How to Choose a SIM Card for Your Business

What is a business SIM card?

A business SIM card is ‘simply’ (pun intended) a SIM bought on a business account rather than a personal one. It does the same job, connecting a phone or tablet to a mobile network for calls, texts and data, but it comes with business benefits: a single account across multiple lines, business billing and VAT invoicing, central management, and usually better per-line pricing than consumer tariffs.

These business SIM cards can be bought on their own (SIM-only) or bundled with a handset on contract. The first decision is which of those suits you. As business SIM only plans deal in physical cards or eSIM cards, these plans can be much more affordable for companies than mobile contracts that include handsets. 

Business Mobiles offers several types of business SIM only plans and unlimited data deals. Choose from 24-month or 36-month contracts with data allowances ranging from 3 gigabytes up to 60 GB, 120 GB or of course, unlimited data SIM cards. Our company mobile plans include unlimited calls and texts in the UK and EU roaming.

Many company phone agreements include handsets and involve contracts that are up to two years long. We have a better solution – Find out below how SIM only business plans save money and provide employees with data, calls, text services and more:

How to choose a SIM card for your business:

1. Decide between SIM-only and a handset contract.

If your team already has working phones, SIM-only is usually the cheaper and more flexible choice: you pay only for the airtime, not for a handset spread across the contract. If you need new devices, a handset contract bundles the phone in. Across our customer base the split is an even 50/50, so neither is “right”, it depends on whether you need hardware.

2. Match the data to real usage, not guesswork.

This is where businesses most often overpay. Unlimited is the single most popular individual tier, yet 85% of customers actually choose a capped allowance sized to what their team uses. Check a few recent bills for typical monthly data, then choose an allowance with a little headroom rather than defaulting to unlimited for everyone. Heavy users (field staff, hotspot users) may justify unlimited; most office-based staff do not.

3. Size the plan to your team.

Most business teams are smaller than people assume: 51% of business mobile accounts have only one or two lines. Per-line cost also falls sharply with scale. In our customer data the average works out at around £27 per line for the smallest accounts (up to 25 lines), £17 per line for mid-sized accounts (26 to 100 lines), and £9 per line for the largest (100+). It is worth knowing your headcount and growth plans before you commit, and if you expect to grow, a plan that lets you add lines easily matters more than the headline price.

4. Choose the right contract length.

Longer terms usually mean lower monthly costs, which is why 85% of our business customers choose a 36-month term over a 24-month one. But weigh that against flexibility: if your team size or needs are likely to change, a shorter term or a plan that flexes can be worth the small premium. Consider how predictable the next two to three years look before locking in.

5. Pick the network on coverage, not reputation.

The best network is simply the one with the strongest coverage where your team actually works, the office, the sites they visit, the routes they travel. All the major UK networks perform well in different areas, so check coverage for your specific postcodes before deciding rather than assuming one is best everywhere.

6. Consider management and features.

For more than a handful of lines, look at shared or pooled data (so heavy and light users balance out), a single account for simpler billing, and eSIM for faster provisioning. These matter more as you scale.

Still stuck? See our post on Business SIM only plans explained to compare all of the best deals and plans.

How does a business SIM-only deal work?

A business SIM-only deal gives you a SIM with an allowance of calls, texts and data on a monthly business tariff, with no handset attached. You keep your existing phones, put the SIM in, and pay only for the airtime. Lines sit on one business account, so billing, upgrades and adding or removing users are managed centrally. Because you are not paying off a handset, the monthly cost is typically much lower than a bundled contract.

How a business SIM-only deal saves money

When businesses switch to SIM-only, the savings tend to come from three places, and they are worth understanding:

1. You stop paying handset financing. Bundled contracts spread the cost of a phone across the term, often with an effective financing cost of around 30 to 40% built in. Buying handsets outright (or through a device fund) and pairing them with SIM-only avoids that mark-up entirely.
2. You only pay for what is used. Many employees use a work phone purely for work, so a right-sized capped allowance is cheaper than defaulting everyone to unlimited.
3. Per-line costs fall with scale and the right tariff. Business rates beat consumer ones, and larger accounts unlock better per-line pricing.

For real figures, including worked examples of businesses cutting their monthly bills substantially, see our business SIM-only deals page.

