Smartphone tariffs can be expensive, but with pay as you go packs (also known as bundles) available from as little as £10 on EE they don’t have to be, and they become even better value over time, as you can unlock ‘Data Boosts’.
So if you’re looking to save or have the flexibility of not being locked into a contract then one of these could be for you, and we’ve got all the details of prices, tariffs, and terms.
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What packs are available and how much do they cost?
EE used to split its pay as you go packs into different categories, but now it has simplified its range by offering just one set of packs, and it has put the focus on data – since that’s what most people most rely on these days.
But that’s not to say minutes and texts have been neglected. In fact, all but one of its packs at the time of writing have unlimited minutes and they all have unlimited texts.
All packs also last 30 days and at the time of writing offer 4G data.
Pack |
Data |
Minutes |
Texts |
---|---|---|---|
£10 Pack |
20GB |
500 |
Unlimited |
£15 Pack |
50GB |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
£20 Pack |
100GB |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
£30 Pack |
125GB |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
£35 Pack |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
As you can see, there are five different EE Pay As You Go packs available. They all last for 30 days, and all come with 4G data (offering maximum speeds of 25Mbps). The cheapest costs £10 and gives you 500 minutes, 20GB of data, and unlimited texts.
That’s not a bad set of allowances, assuming you don’t make a lot of calls. But if you do, or you’re a heavy data user, then you’ll want to move up to one of the pricier packs, all of which give you unlimited minutes and texts, along with upwards of 50GB of data.
The £10 pack will probably be fine for most users, assuming you can make use of Wi-Fi a lot of the time. If not, then the £15 or £20 pack will likely suit, with the £30 and £35 packs being great options for very heavy data users.
Note that while the data amounts above are accurate at the time of writing, in some cases these are boosted from EE’s standard data limits – previously, the £10 pack came with 8GB of data, the £15 one came with 25GB, and the £20 came with 50GB, and it’s possible that EE will revert to these allowances at some point.
What other benefits do they have?
One big benefit of EE’s pay as you go packs is that they get better over time, with free data boosts added every two months.
These ‘Data Boosts’ give you 500MB of extra data every two packs you purchase, and a total of six such boosts can be accrued, so that’s a year of free data boosts.
EE’s packs also include data rollover, so if you don’t use all of your data one month it will roll over to the next one, giving you a second chance to use it (assuming you buy another pack). Note that data only rolls over once, and that data from boosts won’t roll over.
These packs also come with free and seamless access to over 150,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the UK, and if you set the pack to automatically renew you can get 10% off the monthly price.
Plus, you get access to both Wi-Fi Calling and 4G Calling.
How do I buy a pack?
When you buy a new phone outright from EE or get a new SIM card from EE, you’ll have the option to pick one of the packs, but if you’re an existing customer (and aren’t currently tied into a contract) you can grab a pack by logging in to the ‘My EE’ section of EE’s site or via the My EE app.
You’ll find EE’s Pay As You Go packs under the ‘Set Up Direct Card Payments’ option.
You can also text ALL PACKS to 150 for information on available packs, or to buy a specific one text PACK10 for the £10 one, PACK15 for the £15 one, PACK20 for the £20 one, or PACK30 for the £30 one.
Once you’ve bought a pack a new one will automatically be added to your account every 30 days and the cost of the pack will be taken from your credit. If you don’t have enough credit for a pack then EE will let you know, and you can either top up to continue benefitting or just switch to spending your remaining credit directly on calls and texts (with data being limited to packs).
Do I need to buy a pack if I’m on pay as you go?
No, you can spend your credit directly if you’d prefer, though you’ll need either a pack or an add-on to use data, and in most cases, packs present better value than paying directly for calls and texts. For reference, EE charges 40p per minute and 20p per text at the time of writing.
What else do I need to know?
EE’s pay as you go packs have no contracts, so you can change or remove packs at any time.
EE’s pay as you go plans charge extra to access your allowances in the EU, with the cost at the time of writing being £2.50 for 24 hours or £10 for seven days.
To pay this charge and access your pack abroad, you should text ROAMEU1D to 150 for one day’s access or ROAMEU7D for seven days. If you don’t do this then you’ll instead be charged EE’s standard EU Roaming rates for calls and texts, which is 70p per minute and 30p per text, with data only available as an add-on.
Also, EE’s pay as you go packs don’t come with 5G, despite EE’s Pay Monthly and SIM Only plans coming with it.
- Related reading: Best Pay As You Go plans - All networks compared