Superdrug has recently expanded beyond its current market and joined the mobile network space by launching their own virtual network. They’ve done this in partnership with Three, piggybacking off & giving their customers the same network experience as a Three customer.
Running on the Three network means than Superdrug customers get 99.8% 4G population coverage with solid 3G & 4G speeds. Superdrug have recently expanded their range of plans starting from a 5GB plan for lower data users, all the way to an unlimited data plan at a super competitive price point.
All plans are technically PAYG as you need to prepay for them but work similar to a SIM only deal. The benefit is that you don’t need a credit check to sign up, so Superdrug’s no credit check SIM deals are available to everyone.
By offering great value, good network coverage and useful perks such as data rollover & loyalty points we give Superdrug Mobile a strong ranking of 4/5.
Pro’s
- No contract SIM
- No credit check required
- Double points on Superdrug product shopping
- Data rollover
- Health & Beauty card points when you join
Con’s
- Limited additional perks
- Webchat only customer service
Table of Contents
5. Wi-Fi Calling & Wi-Fi Hotspots
7. Multi Buy Discounts/ Family Plans
Network Coverage & Speeds 
(4 / 5)
As mentioned before, Superdrug Mobile piggybacks off the Three networks which is one of the four stand-alone UK networks. As a result, we need to look at how Three’s network has performed in recent independent testing.
Open Signals Network Experience Report from October 2019 measured Three’s average 4G download speed at 21.6 MB/s. Although tracking behind both EE & Vodafone, based on our testing of a Superdrug SIM we had no issue streaming HD videos or downloading apps.
In terms of network coverage Three’s 4G network covers 99.8% of the UK population. Superdrug customers get access to this as well as Three’s 3G network. Superdrug claim to operate with transparency and that’s clear as they don’t throttle any data use on their network and do not deliberately reduce bandwidth or network speeds for any of their subscribers. As a result, expect a solid network performance with Superdrug.
Half Cooked also looks at how all the UK networks compare when it comes to 4G coverage and speeds – check out our guide for the best 4G networks in the UK.
Voice Call Quality (4 / 5)
With the voice call quality of Three, Superdrug mobile subscribers can be assured of good call clarity in most situations.
We looked at P3 Communications recent testing of voice call quality. Three came third out of the major operators with a score of ‘good’. The main reason Three came out behind both EE and Vodafone was longer call set up times in larger cities – about 1.5 seconds longer on average.
We wouldn’t worry too much about rankings when it comes to voice call quality, you shouldn’t have an issue making calls with any network.
Tethering 
(5 / 5)
Tethering allows you to turn your mobile phone into a personal Wi-fi hotspot. Tethering your data allows other devices to connect to the internet using your mobile’s 4G/3G network.
Superdrug allows unlimited tethering of your data on all of its plans. They see your data as yours to use however you want. However, we recommend checking out their out of bundle pricing before tethering as tethering can lead to burning through your allowance a lot faster.
International Roaming 
(3 / 5)
In line with EU regulations, as a Superdrug customer you can use your phone abroad in the EU at no additional charge as long as its within your normal monthly allowance.
However if you are travelling outside of the EU you will need to purchase a cash add-on which come in £5 or £10 increments. On top of this, you’ll just need to update your APN (Access Point Network) settings which you can get instructions on from their site.
Compared to some of Superdrugs competitors, the rates charged by them for Non-EU destinations offer great value. We’d recommend jumping on Wi-Fi when you can if you’re abroad outside of the EU though!
You can check out our article that looks in detail at the best networks when roaming abroad.
Wi-Fi Calling & Wi-Fi Hotspots (3 / 5)
Wi-Fi calling allows customers to place calls and send texts using wireless networks instead of using their 3G/4G network. This is a great perk if you are somewhere without mobile connection but have access to Wi-Fi.
Unfortunately, at the moment Wi-Fi calling isn’t something available on Superdrug’s network. You can find out about all the Wi Fi calling UK networks by looking at our detailed article.
Superdrug customers don’t get access to any specific Wi-Fi networks. The likes of Three offer free Wi-Fi on the underground but with most bars, hotels, restaurants and shopping centres now offering Wi-Fi connections we don’t see this as a deal breaker.
Data Rollover (4 / 5)
Data rollover means you can keep your unused data at the end of the month. For e.g. if you have a 3GB plan and only use 1GB the following month you will have 5GB as the extra 2GB would have been rolled over.
Superdrug does well here, offering customers up to 2 calendar months to utilise any unused data. This provides excellent value to customers and helps minimise any data going to waste!
If data rollover is important to you, SMARTY Mobile (who also piggybacks off Three) offer money back on any data you don’t use. Other networks that provide this perk are Sky Mobile and iD Mobile.
Multi Buy Discounts/ Family Plans 
(1 / 5)
Superdrug doesn’t offer any family plans or multi SIM discounts at the moment. However, some UK networks such as BT Mobile, Tesco Mobile & Vodafone do offer some great family mobile plans.
Customer Rewards (3 / 5)
Customers who sign up to Superdrug Mobile will be given between £10-£20 in Superdrug Health & Beauty Card points dependent on the plan they choose.
On top of this, customers get double points on all their purchases when shopping in Superdrug stores. The normal point per pound is 1 (equivalent to 1p); this means you get 2p for every £1 spent.
Other Perks (1 / 5)
Networks that are relatively new often try to offer perks that would make them stand out from the crowd. In this regard, Superdrug Mobile isn’t offering anything new.
However, the value Superdrug offer is in their low cost plans, data rollover & double points which puts Superdrug amongst the most competitively priced virtual networks in the UK.
Why Superdrug Mobile
Generally, Superdrug mobile is a network that offers great value.
Superdrug’s plans are priced competitively within the mobile market. On top of that, Superdrug is accessible by everyone as deals are pre-paid and don’t require a contract.