Reaching the end of a mobile agreement should trigger a review, not an automatic upgrade. The first task is to identify which commitment is ending: airtime, device repayments, a promotional discount or all three. These dates can be different, particularly where the handset and mobile service are covered by separate agreements.
This section helps you understand what happens after the minimum term, switch network without losing your number and assess an early-upgrade offer without hiding an old balance inside a new deal.
Start with the right question
| Your situation | Start here | What you need to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| The minimum term is about to end | What happens when your phone contract ends? | Airtime end date, device balance, notice and post-contract price |
| You want another network and the same number | How to switch and keep your number | PAC, switching date, early termination charges and separate finance |
| You have been offered a new phone early | Early upgrade deals | Old balance, return conditions, new minimum term and total payable |
| You are comparing a replacement contract | recalculate the full contract cost | Upfront, monthly, scheduled rises, ownership and exit costs |
Do not assume the phone and airtime finish together
A handset-inclusive offer may contain one combined contract or separate airtime and device arrangements. The end of the airtime minimum term does not automatically prove that the device is fully paid, and the last device payment does not necessarily cancel the mobile service. Read the latest bill and both agreements.
- Ask for the exact minimum-term end date for each agreement.
- Ask whether any device balance or final payment remains.
- Confirm who owns the handset now and whether return conditions apply.
- Check what the airtime price becomes if you take no action.
- Keep the provider's end-of-contract notification and any upgrade quotation.
A notification is a prompt to compare, not proof of the best deal
Providers must notify customers as their minimum term approaches its end, and customers who remain out of contract must receive best-tariff information at least annually. That information is useful, but it covers the provider's own alternatives. Compare it with SIM-only and other networks rather than treating “best tariff” as a market-wide recommendation.
Safe order of action
- Confirm contract and device status.
- Decide whether to keep the handset.
- Compare the full cost of staying, switching or upgrading.
- If keeping your number, use the switching process before separately cancelling the old mobile service.
- Save the final bill and confirm that any device finance continues or closes as expected.
Sources and date checked
Last fact-checked: 25 July 2026. Provider terms, product ranges and interfaces can change. Check the documents offered for your own account before acting.
