Fixed-price mobile deals vs annual rises

Some providers still offer genuinely fixed-price mobile contracts, with no mid-contract increases. This includes iD Mobile, giffgaff, Talkmobile, ASDA Mobile and Lebara, alongside a subset of Tesco Mobile deals.

Most other major UK mobile networks now apply fixed pounds-and-pence price rises during the minimum term of a contract.

Customers who want certainty can also avoid annual rises by choosing 30-day rolling SIM-only plans.

---

At a glance

A small number of mobile providers still guarantee fixed prices for the full length of a contract - a feature that has become increasingly distinctive as pricing practices have changed.

Several networks lock in prices for the full contract term on at least some of their tariffs, including iD Mobile, giffgaff, Talkmobile, Lebara and ASDA Mobile.

Providers such as SMARTY and VOXI operate on 30-day rolling plans and commit to keeping prices stable during each rolling term, so customers are not subject to mid-contract price rises while they remain on those plans.

Other providers that once marketed fixed pricing have narrowed or changed their position. Sky Mobile dropped its "no rises" promise and confirmed a mid-contract price rise in 2026. Similarly, Tesco Mobile now only guarantees fixed prices on its Clubcard Price deals, rather than across all tariffs.

Most major networks - including EE, O2, Vodafone and Three - still build scheduled price rises into their fixed-term contracts.

---

Fixed price mobile deals (no mid-contract rises)

Mid-contract mobile price rises have become more common in the last few years, and in 2025-26 many customers will see increases of around £2-£2.50 per month.

New rules now require networks to state any mid-term rises in fixed pounds-and-pence at the point of sale, rather than linking them to inflation. However, this has not stopped price hikes - it has simply made them clearer and more predictable.

Against this backdrop, a smaller group of providers stand out because they still guarantee that the monthly price will not change for the full contract term (or offer rolling plans that avoid in-contract rises altogether).

Below, we look at which networks currently offer genuinely fixed pricing, how those promises work in practice, and where any caveats apply.

Asda Mobile

ASDA Mobile now offers fixed-price pay monthly contracts.

Customers can take either a 12-month or 24-month SIM-only plan, and the agreed monthly price is guaranteed not to rise during the full minimum term of the contract.

This marks a change from ASDA Mobile's previous position, where its terms allowed for mid-contract price increases. Current fixed-price tariffs explicitly promise no in-contract rises.

GiffGaff

giffgaff has changed its position since earlier years, when it only offered rolling monthly plans and said prices could rise at any time.

It now offers 18-month pay monthly SIM-only contracts, and on these tariffs giffgaff commits to no mid-contract price rises for the full minimum term.

This means the monthly price agreed at sign-up is guaranteed not to increase during the 18-month contract period, even if market prices or inflation change.

giffgaff also continues to offer 30-day rolling plans. Because these are not fixed-term contracts, there is no mid-contract period in which a price rise can be applied - but like all rolling deals, giffgaff can change the monthly price with advance notice before you renew.

As a result, giffgaff now sits among the smaller group of providers that actively lock in prices on fixed-term contracts, rather than relying solely on rolling plans.

iD Mobile

iD Mobile now operates a fixed-price model for most of its pay-monthly mobile plans.

Since 15 January 2025, iD Mobile has guaranteed that prices will not rise mid-contract for all new and upgrading customers on 24-month, 12-month and 1-month SIM-only plans. The monthly price agreed at sign-up remains the same for the full minimum term.

This marks a change from iD Mobile's previous approach. In earlier years, 12-month contracts were subject to annual inflation-linked increases each April, pegged to the RPI rate announced in February. That practice has now ended for new and upgrading customers.

As a result, iD Mobile now sits alongside other providers that lock in prices for the duration of a contract.

Talkmobile

Talkmobile offers both 12-month and 1-month SIM-only plans with no mid-contract price rises.

For customers who take a 12-month plan, the monthly price agreed at sign-up is guaranteed for the full minimum term of the contract.

On 1-month plans, there is no fixed minimum term, so customers are free to leave at any time. Talkmobile has also publicly confirmed in recent years that it would not introduce mid-term price rises on these rolling plans for both new and existing customers.

