Contract or Pay-monthly contract

Contract phones are subsidised handsets sold with a line or connection. The buyer is obliged to pay line rental for a minimum period of 12 months but will often get free minutes included and sometime free text messages, every month.

For regular mobile phone users, a contract phone can work out much cheaper due to the lower variable charges.

International roaming is also cheaper for those with a Contract line.

Contracts are post-pay so the network has to give the customer credit, therefore a credit check has to be made prior to approval.

Only UK residents that can show that they have had a UK address for 3 + years will be able to obtain a line with a pay-monthly contract. In exceptional cases, new UK arrivals can also obtain a contract phone but a large deposit will be required by the network.