updated: Dec 20, 2024
Break free from lock-in contracts with the best SIM-only mobile plans in Singapore.
Gone are the days when fixed mobile plan contracts by Singtel, StarHub, and M1 locked you in for a period of 12 to 24 months with no way out except by paying a hefty early termination penalty.
How did they attract you to sign up with them? The main tactic was to dangle the latest smartphone at an attractive upfront 'discount' — provided you re-contract with them, locking you in for 12 to 24 months.
Obviously, it wasn’t really a discount; the cost of the smartphone was really just spread out over monthly instalments.
Instead of these expensive fixed mobile plan contracts, more consumers are now turning to SIM-only plans thanks to a number of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that have entered the market.
What is an MVNO, you might ask? They are network operators that 'rent' bandwidth and access to network services on the infrastructure lines and network from incumbents SingTel, M1 and StarHub at bulk wholesale rates. It then sets retail prices and packages accordingly, taking into account download speeds as well as network coverage.
So if you're looking for a SIM-only mobile plan, and want to know the best credit cards to use for them, read on!
Last updated on 12 December 2024. SIM-only mobile plans and promotions are subject to change without prior notice.
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A SIM-only plan offers a package of data, talk time, and SMSes at a fixed monthly cost.
SIM-only plans are postpaid plans and function much like traditional mobile phone contracts. The main (and most important) difference, however, is that you are not locked into a minimum contract period, and you are free to switch telcos or mobile plans as and when you wish with no penalty.
The best SIM-only plan really depends on how much data you need. Check your previous telco bills or the data tracking app on your handset to see how much data you use on average each month. Also, keep in mind how much talk time and SMS you use monthly before picking the most suitable SIM-only plan for your needs.
Ever since Circles.Life's launched their S$5/month Plan a while back, many telcos have also been hopping on the bandwagon with their low plan prices, while offering you a decent amount of data.
So far, the best deal has got to be from Zero1.
Zero1 - Basic Plan - Starter (Singtel) |
100GB/300 mins/100 SMS *premium data and thereafter at usable speeds |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS |
S$7.06 |
Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) 'rent' bandwidth and access to network services on the infrastructure lines and network from incumbents SingTel, M1 and StarHub at bulk wholesale rates. It then sets retail prices and packages accordingly, taking into account download speeds as well as network coverage.
MNVOs under Singtel |
GOMO, Heya, CMLINK SG, VIVIFI, Zero1, ZYM Mobile |
MNVOs under StarHub |
Giga!, MyRepublic (5G), redONE |
MNVOs under M1 |
Maxx, Circles.Life, MyRepublic (4G), Changi Mobile, ZΩH, Geenet mobile |
Provider/Plan (Network) |
Data/Talk Time/SMS |
Add-Ons |
Monthly Subscription |
VIVIFI - Lite Plan (Singtel) |
3GB/500 mins/20 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS - Free SIM Card or eSIM |
S$9.00 |
VIVIFI - Plus 9 Plan (Singtel) |
9GB/350 mins/200 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS - Free SIM Card or eSIM |
S$9.50 |
CMLink SG - 20GB Plan (Singtel) |
*20GB/100 mins/100 SMS *includes 10GB roaming data for use in Singapore, Hong Kong and mainland China, and 100 mins local talk time and 100 mins from local to Hong Kong, mainland China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and USA |
- Free 5G Access - Free caller ID & incoming calls |
S$10.90 |
GOMO 20GB SIM-Only Plan (Singtel) |
20GB/300 mins/300 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls |
S$10.18 |
giga! - 20GB Plan (Starhub) |
20GB/300 mins/300 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS - Data rollover |
S$10.19 |
Circles.Life 20GB (M1) |
20GB/300mins/25 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free unlimited incoming calls |
