What Are the Best Sim Only Deals in Ireland?

By David Tait

Editorial Manager

SIM only deals are a great way of saving money when it comes to your mobile contracts. Rather than taking out a whole contract with a phone included for a hefty monthly fee, SIM only deals gives you the flexibility to pick and choose the kind of mobile contract you need and to easily switch phones smoothly. Read more in our SIM only deals guide!

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What Is a Sim Only Deal?

A SIM only deal is a phone contract where you only get the SIM card. In every phone, you will need to have a SIM card in order to connect to a mobile network so you can use the deal you’ve taken out with your chosen mobile provider. SIM only deals offer you the SIM card on its own that you can put into any phone you wish.

What Is a SIM Card?

A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is essentially a memory chip that all phone and mobile network enabled devices require in order to connect to the mobile service. A SIM card acts a little bit like a key that gives your device access to a particular network so you can make calls, send texts, and browse the web. There are also a few types of SIM card available:

• Standard SIM
  These were the original SIM cards that were relatively large. Nowadays these are quite uncommon in phones, but you might find them still in older devices. You might need to double check to see if your chosen mobile provider still supplies old SIMs if you’re thinking of changing.
• Micro SIM
  Micro SIMs were the next step from the standard SIM, offering a much smaller version. However even micro SIMs are not more obsolete with most modern phones opting for nano SIMs.
• Nano SIM
  A Nano SIM is the most common type of SIM card around today. They are usually just the chip and are inserted into a little drawer that pops out of your phone. These are the latest form of the SIM card and are sometimes very easy to lose!
• eSIM
  In recent years, some phones and tablets have had SIM cards built inside them. These are known as embedded SIMs (eSIMs). With an eSIM, you’re free to change your mobile plan without having to purchase a new SIM card and mostly just require scanning a QR code.

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Do I Get a New Phone Number with a SIM Only Deal?

When you take out a SIM only deal, you usually get a new phone number. If you’re switching mobile providers or just getting a new SIM, you can usually keep your current number if you request it, but you’ll need to go through the process including requesting a PAC (Porting Authorisation Code). If you’re switching, you will also need to make sure you have the same coverage in your area.

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What Types of SIM Only Deals Are There?

Like with mobile phone plans, SIM only deals come in a lot of different shapes and sizes depending on your needs. The different types of SIM only plans are also catered to the different devices that you might use. Here’s an overview of the different types of plans you might find:

1. Bill Pay Plan
   Bill pay plans, like Eir bill pay contracts, are your standard yearly contracts that you get with your phone but in the case of SIM only deals, you just get the SIM card. These are ideal for just getting the phone contract when you already have a phone.
2. 30 Day Rolling
   These are similar to the bill pay plans but instead of a fixed period of a year, these are rolling contracts that update every month. You can usually cancel these whenever you want without paying an exit fee.
3. Pay As You Go
   With Pay As You Go SIMs, you can top it up when you need it so you’re not locked into a contract. Like with prepay broadband, a PAYG SIM, you can put the amount you choose on so you can budget effectively.
4. Data Only
   Data only SIMs are typically either Bill Pay or 30 Day Rolling and only include data. Unlike normal SIM only deals, these don’t have any calls or texts, just the access to the internet. These are great for MiFi or mobile broadband as well as tablets.

What Are the Advantages of a SIM Only Deal?

SIM only deals have a lot of advantages over other mobile plans. They’re flexible and can usually give you exactly what you’re looking for in terms of a contract. However, they do have some downsides as well.

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Can I Use a SIM Only Deal with My Mobile Broadband?

If you’re using a mobile broadband or a MiFi device, a SIM only deal is one of the best ways to go when you want to start a new contract with your phone. Since you’ll just want to use this to surf the web, this is the best way you can manage your data.

How Do I Use a SIM Only Plan with My Mobile Broadband?

If you have a mobile broadband device, you will need to make sure that it’s unlocked before you switch the SIM around. After you make sure, you can then put any SIM card that you wish in your mobile broadband router or MiFi device. After turning the device off, simply access the SIM drawer and place the SIM card carefully on the tray and slide it back in.

What Are the Best Mobile Broadband SIM Only Plans?

At the moment, Vodafone and Eir are the only suppliers that offer the best SIM only deals with your mobile broadband or MiFi data. Here are their main deals on offer:

Last Updated: 04/12/2023

What Is the Cheapest SIM Only Contract?

Currently, the cheapest SIM only rolling contracts are offered by Clear Mobile and GoMo with deals at €14.99. Alternatively, the cheapest 12 month fixed contract is currently offered by Vodafone with its RED Unlimited SIM Only.