This topic

SIM only plan upgrade

gardengait — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 13:07:38 GMT

If I upgrade a SIM only plan do I get a new SIM card. I'd rather not have to swap cards.

Re: SIM only plan upgrade

gg30340 — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 13:16:12 GMT

You will get a new card but you do not need to swap to it unless you want to.

Re: SIM only plan upgrade

gardengait — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 13:17:01 GMT

Thanks

Re: SIM only plan upgrade

andydenyer — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:41:04 GMT

I didn't get sent a new SIM when I switched to a SIM only plan with EE earlier this year. Not sure whether the same is true of BT, though.

Re: SIM only plan upgrade

xmarksthespot — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:34:31 GMT

I have just moved a BT Mobile 5G SIM-only data plan from 6Gb to 15Gb. It didn't require a new SIM.

I would think it unusual for a new card to be despatched unless for some reason you maybe had a (very) old SIM card that wasn't 5G enabled.

BT Mobile still requires physical SIMs whereas EE offer eSIMs if required/preferred.

Re: SIM only plan upgrade

Kimberlin — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:59:44 GMT

BT Mobile is essentially an MVNO piggy-backing off the EE network afaik, so why it continues to lag behind other major carriers by not offering eSIM to its customers, is anyone’s guess? Certainly changing plans should involve nothing more than a quick phone call.

Re: SIM only plan upgrade

BhfpkiiL1 — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:22:51 GMT

Probably because BT'S main customer base is the older customers who have traditionally stayed with BT.

Doubt if this age group would be interested in e sims

Re: SIM only plan upgrade

xmarksthespot — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:17:01 GMT

@BhfpkiiL1 - your reply has little to do with the original post. Also it's a bit of an uninformed, sweeping and ageist statement.

eSIMs are very common for all ages - especially through EE, O2 etc or the likes of holafly etc for overseas travel.

Regarding age, it's BT that is the dinosaur here.

Re: SIM only plan upgrade

BhfpkiiL1 — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:21:20 GMT

Sorry can you enlighten me as to why you consider BT a dinosaur?

Re: SIM only plan upgrade

xmarksthespot — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:03:01 GMT

@BhfpkiiL1 - yes I will, of course.

The thread includes mention of BT lagging behind other major carriers by not offering eSIM to its customers.

The dictionary definition of 'dinosaur' includes:
"a person or thing that is considered to be out of date".

Hope that clears things up for you. 🙂

Re: SIM only plan upgrade

gardengait — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:10:35 GMT

To clarify my original post. I've upgraded for my daughter who is away at university so it would be a pain if she had to swap the SIM card given it would arrive at home.

Thanks for all the comments.

Best wishes to you all.

Re: SIM only plan upgrade

xmarksthespot — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:36:46 GMT

@gardengait - Post 11 - apart from the 'old' SIM scenario I mentioned previously there's no obvious reason that I can see where a new/replacement SIM would be issued if merely adding more data to an existing plan.

Depends how you define 'upgrade' I suppose - feel free to add further clarification.

p.s. If for some reason you get a physical SIM at home, and you're within the 14-day cooling off period, then one option might be to instead upgrade to an EE plan with an eSIM, and return the physical SIM to BT. Alternatively, just post/courier the BT SIM to your daughter - though I appreciate this may not be timely and has its own risks.