S$12.00 |
Provider/Plan (Network) |
Data/Talk Time/SMS |
Add-Ons |
Monthly Subscription |
VIVIFI - Plus 20 Plan (Singtel) |
50GB/400 mins/200 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS - Free SIM Card or eSIM |
S$11.50 |
VIVIFI - Plus 20-5G Plan (Singtel) |
60GB/400 mins/200 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS - Free SIM Card or eSIM |
S$19.00 |
Singtel - Sim Only Lite (12-month contract) |
60GB/400 mins/400 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS |
S$35.00 |
100GB/300mins/25 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Data roaming across SG and 8 popular Asian countries - Free Incoming Local and Roaming SMS |
S$30.00 |
|
150GB/300mins/25 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free unlimited incoming calls |
S$13.18 |
|
100GB/300mins/25 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free Incoming Local and Roaming SMS - 5G access available in SG, MY, TW, and TH |
S$30.00 |
|
Singtel - Sim Only Core (No contract) |
150GB/700 mins/700 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS |
S$40.00 |
ZYM Mobile - Roam SAVER (Singtel) |
100GB/300 mins/100 SMS |
- Free caller ID and incoming calls - 2GB Roaming Data |
S$7.77 |
100GB/300 mins/30 SMS |
- 3GB of roaming data - Unlimited calls to local mobile lines - Unlimited SMS to SIMBA lines |
S$10.00 |
|
Zero1 - Basic Plan - Starter (Singtel) |
100GB/300 mins/100 SMS *premium data and thereafter at usable speeds |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS |
S$7.06 |
CMLink SG 150GB SIM-Only Plan (Singtel) |
*150GB/300 mins/300 SMS *includes 30GB roaming data |
- Free 5G Access - Free caller ID and incoming calls |
S$21.00 |
188GB/200 mins/100 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls |
S$7.99 |
|
250GB/300 mins/100 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls |
S$11.90 |
Provider/Plan (Network) |
Data/Talk Time/SMS |
Add-Ons |
Monthly Subscription |
200GB |
|||
VIVIFI - VIBE 4G Plan (Singtel) |
200GB/588 mins/100 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS - Free SIM Card or eSIM |
S$10.00 |
VIVIFI - VIBE 5G Plan (Singtel) |
210GB/588 mins/100 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS - Free SIM Card or eSIM |
S$17.50 |
Zero1 - Basic Plan - 4G Plus FE (Singtel) |
228GB Data/300 mins/100 SMS *premium data and thereafter at usable speeds |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS |
S$10.10 |
ZYM Mobile - Roam PLUS 4G (Singtel) |
200GB/1,000 mins/100 SMS |
- Free caller ID and incoming calls - 3GB Roaming Data |
S$10.10 |
ZYM Mobile - Roam Smart 4G (Singtel) |
200GB/2,000 mins/100 SMS |
- Free caller ID and incoming calls - 8GB Roaming Data |
S$15.10 |
ZYM Mobile - Roam Pro 5G (Singtel) |
210GB/1,000 mins/100 SMS |
- Free caller ID and incoming calls - 3GB Roaming Data |
S$20.10 |
redONE - Best10 Plan (Starhub) |
200GB/500 mins/200 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls - Data, Calls and SMS can be made in both Singapore and Malaysia |
S$10.90 |
Geenet Mobile (M1) |
200GB/1,000 mins/100 SMS/1GB Data roaming |
- Free caller ID |
S$10.00 |
200GB/300 mins/30 SMS |
- 7GB of roaming data - Unlimited calls to local mobile lines - Unlimited SMS to SIMBA lines |
S$10.00 |
|
GOMO 4G Plus SIM-Only Plan (Singtel) |
250GB/500 mins/500 SMS |
- Free caller ID and incoming calls - Free 1GB roaming data |
S$12.00/mth for 3 months, S$15.00/mth thereafter |
250GB/300mins/25 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free unlimited incoming calls |
S$15.82 |
|
250GB/1,000 mins/1,000 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls |
S$14.95 |
|
350GB/1,200 mins/1,200 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls |
S$17.95 |
|
300GB |
|||
300GB/500 mins/50 SMS |
- 6GB of roaming data - Unlimited calls to local mobile lines - Unlimited SMS to SIMBA lines |
S$18.00 |
|
Geenet Mobile (M1) |
300GB/1,000 mins/100 SMS/3GB Data roaming |
- Free caller ID |
S$15.00 |
Zero1 - Standard Plan - 5G Prime (Singtel) |
350GB/300 mins/100 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS |
S$20.00 |
Zero1 - Standard Plan - 4G Prime (Singtel) |
300GB/300 mins/100 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls and SMS |