Further savings are available with our various deals on SIM only business plans, including higher data allowances. For instance, a 60 GB plan with a 24-month contract has a tariff of £15 per month, compared to £12 with a 36-month contract.

Ask an expert consultant about the best deals with sufficient data, call and text allowances for employees.

What Do Business SIM Only Plans Include?

A business mobile SIM only plan typically includes Mini, Micro, Nano, or eSIM cards. Physical cards can be installed in handsets and eSIM cards can be downloaded and set up. Allowances for talk, data and text vary based on tariffs.

A business mobiles SIM-only service is sometimes referred to as a “bring your own device” plan. Employees who choose these plans often provide their own phones. This can allow employees greater freedom with regard to the devices they use and significantly reduce expenses.

The service allowances and duration of mobile SIM only business plans determine the price per month. The money an enterprise saves by not purchasing phones for employees may make it practical for employers to provide larger 60 GB, 120 GB or unlimited data plans.

We are proud to offer several tiers of service and a multi-network catalogue. Companies using applications that are specific to Apple, Android or Windows may prefer plans that include handsets.

The Benefits of a Business Mobile SIM Only Plan / Deal

The main benefits of our business mobiles SIM only plans and deals are lower tariffs and savings over the duration of mobile plans. Companies that provide each employee with one SIM card or mobile handset and contract directly with the service provider do not have to deduct and pay tax and national insurance or report these expenditures to HM Revenue and Customs.

The flexibility of these plans in terms of both contract length and handset choice are two more benefits for businesses. Our expert consultants are happy to help representatives of enterprises select plans based on service allowances.

Owners should calculate the costs associated with a company mobile service to determine whether a business SIM only plan that includes handsets is the best option for employees.

Signing up for SIM only business deals can “simplify” the process of setting up a company mobile plan by eliminating the need to decide on handset brands or models for employees. These cards can be swapped between devices, which enables employees to replace or upgrade their handset over the course of their contract.

Many employees who have such plans prefer to use dual card phones for professional and personal communication.

How to get a business SIM card

Our expert consultants offer competitive pricing on SIM only business plans and over 22 years of expertise. You can start by comparing the advertised plan tariffs. Consultants can also recommend the best network and other plan options for more affordable and reliable business mobile service. Getting set up is straightforward:

1. Work out your needs using the steps above: SIM-only or contract, data per line, number of lines.
2. Choose a plan and network based on coverage and the allowance you need.
3. Order on a business account, providing your business details for billing and VAT.
4. Receive your SIMs (or eSIMs), usually within a few working days.

With us, a dedicated account manager handles the setup for you, including registering and activating your SIMs and porting any existing numbers, so you are not left dealing with network portals. If you would rather talk it through, you can book a 15-minute chat with a human who will size it for your team, or send us a recent bill for a free review to see where you could save.

While month-to-month or other short-term business SIM only plans may be available, the 36-month or 24-month plans offered by Business Mobiles are the best deals. Our consultants always help owners, team leaders and representatives get the right cards for any handsets.

Cards that are 5G capable can provide service that is up to 100 times faster than 4G based on connectivity with increased coverage and lower latency. Learn exactly what a SIM card is here.

How to register and activate your business SIM

Setting up your new business SIM is very straightforward. Once your SIM arrives:

1. Insert the SIM (or install the eSIM) in the device.
2. Register the SIM to your business account if prompted, this links the line to your billing account.
3. Activate it. Activation is usually automatic on first use, but some networks need you to confirm activation through their business portal or by contacting support.

Activation steps vary slightly by network and by whether you are keeping an existing number (a port) or taking a new one. If you are transferring a number, you will request a PAC code from your old provider and give it to the new one.

Remember! If you order through us, you won’t have to manage any of this yourself: your dedicated account manager takes care of registration, activation and number porting on your behalf, and sorts out any SIM that does not activate first time. For our customers, there’s nothing to do beyond putting the SIM in the phone.

Ready to choose?

Business SIM only plans are good choices for companies that allow employees to use their own handsets. Many people prefer to use phones that support dual cards rather than carry work and personal mobiles.

If you know what you need, browse current business SIM-only deals. If you would like help sizing it, talk to an expert or get a free bill review.