ID Mobile
eSIMThree-powered UK MVNO — £6 PAYG eSIM, keep alive with one event per 6 months
Best for: Budget users wanting Three-network coverage with the most relaxed 6-month keep-alive cadence.
Overview
iD Mobile is a London-based MVNO (founded 2014) running on Three's network, known for flexible, value plans. Its £6 pay-as-you-go eSIM bundles unlimited calls and texts with 1GB of data; any top-up or charged usage every 6 months keeps the number alive.
iD Mobile is the low-cost way onto Three's UK network (the network now merged with Vodafone UK, though integration is ongoing): £6 pay-as-you-go buys unlimited UK calls and texts plus 1GB — usable as a keep-alive base with light real usage.
Keep-alive bar: at least one top-up or charged usage per 6 months, the most relaxed cadence among reviewed UK options (giffgaff/VOXI/Lycamobile use 180-day windows). Monthly plans and PAYG both exist; eSIM is selectable at checkout.
Trade-offs common to budget MVNOs apply: traffic priority sits below Three's own subscribers, and the source review groups iD with the budget-MVNO tier — fine for a cheap UK number, not the first pick for mainland-China roaming reliability.
Popular plans
| Plan | Data from | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAYG eSIM | 1GB | 6 months per activity | £6 |
PAYG terms per iD Mobile official site (2026-03 review).
Pros
- Most relaxed keep-alive cadence: one event per 6 months
- £6 with unlimited calls/texts and 1GB included
- Three-network coverage incl. 5G
Things to note
- MVNO priority below Three's own customers
- Budget tier — not first pick for China-roaming reliability
- 1GB PAYG data is UK-centric
Key features
- £6 PAYG: unlimited calls + texts + 1GB
- One top-up or usage per 6 months keeps the number
- Runs on Three's 4G/5G network
- Monthly and PAYG plans, eSIM at checkout