S$12.00 |
300GB/300 mins/100 SMS |
- FREE 4GB Monthly Roaming - Free Rollover Data |
S$15.28 |
|
300GB/800 mins/800 SMS |
- FREE 6GB Monthly Roaming - Free Rollover Data |
S$18.33 |
|
CMLink SG 300GB SIM-Only Plan (Singtel) |
*300GB/400 mins/400 SMS *includes 40GB roaming data |
- Free 5G Acees - Free caller ID & incoming calls |
S$31.10 |
GOMO 5G Value SIM-Only Plan (Singtel) |
300GB/800 mins/800 SMS |
- Free caller ID and incoming calls - Free 6GB roaming data |
S$12.00 for the first month, S$18.33/mth thereafter |
400GB - 500GB |
|||
400GB/400 mins/400 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls |
S$14.90 |
|
400GB/1,000 mins/1,000 SMS |
- FREE 8GB Monthly Roaming - Free Rollover Data |
S$20.37 |
|
redONE - Best20 Plan (Starhub) |
400GB/1,000 mins/400 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls - Data, Calls and SMS can be made in both Singapore and Malaysia |
S$20.90 |
500GB/Unlimited mins/25 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free unlimited incoming and outgoing calls |
S$19.33 |
|
Geenet Mobile (M1) |
500GB/1,000 mins/100 SMS/1GB Data roaming |
- Free caller ID |
S$20.00 |
600GB |
|||
redONE - Best30 Plan (Starhub) |
600GB/1,500 mins/600 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls - Data, Calls and SMS can be made in both Singapore and Malaysia |
S$30.90 |
GOMO 5G Plus SIM-Only Plan (Singtel) |
600GB/1,000 mins/1,000 SMS |
- Free caller ID and incoming calls - Free 8GB roaming data |
S$12.00 for the first month, S$23.09/mth thereafter. |
Provider/Plan (Network) |
Data/Talk Time/SMS |
Add-Ons |
Monthly Subscription |
GOMO 5G Jetsetter SIM-Only Plan (Singtel) |
1TB/1,000 mins/1,000 SMS |
- Free caller ID and incoming calls - Free 10GB roaming data |
S$12.00 for the first month, S$27.15/mth thereafter. |
1TB/1,500 mins/1,500 SMS |
- FREE 8GB Monthly Roaming - Free Rollover Data |
S$28.00 |
|
1TB/Unlimited mins/25 SMS |
- Free caller ID |
S$30.00 |
|
Unlimited/2,000 mins/2,000 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls |
S$25.90 |
|
15GB per day/1,500 mins/1,500 SMS |
- Free caller ID - Free incoming calls |
S$24.95 |
|
CMLink SG Unlimited SIM-Only Plan (Singtel) |
*Unlimited/500 mins/500 SMS *includes 60GB roaming data |
- Free 5G Access - Free caller ID and incoming calls |
S$41.20 |
Not wanting to lose customers to MNVOs, the three main telcos - Singtel, Starhub and M1 - have also rolled out their own SIM-only plans. Here is a comparison of their respective plans.
Unlimited/1,500 mins/1,500 SMS
Free Caller ID and Asia Roaming 1GB
Free 12 months of Disney+ Premium and McAfee Mobile Security
Singtel SIM Only Plus 200GB 5G Plan (no contract) @ S$55/month
200GB/1,000 mins/1,000 SMS
Free Caller ID and Asia Roaming 1GB
Free 12 months of Disney+ Premium and McAfee Mobile Security
Singtel SIM Only Core 150GB 5G Plan (no contract) @ S$40/month
150GB/700 mins/700 SMS
Free Caller ID and Asia Roaming 1GB
Free 6 months of Disney+ Premium and McAfee Mobile Security
Singtel SIM Only Lite 60GB 5G Plan (12-month contract) @ S$35/month
60GB/400 mins/400 SMS
Free 3 months of McAfee Mobile Security
💡 Important note: Singtel requires customers to sign a 12-months contract for all three SIM-only plans. Customers are also allowed to upsize their plans for a monthly fee. Visit Singtel for more details and full terms and conditions.
Star Plan L @ S$32/month
200GB/1,500 mins/750 SMS
Star Plan Senior @ S$15/month
200GB/1,000 mins/500 SMS
💡 Important note: Starhub offers mobile + SIM-only plans as well. Customers are can also upsize their plans for a monthly fee. Visit Starhub for details and its full terms and conditions.
M1 150GB Forever Plan (no contract) @ S$14.95/month (S$5.90 off first month)
250GB/1,100 mins/1,100 SMS
Free caller ID, unlimited data
M1 1TB SIM-only Plan (no-contract) @ S$17.95/month (S$5.90 off first month)
1TB/1,000 mins/1,000 SMS
Free caller ID, unlimited data
💡 Important note: M1 only offers no-contract SIM-only plans, useful for customers who don't wish to be locked in to year-long contracts. Visit M1 for more details and full terms and conditions.
While telco bills are a monthly recurring spend, most credit cards exclude telco bill payments.
