Dublin, 29 September 2026
Lidl is expanding beyond groceries in Ireland with the launch of Lidl Connect, a new SIM-only mobile service aimed at customers looking for a low-cost alternative to traditional mobile-phone contracts.
The new service will launch on 5 October, giving Lidl Plus app members access to a rolling €8.99 monthly plan with unlimited 5G data, calls and texts, without requiring a long-term contract.
Lidl Connect: €8.99 a month for early customers
One of the main attractions of Lidl Connect is its introductory price. The first 100,000 customers to sign up through their Lidl Plus app will pay just €8.99 per month, with Lidl confirming that this price will remain fixed for those customers for as long as they keep the service.
Once the initial allocation of 100,000 customers has been reached, the monthly price will rise to €12.99.
Unlike traditional mobile contracts, Lidl Connect is a rolling monthly service. Customers can therefore leave whenever they choose rather than being tied into a lengthy contract.
There is, however, one requirement: Lidl Connect will only be available to people who have an active Lidl Plus account, which is available only to users aged 18 or over. Although, a Lidl Plus account holder can assign a Lidl Connect plan to their children using the multi-line subscription feature.
What does Lidl Connect include?
For the monthly fee, customers will receive a package designed to cover most everyday mobile-phone needs. The new sim will use the Eir network and the plan includes:
- Unlimited 5G mobile data
- Unlimited calls within Ireland and the UK
- Unlimited texts within Ireland and the UK
- 50GB of data for roaming in the EU and UK
- 100 international minutes
This makes the service particularly interesting for people who regularly use mobile data or travel within Europe and the UK. The only thing to check would be the coverage of Eir network in your town or area before moving to Lidl connect.
Physical SIM or eSIM
Customers will have two ways to get connected.
A traditional physical SIM card will be available from Lidl stores for €0.99. Alternatively, customers with a compatible device can choose an eSIM and complete the activation process digitally through the Lidl Plus app. The eSIM option could make the process considerably quicker for people whose smartphones support the technology, as there is no physical SIM card to install. Be sure to have a sim-free mobile, because if it is locked to your network, it won’t work.
Lidl Connect will use the eir network
Lidl is not building its own mobile network. Instead, Lidl Connect will operate using the Eir network, and the contract is with 1GLOBAL, Lidl’s telecommunications partner.
This means that Lidl Connect customers should expect network availability to broadly reflect the eir signal in their location. Anyone considering switching should therefore check the quality of eir coverage at home, at work and in the places where they regularly use their phone.
The arrangement is similar to other mobile services that operate using another company’s network infrastructure.
Is Lidl Connect worth considering?
For anyone looking for a low-cost SIM-only plan, Lidl Connect provides another option to compare with the growing number of flexible mobile services available in Ireland.
The €8.99 lifetime price for the first 100,000 customers is particularly an interesting offer, while the subsequent €12.99 monthly charge remains relatively low compared with some competing plans.
However, price should not be the only consideration. Potential customers should also check eir network coverage in the areas where they use their phone most, as Lidl Connect relies on that network. On this topic, ComReg Ireland has an online tool where you can check the mobile network coverage.
For existing Lidl Plus users who are happy with eir’s coverage, the combination of unlimited 5G data, generous roaming allowances and a rolling monthly contract could make Lidl Connect an interesting addition to Ireland’s increasingly competitive SIM-only market.
Donald Piccione is a professional marketeer with over 10 years experience in SEO, PPC and Digital Automation.
Since 2008 he is also the founder and editor of an Irish News website for Italians called Tuttoirlanda.
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