So your youngster is lastly prepared for his or her first cellphone, leaving you questioning how they develop up so quick – or failing that, what the very best SIM deal for an eleven-year-old is, anyway!
Whether or not you’re shopping for a SIM for a kid or teen, the variety of suppliers and plans to select from could make the entire resolution a frightening job. Aside from pricing, there are some things to think about earlier than signing the dotted traces, like parental controls, social media utilization and household reductions – all of which we’ll dive into right here and extra.
So with out additional ado, listed here are the very best offers on child-friendly SIMs, together with what to look out for when searching for a child-friendly SIM.
Greatest low cost SIM plans for teenagers with (some) knowledge
If you happen to’re on the lookout for a low price range low knowledge SIM deal take into account carriers like iD Cell, Tesco, Sky Cell and Asda the place you will discover knowledge plans for below £10.
iD Cell at the moment has an ideal fee within the UK for 16GB of knowledge for £8 per thirty days. This plan lasts for a month at a time, so you may give up at any time, and likewise contains knowledge rollover so any unused knowledge carries over into the subsequent month.
GiffGaff is one other supplier that gives low-cost knowledge plans, which it calls “goodybags”. Its most cost-effective goodybag begins at £6 per thirty days for 500MB, whereas its greatest worth plan, known as the “golden goodybag”, affords 15GB of knowledge for £10. There are additionally choices for £8 for 3GB knowledge, and £15 for 25GB knowledge. See different Giffgaff plans.
Smarty is one other supplier to contemplate. You’ll be able to choose up 30GB of knowledge for £10, a deal at the moment working that enhances it up from 30GB. Smarty has smaller knowledge packages too, and like ID, its plans final 30 days, providing you with the pliability to finish service everytime you need.
There’s little doubt your youngster will wish to watch content material whereas on their telephones – loads of it. Fortunately, some community suppliers bundle streaming companies and social channels with their contract plans.
O2 plans embrace Disney+ free for six months, which is bound to maintain your youngster blissful. The very best plan is 120GB for £20 per thirty days on a 24-month plan.
For a decrease knowledge restrict, there’s Voxi, which features a 15GB plan for £10 per thirty days. Voxi plans embrace limitless entry to social media to apps like Fb, Whatsapp, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Messenger – so utilizing the doesn’t eat into your knowledge allowance.. This doesn’t embrace voice and video calls.
Till 30 March you may as well get 30GB knowledge for £12 per thirty days, a greater deal than the standard 20GB (which remains to be an ideal deal, notably given Voxi’s free social media knowledge).
Greatest cashback SIM deal – Low cost knowledge plans with a excessive knowledge allowance
If you happen to don’t thoughts cashback, the very best SIM deal for 100GB knowledge proper now’s with Vodafone for £8 per thirty days, out there from Mobiles.co.uk. You’ll simply want to assert each few months by sending your invoice to Mobiles by the net account. Right here’s how:
Household SIM plans and reductions
Don’t neglect, in the event you’re already on O2 you may as well qualify for a multi save low cost whereas additionally consolidating your and your youngster’s invoice into one. You’ll be able to add as much as 20 connections on a Household plan with O2 and rise up to twenty% off out of your fifth connection and onwards.
In reality, most main suppliers provide household plans to present clients, so it’s price checking in case your present supplier has any Household SIM deal packages in place.
Vodafone as an example affords as much as 15% off for present clients whereas EE affords 20% off each further line and a 1GB knowledge enhance.
Parental controls on SIM
All main cellphone networks within the UK resembling EE, O2, Three and Vodafone mechanically block 18+ content material – although that is by way of a cellular knowledge connection and never Wi-Fi.
In case your youngster primarily makes use of Wi-Fi, you could want different parental controls in place. Right here’s allow parental controls on Android and on iPhone.
Moreover, software program like Qustodio and Internet Nanny are a few of the greatest parental management software program that filter out inappropriate content material to maintain your youngsters secure on-line, whereas additionally providing instruments to watch and restrict your youngsters’s gadget and internet use.
Knowledge capping or not?
Most frequently SIM plans will mechanically cease service when you’ve reached the restrict, or textual content you once you’ve used up a sizeable portion.
Dad and mom, nevertheless, may nonetheless wish to take into account knowledge or utilization capping options when shopping for a SIM for a kid. You may be prompted to join this selection once you purchase the SIM from the community supplier. This helps restrict prices which might be out of contract resembling image messaging, long-distance calls or further knowledge utilization.
You’ll be able to select to set a £0 cap, which implies your youngster received’t be allowed any further spending outdoors the plan’s limits. Alternatively, you may set a price range past the bottom worth of the plan if you need flexibility. This may be a useful security internet in your youngster in the event that they want further minutes or texts to achieve you. O2 as an example permits a spending cap of as much as £200.