As with most providers, this guarantee applies to the core monthly plan price only. Talkmobile still reserves the right to change out-of-plan charges (for example, international calls, premium-rate services or add-ons).

Lebara

Lebara offers both 12-month and 1-month SIM-only plans with no mid-contract price rises.

For customers on a 12-month plan, the monthly price agreed at sign-up is guaranteed for the full length of the contract.

Lebara has operated this fixed-price approach since 2020, meaning it has consistently avoided the annual in-contract increases that many larger networks apply.

Lebara uses the Vodafone network to deliver coverage and performance.

The fixed-price promise applies to UK data, minutes and texts on both 30-day and 12-month SIM-only plans. However, it does not cover international calls, roaming charges or PAYG rates, which can still change separately.

Tesco Mobile

Tesco Mobile now only guarantees fixed prices for the full contract term on its Clubcard Price deals.

Historically, Tesco Mobile was a pioneer of fixed pricing in the UK mobile market. In March 2013 it became the first major network to promise that customers' monthly bills would not rise during their contract.

However, this position changed on 27 March 2023. From that point, the "price freeze" guarantee was limited to customers taking Clubcard Price contracts. Customers who are not on a Clubcard deal, or who are out of contract, are now subject to annual price increases.

For contracts taken out from 17 December 2024 onwards, Tesco Mobile also moved to a new approach where any mid-contract rises must be stated in fixed pounds-and-pence at the point of sale, rather than being linked to inflation (CPI). The exact amount varies depending on the customer's plan, rather than being a single flat increase for everyone.

In practice, this means:

• Clubcard Price customers generally still receive a guaranteed fixed monthly price for the full length of their contract.
• Non-Clubcard customers will see scheduled in-contract price rises.
• Where rises do apply, the cash amount is provided when you sign up, and the increase is tailored to the specific tariff rather than being a one-size-fits-all figure.

For additional context:

• If you joined between 27 March 2023 and 16 December 2024 on a non-Clubcard Price deal, your monthly price rises each April by CPI + 3.9% until your minimum term ends.
• If you joined from 17 December 2024 on a non-Clubcard Price deal, your April price rise is set out in pounds and pence at the point of sale for the duration of your contract.

Tesco Mobile says this approach is intended to make increases proportionate to what each customer is paying, rather than applying the same cash rise to every tariff.

Read our full review of Tesco Mobile.

---

Fixed-price rolling plans (no mid-contract rises)

Some mobile providers avoid mid-contract price rises by selling 30-day rolling plans instead of traditional 12- or 24-month contracts. These plans renew each month at the same price you signed up to.

Unlike fixed-term contracts, providers could change the price of a rolling plan in future - but if that happens, customers are free to leave without penalty. In practice, many rolling providers commit to keeping prices stable during each monthly term, so customers are not exposed to unexpected in-year increases while they remain on the same plan.

SMARTY

SMARTY operates on 30-day rolling SIM-only plans rather than traditional 12- or 24-month contracts.

SMARTY states that it does not apply annual price rises to its rolling plans. In other words, you are not subject to the typical April mid-contract increases that apply on many fixed-term contracts.

Because plans renew every month, the price you see when you sign up is guaranteed for that 30-day period. If SMARTY ever changed prices in future, customers could simply leave at the end of their monthly term without penalty.

In practice, SMARTY tends to keep pricing stable for existing customers, although it may change or reprice plans for new customers from time to time.

Key points for SMARTY customers:

• No annual price rises on rolling plans.
• Price is locked for each 30-day term you are on.
• You can cancel or switch at any time without exit fees.
• Plan prices may change for new customers in future, but this does not automatically affect existing customers on their current plan.

VOXI

VOXI uses simple 30-day subscriptions rather than long fixed contracts.

Because customers are not locked in, VOXI does not apply the annual, mid-contract price rises that appear on many traditional pay-monthly plans.

The monthly price you agree to is what you pay for that 30-day period. If VOXI were to change prices in future, customers could simply cancel at the end of their term with no exit fees.

In practice, VOXI has tended to keep prices stable for existing customers, although it does update and reprice plans from time to time for new customers.

