Lidl Connect vs eir

Is Lidl Connect cheaper than eir?

Over a first year, yes, by €33.99. eir's Connect 30-day costs €29.99 a month, €189.87 in the first year with its intro price and its activation fee. Lidl Connect costs €12.99 a month with no activation fee, €155.88 a year, at its official price. After eir's first year the gap widens to €17 a month.

These figures use each provider's own published price, checked on 2026-10-10. Lidl Connect is shown at €12.99, the only price in 1GLOBAL's price list; the press reported a lower launch price for the first customers, which this comparison does not assume.

What does eir give you that Lidl Connect does not?

eir is the network owner: one independent test measured lower latency for eir's own customers than for Lidl Connect. eir also sells broadband and TV bundles, has shops and phone support, and states no fair use cap on Connect. Broadband customers get eir mobile at a lower price.

• Lower latency in the one published test: median 32.5 ms on eir against 59.6 ms on Lidl Connect (Goosed.ie, reported).
• Unlimited data with no fair use cap stated on Connect.
• A lower mobile price for eir broadband customers.

Do Lidl Connect and eir use the same network?

Yes, it is the same network: Lidl Connect is carried on eir's mobile network, the masts eir's own customers use. Coverage maps are therefore the same. What can differ is how traffic is handled: the one published test found similar speeds but higher latency on Lidl Connect, which can matter for gaming or calls over data.

Sharing eir's network means the coverage map is the same; differences show up in price, fair use, roaming data and support, not in where you get a signal.

How do you switch from eir to Lidl Connect on bill pay?

If you are still in eir's minimum period, eir charges the monthly fees left until it ends, and may recover the cost of a phone. eir's 30-day SIM-only plans need 30 days' notice, but eir says notice is not needed when you switch provider. Start the move in Lidl Plus with your eir account number.

1. Check your contract

   The minimum period of your contract; SIM only plans are 30-day. Leaving early: during the minimum period: the sum of the monthly charges left until it ends; eir may also recover the cost of a phone. See leaving a contract early.

2. Find your account number

   Bill pay: your number and account number; prepay: your number and whether it is registered.

3. Start the move in Lidl Plus

   Choose to keep your number when you sign up for Lidl Connect. Do not cancel your old plan first: the move ends it for you when it completes.

4. Keep your old SIM in

   Keep your old SIM in your phone until the move is done: a verification code is sent to it by text.

5. Notice and the last bill

   Notice: 30 days in writing, but not needed when you are switching provider. When the port completes: yes: no month’s notice is needed when you switch provider. Final bill: billed after your services cease.

How do you switch from eir to Lidl Connect on prepay?

eir refunds purchased call credit when you move to another provider, if you claim it within 90 days of the move. A balance refund administration charge applies; we did not find the amount. Bonus credit is not refunded. Start the switch in the Lidl Plus app and keep your eir SIM in until it completes.

1. Decide what to do with your credit

   Purchased call credit is refundable when you move to another provider. Bonus credit: only purchased credit is refundable.

2. Know whether your number is registered

   Bill pay: your number and account number; prepay: your number and whether it is registered.

3. Start the move in Lidl Plus

   Choose to keep your number when you sign up. Do not cancel your old plan first: the move ends it for you when it completes.

4. Keep your old SIM in

   Keep your old SIM in your phone until the move is done: a verification code is sent to it by text.

5. Claim your credit after the move

   How: eir does not state a refund form; ask eir customer care. Deadline: within 90 days of the move. Fee: a prepay balance refund administration charge applies (amount not found). More on unused credit.

What do you lose when you leave eir?

You lose any bundle or broadband discount tied to your eir mobile, the lower mobile price eir gives broadband customers, and any eir add-ons. On the other hand, you leave eir's annual increase: €2.50 a month each April on SIM-only plans signed from 6 February 2025, CPI plus 3% on older ones.

• Any eir bundle discount tied to your mobile (not stated on eir’s pages; check before you move).
• A broadband-customer price for eir mobile, such as €9.99 instead of €14.99 a month on Connect.
• Price changes on eir: +€2.50 a month each April on SIM only plans and +€3.50 on handset plans (contracts from 6 February 2025); CPI + 3% on older contracts; it does not give you a right to leave.

What else should eir customers know before moving?

Moving from eir to Lidl Connect keeps you on the same masts. The questions are whether the saving after eir's first year outweighs eir's shops, support and broadband discounts, and whether the latency difference matters to you. eir's own pages also contradict each other on how early-exit charges are worked out.

eir's code of practice and complaints process: www.eir.ie ↗. Eir complaints page and code of practice.

• Lidl Connect runs on eir’s own network, so coverage is the same map; one independent test found higher latency on Lidl Connect (median 59.6 ms against 32.5 ms).
• Eir Connect is €14.99 a month for 12 months, then €29.99, with a €9.99 activation fee; Lidl Connect is €12.99 with no activation fee.
• Eir includes 45GB of EU roaming data on Connect; Lidl Connect includes 50GB.
• Eir’s general cancel page says early cease charges are worked out by days left; the mobile terms say the sum of the remaining monthly charges. The mobile terms are the contract. (The cancel page appears to be written for landline.)

Does the latency difference on Lidl Connect matter?

For browsing, streaming and messaging, rarely. Goosed.ie measured a median of 59.6 ms on Lidl Connect against 32.5 ms on eir, with similar speeds. That gap can be noticeable in online games and sometimes in calls over data. It is one test on 30 September 2026, not a network-wide measurement, so treat it as an indication.