SMARTY's data discount SIMs: are they worth it in 2025?

Get rewarded for unused data on select SMARTY plans

When SMARTY first launched in the UK, 'data discount' plans were a key part of their offering. These plans let you claim money back for mobile data you didn’t use, by giving you a discount off your next month’s plan price.

The system was simple: you’d pay £5 for unlimited minutes and texts, plus £1 per GB of data in your plan. For example, a 3GB plan would cost £8 (£5 + £3). Anything you didn't use was paid back at that same £1 rate.

Current qualifying SMARTY plans

Only a small number of SMARTY plans still come with this money back scheme:

So if you were on a 4GB plan but only used 2GB, you’d get £2 off your next month.

These plans helped SMARTY stand out back then. Today, you can still get them. But realistically, SMARTY have moved on and you can get way better value with their non-data discount plans.

Useful link: Read SMARTY's official guide

You get money back for data you haven't got through

No one enjoys paying for something they haven't used. And that applies to data too. SMARTY's answer was to give you money back for unused data, unlike most networks where leftover data just disappears.

On these plans, your first month is full price. But from month two onwards, your bill could be as low as £5 if you hardly use data, because you'd get a refund for everything you didn't use.

SMARTY were launched by Three to create fairer mobile deals. Another way they did this was through costs for going over your allowance.

Extra data is kept affordable at the same £1 per GB as you'd paid originally with a data discount plan. That's far cheaper than many rivals who charge a premium for going over.

Useful link: How SMARTY's data add-ons work

Get money back is better than data rollover

Before SMARTY's data discount plans came along, your main option was to join a network offering data rollover, so you could carry over leftover data to the next month.

On paper, rolling over is handy. But in practice, if you find you're rarely using your full data allowance, it makes more sense to drop to a cheaper plan, rather than accumulating unused data month after month.

So getting money back beats hoarding data you'll probably never touch. That’s why we think SMARTY's data discounts are better than other cheap networks iD Mobile in many ways.

Although nowadays, we'd say you're better off ignoring the data discount plans, because the per GB rate is so much better on SMARTY's regular deals. These blow any unused data savings out of the water.

Useful link: Our guide to the best data rollover plans

You get money back down to the MB and penny

On these plans, we're impressed at how accurately SMARTY refund your unused data. You get back the cash value for every single unused MB (there are 1024 MB in 1 GB). Not just in chunks of 1GB.

To give an idea, that's roughly 1p returned for every 10MB you don't use. As Tesco say: every little helps. It's good that you're getting every once of value back.

It'd be interesting to see how SMARTY could apply data discount to some of their more modern plans. These offer better value per GB and bigger allowances.

Useful link: How billing works on SMARTY

The discount applies only to a handful of small data deals

When SMARTY first launched, the data discount applied to every single plan. But SMARTY have changed, and they now offer larger data plans (even unlimited ones) and don’t have the data discount on every plan.

We suggest doing your research before choosing a plan as over half of SMARTY’s range now doesn’t pay you back for unused data. Frankly, you'd have to be mad to take one nowadays.

SMARTY non data discount plans

These deals don’t give you money back for your unused data:

Most of their non-data discount plans get you vastly more than 1GB of data per £1. SMARTY are unlikely to be able to apply a simple, consistent discount on those. And you obviously can’t have unused data on an unlimited data plan.

So it's not really a flaw but it’s definitely something to be aware of when doing your research and eventually choosing a plan that’s right for you.

Useful link: See SMARTY's unlimited data plan benefits

SMARTY keep your next month’s discount if you leave

The data discount scheme is meant to keep customers loyal to SMARTY in the long term. That’s why you only get money off your next month’s plan, not your current one.

If you choose to leave SMARTY, there won't be a plan to discount the following month. And they don’t refund any credit from your SMARTY account back into your bank account once you leave.

Changing data discount plans is also complicated. If you switch plans with 3GB left over (so you should get a £3 discount) SMARTY will only give you the discount your new plan would get you, not your full £3.

Stay on the same plan and things stay simpler.

Useful link: How SMARTY's plans compare