Bills · 4 min read
A £0 spend limit on every SIM
Bill shock comes from charges outside your plan. Every Kindly SIM has a £0 spend limit, so your bill is your plan price. Here's how it works.
It usually starts with a text. "You've used your data allowance." Then a month later the bill arrives, and it's twice what you expected.
Bill shock happens when charges outside your plan, like extra data, premium-rate numbers or roaming, land on next month's bill. Every Kindly SIM has a £0 spend limit, so nothing beyond your plan can be charged. Your bill is your plan price, plus Travel Safe days if you choose to use them abroad. Nothing else is ever added.
Where do surprise phone bills come from?
- Going over your data. On many plans, extra data is charged and added to your next bill.
- Calls and texts outside your plan. Premium-rate, 118 and international numbers can cost far more than people expect.
- Roaming. Using your phone in a country your plan doesn't cover.
- Someone else's phone on your account. A child, a colleague or a volunteer who doesn't know the costs, and has no reason to.
How does a £0 spend limit work on Kindly?
- Your bill is your plan price, plus Travel Safe days if you've chosen Travel Safe and used it abroad (never more than 10 days' charges a month per SIM).
- When your data runs out, nothing is charged. Data pauses until you add extra data or your next month starts. Calls and texts in your plan carry on.
- Need more data? Buy extra data and pay for it there and then, from credit or by bank. It lasts until your next bill date and covers UK data only.
- We'll tell you when you've used 80% and 100% of your data.
- Anything outside your plan, like premium-rate numbers, won't go through unless you've chosen to add credit up front to pay for it. Countries outside our roaming zones are blocked.
| Extra data | Personal (inc VAT) | Business and charity (ex VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 2GB | £3 | £2.50 |
| 10GB | £6 | £5 |
Extra data is for the 10GB and 20GB plans. On Unlimited, you won't need it.
Can people still get data when they need it?
Yes. A £0 spend limit stops overspending. It shouldn't leave anyone stuck without data on the way home. So whoever runs the account can set things up to suit the people on it:
- Add credit. Credit is money you put on your account up front. One balance covers every SIM on the account, and you can top it up in the app.
- Turn on auto top-up. Your credit tops itself up, so it doesn't run dry just when someone needs it.
- Trust people to buy their own extra data. Turn this on for a family member or colleague, and they can buy extra data from your credit without asking first.
- Or keep it to requests. Anyone else can ask for extra data in the app. Everyone who runs the account gets the request and can say yes in one tap. Nothing is ever approved automatically.
Credit is only spent on things someone chose, like extra data. So the bill still never surprises you, and nobody has to go without.
What about using my phone abroad?
Roaming in our Europe Zone (45 destinations) is included, like home. On 10GB and 20GB plans your normal allowance is shared between home and Europe, and Europe data tops out at 25GB a month on any plan.
Further afield, Travel Safe covers over 100 destinations. You choose Yes or No for each SIM at checkout, with nothing pre-selected, and can turn it on or off later in your account. It's £7.50 a day (inc VAT for personal; £7.50 + VAT for business and charity), charged only on days you use your phone there, and never more than 10 days' charges a month per SIM, however long you're away. Each day gives you 500MB of data, 200 minutes and 100 texts. Anywhere outside both zones is blocked, so it can't cost you anything.
Why does a spend limit matter for families and teams?
A spend limit on every SIM means one person's mistake can't become everyone's bill. For parents, it means a teenager's phone costs what you agreed, not what they streamed. And if they run out of data, you can let them top up from credit, or answer their request in a tap. For businesses and charities, it makes phones for staff, volunteers and lone workers safe to hand out, with a cost you can put in the budget and forget.
Personal plans are £11.95 for 10GB, £15.95 for 20GB and £18.95 for Unlimited a month, VAT included. Business plans start at £9.95 a month ex VAT.
Get a bill that never surprises you on our personal plans page, or see business plans for your team.
FAQ
Can I set a spend limit with my current network?
Most big networks will set a cap if you ask. On Kindly, a £0 limit is on every SIM from day one.
What happens if I run out of data?
Data pauses, nothing is charged, and you can buy extra data in the app or wait for your next month.
Can I still make calls when my data runs out?
Yes. Calls and texts included in your plan carry on as normal.
Can I put a spend limit on my child's phone?
Every Kindly SIM already has one, so a child's phone can only ever cost its plan price, plus Travel Safe days if you choose it, and never more than 10 days' charges a month.
Can my family or team get more data without me?
Yes, if you let them. You can trust chosen people to buy extra data from your account credit. Everyone else can send a request, and you say yes or no.
