Tesco Mobile and O2 are closely linked. Tesco Mobile is a joint venture owned half by Tesco and half by Virgin Media O2, O2's parent company, and the two renewed that partnership for another ten years in January 2024. Tesco Mobile SIMs connect to O2's masts, so coverage is identical. What differs is how each prices its plans, how each handles price rises, and the perks that come with them.
How do Tesco Mobile and O2 compare at a glance?
The table pulls prices and price rises from our live deal feed, so it matches the deals on our comparison pages today. The roaming, eSIM and exit-fee rows come from each network's own pages.
| Feature |  Tesco Mobile |  O2 |
|---|---|---|
| Owned by | Tesco and Virgin Media O2 (joint venture) | Virgin Media O2 |
| Runs on | O2's network | Its own network |
| SIM only from | £6 a month | £7 a month |
| Cheapest unlimited data | £17 a month | £23.99 a month |
| Capped data plans | 2GB to 250GB, plus unlimited | 3GB to 250GB, plus unlimited |
| Contracts in our deals | 30-day, 12 months and 24 months | 30-day, 12 months and 24 months |
| Scheduled price rises | 18 of 23 deals: up £0.36 to £1.80 a month from April 2027 | 16 of 20 deals: up £2.50 a month from April 2027 |
| EU roaming | Included. 48 destinations with no set data cap. Was due to end in 2026; extended indefinitely. | Included. Up to 25GB, then charged per GB. The only big network with no daily fee. |
| eSIM | Yes. Instant download on pay monthly; otherwise in store or via support. | Yes. Choose eSIM at checkout; pay as you go eSIMs are sold in O2 stores. |
| Leaving early | 30-day: nothing. 12 or 24 months: the charges left with VAT removed, less about 3%. | 30-day: nothing. 12 or 24 months: the airtime left, less 4%. |
| Deals | See Tesco Mobile deals | See O2 deals |
Live rows show the deals in our feed at the last refresh, not every plan a network sells. EU roaming was checked against each network’s own pages on 28 August 2026, eSIM on 26 August 2026, and ownership and exit terms on 23 September 2026.
Is Tesco Mobile cheaper than O2?
In our feed, usually, and often by a wide margin. When we checked on 23 September 2026, Tesco's cheapest unlimited data plan was £17 a month on a 24-month term. O2's cheapest was £23.99 a month, also on 24 months. With each network's scheduled rises included, that's £430.74 over the contract with Tesco and £630.76 with O2, a gap of about £200.
Both sell 30-day, 12-month and 24-month SIMs. On both, the lowest monthly prices come with the longest commitment, so decide how long you're willing to stay before you compare. Our data allowance guide helps you work out whether you need unlimited at all.
Can the price go up during the contract?
On most deals from both networks, yes, by amounts you see before you sign. O2 publishes a flat rise: "Each April, your airtime plan will increase by £2.50 for voice plans and 75p for data-only and smartwatch plans". Tesco has set out its future rises in pounds and pence at the point of sale since 17 December 2024, and the amount varies by deal.
Tesco also offers something O2 doesn't: Clubcard Prices. On these deals, Tesco says it will "freeze your basic monthly usage price for the length of your contract". In our feed, the 24-month Tesco deals with no scheduled rise match the Clubcard Price deals on Tesco's site, including the £9, £14 and £20 plans we checked.
A frozen price buys certainty, but it isn't automatically cheaper. On 23 September 2026, Tesco's frozen unlimited deal was £20 a month, or £480 over 24 months. Its £17 unlimited deal rises to £18.02 in April 2027 and £19.10 in April 2028, which comes to £430.74. The rising deal was about £49 cheaper in total. Compare the full-contract cost, not just the headline, before you pay for the freeze.
What perks come with each network?
Tesco's perks lean on the supermarket. You collect Clubcard points on your bill. With two or more pay monthly contracts on the account, Family Perks let each number pick a free monthly reward: extra data, money off the bill, extra Clubcard points, or money off device insurance. Tesco's own page lists the reward sizes, which range from 250MB to 1GB of data or 50p to £2 off.
O2's main perk is Priority, a free rewards app with weekly offers from brands such as Greggs, cinema deals and 48-hour ticket presales, open to every O2 customer. For families, O2 runs Multisave: each extra eligible line gets 20% off its airtime, up to 20 numbers, but the first line isn't discounted and it can't be combined with other promotions.
If you shop at Tesco weekly, Clubcard points and Family Perks add up without any effort. If you'd use the entertainment offers, or you're adding several lines, O2's Priority and Multisave are the stronger fit.
Which is better for using your phone abroad?
Both include European roaming without a daily fee, which is rarer than it used to be. O2 includes it up to 25GB a month. Tesco includes it in 48 destinations with no set data cap, and has extended that arrangement indefinitely after it was originally due to end in 2026.
For most trips, neither will charge you extra. If you use a lot of data abroad, Tesco's lack of a set cap gives more headroom. Our EU roaming guide covers the small print for every network.
Is coverage the same on Tesco Mobile and O2?
Yes. Tesco Mobile uses O2's masts, so Ofcom's figures for O2 apply to both. In January 2026, Ofcom put O2's 4G coverage at 99.6% of premises outdoors and 95.5% indoors, with 5G reaching 86.2% of premises outdoors. Indoors in rural areas, 4G drops to 82.0%.
Check your own postcode on our mobile coverage map before you commit. Whatever it shows for O2 applies to Tesco Mobile too.
How do their customer service records compare?
Tesco Mobile scores higher on both of Ofcom's measures. Ofcom's figures for January to March 2026 recorded 2 complaints per 100,000 Tesco Mobile customers and 3 for O2, against an industry average of 2. Ofcom treats Tesco's figure as comparable with the average, and O2's as comparable with it too, so the quarterly gap is small.
The gap is wider in Ofcom's 2024 customer service survey. Tesco Mobile scored 94% for overall satisfaction and 95% for value for money. O2 scored 85% and 75%, against averages of 88% and 83%. Average call waiting times were 20 seconds for Tesco and 3 minutes 27 seconds for O2.
If service quality weighs heavily for you, Ofcom's survey points to Tesco. O2's network of shops still matters if you'd rather sort things out in person.
Why you might choose Tesco Mobile
- You want lower monthly prices on the same masts as O2.
- You'd like the option of a price frozen for the whole contract through Clubcard Prices.
- You shop at Tesco and would use Clubcard points and Family Perks.
- Strong scores in Ofcom's customer service survey matter to you.
Why you might choose O2
- You'd use Priority's weekly offers and ticket presales.
- You're adding several lines and want Multisave's 20% off each extra one.
- You're already with Virgin Media, whose customers can use O2 Priority too.
- You want access to O2's shops for help in person.
How do you switch between Tesco Mobile and O2?
Your signal won't change, because both use O2's masts. Text PAC to 65075 from your current phone and the code arrives within a minute. Give it to your new network, and the switch completes within one working day under Ofcom's rules. Our switching guide walks through it.
Leaving mid-contract costs an exit fee on both. Tesco charges the monthly charges left with VAT removed, less about 3%. O2 charges the airtime left, less 4%. Our mobile exit fee calculator works out either.
Sources and how we checked
Prices, contract lengths and scheduled rises come from our live deal feed and refresh whenever the site updates. We checked Tesco Mobile's frozen prices page, pricing help and Family Perks page, and O2's price guide and Multisave page, on 23 September 2026. Service figures come from Ofcom's telecoms complaints data and Comparing Customer Service report.