In short:

• No scheduled annual rises on VOXI's plans.
• Your price is effectively fixed for each 30-day term you stay on.
• You can cancel or switch at any time without penalty.
• Plan prices and data allowances may change for new customers in future.

Spusu

Spusu is a European mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) offering 30-day rolling SIM-only plans on the EE network.

The company markets itself on simplicity and transparency, saying it has "no hidden costs" and that customers "only pay for what you sign up for." Spusu positions this as a deliberate alternative to the annual mid-contract price rises commonly seen on larger UK networks.

Spusu has publicly committed that its monthly prices would not rise in 2025 or 2026, extending a price-freeze policy that it has now repeated for several consecutive years. In practice, this means customers can expect their monthly bill to remain the same while they stay on their chosen plan.

All Spusu plans are 30-day rolling, so customers are not tied into a long-term contract. However, unlike some other rolling providers, Spusu has also made a clear public commitment to keeping prices stable for existing customers during the stated freeze period.

Ecotalk

Ecotalk offers 30-day rolling SIM-only plans on the EE network.

The provider takes a clear stance on pricing, stating that it has "no price rises - ever" and does not apply annual or mid-contract increases to its mobile tariffs. In practice, this means the monthly price you sign up to is intended to remain the same for as long as you stay on that plan.

Because Ecotalk operates on a rolling 1-month basis, customers are not tied into a long-term contract and can leave at any time if their circumstances change.

Ecotalk was launched in 2018 by green entrepreneur Dale Vince (founder of Ecotricity). While it uses the EE network for coverage and performance, the company differentiates itself on sustainability, powering its operations with 100% green energy and reinvesting profits into environmental and rewilding projects in the UK.

Chattr

Chattr is a newer mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) offering 30-day rolling SIM-only plans on the O2 network.

The company positions itself as a low-cost, customer-friendly alternative, describing itself as "a new company dedicated to providing you with the best prices possible," and acknowledging that some customers may not have heard of the brand before.

Chattr explicitly markets its plans as having no annual price rises, meaning customers are not subject to scheduled mid-contract increases.

Because plans are rolling, customers can cancel at any time without penalty, so they are not locked into a long-term contract if terms or prices were ever to change.

---

Mobile networks that raise prices

Most major UK mobile networks build scheduled price rises into their fixed-term contracts. This includes EE, O2, Three and Vodafone.

Where increases apply, they are now set out in fixed pounds-and-pence at the point of sale rather than being linked to inflation - but they still happen during the contract term.

How annual price rises work by provider

EE

EE includes scheduled mid-contract price rises in most of its fixed-term mobile contracts. Exactly what a customer pays depends on when they took out their plan.

• If you joined before April 2024: Many customers are still moving off older CPI-linked terms as their contracts end. As EE (and BT) phase these out, customers are being migrated to fixed cash increases instead, as set out in EE's 2026 update.
• If you joined between April 2024 and July 2025: Most in-contract EE customers saw their bills rise by £1.50 per month in April 2024.
• If you joined from July 2025 onwards: Newer contracts were sold with higher fixed cash rises, with many customers facing increases of up to £2.50 per month from July 2025.

In short, most fixed-term EE contracts include at least one scheduled mid-contract price rise. Only 30-day rolling plans avoid this.

Vodafone

Vodafone includes scheduled mid-contract price rises in most of its fixed-term mobile contracts. Exactly what a customer pays depends on when they took out their plan and which tariff they chose.

• If you joined before July 2024: Many customers were still on older inflation-linked (CPI + 3.9%) terms until their contracts ended. These legacy contracts are now being phased out in favour of fixed cash rises.
• If you joined between July 2024 and November 2025: Most in-contract Vodafone customers were sold plans with a fixed cash rise of £1.80 per month from July 2024, with SIM Only Basics plans rising by £1.
• If you joined from November 2025 onwards: Newer contracts were sold with higher fixed cash rises. From November 2025, Vodafone pay monthly mobile plans typically rise by £2.50 per month, while SIM Only Basics plans rise by £1.50 per month.

In short, most fixed-term Vodafone contracts include at least one scheduled mid-contract price rise. Only 30-day rolling plans avoid this.

