Tesco Mobile's public terms include 15 promises that give customers money back, credit or compensation. Here is each one, with the deadline, what to send and the exact clause.
The promises
Requires assessment of fault and choice between refund/repair/exchange, involving human judgement.
“If your phone is faulty and it’s within 30 days of when you bought it then we are happy to refund, repair or exchange it.”Tesco Mobile policy page, If your phone is faulty (Pay monthly)
Warranty claims need Customer Care assessment of fault and warranty status.
“Your phone comes with our 24 month Tesco Mobile warranty that covers all manufacturers except Apple phones which have a warranty for 12 months. If you’ve purchased a like new (refurbished) handset, then these come with 24 months warranty.”Tesco Mobile policy page, If your phone is faulty (Pay monthly)
Requires fault verification before offering refund or exchange.
“If your accessory is faulty and it’s within 30 days of when you bought it, we’ll be happy to offer you a refund or exchange.”Tesco Mobile policy page, If your accessory is faulty
Determining and demonstrating a genuine device fault typically requires physical inspection or human judgement.
“If your device develops a fault and you return it to us within 30 days of receiving your device, we're happy to refund or exchange it for you.”Tesco Mobile policy page, Terms 14.1
Can likely be claimed with a single message within the window citing the top-up order and unused status.
“For top-ups made online, via the Tesco Mobile app or by phone, there’s a 14 day cooling off period where any unused credit may be refunded if you let us know within this period that you’ve changed your mind.”Tesco Mobile policy page, Returning your pay as you go order
Requires contacting customer support to request the refund rather than a single self-serve action, but only needs standard account identification.
“Yes. You can contact us to ask for a refund of any remaining unused credit.”Tesco Mobile policy page, FAQ: Can I get a refund of my credit?
Requires booking a physical return/collection, not just a message.
“When you buy your Tesco Mobile phone or SIM card it includes a cooling off period of 14 days from when you receive it, which gives you extra peace of mind. If you change your mind within this time, you can return it to us ‘as sold’ for a refund or an exchange.”Tesco Mobile policy page, Returning a pay monthly order
Needs usage calculation and verification by Tesco, not instant.
“If you’ve used any minutes, texts and data, you’ll need to pay for them. If your usage is within your tariff’s monthly allowance, the most you’ll pay is the equivalent of your monthly tariff. If it’s less, we’ll refund you the difference.”Tesco Mobile policy page, Returning a pay monthly order
Requires physical return of item with receipt and intact packaging, not just a chat message.
“If you change your mind within 30 days of buying your pay as you go phone, we’re happy to refund or exchange it, as long as you return it to us with the receipt, and all original undamaged packaging and accessories.”Tesco Mobile policy page, Returning your pay as you go order
Requires calling a helpline to arrange collection rather than a single automated message.
“If you change your mind within 30 days of buying your accessory, we’ll be happy to offer you a refund or exchange.”Tesco Mobile policy page, Returning your accessory bought from tesco.com
Requires physical return of the device with packaging/receipt, which an agent cannot complete autonomously but can initiate and track.
“If you change your mind within 30 days of purchase, we're happy to refund or exchange the device, as long as you return it to us with the receipt, all original undamaged packaging and accessories.”Tesco Mobile policy page, Terms 14.1
Needs physical return of voucher and proof the credit is unused, not a pure data/API claim.
“Top-up vouchers may also be returned within 30 days of purchase, as long as they are returned with the receipt, all original undamaged packaging and any top-up or credit unused.”Tesco Mobile policy page, Terms 14.1
Cancellation requires returning the physical device and documents, so an agent can only initiate the process, not complete it alone.
“If you change your mind within 14 working days of receiving your device, we're happy to cancel your contract, as long as you return the device to us with the contract, receipt, all original undamaged packaging and accessories.”Tesco Mobile policy page, Terms 14.2
Requires contacting customer service to request the refund and establishing how much allowance is unused, not a single self-serve action.
“Every bundle you purchase from us online is subject to a 14-day cooling-off period. This policy covers bundles bought through the Tesco Mobile app, as well as our website. So, during your first 14 days of a bundle, you can contact us to ask for a refund on any allowances that...”Tesco Mobile policy page, FAQ - Cooling-off period
Requires proof the credit is unused and physical return of voucher packaging.
“Any top-up vouchers you’ve bought in store may also be returned within 30 days of purchase, as long as they’re returned with the receipt, all original undamaged packaging, and any top-up or credit must be unused.”Tesco Mobile policy page, Returning your pay as you go order
How to claim
Based on Tesco Mobile's public terms and policy pages, read on 2 October 2026. Read the current terms. Terms change, so check the current version before you claim. This page is information, not legal advice.
Questions
Yes. Tesco Mobile's public terms include 15 promises that pay out or give credit when something goes wrong, including: Faulty phone refund/repair/exchange within 30 days (pay monthly); 24 month Tesco Mobile warranty (12 months for Apple) on phones; 30-day refund/exchange for faulty accessory; PAYG faulty device refund or exchange within 30 days.
It depends on the promise. The shortest deadline in the terms is 14 days, so claim as soon as you can. Each promise on this page shows its own deadline.
Tesco Mobile has a Promise Score of 36 out of 100 (fair), ranking #68 of 77 UK companies and #10 of 12 in Mobile networks.