Thankfully, there are a select few that still consider telco bills as eligible spending, which are generally classified under MCC 4812 and MCC 4814.
However, one caveat is that recurring bill payments aren't considered online transactions. So, unless your card considers telco bills as one of the eligible categories, you won't be able to earn cashback or miles if your card only recognises online transactions.
But you can still earn credit card rewards from your bill payments by making manual payments each month. Yes, it's a hassle, but it ensures that your spending won't go to waste!
With that said, below are the best credit cards to use for your telco bills:
Credit cards |
Cashback/miles earn rate |
Notes |
|
4 miles per dollar (mpd) |
- Recurring telco payments aren’t considered online spend, but you can bypass this by pairing it with the amaze card, which converts all offline transactions online |
|
4 mpd |
- Pay directly online or on the app every month, as recurring bill payments aren’t eligible |
|
8% monthly cashback on five chosen categories; capped at S$25 per category and S$125 per month |
- S$800 monthly minimum spend, otherwise 0.4% cashback |
|
6.67% cashback; capped at S$20 per category and S$60 per month |
- Pay directly online or via mobile contactless through kiosks or physical stores, as recurring bill payments aren’t eligible - S$600 monthly minimum spend, otherwise 0.3% cashback |
|
Up to 10% cashback on online, eco-merchants, and mobile contactless payments, capped at S$75 per month: |
- Pay directly online or via mobile contactless through kiosks or physical stores, as recurring bill payments aren’t eligible |
|
3.33% cashback (capped at S$50, S$100, or S$300 per quarter) |
- Monthly minimum spend of S$500, S$1,000, or S$2,000 for three consecutive months per quarter |
|
3% cashback on telco bills |
- Cashback on recurring telco bills - S$800 monthly minimum spend |
|
Up to 18% cashback |
- Only for Singtel customers - S$600 monthly minimum spend, otherwise 0.5% cashback |
|
3% cashback on telco bills |
- S$800 monthly minimum spend required |
provider | Card benefit | Min. Annual Income | Annual Fee | offers_rewards | apply |
---|
With so many SIM-only mobile plans to choose from now, the days of being locked into a contract is now a thing of the past. When choosing a SIM-only plan, consider how much data, talk time and SMS you really need before making the switch.
If you're switching from a fixed contract to SIM-only, take note of any early termination penalties. Generally, the earlier you terminate the fixed contract, the heavier the penalty so calculate if what you're saving by switching is enough to cover that amount.
For example, if your early termination penalty is S$200, and you're 6 months away from the penalty-free period, your new SIM only plan should be at least S$33.40 cheaper per month (S$200 divided by 6) than your existing contract plan.
How much can I save if I switch to a SIM-only plan?
Let's compare Singtel's SIM Only Plus 55 and Singtel Pro post-paid plans. Both offer a similar amount of data (200GB vs 230GB) and provide the customer with 5G access.
The SIM Only Plus plan is priced at S$55 per month, or S$660 yearly, while the Phone Plan Pro Plus plan is priced at S$178 per month, or S$2,136 yearly.
That's about S$123 savings per month or S$1,476 savings per year! Unless you are interested in buying or upgrading to a new phone, the SIM-only plan clearly wins hands-down in terms of savings.
Even if you require a new phone, you could probably buy one that is cheaper directly from Apple or Samsung. Plus, you could probably earn Cashback or Miles from that direct purchase.
Remember, you may not be rewarded for paying your handphone bill with your credit card.
If you do wish to compare your existing post-paid plan with the many SIM-only plans available in the market, remember to compare it with one that has similar offerings in terms of data, talk time, calls, and features.
How much data do you need?
According to a 2018 study by Info-comm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Singapore residents consumed about 70 petabytes of mobile data per month in Q4Y2021-- up nearly 27 per cent from about 55 petabytes monthly in Q4Y2020. Of course, if you spend a lot of time on your phone to play mobile games, stream a lot of music on Spotify or movies via Netflix, or have a lot of real-time video chats, your data consumption is going to shoot up.
The best gauge is to check your recent telco bills on the amount of data juice you use on average per month. To save on data, you can also log on to Wifi networks wherever possible or download the music or video content on Wifi and then consume it offline.
What is 'managed network speed'?
When a mobile plan promises 'unlimited data', check the fine print. It will usually say something like, 'first 3GB of data at 4G speed, managed network speeds thereafter', which basically translates to 'your internet surfing based on the first 3GB of data will be fast but after that, expect both your network coverage and download speeds to become more spotty and slow down.'
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