How giffgaff alternatives for a UK number abroad differ

Information scope: This is an independent, consumer-oriented summary of public product information, not a purchase recommendation or endorsement. KeepSim does not sell, arrange or broker any SIM or eSIM service and receives no affiliate commission. We have not tested every provider, sender, destination or roaming network. Products and policies can change; the provider's current official page, checkout terms and your account status take precedence. Information checked 1 August 2026.

Quick comparison

Need	Option to investigate	Keeps an existing giffgaff number?	Calls / outgoing SMS	Long-term overseas caveat
Receive UK bank and login texts abroad	eSIM.net O2 SMS Only Global	Yes, for an eligible number using a PAC	No	The sender and visited network still control delivery; test critical services.
Use a UK service while travelling between the UK and China	CMLink UK eSIM	Porting is advertised	Depends on plan	Its fair-use policy prohibits permanent roaming and applies a 120-day test.
Get mobile data in China	Airalo China or Holafly China	No	No standard mobile calls or SMS on the cited China plans	These are travel data products, not UK-number replacements.
Keep full UK voice, SMS and data service while living abroad permanently	No option verified for unrestricted permanent roaming	Provider-specific	Provider-specific	Most UK consumer plans describe roaming as temporary or periodic travel. Get written confirmation first.

Prices, destinations and roaming partners can change. The product pages linked below were checked on 1 August 2026; confirm the checkout terms for your country before moving an important number.

O2 SMS Only Global eSIM: published features and limits

eSIM.net describes O2 SMS Only Global as a rolling eSIM with a real UK +44 mobile number and unlimited inbound SMS worldwide. It supports porting an eligible existing UK number with a PAC, so a giffgaff user can move the number instead of updating every account at once.

The trade-off is narrow by design:

• It receives SMS but does not provide voice calls, outgoing texts or mobile data.
• The subscription renews every 30 days. A failed payment can put the number at risk.
• eSIM.net markets it for bank codes and 2FA, but no carrier can force every bank or short-code sender to deliver. Test each important service after the port.
• The phone must support eSIM and remain able to register on a supported roaming network.

The published feature set covers a narrow use case: keeping an eligible UK number for inbound SMS. It does not cover users who need incoming calls or outgoing messages to UK short codes.

Porting checklist

1. Request the PAC from giffgaff while the account is accessible.
2. Check that the exact eSIM plan accepts porting during checkout. Travel plans often do not.
3. Keep giffgaff active until the new eSIM receives a normal test SMS and messages from critical services.
4. Add a second recovery method to every important account.
5. Record the monthly renewal date and payment card expiry.

Read the urgent steps for a giffgaff disconnection notice before starting the transfer.

CMLink UK: useful for UK-China travel, uncertain for permanent residence abroad

CMLink UK now offers eSIM, advertises UK-number porting, includes China roaming on selected plans and promotes a low-cost number-retention offer. Its published feature set covers UK-China travel and number-retention use cases, subject to the selected plan's terms.

Its published Fair Use Policy materially limits that use case. CMLink says permanent roaming is not allowed. It defines this by looking at a rolling 120-day period: spending more time abroad than in the UK, or using more voice, SMS or data abroad than domestically, can trigger a warning. Continued roaming for another 15 days may lead to roaming suspension.

Whether it covers a particular use pattern depends on the selected plan and the fair-use test; support can confirm a specific case in writing. Its “retain your UK number in China” marketing line should not be read as unlimited permanent roaming for every plan.

Airalo and Holafly: replacements for data, not for the phone number

The current Airalo China page sells fixed and unlimited data packages. Holafly's China eSIM also provides mobile data and states that its China plan has no local number for standard calls or SMS.

Either type can work as the data line in a dual-SIM setup. It will not:

• accept a PAC from giffgaff;
• receive texts sent to the old +44 number;
• preserve access to an account that still uses that number for recovery.

For a person living in China, a more resilient setup is often two separate services: a UK-number eSIM for inbound messages, plus a local SIM or travel eSIM for everyday data. A failure on one line then does not remove both internet access and the recovery number.

Options that deserve extra caution

Another ordinary UK PAYG SIM

Low-cost UK providers may support eSIM and roaming, but many fair-use policies assume normal UK residence and short trips abroad. Moving from giffgaff to a similar rule without checking it only postpones the same problem.

Ask the new provider one precise question: “Can this plan remain registered in my country of residence for more than 12 months and receive inbound SMS without regular UK network usage?” Save the answer.

App-based or virtual UK numbers

A virtual number can be useful for public calls or business forwarding. Banks and platforms sometimes reject VoIP ranges, short-code SMS may not arrive, and the number may not be eligible for UK mobile porting. Confirm the number type and PAC support before treating one as a home for an existing mobile number.

A decision order for an important number

If the old number protects important accounts, confirm whether the new service accepts its PAC before comparing price. For inbound-SMS-only use, check the exact O2 SMS Only Global terms and sender compatibility. For genuine UK-China travel, compare the selected CMLink plan with its permanent-roaming test. A separate travel eSIM addresses data access only.

No option removes the need for account recovery. Add passkeys or an authenticator wherever possible, and keep offline recovery codes for the services that matter most.

Official sources and review notes

• eSIM.net O2 SMS Only Global and its UK number-porting guide, checked 2026-08-01.
• CMLink UK product page and CMLink Fair Use Policy, checked 2026-08-01.
• Airalo China eSIM and Holafly China eSIM, checked 2026-08-01.
• 2026-08-01: first publication. The comparison is based on public product terms, not hands-on network testing in every destination.

KeepSim has no affiliation with giffgaff, eSIM.net, O2, CMLink, Airalo or Holafly. None of the links above is an affiliate link. Current provider information takes precedence if it differs from this page.