5G is now available on most UK networks, but not all of them offer it on Pay As You Go – some networks don’t have a Pay As You Go service at all, while others do have one but currently limit you to 4G.
With that in mind, we’ve created this guide explaining which networks you can actually get 5G on with Pay As You Go.
Even with this being less widespread than 5G on Pay Monthly, there’s still a wide choice of networks offering 5G Pay As You Go, so you should be able to find the right fit.
Which networks offers 5G Pay As You Go SIM cards?
Three, Vodafone, Asda Mobile, CMLink, Giffgaff, Lebara, Lyca Mobile, Smarty, Talkmobile, Tesco Mobile, and VOXI all offer 5G on Pay As You Go, which for the purposes of this article we’re counting as either literally topping up and just spending what you use, or signing up for a no-contract plan or bundle that doesn’t require a credit check either.
In some cases 5G is available across the board, while in others it’s only available with bundles (or only with certain bundles). Below we’ve detailed each network’s 5G Pay As You Go offerings, so you can see exactly what’s available.
Three
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Max 5G bundle allowance:
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Unlimited data, minutes, and texts
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Standard rates with 5G:
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35p per min, 15p per text, 10p per megabyte
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Restrictions:
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12GB roaming allowance
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See deals
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Three offers 5G on every plan at no extra cost, which means that for Pay As You Go, you can get 5G either with a bundle, or just paying for what you use.
For the former, there are a few different options available, all of which come with unlimited minutes and texts, and all of which last 30 days – so it’s just your 5G data allowance (and the price) that varies. You can get up to unlimited data here, allowing you to Pay As You Go with no restrictions.
For the latter, you’ll be paying 35p per minute, 15p per text, and 10p per megabyte.
Three’s Pay As You Go plans also support tethering, and you can roam at no extra cost in 71 destinations in Europe and beyond (up to a fair usage limit of 12GB).
You can also access the Three+ app, which houses exclusive offers and discounts from other brands.
Vodafone
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Max 5G bundle allowance:
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Unlimited data, minutes, and texts
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Standard rates with 5G:
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£1 per day for unlimited mins/texts and 50MB of data
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Restrictions:
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No free roaming and 25GB limit when roaming
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See deals
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Vodafone offers 5G on all of its Pay As You Go Plus bundles, and these also all come with unlimited minutes and texts, along with up to unlimited data.
There’s no free roaming – you’ll need to purchase one of Vodafone’s roaming extras, with its Around the World Extra letting you roam in 73 destinations.
In any case, Vodafone also offers tethering, plus access to the VeryMe Rewards app, which includes treats and discounts from other brands.
Asda Mobile
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Max 5G bundle allowance:
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Unlimited data, minutes, and texts
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Standard rates with 5G:
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N/A – 5G requires a bundle
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Restrictions:
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Only some bundles include 5G, 5GB roaming allowance
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See deals
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Asda Mobile offers 30-day bundles, some of which come with 5G data. Specifically, at the time of writing you’ll get 5G with any bundle that costs at least £10 per month.
There’s a slight exception to that when it comes to unlimited data bundles, of which Asda Mobile offers three. Only the top price one of these will offer 5G speeds, but all three of them benefit from the increased bandwidth offered by 5G.
Asda Mobile also allows you to roam at no extra cost in 46 European destinations (up to a 5GB fair use limit, and with 5G speeds in some places), and you can tether.
CMLink
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Max 5G bundle allowance:
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200GB of data, unlimited minutes and texts
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Standard rates with 5G:
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N/A – 5G requires a bundle
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Restrictions:
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10GB roaming cap
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See deals
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CMLink offers 5G as standard on its 30-day bundles, but you do need to purchase a bundle or add-on to access data at all – if you just top up you only have minutes and texts.
The network tops out at 200GB of 5G data, which is less than some networks, but still more than most people will need. It also allows free roaming in 45 European destinations, along with mainland China and Hong Kong.
Plus, you’ll get international minutes to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Thailand, and the US with its bundles.
