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Order a Free UK SIM Card
Compare GiffGaff and Lebara

Order a free SIM card from GiffGaff (O2 network) or Lebara (Vodafone network) — no contract, free delivery, plans from £5–£6 a month versus £20–£45+ on many big-network contracts. Both include 5G and EU roaming within fair-use limits.

Written and checked by Brad, who tracks UK SIM-only deals for OrderSimCard. Prices verified against giffgaff.com and lebara.co.uk on 9 November 2026.

What You Get Through Our Links

£5 Extra Credit
giffgaff adds £5 when you activate and top up £10 (their standard member offer)
Free SIM
Free UK delivery from both providers — you only pay for the plan you choose
Keep Your Number
Free PAC transfer, usually within one working day

Plans checked against giffgaff.com and lebara.co.uk on 9 November 2026.

Free UK delivery · No contract · Keep your number · We earn a commission, you pay nothing extra

Independent ratings on Trustpilot: Lebara 4.8/5 "Excellent" (85,000+ reviews) · giffgaff 3.6/5 (31,000+ reviews). Scores checked 9 November 2026.

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5G Coverage

Included on both networks at no extra cost

EU Roaming Included

Free within fair-use limits: up to 5GB on giffgaff, up to 30GB on Lebara

No Contract

Complete flexibility, no commitment required

Quick answer: How do I order a free SIM card in the UK?

To order a free SIM card in the UK, pick a network — GiffGaff (O2) or Lebara (Vodafone) — enter your delivery address on their site, and the SIM arrives free within days with no credit check, contract or payment details. GiffGaff adds £5 bonus credit when you activate and top up £10; both networks include 5G and EU-zone roaming.

Last updated: 9 November 2026. Prices verified against giffgaff.com and lebara.co.uk.

How to Order Your Free SIM Card in 3 Easy Steps

Ordering a free SIM card online takes less than 2 minutes - no credit check, no contract, no payment details needed. Order free SIM cards from both companies and compare them side by side before you commit.

1

Choose Your Network

Pick GiffGaff for the O2 network or Lebara for Vodafone. Both are established UK providers with ~99% population coverage, 5G and EU-zone roaming.

2

Order Your Free SIM

Click through to the official GiffGaff or Lebara site and enter your address. Your SIM card is completely free with free UK delivery in 3-5 working days.

3

Activate & Save

Pop the SIM in your unlocked phone, choose a plan — giffgaff from £6/month, Lebara from £5/month — or top up as you go. Keep your old number with a free PAC code transfer.

Why Choose a Free UK SIM Card?

No-contract plans on the UK's biggest networks, from £5–£6 a month. Many big-network contracts run £20–£45+ — check your current bill to see your own saving.

Stay in Control of Your Spending

With pay-as-you-go SIM cards from GiffGaff and Lebara, you're always in control. No surprise bills, no long-term contracts. Top up when you want, use what you need. Plans start from £5-£6/month — well below the cost of most big-network contracts.

Stay Connected on Premium Networks

Choose GiffGaff and you're on the O2 network. Select Lebara and you're on the Vodafone network. Both options give you the same 4G and 5G infrastructure as the parent networks, at SIM-only prices. Check coverage in your area before ordering.

5G Included at No Extra Cost

Both GiffGaff and Lebara include 5G access on their plans where coverage and your phone allow it. EU-zone roaming is included too: giffgaff lets you use up to 5GB of your allowance in the EU, and Lebara includes EU and India roaming up to a fair-use limit.

GiffGaff vs Lebara: Compare UK SIM Only Deals

Both run on major UK networks and cost far less than the big networks' own contracts. Choose the one that fits your needs best.

