Which networks offer data rollover on Pay As You Go?

One of the best perks you can get from your network is data rollover, as this can help ensure you get better value from your mobile plan and that you aren’t paying for data you don’t use.

As the name suggests, it lets you roll over unused data from one month to the next. So if for example you have a 2GB allowance and only use 1GB, the next month you would have access to 3GB, thanks to your usual 2GB allowance being combined with the 1GB of leftover data.

However, on Pay As You Go there are only three networks that offer data rollover at the time of writing. Below we’ve highlighted which networks these are, and the exact terms and details of their data rollover offerings.

Vodafone

Vodafone offers a range of bundles on Pay As You Go, each of which comes with an allowance of data, plus unlimited minutes and texts, valid for 30 days.

If you purchase one of these (other than Pay As You Go Plus bundles) then any data that you don’t use from the bundle will be rolled over into the next 30 days. Technically any minutes and texts will too, but at the time of writing all the bundles have unlimited minutes and texts, so that doesn’t apply. In theory though it’s therefore not just data rollover, it’s what Vodafone calls ‘Total Rollover’.

The rolled over allowances only roll over once though, so if you don’t use them during the next 30 days you’ll lose them. You also won’t be eligible to roll over your allowances if you switch to a different bundle, renew your bundle early, or if your bundle doesn’t automatically renew by the end of day 30 (which could happen if you cancel or don’t have enough credit in your account).

Note that Vodafone also offers a Pay As You Go bundle with unlimited data, minutes and texts, but this doesn’t include rollover for obvious reasons.

Note also that Total Rollover only applies to standard Pay As You Go bundles, not to Vodafone’s Pay As You Go Plus plans.

EE

At the time of writing, EE offers data rollover with all of its 30-day Pay As You Go packs. As with Vodafone, your unused data is rolled over into the next month’s allowance so that you get a second chance to use it, but it’s only data that gets rolled over, not your minutes and texts.

Of course, as with Vodafone it only rolls over once, so you only have an extra 30 days to use it. To help you do that though, rolled over data will be used before any new data.

Note that data from add-ons and free boosts won’t be rolled over, and that you must buy a new pack within seven days of the expiry of the previous pack in order to qualify for data rollover.

O2

O2 offers a number of automatically renewing ‘Big Bundles’ on Pay As You Go. With these, any unused data will roll over from one bundle to the next, assuming your bundle automatically renews and does so on the same day as your previous bundle expires. If you switch to a different bundle though then the data won’t roll over.

O2 offers data rollover on any Big Bundle that costs £10 or more (which at the time of writing includes all the ones that come with a data allowance).

Conclusion

Looking purely at the data rollover aspect of these Pay As You Go plans, Vodafone has the edge because it offers 5G data on its priciest bundles. Vodafone in theory additionally stands out for letting you roll over minutes and texts as well as data, though in practice this doesn’t come into play with the plans available at the time of writing.

EE and O2 take joint second place, as they have a similar assortment of allowances as each other.

For a closer look at Pay As You Go in general, check out our best Pay As You Go plans guide.