About Lebara Mobile
Lebara has carved out quite the niche, focusing on affordable, SIM-only deals to help migrant communities keep in touch with family and friends overseas. This is its specific market. As part of its plans, it offers international minutes at a value unmatched by most other providers.
Because it’s a SIM-only provider, it only offers 30-day rolling contracts and pay-as-you-go SIMs, so you won’t get find any pay monthly tariffs.
At a glance
| The good: | The bad: |
|---|---|
| International calls included as standard | No monthly contracts available |
| No credit check required | Relatively low data allowances |
| Free roaming in the EU | Tariff add-ons can be expensive |
| Free calls/texts to other Lebara numbers | Costly out-of-contract prices |
| Get extra credit when topping up by £20 or more | Customer service could be improved |
| Supports 5G |
Lebara SIM-only deals
Lebara offers a range of SIM-only plans which tend to offer much better value for money than pay-as-you-go SIMs.
All plans last 30 days but auto-renew at the end of each month. This has its advantages in making sure you’re always covered, but if it’s something you want to avoid, then you’ll need to opt out of this setting on Lebara’s website.
In general, the more international minutes you have, the less data in your package and vice versa. However, with Lebara it’s really about the international calls, so if you’re looking for lots of data then you may want to check out other providers.
Lebara Mobile coverage
Lebara uses the Vodafone network. Vodafone is ranked second-best for coverage in the UK after EE, so you can be sure to get a pretty good level of cover.
While most UK users will be able to make calls, texts and enjoy a 3G connection just fine, consistent 4G coverage is a little less widespread. If you’re in the city, no problem – you likely won’t notice any delays or lag in connectivity. But in more rural areas, you might not get quite as much coverage.
The best way to check is through Vodafone’s coverage checker feature on its website.
What devices can I get on Lebara?
Again, because Lebara is a SIM-only provider, you won’t find handsets are part of their offerings. You’ll need to own a phone already. Though if you do, Lebara SIMs will fit in and work in any device, provided your phone is unlocked.
So, if you’re looking to get the latest iPhone or Samsung as part of a mobile deal, you’ll need to look at other providers of pay monthly contracts – you won’t find them here!
Benefits of Lebara
All Lebara SIMs come with an allowance of international minutes, meaning you can call up to 42 countries without facing horrendous charges. Be sure to check which countries are included before you call though! You won’t have to pass any credit checks to buy a Lebara SIM either.
Unlike some mobile phone deals, you’ll be capped when you reach your limit of calls, texts and data, so that you can’t be overcharged. In addition, you’ll get £4 free call credit when you transfer your number to Lebara.
Lastly, it’s one of the most affordable mobile providers on the market, and is especially great value when you factor in international calls.
How to top up Lebara
There are a few ways you can top up your Lebara Mobile.
You can head on over to your MyLebara account and simply add credit from there; this works through the Lebara app or via your computer browser. You’ll need to register your debit or credit card, and if you set up auto-renew, this’ll be the card that gets charged. Alternatively, you can top up via SMS.
But if you’re out and about and you run out of credit, you can always pop into your local Lebara store to top up.
Finally, if you’re topping up by a voucher or a scratch card, you can either call 5588 from your mobile and follow the instructions, or dial *#1345* followed by the voucher number, then # and then the call button.
How to check Lebara balance
While you can’t get capped for going over your allowance, it’s no fun getting caught out. If you want to check your balance, there are few ways to do this:
- Call 126123 from your mobile
- Send an SMS saying ‘bal’ to 126172
- Login to your MyLebara account through the Lebara website.
What network does Lebara use?
Lebara runs off the Vodafone network. In the UK, there are actually only four networks, known as the Big Four. These are EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. All other mobile networks lease space off one of the Big Four’s infrastructure. Because of this, they’re dubbed piggyback networks, or more officially, Mobile Virtual Network Operators.
This is why you’ll need to check Vodafone’s coverage to see if Lebara is the right choice for you.