Feature GiffGaff Lebara
Network Coverage
O2 Network
Vodafone
5G Access
EU Roaming
No Contract
Pay As You Go
Free SIM Delivery
Plans From £6/month (2GB rolling, or 1GB PAYG) £5/month (intro deals often under £2/mo for first 3-4 months)
Example: £10/month 20GB (monthly rolling) 30GB + 100 international minutes
Unlimited UK Calls & Texts On all plans On most plans
EU Roaming Limit Up to 5GB of your allowance in the EU EU & India roaming — full allowance on most plans; 30GB cap on unlimited
International Calls Charged per call from credit 100+ international minutes included on many plans
eSIM Available on compatible phones from both providers
Trustpilot Rating 3.6/5 (31,000+ reviews) 4.8/5 "Excellent" (85,000+ reviews)
Best For O2 coverage, community support, flexibility Cheapest prices, international calls
Get free GiffGaff SIM Get free Lebara SIM

Prices, allowances and Trustpilot scores checked against giffgaff.com, lebara.co.uk and trustpilot.com on 9 November 2026. Offers change — the provider's checkout price always applies.

How we check this page

Brad reads each provider's published plans and terms on giffgaff.com and lebara.co.uk and re-checks them regularly — most recently on 9 November 2026. Customer ratings come from each provider's public Trustpilot profile. We only compare providers we can verify directly. Offers change, so the provider's checkout price always applies.

Why SIM-Only Plans Cost Less

GiffGaff and Lebara are MVNOs — mobile virtual network operators. They buy network capacity in bulk from the big UK networks and resell it at lower prices: giffgaff runs on O2 (99% UK population coverage on 4G, per O2) and Lebara runs on Vodafone (~98%, per Vodafone, now sharing infrastructure with Three). Same towers, same 4G and 5G — without the big-network price tag or a 24-month contract.

  • Lower prices: SIM-only plans on this page cost £5–£15/month; many big-network contracts run £20–£45+. Check your current bill to see your own saving.
  • No long-term contract: month-to-month rolling plans, no credit check.
  • Keep your number: free PAC transfer, usually within one working day.
  • Same infrastructure: the only differences are price, plan design and customer service.

Check signal at your postcode on Ofcom's coverage checker or the O2 and Vodafone coverage maps before ordering. For more detail, read our giffgaff review, Lebara review and head-to-head comparison.

Latest UK SIM Card Articles

Read money-saving guides, compare free SIM card options, then come back here to order the best SIM for your calls, data and budget.

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Compare free GiffGaff and Lebara SIM cards, then order the best no-contract SIM deal for your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions About UK SIM Cards

Everything you need to know about getting your free GiffGaff or Lebara SIM card

Both GiffGaff and Lebara offer completely free SIM cards with free delivery to your door. You only pay for the credit or bundles you choose to use. There are no hidden fees, no activation charges, and no contract obligations.
GiffGaff uses the O2 network and Lebara operates on the Vodafone network — two of the UK's four mobile networks. Both offer 4G and 5G connectivity where available.
As long as your phone is unlocked, you can use it with either GiffGaff or Lebara SIM cards. Most modern phones bought directly from manufacturers or certain retailers are already unlocked. If your phone is locked to a specific network, you can usually request an unlock from your current provider for free.
Both providers include EU-zone roaming at no extra cost, within fair-use limits. GiffGaff lets you use up to 5GB of your allowance in the EU zone. Lebara includes EU and India roaming with a fair-use limit of up to 30GB depending on your plan. Check each provider's roaming page for the current limits.
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) SIM cards give you complete control over your mobile spending. You add credit to your account when you want it, and only pay for what you use. There are no monthly contracts or commitments. Both GiffGaff and Lebara offer flexible bundles that you can purchase monthly, or you can simply top up and pay for individual calls, texts, and data as you need them.
Both GiffGaff and Lebara allow you to keep your existing UK mobile number through a simple PAC code transfer process. You can request a PAC code from your current provider by texting 'PAC' to 65075 for free. Once you have your new SIM card, you can arrange the number transfer, which typically completes within one working day.
Both GiffGaff and Lebara offer 5G access on their networks at no extra cost, provided you have a 5G-capable phone and are in an area with 5G coverage.
Delivery of your free SIM card typically takes 3-5 working days to anywhere in the UK. Both providers offer free standard delivery. Once you receive your SIM card, activation is quick and easy - you can usually be up and running within minutes of inserting the SIM into your phone.

Get Your Free UK SIM Card Today

Order a free SIM card today — no contract, no commitment, and plans from £5–£6 a month versus £20–£45+ on many big-network contracts. Check your current bill to see your own saving.

Free delivery • No contract • Keep your number • 5G included • EU roaming within fair-use limits