Tello is a low-cost Pay As You Go network with flexible plans and competitive rates for UK & international calling.
In the UK, Tello is a low-cost Pay As You Go mobile network specialising in flexible 30-day plans and low-cost UK and international phone calls. The network, which uses 3G & 4G coverage from Three, charges just 3p/minute, 3p/text and 1p/MB on Pay As You Go. There are also 30-day bundles from £3/month and international phone calls from 1p/minute.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the Tello UK mobile network. We’ll start by looking at the price plans available and at how the prices on Tello compare to other UK mobile networks. We’ll also look at the coverage on Tello, how you can join as a new customer and how you can keep an existing phone number.
Pricing & Tariffs
30 Day Bundles
You can build your own custom bundle on the Tello website.
For regular mobile users and for anyone using a smartphone, the best way to use Tello is to buy a 30-day plan.
With a 30-day plan from Tello, you’ll get a certain amount of minutes, texts and internet to use at any time over the next 30 days. You’ll pay a fixed amount which will be less than the standard Pay As You Go rates, as you’ll be buying all of your airtime in bulk.
Uniquely, Tello allows you to build your own custom bundle based on how many minutes, how many texts and how much data you require. You’ll be able to choose an option from each of the columns below when making your own customised bundle:
Minutes
100 minutes
£2
200 minutes
£3
500 minutes
£4
Unlimited minutes
£6
+
Texts
20 texts
Free
100 texts
50p
Unlimited texts
£1
+
Data
100MB data
£1
500MB data
£3
1GB data
£5
2GB data
£6
3GB data
£7
You can build your custom bundle through the interactive tool on Tello’s website:
Build Your Own Bundle (tello.co.uk) »
By default, your bundle will automatically renew itself at the end of 30 days. If you don’t want this to happen, you can cancel the automatical renewal. You can also change your plan at any time through the My Tello website or mobile application (available for iPhone and Android smartphones).
UK Rates
For occasional mobile users who don’t want to buy a 30-day bundle, Tello also allows you to pay for your usage on a per-minute, per-text and per-megabyte basis. With this, you only need to top-up your phone when you want to add extra money to your account. There’s no need to top-up every month and you can top-up from a minimum of just £2 each time.
Tello’s Pay As You Go rates are amongst the lowest in the UK (they charge just 3p/minute, 3p/text and 1p/MB). The only mobile network offering slightly lower rates is Three who charge 3p/minute, 2p/text and 1p/MB. Although Three is slightly cheaper for UK texting, they also have a number of downsides e.g. more expensive bundles, pricey international calls and lack of tethering support.
The following table shows Tello’s Pay As You Go rates:
Calling Rates:
Voice Calls
3p/minute (any network, any time)
Calls to Voicemail
3p/minute
Calls to Special Rate Numbers
10p/minute access charge
+ service charge from the company you’re calling
Messaging Rates:
Text Message (SMS)
3p
Picture Message (MMS)
Not available.
Internet Rates:
Mobile Internet
1p/MB
Order Tello SIM Card (Free with top-up) »
You can check the remaining balance on your Pay As You Go account by calling the automated line on 32123. Alternatively, you can log in to the My Tello website or app (available on iPhone and Android).
Your Tello account can be topped up through the website or app using a credit card, debit card or PayPal account. For convenience, there is an optional auto top-up feature which will recharge your account automatically when your Pay As You Go balance falls below £2.
International Rates
A major selling point of the Tello network is their low rates for international calling. With a Tello SIM card, you can call abroad from as little as 1p/minute. The exact rate depends on the country you’re calling, but we’ve shown the cost for some frequently-called countries below.
International text messages range from 6p to 10p each (again, this depends on the country you’re sending a text message to).
Country
Calls to Mobile
Calls to Landline
Text Message
China (+86)
2.4p/minute
2.4p/minute
10p/message
India (+91)
2.7p/minute
2.7p/minute
6p/message
Ireland (+353)
4.7p/minute
2.1p/minute
6p/message
Italy (+39)
3p/minute
2.1p/minute
10p/message
Pakistan (+92)
4.5p/minute
4.5p/minute
6p/message
Poland (+48)
3p/minute
2.6p/minute
10p/message
Romania (+40)
3p/minute
2p/minute
10p/message
Sri Lanka (+94)
14.9p/minute
15.5p/minute
6p/message
Turkey (+90)
11.9p/minute
3.9p/minute
9p/message
United States (+1)
2p/minute
2p/minute
10p/message
Cost of international calls & international text messages on the Tello network (calls & texts made to a phone number in another country whilst you're in the UK). Last updated on 28th June 2016. Source: tello.co.uk.