O2

O2 pay monthly customers are now subject to a standard mid-contract price rise of £2.50 per month on eligible plans. This applies across both new and existing customers on in-scope pay monthly tariffs.

This is a relatively recent change. For 2025, O2 had already moved to fixed pounds-and-pence increases, with many plans set to rise by £1.80 per month. From 23 October 2025, O2 increased the standard in-contract rise to £2.50 per month.

Before these fixed-cash rises were introduced, O2 (like several other networks) used inflation-linked increases based on RPI or RPI + 3.9%. Those older approaches have now been replaced by fixed amounts.

The October 2025 change prompted renewed criticism of mid-contract price rises because, unlike most other networks, O2 applied the higher £2.50 rise to both new and existing customers rather than only to new contracts. This led to calls for Ofcom to reassess the rules, while the government ultimately ruled out a ban on mid-contract price hikes.

Three

Three now applies fixed pounds-and-pence annual price rises to most pay-monthly plans, using a tiered approach based on how much data you take.

For new and recontracting customers from November 2025 onwards, the typical increases set out at sign-up are:

• 4GB or less: £1.80 per month (up from £1)
• 5GB-99GB: £1.90 per month (up from £1.25)
• 100GB or more: £2.30 per month (up from £1.50)
• 4G/5G home broadband: £3.50 per month (up from £2)

These higher cash rises were confirmed when Three updated its terms in November 2025.

For contracts taken out between September 2024 and November 2025, customers were on an earlier, lower tiered model following Three's shift to pounds-and-pence increases in September 2024. Typical rises were:

• 4GB or less: £1 per month
• 5GB-99GB: £1.25 per month
• 100GB or more: £1.50 per month
• 4G/5G home broadband: £2 per month

What this means in practice: the exact increase you face depends on (1) when you took out your contract and (2) your plan's data allowance, but the amount is stated in cash terms at the point of sale and applies each April during your minimum term.

How this compares to the past:

• Contracts taken between 29 October 2020 and 31 October 2022 were subject to a fixed 4.5% rise each April.
• Contracts taken from 1 November 2022 moved to CPI + 3.9% before Three switched to cash-based rises in 2024.

Three's tiered approach is arguably more progressive than a single flat rise, as customers on lower-data plans typically face smaller increases than heavy users or home broadband customers.

So far, the approved Vodafone-Three merger has not changed Three's approach to these tiered price rises.

Sky Mobile

As of May 2022, Sky Mobile are now promising no mid-contract price rises for new and existing contracts.

However, the terms do state other prices, such as call charges, may increase, and services may vary, including during the contract period.

Previously Sky Mobile didn't annually increase their prices as other networks mentioned in this guide do, but they did reserve the right to increase prices during a customer's minimum term.

Their old terms however did say that if they increase a customer's monthly subscription price, they will allow customers to cancel without incurring an early termination fee. So it's not the biggest move for them to switch to fixed prices, but it's a welcome one.

It's worth noting when Sky increased the prices of their broadband and TV packages from April 2022, no Sky Mobile prices were increased at that time. Although they did reintroduce roaming charges of £2 per day when customers travel to Europe from May 2022.

---

Why do mobile prices go up?

Mobile networks offer several arguments when justifying annual price increases or even ad-hoc price increases.

A major reason for mobile network operators (MNOs) EE/BT, O2, Three and Vodafone to increase their prices every year is because they're investing in their networks.

This is more than just spin from the mobile networks. For example, we've seen all four operators commit to expanding their individual 4G networks to cover 88% of the UK by 2024 and 90% by 2026.

Operators have pledged to invest £500m into their networks to hit their targets, with O2, Vodafone and Three confirming plans for 222 new sites by 2024 and EE/BT increasing the 4G capabilities of 579 of their sites by the end of 2021.

As well as legally binding targets to upgrade their 4G networks, MNOs are also rolling out 5G services across the UK.

It's inevitable they will pass these costs on to customers in the form of higher bills.

And what about mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) who don't operate their own mobile infrastructure but instead use a MNO's network? Surely those prices shouldn't be going up if a company has none of their infrastructure to invest in?