Giffgaff
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Max 5G bundle allowance:
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Unlimited data, minutes, and texts
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Standard rates with 5G:
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25p per min, 10p per text, 10p per megabyte
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Restrictions:
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650GB per month and 11 tethered devices, 5GB roaming limit
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See deals
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Giffgaff offers 5G as standard on all of its 30-day plans. You can also top up and pay as you go at a rate of 25p per minute, 10p per text, and 10p per megabyte of data.
Its plans also include unlimited minutes and texts, and allow you to roam across much of Europe (up to a 5GB data limit). You can also tether – though there’s a limit of 11 devices that can be connected at once when doing this.
Lebara
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Max 5G bundle allowance:
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Unlimited data, minutes, and texts
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Standard rates with 5G:
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25p per min, 19p per text, 9p per megabyte
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Restrictions:
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30GB roaming limit
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See deals
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Lebara offers 5G as standard on all of its 30-day bundles, and you can get up to unlimited data with these, along with unlimited minutes and texts. The network also lets you top up and just spend as you go, and while it’s not entirely clear from the site whether this includes 5G, a support agent assured us that it did.
Its bundles are worth buying anyway though, because as well as your UK allowances you also get international minutes to call 42 destinations. Plus, you can tether, and you can roam across the EU – and even in India – at no extra cost. There is a 30GB fair usage limit on data when roaming if you have an unlimited bundle though.
Lyca Mobile
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Max 5G bundle allowance:
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Unlimited data, minutes, and texts
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Standard rates with 5G:
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23p per min, 23p per text, 15p per megabyte
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Restrictions:
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450GB per month, variable roaming cap
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See deals
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Lyca Mobile offers 5G as standard, whether you simply top up or buy a 30-day bundle. In the latter case, you can get up to unlimited data, minutes, and texts, and you’ll also in most cases get some international minutes which you can use to call abroad.
Additionally, Lyca Mobile lets you tether, and you can roam at no extra cost in much of the EU (up to a variable fair use limit).
Smarty
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Max 5G bundle allowance:
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Unlimited data, minutes, and texts
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Standard rates with 5G:
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N/A – 5G requires a bundle
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Restrictions:
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12GB roaming limit
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See deals
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Smarty doesn’t let you pay as you go the old-fashioned way – by topping up and spending your credit directly, but it has a range of no-contract bundles, all of which come with 5G. You can get up to unlimited data, minutes, and texts, and you can roam across the EU – up to a 12GB monthly fair usage limit. Tethering is supported too.
Talkmobile
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Max 5G bundle allowance:
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Unlimited data, minutes, and texts
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Standard rates with 5G:
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N/A – 5G requires a bundle
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Restrictions:
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5GB roaming limit
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See deals
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Talkmobile is another network that doesn’t strictly offer Pay As You Go, but you can get 30-day bundles with no credit check (though there is an ID check).
These plans all include 5G, and they top out at unlimited data. You can also roam in Europe at no extra cost on Talkmobile, up to a fair usage limit of 5GB, and tethering is supported too.
Tesco Mobile
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Max 5G bundle allowance:
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100GB of data, 5000 minutes and texts
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Standard rates with 5G:
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25p per min, 10p per text, 10p per megabyte
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Restrictions:
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Use its service more in the UK than abroad
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See deals
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Tesco Mobile includes 5G with all Pay As You Go bundles, though there’s a maximum of 100GB of monthly data, so if you want unlimited data you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Still, there aren’t any significant fair usage limits, even when roaming – which you can do across Europe at no extra cost. Like most networks, Tesco Mobile also lets you tether.
VOXI
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Max 5G bundle allowance:
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Unlimited data, minutes, and texts
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Standard rates with 5G:
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N/A – 5G requires a bundle
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Restrictions:
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20GB roaming limit and roaming isn’t free
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See deals
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VOXI – like Smarty – doesn’t let you top up and just spend your credit, but it does offer 30-day plans with no contract or credit checks.
These all come with 5G, and can include unlimited data, minutes, and texts. The network also allows tethering and roaming, with the latter even supporting 5G in some places. However, there’s a 20GB roaming limit, and you also have to pay a small amount to roam even in the EU.
Many VOXI bundles also allow you to use unlimited data for select social media, music, and video streaming services without it affecting your allowance.
