Deals · 5 min read
Business SIM-only deals: 8 things that matter
The cheapest business SIM-only deal on page one is rarely the cheapest bill by month 18. Eight checks for small teams before you buy.
Search "business SIM only deals" and you get a wall of prices, each one shouting a smaller number than the last. It feels like a price comparison. It isn't, really. By month 18, the deal with the lowest headline price is often not the one with the lowest bill.
The short answer: a good business SIM-only deal is short or rolling, has no yearly price rise, lets you add and remove lines without a penalty, caps what each SIM can spend, and gives you one VAT invoice in the business's name. Those things decide what you actually pay. The price per gigabyte matters less than you'd think.
What is a business SIM-only deal?
It's a monthly plan for calls, texts and data, without a handset, set up in your business's name rather than a person's. Compared with a personal plan, you usually get:
- prices shown without VAT, and a VAT invoice you can reclaim from (if you're VAT-registered)
- several lines on one account, with one bill
- numbers that belong to the business, not to whoever happens to be using the phone
That last one matters more than people expect. When a member of staff leaves with a number that's on their personal contract, your customers' calls leave with them.
What makes a business SIM-only deal good value?
Eight things, roughly in order of how much they cost you when they go wrong.
- Contract length. A 24-month contract on a team that might double or halve is a gamble. Rolling 30-day plans let you change course without paying to leave.
- Yearly price rises. Many business contracts still go up every year, sometimes by a percentage. Find the price-change clause before you sign.
- Adding and removing lines. New starter on Monday, leaver on Friday. Check you can add a SIM without a new contract and remove one without a charge.
- The right data for each person. You don't need one plan for everyone. Mix sizes: 10GB for office-based staff, unlimited for whoever runs their day from a hotspot.
- Spend controls. A staff phone can run up charges on premium-rate numbers, roaming or extra data. A spend limit per SIM stops a bad month becoming a big bill (how a £0 spend limit works).
- Number ownership and switching. The account should be in the business's name. If you're moving, each person can keep their number by getting a PAC (text PAC to 65075) and the switch happens within one working day (how switching works).
- One invoice, with VAT shown. One monthly invoice in the business's name keeps your bookkeeper happy and makes reclaiming VAT simpler. Check with your accountant.
- Roaming. If anyone travels, check what Europe costs and what happens further afield, before the trip rather than after the bill.
Is a business SIM cheaper than a personal one?
Often the prices are closer than they look, because business prices are shown without VAT. Kindly's 10GB business plan is £9.95 a month ex VAT, which is £11.94 with VAT. Our 10GB personal plan is £11.95.
The difference is what a VAT-registered business can do with it: reclaim the VAT on business use, get one invoice for every line, and keep the numbers in the business's name. If you're not VAT-registered, those last two still count.
How many lines does a small business need?
One for every person whose number customers, clients or colleagues need to reach for work. A few other ideas that save money:
- A shared line for a role, such as the on-call phone, which passes from person to person.
- No line at all for staff who only need email and Wi-Fi.
- One SIM per van or site phone, rather than per person, where whoever's on shift picks it up.
How Kindly's business plans work
| Plan | Price per SIM (ex VAT) | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 10GB | £9.95 a month | Office-based staff, light users |
| 20GB | £13.95 a month | Most people on the road |
| Unlimited | £15.95 a month | Heavy users and hotspotting |
All plans include unlimited UK minutes and texts, and roaming in our Europe Zone at no extra cost. Then:
- 30-day rolling. Add or remove SIMs whenever you like, with no exit fees.
- No annual price rises.
- A £0 spend limit on every SIM, on by default. Need more data? Extra data is £2.50 for 2GB or £5 for 10GB (ex VAT), for the current month only.
- Travel Safe, a Yes or No choice at checkout, for over 100 destinations outside Europe, charged only on days used.
- One account in the business's name. The account owner or an admin can add or cancel SIMs.
- £1 a month to good causes from every business SIM, going to charities and community causes. If you came to us through a cause's fundraising page, your £1s go to that cause.
No fees for delivery, late payment, reconnection or anything else. Our team is in the North East and has more than 30 years' combined experience in telecoms for businesses and charities.
Not sure which plan each person needs? Upload a recent bill to Bill Check and it suggests the right plan for every number, ready to order. Or go straight to our business plans.
FAQ
Do business SIM-only deals include VAT?
Usually not: business prices are normally shown ex VAT. Kindly's business plans are £9.95, £13.95 and £15.95 a month plus VAT.
Can a sole trader get a business SIM?
Yes. You don't need to be a limited company to buy Kindly's business plans. Sole traders can choose personal or business plans; if you'll be managing staff, we recommend business plans. Starting with one SIM is fine.
Can we keep our numbers if we switch?
Yes. Each person texts PAC to 65075 to get a code, and the move happens within one working day.
What network does Kindly use?
Kindly uses genuine O2 SIMs, so you get O2's UK coverage. You can check the signal where you work on our coverage page.
Can I use a personal SIM for business?
You can, but the number belongs to whoever holds the contract, and some personal plans say "personal use only".
