Lidl Connect vs Three

Is Lidl Connect cheaper than Three?

Over a first year, yes, by €84.12. Three SIM Core costs €20 a month, €240 in the first year. Lidl Connect costs €12.99 a month with no activation fee, €155.88 a year, at its official price. Check any Three exit fee before you count the saving.

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 Three give you that Lidl Connect does not?

Three has its own network, which may cover your area better than eir, and its 30-day Flex plan includes 60GB of EU roaming data. It sells handsets, has shops and a community forum, and it supports eSIM. Its 48 brand offers a cheaper Three-network plan.

• 60GB of EU roaming data on SIM Flex 5G 30 Day; 35GB on SIM Core.
• eSIM on its plans, and handset contracts.
• Three's own network, if it is stronger where you are.

Is Three's network the same as Lidl Connect's?

No. Three runs its own network, as do the brands that use it, 48 and Tesco Mobile. Lidl Connect runs on eir's. If your signal on Three is good at home and work, check eir's coverage there on ComReg's outdoor coverage map before you commit, because it may be different.

Lidl Connect runs on eir. Before you move from a provider on a different network, check eir's coverage at home and at work on ComReg's outdoor coverage map ↗.

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

Inside your minimum term, Three charges the monthly charge multiplied by the months left, counting part months as whole. Three's contract ends automatically when the port completes, and Three does not charge for porting. Three community staff say you get one more bill for the plan and usage up to the move.

1. Check your contract

   12 or 24 months, or a 30-day SIM only plan. Leaving early: your monthly charge multiplied by the months, including part months, left on the minimum term. 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. When the port completes: yes: the contract ends automatically when porting completes; Three does not charge for porting. Final bill: one more bill for the plan and usage up to the move (Three community staff reply).

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

Start the switch in the Lidl Plus app. After the move, ask Three for your remaining credit within three months, on 1913 or through its care team. Three takes an administration fee of €10.45 from the balance, so a balance below that returns nothing. Spending the credit before you switch is often better.

1. Decide what to do with your credit

   Three refunds remaining credit on request when you switch. Bonus credit: Three community staff say a top-up equal to your plan counts as paying for the plan; only the amount above it is refunded.

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: call 1913 or message Three’s care team. Deadline: within three months of the date you leave. Fee: €10.45 (including VAT), taken from the balance. More on unused credit.

What do you lose when you leave Three?

You lose any Three bundle or discount tied to your plan. You leave Three's annual increase: €2.50 a month each April on SIM-only plans and €3 on others for contracts from 13 August 2025, and CPI plus 3% on older contracts. Unused prepay credit is refundable, less €10.45.

• Any Three bill pay discount or bundle; check your plan terms.
• Price changes on Three: +€2.50 a month each April on SIM only plans and +€3 on other plans (contracts from 13 August 2025); CPI + 3% on older contracts.

What else should Three customers know before moving?

For Three customers the main points are the exit fee if you are inside a 12 or 24-month term, the €10.45 refund fee on prepay credit, and the change of network. Three's own documents disagree on the prepay unlock threshold, so check with Three if you need your phone unlocked.

Three's code of practice and complaints process: www.three.ie ↗. Acknowledged within two working days; escalations aim to resolve within 10 working days.

• Three SIM Core is €20 a month on a 12-month contract; Lidl Connect is €12.99 with no contract, a gap of €84.12 a year.
• Three runs its own network; Lidl Connect runs on eir’s, so check coverage where you live first.
• Three’s prepay credit refund costs €10.45, so a balance under that returns nothing.
• Three includes 35GB of EU roaming data on SIM Core; Lidl Connect includes 50GB.

Is it worth paying Three’s exit fee to move?

Work it out month by month. Three SIM Core is €20 a month and Lidl Connect €12.99, a saving of €7.01 a month. Leaving early costs the €20 monthly charge for each month left. So paying out a contract only pays back if Lidl Connect's lower price over the following year exceeds the fee you pay.

Example: with three months left, the exit fee is €60. At €7.01 a month saved, it takes about nine months on Lidl Connect to recover it. Often it is simpler to switch when the minimum term ends, which costs nothing.