How switching works now
The gaining provider leads. You choose the new plan, tick keep-my-number, and they handle the port with your old provider. That is why cancelling first is the worst move: you can create your own outage.
This is consumer SIM-only. Business accounts and some niche prepay brands can still ask for extra identifiers. Follow the checkout, but still do not kill the old SIM until the new one works.
Keep your number
Keeping the number is the default ask, not a special extra. You authorise the port. You do not run a separate cancellation to “free” the number.
If the name on the old account is wrong, the port fails. Check billing name and date of birth before you submit.
Step-by-step checklist
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pick the plan by host radio and thereafter, not the logo. | 48 / Clear / GoMo are the €12.99 floor on Three / Vodafone / Eir. |
| 2 | Order the new SIM or eSIM. Tick keep my number. | The new provider starts the port. eSIM: Vodafone, Three, Eir, GoMo, Sky, Lycamobile. Plastic only: 48, Clear, Tesco, Virgin, An Post. |
| 3 | Enter old-account details exactly as held. | Mismatched name or DOB is the usual fail. |
| 4 | Keep the old SIM in the phone until the new one has signal. | Avoids a gap if the port is delayed. |
| 5 | Test calls, texts and data. Then stop paying the old plan if it was rolling. | Fixed-term plans may still have an ETF. Check before you jump. |
Need the ranking first? Best mobile in Ireland. Need the three-way? 48 vs GoMo vs Clear.
Early termination vs 14-day cooling-off
These are not the same right. Cooling-off is about the new distance-sale contract. An ETF is about leaving the old minimum term early.
| 14-day cooling-off | Early termination fee (ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| Applies to | The new plan you just bought online or by phone | The old plan, if you are still inside a 12- or 24-month term |
| What it does | Lets you walk away from the new contract | Lets the old provider bill remaining months or a set exit fee |
| If you used the service | Reasonable usage can still be charged | Usage is beside the point. The term is the point. |
| Rolling monthly (48, Clear, GoMo) | Still applies on the new sale | Usually nothing material to leave, once the current month is paid |
| 12-month (Virgin, Sky, Elevate) | Still 14 days on a distance sale | Leaving after day 14, inside the term, can cost |
The retailers we list quote a 14-day cooling-off on the plans in our catalog. Read the order summary. Cooling-off does not erase a valid ETF on the old contract.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Cancelling the old plan before the port completes.
- Choosing Tesco Elevate or Eir Connect for the intro, then ignoring the thereafter (€30 and €29.99).
- Picking a brand before checking which host radio actually works indoors.
- Assuming Lycamobile “unlimited” stays at full speed after 100 GB. It drops to 256 kbps.
Host map: MVNO explained. Contract types: bill pay vs prepay.
