see EE roaming.
How fast is EE?
EE is the fastest network in the UK, and is consistency ranked first is a number or metrics and awards.
According to Opensignal’s recent report, EE is ranked first for a number of speed based metrics, including download speed and 4G / 5G availability.
The average download speed is 44 Mbps, which is almost double the competition, with Three in second place at 25.2 Mbps. Average upload speed is 9.8 Mbps, which also ranks first.
EE is also has the fastest 5G speeds, with an average 109.5 Mbps download speed and 12.5 Mbps upload speed.