Double discount on SIM deals gets mobile shoppers cheap data and £168 cashback

Those looking to drive down the cost of your mobile phone bill, then a SIM only plan could be the way to do it - and there are some worthy deals out there that not only beat the network's own price, but come with cashback too.

That means double savings just for shopping around, and you could pick up a tariff that's half the price compared to going to the network directly. For example, there's the 120GB plan on Vodafone for £14 a month for 12 months, with up to £72 cashback available.

Go to Vodafone direct and the 120GB is £25 a month on a 24-month contract - so there are big savings available. Mobiles.co.uk is offering tariffs for new customers or those looking to upgrade, with a wide range of data plans and prices to suit all users.

On Vodafone shoppers can get:

• Vodafone, 120GB (12 months) - £14.00 a month with £72 cashback
• Vodafone, 70GB (12 months) - £12.00 a month with £54 cashback

There are also some cracking deals on ID Mobile, which runs on the Three network. Again, there are some big savings here:

• ID Mobile, 108GB (12 months) - £9.00 a month with £48 cashback
• ID Mobile, 70GB (12 months) - £10.00 a month with £72 cashback

These aren't the only deals available. The cheapest deal overall is 25GB data for £8 a month (12 months) with £60 cashback from ID Mobile. For loyal Vodafone users, then the 40GB data for £8 a month (12 months) with £10 cashback looks like a good deal - but overall it will cost you more than the ID Mobile offering.

If you're looking for the biggest cashback deal, I found a 200GB data deal on Vodafone for 24 months at £15 a month, with a massive £168 available via cashback.

With all these deals, it's important to check that you're getting the data you need (all have unlimited calls and messages), check that it covers any roaming you might, as well as checking the speed of the network. Some of the cheaper Vodafone deals have a 100Mbps cap on the speed, which may not be ideal.

The other thing to be aware of is how the cashback works. This isn't just taken off your bill, you'll have to claim that cashback via redemption, which means there's a little bit of work to be done. You'll have to submit your bills to Mobiles.co.uk according to the schedule, and you'll be sent a cheque.

For example, on the 108GB ID Mobile offer above, you'll have to send in your bills for October, December, February, April and June to claim the cashback. You'll get £9.60 each time, so there's a little bit of effort required.

If you'd rather get a straight reward, ID Mobile is offering a £25 Currys gift card, so you could take a 70GB SIM for £10 a month (12 months) direct from ID Mobile and get a gift card - but the overall cost is more than the offer from Mobiles.co.uk.

If that all sounds like too much hassle and you're just looking for cheap data, then you could try GiffGaff, which is offering 50GB for £12 a month (18 months). It's a great deal with a bump in data compared to normal.

It's also important to remember that changing networks isn't a big deal. You just have to text "PAC" to 65075 and you'll be returned a code that you pass over to your new network. They will then take over your number and look after the transfer.

You'll get a final bill from your old supplier, a new SIM card from your new supplier and you'll be off on your new network in no time at all. Just remember to shop around.

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