How to buy a mobile number in the UK: choosing your own number, step by step

Networks give you a random number. If you would rather choose your own, you buy the number on a SIM and move it to your plan. This is how it works in the UK, from search to first call.

Can you choose your own mobile number in the UK?

Yes. Networks do not let you pick a number when you join, but UK rules let you move any mobile number between networks with a PAC code. That makes a market in numbers possible: a dealer holds numbers on live pay-as-you-go SIMs, you buy the one you want, and you port it to your own network. The number then behaves exactly like one your network issued, on the same contract, at the same price per month.

Where mobile numbers for sale come from

Dealers like us register pay-as-you-go SIMs with the networks over many years and keep the ones with memorable patterns. Each number in our shop is on a real SIM card held in our office, so when you buy it the physical SIM is what you receive. We have been doing this since 2012 as JDF Tech Limited (company number 08280019).

Step 1: find the number

Type the digits you care about into the shop search: a prefix such as 07777, a pattern such as 777 or 1234, or a meaningful group such as 786 or 2020. Spaces do not matter, so 07770328777 finds a number listed as 0777 03 28 777. You can also browse by collection: gold, platinum and VIP by price, or by pattern such as AA BB, mirror numbers and 999 numbers. If you want a specific network, see the EE, Vodafone, O2 and Lebara pages. Nothing in stock that fits? Send a custom request with the digits and we will check new stock.

Step 2: pay once

The price on the page is the whole price. There is no monthly fee to us and no contract. You can pay by bank transfer, debit or credit card, PayPal or USDT. The SIM is posted to your UK address; orders placed before 4pm are dispatched the same working day.

Step 3: decide where the number lives

When the SIM arrives the number is already live on a UK pay-as-you-go network. You have two choices:

• Use it as it is. Put the SIM in a phone, top up, and you have a second number for work or for family. Nothing more to do.
• Move it to your own plan. Text PAC to 65075 from the new SIM. You get a PAC code by text within minutes. Give it to your current network (online, in the app or by phone) and tell them you want this new number to replace your existing one. The port completes by the next working day, and your contract, price and handset stay the same. Only the number changes. The steps with screenshots are in the PAC code guide.

What you receive and what you own

A physical SIM with the number active, the paperwork for the order, and the number itself. Once it is on your network, the number is registered to you with that network. Keep it in use and it stays yours; you can move it again with a PAC code whenever you change provider, and you never have to come back to us.

Checklist before you buy from anyone

• The number must be a UK mobile in the 071–075 or 077–079 ranges. 070 numbers are forwarding numbers and cost callers more (see phone numbers starting with 07).
• You should get the SIM itself, not just a promise that the number will be “assigned” to you.
• The seller should be a company you can find on Companies House, with a UK address and a phone number that is answered.
• Check what happens if the port fails: a reputable dealer replaces the SIM or refunds.
• Compare price bands. The value guide explains why one pattern costs £15 and another £500.

Common questions

Can I buy a number for someone else? Yes. The SIM is a gift like any other; the recipient ports it to their own plan.

Do I have to change network? No. The PAC moves the number onto whatever network you already use.

Can I buy more than one? Yes. Businesses often buy a serial set so every phone in the team shares the same stem.

How long until I can use it? As soon as the SIM arrives, usually the next working day after dispatch. A port to your own network adds one more working day.