For anyone who frequently calls abroad to other countries, Tello also has a range of international bundles. The international bundles give you a large number of international minutes for a fixed price every month (e.g. you’ll get 500 minutes to the US for £8/month).
International bundles are currently available for calling Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Thailand and the United States of America.
Credit Expiry
On Tello, your credit will not expire providing you use your SIM card at least once every 180 days.
On Tello, your Pay As You Go credit won’t expire providing your SIM card remains active. To keep it active, you’ll need to use the SIM card at least once every 6 months. This is stated in the terms and conditions for Tello UK SIM:
If Tello SIM is not used for a period of 6 months (no calls, texts or data usage is registered), the SIM will be deactivated and all unused balance will be lost. Upon SIM deactivation, Tello recalls no obligation to refund any lost data, Pay As You Go credit, minutes or any other account balance.
Most other Pay As You Go networks for international calling have a much stricter policy on credit expiry. On Delight Mobile, Lebara Mobile, Lycamobile and Vectone Mobile, your credit will expire 90 days after it’s added to your account. Coupled with a smaller minimum top-up (just £2 on Tello), this makes Tello a much better choice for occasional mobile users wanting low international rates.
Comparison To Alternatives
£5 per month bundles
Tello has some entry-level bundles at £5/month.
On Tello, you’d be able to choose one of the following two bundles for £5/month:
100 minutes, 20 texts, 500MB data
200 minutes, unlimited texts, 100MB data
This compares fairly favourably to rival £5/month bundles being offered by ASDA Mobile and giffgaff:
Network
Minutes
Texts
Internet
Monthly
Cost
100
2,000
100MB
£5.00
125
500
100MB
£5.00
200
2,000
-
£5.00
You’ll get a free SIM card when you choose your bundle from Tello.
£10 per month bundles
Tello has a choice of six bundles for £10/month.
For £10/month, you’d be able to get one of the following six bundles on Tello:
100 minutes, unlimited texts, 3GB data
200 minutes, 20 texts, 3GB data
200 minutes, unlimited texts, 2GB data
500 minutes, 20 texts, 2GB data
500 minutes, unlimited texts, 1GB data
Unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 500MB data
On rival Pay As You Go mobile networks, you’d be able to get the following for £10/month:
Network
Minutes
Texts
Internet
Monthly
Cost
600
Unlimited
1.5GB
£10.00
500
Unlimited
1GB
£10.00
150
Unlimited
500MB
£10.00
250
1,000
500MB
£10.00
100
3,000
500MB
£10.00
150
Unlimited
500MB
£10.00
£15 per month bundles
For £14/month, you’ll get unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 3GB of data on Tello.
On Tello, you’ll get unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 3GB data for £14/month.
On rival Pay As You Go mobile networks, you can pick up the following bundles for £15/month:
Network
Minutes
Texts
Internet
Monthly
Cost
1,000
Unlimited
4GB
£15.00
1,000
Unlimited
3GB
£15.00
500
Unlimited
2GB
£15.00
750
2,000
2GB
£15.00
250
Unlimited
1GB
£15.00
For a full in-depth comparison, see our guide to the UK’s best value Pay As You Go bundles.
UK Rates
Tello charges 3p/minute, 3p/text and 1p/MB for usage in the UK. This makes it one of the cheapest Pay As You Go mobile networks. Three is the only network offering slightly lower rates (3p/minute, 2p/text and 1p/MB). For a full comparison, see our guide to Pay As You Go rates in the UK.
International Rates
The following table compares the per-minute costs of calling abroad on Pay As You Go networks:
Country
Cost of calling abroad from the UK (per minute)
China (+86)
2p
2p
1p
1.5p
2.4p
1.5p
India (+91)
2p
2p
1p
1.5p
2.7p
1.5p
Ireland (+353)
8p
(1p to landline)
5p
(2p to landline)
5p
(5p to landline)
5p
(1p to landline)
4.7p
(2.1p to landline)
25p
(5p to landline)
Italy (+39)
7p
(2p to landline)
7p
(3p to landline)
5p
(5p to landline)
10p
(2p to landline)
3p
(2.1p to landline)
25p
(5p to landline)
Pakistan (+92)
10p
(10p to landline)
8p
(8p to landline)
2p
(2p to landline)
8p
(8p to landline)
4.5p
(4.5p to landline)
30p
(12p to landline)
Poland (+48)
5p
(1p to landline)
5p
(2p to landline)
1p
(1p to landline)
5p
(1p to landline)
3p
(2.6p to landline)
25p
(5p to landline)
Romania (+40)
5p
(2p to landline)
2p
(2p to landline)
1p
(1p to landline)
4p
(1p to landline)
3p
(2p to landline)
25p
(5p to landline)
Sri Lanka (+94)
20p
(10p to landline)
10p
(10p to landline)
9p
(9p to landline)
9p
(9p to landline)
14.9p
(15.5p to landline)
30p
(12p to landline)
Turkey (+90)
15p
(5p to landline)
10p
(3p to landline)
5p
(1p to landline)
10p
(3p to landline)
11.9p
(3.9p to landline)
25p
(5p to landline)
United States (+1)
3p
2p
1p
2p
2p
1.5p
Cost of calling abroad from a UK mobile network (per minute). As the headline figure, we've shown the per-minute cost of calling a mobile phone number. Where a lower price applies for calling landline numbers, this is shown separately in brackets. Last updated on 28th June 2016. Source: ee.co.uk, giffgaff.com, lycamobile.co.uk, o2.co.uk, tello.co.uk, vodafone.co.uk.
