Lycamobile UK
eSIM + PhysicalGlobal MVNO on O2/EE in the UK — £10 top-up covers ~90 days (credit expires at 90)
Best for: Users who mainly call internationally and want a no-contract UK number with voucher top-up options.
Overview
Lycamobile is a UK-headquartered global MVNO active in 60 countries; in the UK it runs mainly on O2 and EE networks. Order online and pick eSIM at checkout; after 90 days without a call, message, data use or top-up Lyca sends a warning, and the number is deactivated and reallocated after a further 30-day grace period (minimum top-up £10; credit itself expires 90 days from the top-up date). No long-term contract — cancel or change anytime; voucher top-ups supported.
Lycamobile is the call-centric global MVNO: its bundles skew toward international minutes rather than China-roaming data, and its keep-alive is top-up based — roughly £10 per 90 days (after 90 days without a call, message, data or top-up Lyca warns you, then deactivates the SIM and reallocates the number after a 30-day grace; top-up credit expires 90 days from the top-up date), clearly worse value than giffgaff's £0.30 SMS or VOXI's £5/180 days. The upside is familiarity and reach: it operates in 60 countries, so the same account logic works for relatives abroad, and voucher-based top-ups (scratch cards) exist where cards aren't an option. eSIM can be selected during bundle purchase on the official site. No contract lock-in.
Trade-offs: mainland-China roaming is not its design centre (the source review does not recommend it for China-roaming cloud residents); network priority as an MVNO sits below host-network subscribers; and bundle-heavy marketing means the cheapest keep-alive path is simply topping up and not buying anything.
Lycamobile UK eSIM and Plans Guide (official, verified 2026-09)
eSIM support: sold on the official eSIM page, QR code delivered by email after ordering, with official activation walkthroughs for iPhone, Samsung, Google Pixel and Huawei. PAYG also supports eSIM (the official PAYG page lists "eSIM PAYG: digital SIM that works instantly, choose bundles or standard rates"). Device changes are managed via the My Lyca account or app.
Current bundles (official homepage promo prices, 2026-09, all 30-day rolling):
- UK Plan Smart: £5/mo (first month £3.50) — 5GB + 1000 mins + unlimited SMS + 100 international mins, 5GB EU roaming
- National Plus: £10/mo (first month £5) — 30GB + unlimited calls & texts + 12GB EU roaming
- UK Plan Unlimited: £25/mo (first month £12.50) — unlimited data (35GB usable in EU + India) + 100 international mins
- UK Plan Super Extra: £15/mo (first month £7.50) — 75GB, of which 12GB in EU + India and 1.5GB usable in mainland China
- Promos are new-customer online-only first-month discounts ending 2026-09-30; the SIM must be activated within 30 days of ordering
Standard PAYG rates (top-up only, no bundle): UK landline 15p/min (Lyca-to-Lyca free), other mobiles 23p/min, SMS 23p, data 15p/MB — standard-rate data is extremely expensive; pure PAYG suits only parked numbers that receive calls, never use data. Buy a bundle for data.
Keep-alive (consistent with the profile, official terms): warning after 90 days without calls/texts/data/top-up, then a 30-day grace before the number is recycled; top-up credit expires 90 days from the top-up date. Cheapest keep-alive path = one top-up per 90 days (£5 minimum) with no bundle or the £5 tier. See the UK keep-alive guide for comparison.
Mainland-China note: the Super Extra bundle's 1.5GB China allowance is a rare official "usable in China" line item; but Lyca's design center is international calling, not cloud-resident roaming — no official guarantee for long-term mainland use.
Popular plans
| Plan | Data from | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Plan Smart (30d) | 5GB + 1000 mins + 100 intl mins | 30 days | £5/mo (first month £3.50) |
| National Plus (30d) | 30GB + unlimited calls/texts + 12GB EU | 30 days | £10/mo (first month £5) |
| UK Plan Super Extra (30d) | 75GB, incl 12GB EU+India, 1.5GB China | 30 days | £15/mo (first month £7.50) |
| UK Plan Unlimited (30d) | Unlimited data (35GB EU+India) | 30 days | £25/mo (first month £12.50) |
| Pay-as-you-go keep-alive | Pay per use | 90 days + 30-day grace, then number reallocated | £10 minimum top-up |
Keep-alive terms per Lycamobile UK T&C clauses 3.3/3.5/4.6 (2026-09 re-verify): 90 days + 30-day grace, then number reallocated; credit expires 90 days from top-up. Bundle prices change frequently.
Pros
- Present in 60 countries — one brand logic worldwide
- No contract lock-in; eSIM at checkout
- Voucher top-ups when no bank card is available
Things to note
- £10 per ~90 days keep-alive costs well above giffgaff/VOXI
- Bundles favour international calls, not China-roaming data
- MVNO priority below host network; not recommended for China-roaming primary use
Key features
- £10 top-up extends validity 180 days
- eSIM selectable at bundle checkout
- No contract; change or cancel anytime
- Voucher/scratch-card top-ups supported