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teesrition
Independent United Kingdom network guidance
Guidance line020 3896 5248 This number is for guidance and information only. We sell nothing, arrange nothing and act for no network. Ring it if anything on these pages is unclear.
Guide

Costs and fees

Which of the numbers quoted at you is actually the price, how to read a statement, the yearly figure nobody volunteers, and where money leaves quietly every month.

Written July 2026 · no prices published · nothing for sale

Jump to
Which number is the priceHow to read oneWhere the money actually goesThe ten-minute annual review
Costs and fees — at a glanceOur summary. Confirm current terms with the provider.
Numbers usually quoted
Three
The one that matters
The standard price, after any discount
Whole-term cost
Upfront plus monthly times months
Yearly cost
Monthly times twelve, plus any upfront
Combined bundle statement
One figure covering handset and airtime
Split contract statement
Two lines — device credit and airtime
Biggest single leak
The months after a minimum term ends
Free defence
The spend cap
Our position. teesrition is an independent information service for mobile customers in the United Kingdom. We are not a mobile network. We have no affiliation with, endorsement from, appointment by or connection to Three, EE, O2, Vodafone, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile or any other provider, and no commercial arrangement with any of them. We do not sell, supply, arrange or broker SIM cards, contracts, handsets or services of any kind, and we take no commission from anybody. Everything here is general information; a provider's own current terms always take precedence.
01

Which number is the price

Pricing
NumberWhat it is
Introductory priceReal while it lasts, with a stated duration — useless for comparing networks
Standard priceWhat applies once the discount ends, for most of the term. This is the price.
Upfront paymentMoves inversely against the monthly figure
Whole-term costUpfront plus monthly times months — the only honest comparison
Yearly costRarely volunteered; ask for it before signing
Do this
  • Compare post-discount figures only.
  • Diary the date any introductory discount ends.
  • Ask for the whole-term total in writing.
02

How to read one

Statements

On a combined bundle everything is rolled into one number, which makes it impossible to see what the handset is costing you. On a split contract there are two lines, and reading only the total is the commonest mistake customers make.

Do this
  • Find the airtime figure and treat that as your ongoing cost.
  • Find the device figure and note when it ends.
  • Check for any add-on you bought once that has quietly renewed.
  • If out-of-allowance charges appear, set the spend cap today.
03

Where the money actually goes

The leak

Almost every overpayment we are asked about comes from the same place: a minimum term ended and nothing changed. The monthly figure carries on, and on a combined bundle it carries on including money for a handset you own outright.

Nobody is required to tell you the date is coming. The only person who knows is whoever wrote it down.

WarningDiary the contract end date on the day you sign, with a reminder a month before. It is the single most valuable minute in this entire subject.
Do this
  • Diary the end date at signature.
  • Within days of it: move to SIM-only, upgrade deliberately, or leave.
04

The ten-minute annual review

Habit
  1. Note what you actually pay now, after any discount has ended.
  2. Get three rival quotes on the same allowance.
  3. Either switch, or negotiate with those quotes in hand.
  4. Confirm the spend cap is still on while you are in the app.
  5. Diary the same review a year ahead.
Do this
  • Put it in the calendar as a recurring annual entry.

Still unsure after reading this?

Ring us and we will go through it with you. Nothing is offered for sale at any point.

020 3896 5248This number is for guidance and information only. We sell nothing, arrange nothing and act for no network. Ring it if anything on these pages is unclear.
Our position. teesrition is an independent information service for mobile customers in the United Kingdom. We are not a mobile network. We have no affiliation with, endorsement from, appointment by or connection to Three, EE, O2, Vodafone, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile or any other provider, and no commercial arrangement with any of them. We do not sell, supply, arrange or broker SIM cards, contracts, handsets or services of any kind, and we take no commission from anybody. Everything here is general information; a provider's own current terms always take precedence.

Ring us if these pages do not cover it

We hold no arrangement with any network, take no commission and sell nothing at all. If your question is not answered here, telephone and ask.

020 3896 5248 Guidance and information only. We sell nothing, arrange nothing and act for no network.
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Our position. teesrition is an independent information service for mobile customers in the United Kingdom. We are not a mobile network. We have no affiliation with, endorsement from, appointment by or connection to Three, EE, O2, Vodafone, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile or any other provider, and no commercial arrangement with any of them. We do not sell, supply, arrange or broker SIM cards, contracts, handsets or services of any kind, and we take no commission from anybody. Everything here is general information; a provider's own current terms always take precedence.

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