When you’re switching to a SIM only deal or just moving to a different network it can sometimes be confusing when you’re confronted with the choice between a 12-month and 1-month contract (or even a 24-month contract from Three).
For most, the idea behind a longer sim contract is simple. You stay with the same deal and don’t need to change anything until you reach the end. What can seem confusing is why you might want to go for a 1-month “rolling” contract instead.
It seems confusing (at least to us anyway) that a contract can somehow be “rolling” but for a SIM contract this is a fantastic way of handling your monthly phone use! A “Rolling” SIM contract simply means that unless you choose to change or cancel it, the contract you had for the previous month rolls over to the next.
Happy with your Voxi 8GB deal? Great! You get the same thing next month.
Want to pay for less data because you know you’re going to be within reach of wifi for most of the month? Great! You can speak to Voxi and switch to a different tariff where you only pay for 1GB.
Tired of overpaying for your data on one of the bigger networks and want to get Unlimited data from Three? Just close down your current deal and switch to a rolling contract with Three!
Flexibility is the key reason that customers will grab a 1-month SIM deal. Being able to swap to a different contract to lower costs or increase your data allowance means customers have much more control over their monthly spending than with 12-month or 24-month contract.
Two of the newest and most popular networks are setting themselves apart from the pack by offering customers great-value SIM only deals that don’t require a credit check.
Voxi (Vodafone) and Smarty (Three) provide 1-month rolling sim contracts at very low price-points and because of the nature of the “contract” can give customers a SIM without needing to run a credit check - A major positive for customers who don’t want to take one.
In the case of Voxi and Smarty, the rolling contract not only works in favour of customers who have the flexibility to switch but also for the networks who have zero risk in offering customers a deal because the SIM can just be disconnected if the customer doesn’t pay.
Credit checking for products has become a fact of life and there are multiple reasons why customers may not want to take a credit check to get a SIM deal:
- They don’t want a check on their credit score - Some customers who are trying to improve or maintain their credit score may not want a credit check to appear on their report for something as unimportant as a SIM deal
- They have a bad credit score - For some customers, their credit may be poor enough that they would not pass the regular checks made for a SIM only deal on another network so getting a great deal without one is great.
- They may not have a credit history - There are some customers who don’t have a credit history (due to personal history or age) so would not pass a regular credit check for a SIM deal on another network.