On Tello, you’ll automatically get the lowest rates available. However, other mobile networks may require you to opt-in for the lowest rates. For more information, please see our guide to international calling. If you’re frequently calling another country, Tello’s international bundles may be a better value choice.
Network & Coverage
3G & 4G Coverage from Three
Tello offers 97% population coverage, using the 3G & 4G networks from Three.
Tello is a low-cost virtual network operator that uses Three as its network coverage provider. Customers with a Tello SIM card will therefore get the exact same coverage as customers on Three. At the time of writing, this is 97% population coverage for calling, texting and browsing on 3G. About 65% of the population will get the faster 4G service, with download speeds about five times faster than regular 3G.
Before ordering a SIM card from Tello, we strongly recommend checking the coverage in your area. You can do this by entering your postcode on the Tello website:
Check Tello UK Coverage Map »
For a list of virtual network operators and the company they each use to provide their mobile coverage, please see our guide to mobile phone coverage in the UK.
Tethering
Tethering or personal hotspot refers to the process of sharing your smartphone’s internet connection with another device (for example, with your laptop or tablet).
On Tello, it’s possible to tether on all of their tariffs (i.e. whether you’re on Pay As You Go or whether you have a National Plan). This is a key benefit compared to other low-cost Pay As You Go networks as many others prohibit the use of tethering.
The full tethering policy in listed in the Tello help centre:
Do you offer tethering?
Yes, tethering is available on Tello. You can share data through tethering (creating a hotspot) with any device capable to use a data connection. There are no limitations and no extra charges, besides the data usage that will be deducted from your national plan or Pay As You Go balance.
International Roaming
Tello does not provide an international roaming service.
Unfortunately, Tello doesn’t yet offer international roaming as part of their service. This means if you leave the UK with a Tello SIM card inside your handset, you won’t receive any mobile coverage on your phone.
To make phone calls when you’re travelling abroad, it’s still possible to use the My Tello app (available on iPhone and Android). To use this, you’ll need to connect your smartphone to a wi-fi network. The call will use your normal phone number and you’ll pay the same rates as you normally pay in the UK. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to receive phone calls in the My Tello app.
Joining Tello
Tello is a SIM-only mobile network so you’ll need to have an unlocked handset to use with the service. This can either be your existing smartphone (see our guides to unlocking an iPhone and unlocking a Samsung Galaxy) or you could buy a new unlocked smartphone.
You can order a free SIM card from the Tello website, with a minimum initial top-up of at least £2. You can pay for the top-up by credit card, debit card or PayPal.
When you order your SIM card, you’ll be asked to specify the size of SIM card you required (you can choose from Standard 2FF, Micro 3FF and Nano 4FF). If you aren’t sure which size of SIM card is required by your phone, see our guide to smartphones and the required SIM card for each one.
Keeping Your Phone Number
It’s a straightforward process to transfer your phone number to Tello.
If you’re switching from another mobile network to Tello, it’s a straightforward process to keep your existing phone number.
To do so, you’ll need to contact your old mobile network to ask for a PAC Code. This will authorise the transfer of your phone number to Tello. Once you’ve received the PAC Code, you can order your new SIM card from the Tello website.
When your new SIM card arrives, you can contact Tello customer services on 32100 (or 020 3514 7110 if you’re calling from another network). After you give them your PAC Code, they’ll arrange for the transfer of your phone number (this will normally take place on the next working day after you give them your PAC Code).
For a step-by-step guide on moving your number to Tello, please select your current mobile network from the drop-down menu below:
PAC Code Finder: Transfer Your Phone Number to Tello
Your current network provider:
Please select your current network provider...
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