Martin Lewis tells 18m people with phones to text 5-digit code | Personal Finance | Finance

Martin Lewis has issued a warning to millions of people who may be unknowingly overpaying on their mobile phone contracts.

Returning to ITV for a summer special episode of the Martin Lewis Money Show on May 20, the financial guru warned that 18 million people are currently “out of contract”. This means people are continuing to pay off handsets that are already paid off, as well as their usual airtime costs. To help people check if they’re still in contract or not, Mr Lewis urged viewers to text a five-digit number. Mr Lewis said: “First, text INFO, no cost, to 85075, to check if you’re out of contract.

“If you’re on Three, ID or Smarty mobile, they’ll ask you for your date of birth. In a few cases, if you’re on a multiple-handset deal, it won’t work.

“You’ll then get a text back that tells you what your disconnection fee is. If it’s nothing, you’re free to leave. Or free to haggle.

“Then go onto a SIM comparison site because most cheap deals aren’t available directly from providers. Go onto a comparison site for most of the cheapest deals.”

At the time of writing, Lebara offers one of the cheapest deals for unlimited calls and texts and 5G of data for the equivalent of £2.72 per month over 12 months. Use a site like Uswitch or Money Saving Expert to compare deals.

To keep the same number after switching deals, Mr Lewis shared a second text for people to send. He said: “Text PAC to 65075 and then you’ll be given a code. Or, if you don’t want to leave your existing firm and you’re out of contract, say, ‘I want you to keep me, what are you gonna give me to stay?’ And see if you can haggle.”

What changed with mobile phone bills this year?

From January 2025, mobile phone carriers and broadband providers are banned from linking prices to high inflation figures during a customer’s contract.

New rules announced by the regulator Ofcom at the start of the year mean companies must now be upfront and tell their customers in pounds and pence about any price rises included in their contract.

Previously, providers could raise prices annually in April in line with inflation plus up to 3.9%, resulting in 2023 hikes of up to 17.3% as inflation soared. Ofcom said this practice “unfairly” puts the burden of shouldering inflation costs onto customers who “cannot predict” inflation and “do not understand it well.”

Therefore, those who took out a new contract after January 2025 will have been informed of what the mid-contract price rise would entail. People on existing contracts launched before January will still have faced the inflation-linked price hikes in April.