Well, it's notable that some MVNOs we've covered aren't raising their prices by as much as the MVNOs:

• iD Mobile is pegged to RPI alone
• Sky Mobile don't specify annual increases
• Tesco Mobile pledge no mid-contract price increases

The costs of MVNOs may go up if their agreement with an MNO increases their costs. Plus, there are other reasons mobile providers may raise their prices:

• To offer better or more varied services or packages
• To improve customer service

There's also another element to consider that deserves its own section: regulatory requirements.

Meeting Ofcom requirements

Regulator Ofcom does more than just issue quarterly complaint figures and monitor when companies trip up on customer service issues. They also work to improve customer experiences and promote fairness.

One example of Ofcom action in recent years that has had a positive impact on the way customers handle their mobile deals is the "text to switch" rule.

This came into force on 1 July 2019 and allows mobile customers to leave their current network simply by sending a text message. This replaced the cumbersome process of needing to call a network to obtain a porting authorisation code (PAC), at which point a customer would usually be encouraged to stay with their existing mobile network when all they wanted to do was leave.

A great initiative, yes, and one that has undoubtedly made it easier for customers looking to switch their mobile provider.

Yet networks could legitimately argue they were compelled to invest in their systems in order to make the changes happen, adding to their operating costs.

This isn't to say the measures Ofcom put in place aren't welcome and they don't protect customers' interests because they do. But it does go some way to explaining why networks think they can justify their price increases by saying operating costs have increased.

CPI versus RPI

One final note about the differences between the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Retail Price Index (RPI) methods of measuring inflation.

As we've seen, some mobile networks use CPI + a set amount while others are pegged solely to RPI. For a brief period between 2019 and 2020, BT and EE customers' bills were pegged only to the CPI rate of inflation with no additions.

Both CPI and RPI use goods and services to calculate the rate of inflation, but they use slightly different ways of calculating it.

For example, RPI covers household costs including council tax, mortgage interest payments, and TV licences while CPI includes none of these.

Here's a look at the CPI and RPI rates from January (the month many networks use to calculate their price increase) over the last five years:

As the table shows, RPI is consistently higher than CPI, and that's why the decision for networks to peg their increases to RPI in the past was so contentious.

Now, however, the situation has reversed, and most networks are indeed using CPI to measure their increases - but they're adding a set percentage to it every year which puts it far above the RPI rate.

To illustrate, imagine if EE and Vodafone's CPI + 3.9% was being calculated on the CPI rate from January 2018. It would hike prices for customers by 6.9%.

---

Capping extra mobile costs

It's worth remembering mobile customers can take steps to cap their bills in other ways, limiting the number of shocks at the end of a billing period.

Rules brought in by Ofcom in 2018 mean mobile providers must give customers an option to cap out of contract costs.

So, for customers on fixed contracts with a mobile provider can set their bill flexibility to £0, ensuring no out of contract calls, texts or data can be used.

Other customers may want to set their level at £5 or £10, enough to allow for some picture messages, a few premium rate minutes or a few MB more data than their inclusive contract allows, but not enough to put them in financial difficulty.

Out of contract charges can include:

• Extra calls, texts and data not included in plan
• Picture messaging
• International calls
• Data roaming
• Premium rate numbers

Customers should check the small print of their contract to see exactly what's classed as an out of contract charge on their network.

---

Summary: annual price increases the norm

With the notable exception of Tesco Mobile, most mobile networks with fixed contracts reserve the right to increase their prices by either a set amount each year or one linked to CPI or RPI.

This means most customers will be hit by annual price increases they can't avoid as they were highlighted within the terms and conditions when they signed their contract.

The only exception to this would be if a network decided to try and levy a fee outside the one mentioned in their contract by, for example, adding another 3% or increasing prices more than once in a year when they promised a single annual price rise. If a network does try to do this, they are required to tell customers they can leave without penalty.

Switching mobile providers can be a crucial tool in helping mobile customers get a better deal on their mobile plans, but just remember to factor in annual price rises when taking out a contract and pay attention to those end of contract notifications sent out by mobile companies when customers' fixed terms are coming to an end.