Lidl says it has reached 100,000 Lidl Connect registrations ten days after launching on Monday 5 October, which means the €8.99 a month launch offer is now closed. That is well ahead of the 31 December cut-off Lidl originally gave alongside the 100,000 cap.
Anyone joining from now pays €12.99 a month, which Lidl still calls Price for Life, and the only way in is the Lidl Plus app. The plan itself hasn’t changed. It includes unlimited 5G data in Ireland, unlimited calls and texts to Irish and UK networks, 50GB of EU and UK roaming data and 100 international minutes a month to eligible destinations, all on a rolling monthly basis with no contract. Our Lidl Connect video walks through everything that’s included. You can also add up to three extra SIMs to a Lidl Plus account, each at €12.99.
What the €12.99 Price for Life covers
Lidl says the €12.99 price is locked in for as long as the plan stays continuously active. In plain terms, cancelling and rejoining later would probably mean paying whatever the going rate is at that point. You need to be 18 or over with a Lidl Plus account, and you can pick up a physical SIM for €0.99 in Lidl stores nationwide or set up an eSIM through the app. If you’re unsure your handset can do the latter, here’s how to check if your phone supports eSIM. 5G also depends on a compatible phone and coverage where you are.
The service runs on eir’s network, with 1GLOBAL delivering it for Lidl.
How Lidl Connect compares with GoMo, 48 and Clear Mobile now
At €12.99, Lidl Connect no longer undercuts the budget field so much as match it. GoMo, 48 and Clear Mobile charge between €12.99 and €14.99 for comparable SIM-only plans, which puts Lidl at the bottom of that range. Its clearest advantage now is roaming, with 50GB of EU and UK data. Our guide to the best SIM-only deals in Ireland tracks how the rest of the market stacks up.
The rivals haven’t stood still either. GoMo started switching on 5G for customers on its older plans at no extra cost within days of Lidl’s launch, which we covered when GoMo reacted to the Lidl Connect launch. 48 has since told customers on its older 4G plans that they will get 5G by 31 October. Some legacy GoMo customers said in the comments on our video that they planned to switch to Lidl, so it will be interesting to see how many follow through now that the cheapest price has gone.
What Lidl hasn’t said about the 100,000 figure
Lidl’s number counts registrations, and the company hasn’t said how many are active lines, how many customers came from other providers or how many have finished moving their numbers across. In the first week Lidl acknowledged that a small number of customers had delays or temporary interruptions during number transfers, which it put down to demand.
The other thing to watch is performance now that real customers are on the network. Ookla’s pre-launch latency data put Lidl Connect test SIMs at a median of 59.6ms against 32.5ms for eir customers, because traffic goes through 1GLOBAL’s gateways in London or Amsterdam rather than staying in Ireland. Ookla’s view is that coverage and download speeds should match eir’s, since the masts are the same. That was a pre-launch measurement, though, and 100,000 customers will show whether it holds up.
Lidl Connect is open to new customers at €12.99 a month through the Lidl Plus app, with SIMs available in Lidl stores for €0.99, and the Lidl Connect plan details and terms are on Lidl’s site. There’s no word yet on whether Lidl will run another limited-time offer. It’s a quick turnaround from April, when Lidl first confirmed its plans and I looked at whether Lidl Mobile would come to Ireland.
