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Parental peace of mind: The best mobile contracts for kids

It can be a bit of a minefield if you’re in the market for a phone for a child. You want to ensure they have something that meets their needs while not costing you a fortune. So, here are the best SIM cards available, plus a quick guide to finding a suitable phone and contract for your child.

mobile phone contracts for kids


The best mobile phone contracts for kids


Cost per monthMinutes and textsDataGreat for?
Lebara£51,000 minutes
1,000 texts
5GBLight users
iD Mobile£6Unlimited4GBInternational use
giffgaff£8Unlimited5GBChanging tariff
Smarty£6Unlimited5GBUsing in the EU
VOXI£10Unlimited15GBOlder children, heavy social media users
Sky Mobile£8Unlimited4GBTighter parental controls


Choosing the right contract for your child

If your child has reached the age where you think they deserve a phone, or all their friends have one, choosing the right option can be pretty difficult. Of course, you want the best for them but don’t want to spend a fortune.

You could visit one of the major providers, choose a phone and contract and pay a monthly fee. But this can be quite expensive.

A separate SIM and phone will almost always give you better value than a bundled contract. But how do you get the best deal if you purchase both separately?

The best SIM cards for kids

So, here are the best SIM-only contracts available on the market at the moment.

Lebara

  • Cost per month – £5
  • Minimum contract – 30 days
  • Texts – 1,000
  • Minutes – 1,000
  • Data – 5GB
  • Network – Vodafone

Parental controls?

The spending cap can be set at £0. The adult filter is automatically applied and can only be removed through identity verification.

Also worth noting

Users receive unlimited minutes & texts to Lebara UK numbers. They can also use their data in the EU and 100 minutes for international calls in 42 countries.

Lebara



ID Mobile

  • Cost per month – £6
  • Minimum contract – 30 days
  • Texts – Unlimited
  • Minutes – Unlimited
  • Data – 4GB
  • Network – Three

Parental controls?

A spending cap can be set between £0 and £25. The adult filter is automatically applied and can be removed through the app or online account.

Also worth noting

iD Mobile comes with Roam Free, which allows your child to use their allowance in over 50 locations at no extra cost.

iD Mobile


giffgaff

  • Cost per month – £8
  • Minimum contract – 30 days
  • Texts – Unlimited
  • Minutes – Unlimited
  • Data – 5GB
  • Network – O2

Parental controls?

The spending cap is set to £40. The adult filter is automatically applied to all contracts. Proof of age needs to be supplied for its removal.

Also worth noting

As long as you use credit to top up your giffgaff account each month and leave your balance at £0, the spending cap will be £0.

giffgaff


Smarty

smarty logo
  • Cost per month – £6
  • Minimum contract – 30 days
  • Texts – Unlimited
  • Minutes – Unlimited
  • Data – 5GB
  • Network – Three

Parental controls?

There’s no spending cap. However, if the data allowance is reached, your child will not be able to use it until the following month. The adult filter is automatically applied and can be turned off with a credit card.

Also worth noting

Allowances can still be used in the EU without extra charge. If there are multiple SMARTY users in a household, there’s a 10% discount with a group plan.

Smarty


VOXI

Voxi logo
  • Cost per month – £10
  • Minimum contract – 30 days
  • Texts – Unlimited
  • Minutes – Unlimited
  • Data – 15GB
  • Network – Vodafone

Parental controls?

If the monthly data allowance is reached, your child will not be able to use any more until the following month. Adult filter is automatically applied but can be removed through the online account.

Also worth noting

Social media use (excluding YouTube) is free and does not use up your child’s data. Also entitled to exclusive discounts with VOXI Drop.

VOXI


Sky Mobile

sky logo
  • Cost per month – £8
  • Minimum contract – 30 days
  • Texts – Unlimited
  • Minutes – Unlimited
  • Data – 4GB
  • Network – O2

Parental controls?

A spending cap can be set between £0 and £100. The account holder (or parent) can receive a text when the data limit is almost reached. The adult filter is automatically applied and can be removed only with a credit card.

Also worth noting

Unused data can be rolled over every month and can be used at a later date at no extra cost.

Sky Mobile


Family plans

You could look at a family plan if you don’t want multiple SIMs across your family. How family plans work differs across different networks.

For example, with O2, you will pay full price for one SIM and receive 10-40% off additional airtime plans.

EE gives you 10% off for every additional line you add and a 1GB data boost. Plus, you can move spare data around between accounts.

Sky allows family members to roll over their spare data to others on the same account. This is incredibly useful if some members use far less data than others.

sky mobile for kids


What if you want complete control?

Although it’s nice to allow your kid to have a bit of extra freedom, sometimes, you may want to keep some control. If you don’t want your son or daughter to use their new phone for whatever they want, you could opt for a child-safe network that offers far more parental control.

For example, ParentShield will allow you to record your child’s text message or a phone call and set up alerts if your child should use a certain word or phrase.

Parental controls do come at an extra cost though. For example, a 4GB data allowance could cost you £30 every month, which is around five times the amount compared to a standard SIM.

The right phone

Choosing an appropriate smartphone for your child is a tough choice. Don’t be fooled, even young kids are clued up to the best phones available. They know the latest iPhone model and the one their friends have. But that’s not to say you should give your child the newest £1,000 phone. I get nervous if my daughter carries the shopping, so there is no way she is having an expensive phone.

If you have recently upgraded or are due soon, you could always give your child your old phone. If that’s not an option, plenty of second-hand phones are available through eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

Alternatively, you can buy a cheap, brand-new phone. Argos have phones from as little as £17.95. However, popular opinion from children seems to point towards them preferring a 4-year-old iPhone rather than a brand new Nokia that doesn’t have a touch screen.

Plenty of places offer finance options so that you can pay for the phone monthly. But be aware that finance can be pricey, so check the terms and conditions carefully.

When it comes to features, Android and iPhone mobile phones are quite similar. For example, both will allow you to limit screen time from the settings menu, limiting your child’s phone use.

Can children have their own mobile phone contract?

Technically speaking, nothing is stopping a child from having their own phone contract linked to their bank account.

However, remember that a child cannot be held legally responsible for a debt, so they will not be given access to a contract, only a prepaid phone. And some companies, such as Vodafone, will not take on customers under the age of 18.

Which are the best mobile phone contracts for kids?

Choosing the best contract for your child depends on how generous you feel.

If you’re looking for a mobile phone contract for an older child that allows them access to social media, then VOXI is a good option. Social media usage doesn’t eat into their data allowance, so they’re free to browse as much as they like. And 15GB of data for the rest of their needs is very generous.

Sky Mobile offers slightly cheaper SIM cards starting at £7 per month. Although they don’t have such a generous data allowance, you can roll over anything unused.

Lebara has the cheapest deal available. And yes, the texts and minutes are limited, but who uses more than 1,000 per month? It’s also very handy to set a £0 spending cap.

When it comes to the phone, either give them your old one or find a decent second-hand model from somewhere like eBay or musicMagpie.

The choice for my kids

It’s all very well sharing the best SIM options, but what did I choose for my children?

For my eldest two, one received my old phone after I upgraded, whilst the other had a refurbished iPhone from Amazon.

They both have SIMs from Sky Mobile because that’s the company I was originally with. I get to keep an eye on their usage and can roll over the data they don’t use.

My youngest daughter has my wife’s old phone. For her contract, I chose giffgaff. It’s not as good value as some others I’ve mentioned. However, I use an app called Airtime Rewards, which gives me free credit for giffgaff. It’s not for everybody, but it’s certainly worth checking out.

Further reading

I hope this guide on how to find the best mobile phone contract for kids has proved useful. Why not also take a look at my KidStart review? You can earn money to put into your child’s savings account every time you shop.

Do you have an old phone to get rid of? Take a look at the best places to sell a mobile.