Carphone Warehouse in 2026:
online-only and part of Currys
All 531 UK Carphone Warehouse stores closed in April 2020 and the brand was folded into Currys in October 2021. Today it trades only at carphonewarehouse.com as the dedicated home for Currys Pay Monthly contracts, with face-to-face support inside every Currys store.
Trustpilot
4.3/5
39,000+ UK reviews
1989
Founded by Charles Dunstone and David Ross
2020
All 531 UK standalone stores closed in April
2021
Dixons Carphone rebranded to Currys plc in October
4.3
Trustpilot rating from 39,000+ UK customer reviews
About the brand
From high-street pioneer to Currys online-only brand
Carphone Warehouse was founded in 1989 by Charles Dunstone and David Ross in a single Marylebone shop. It became Europe’s largest independent mobile-phone retailer, listed on the FTSE 250 and at its peak operating around 2,400 stores across nine countries.
The brand entered a holding pattern in August 2014, when it merged with Dixons Retail to form Dixons Carphone plc. The mobile market then moved decisively online and standalone phone shops lost their footfall.
On 3 March 2020 the group announced it would close every standalone Carphone Warehouse store in the UK. The closure of all 531 high-street branches completed by mid-April 2020, with around 2,900 jobs lost. The brand survived only as a Currys-owned online channel.
In October 2021 Dixons Carphone formally rebranded the group to Currys plc. Today, Carphone Warehouse exists as an online-first storefront at carphonewarehouse.com, operated as a trading name of Currys Retail Limited and complemented by Carphone Warehouse-trained mobile experts inside Currys stores nationwide.
What you can buy
Carphone Warehouse services in 2026
Pay Monthly contracts, SIM-free handsets, SIM-only plans and trade-in. Every order is fulfilled by Currys logistics.
Pay Monthly contracts
EE . O2 . Vodafone . Three
Full handset-and-airtime contracts across all four UK host networks. Upfront cost from £0, 24- or 36-month terms, plus iD Mobile (the Currys own-brand network).
SIM-only plans
iD Mobile . EE . O2 . Vodafone
Rolling 1-month and 12-month SIM-only deals. iD Mobile undercuts the Big Four on most data tiers, with EU roaming included and the Three network underneath.
SIM-free handsets
Apple . Samsung . Google
Unlocked smartphones paid in full, with up to 36-month interest-free credit via Currys Flexipay (subject to status). Free next-day DPD delivery on orders before 8pm.
Trade-in
Powered by Music Magpie
Send your old phone using a free pre-paid label and get the value paid as credit against a new device or by bank transfer. Quote locked for 14 days.
Phone insurance
Currys Care & Repair
Monthly mobile insurance with theft, loss and accidental damage cover. Replaces the old Geek Squad and Team Knowhow brands closed after the 2019 FCA fine.
Click & collect
Any Currys store
Order online, pick up free from any of the ~300 Currys stores across the UK. Same-day collection on most items ordered before 4pm.
Delivery, returns & finance
How orders work after Carphone Warehouse went online-only
Because every standalone branch closed in April 2020, every order is now shipped from Currys’ central warehouses. Delivery, returns and Pay Monthly finance all run on the Currys infrastructure.
- Free next-day delivery via DPD on orders placed before 8pm, Monday to Saturday. Bank holidays excluded.
- Free click and collect from any of the ~300 Currys stores in the UK. Same-day collection on most items ordered before 4pm.
- 14-day cancellation window from delivery under UK Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. Return free with the pre-paid label.
- Pay Monthly handsets financed by the network you choose (EE, O2, Vodafone or Three). SIM-free phones eligible for Currys Flexipay 0% interest over up to 36 months.
- Most orders include free SIM activation and the SIM is shipped with the handset. iD Mobile activates within 24 hours of receipt.
Trustpilot verdict
4.3/5
Based on 39,000+ reviews on uk.trustpilot.com (May 2026). 65% of reviewers give the brand five stars, while around 23% score it one star, mostly citing iD Mobile SIM activation problems, refund delays and customer-service wait times.
65%
5-star reviews
8pm
Next-day cut-off
The £29.1m Geek Squad FCA fine of 2019
In April 2019 the Financial Conduct Authority fined Carphone Warehouse £29,107,600 for mis-selling its Geek Squad mobile-phone insurance and technical-support policies between December 2008 and June 2015. Investigators found that staff had been incentivised to push the cover onto customers who already held equivalent insurance.
Around 35% of customers cancelled their Geek Squad policies within three months, a textbook mis-selling pattern. The company accepted the findings without contest, which earned a 30% discount on the original £41.5m penalty.
Geek Squad-branded products were wound down in the years that followed, and mobile insurance is now sold under the unified Currys Care & Repair brand alongside Pay Monthly handsets.
Get in touch
How to contact Carphone Warehouse
All standalone branches closed in April 2020. These are the current phone lines, the postal address and how to escalate if a call to customer service does not resolve your issue.
Sales
0330 678 1447Mon-Fri 9AM-7PM . Sat 9AM-5:30PM
Place a new Pay Monthly, SIM-only or SIM-free order over the phone with a Carphone Warehouse mobile expert.
Customer service
0370 111 6565Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM
Existing orders, billing queries, account changes and complaints relating to your purchase.
Repairs & insurance
0800 276 1373Mon-Fri 8AM-8PM . Sat 9AM-6PM . Sun 10AM-5PM
Free phone line for Currys Care & Repair claims, technical support and warranty issues.
Head office address
Currys Retail Ltd
1 Portal Way
London W3 6RS
United Kingdom
Online complaints
File a complaint via the official online form at selfhelp.carphonewarehouse.com. If your case is not resolved within 8 weeks you may escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service (for insurance and credit) or the CISAS scheme (for mobile contracts).
Alternatives
Other UK mobile retailers worth a look
Aggregators like Mobile Phones Direct often beat the Carphone Warehouse price on flagship contracts thanks to cashback by redemption.
Mobile Phones Direct
Aggregator (online)
Award-winning online retailer with EE, O2, Vodafone and Three contracts plus automatic cashback by redemption. Frequently the cheapest 24-month total cost on flagship handsets.
Read the reviewEE Shop
Network direct
EE’s own retail channel. Pay Monthly handsets, SIM-only plans and home broadband at the same price as in-store, with full online tracking and EE perks bundled in.
Tesco Mobile
Supermarket (O2 host)
Clubcard prices on selected SIM-only plans, plus Family Perks to share allowances across up to four lines. Bought via tescomobile.com or in-store.
Currys
High-street electronics
The parent brand. Sells the same Pay Monthly and SIM-only deals as Carphone Warehouse plus laptops, tablets and home appliances. Available online and in ~300 UK stores.
Carphone Warehouse FAQ
The Selectra expert answers your questions
Yes, but online only. All 531 UK standalone stores closed in April 2020 and the brand was folded into Currys plc in October 2021. Today, carphonewarehouse.com is a trading name of Currys Retail Limited and acts as the group’s dedicated online channel for Pay Monthly mobile contracts. Face-to-face mobile advice is available inside roughly 300 Currys stores nationwide.
Dixons Carphone announced the closure on 3 March 2020. The reasons given were the long-term decline of high-street footfall for phone shops, customers shifting decisively to online purchases, and the duplication of Carphone Warehouse and Currys PC World branches in many UK towns. The 2020 lockdowns accelerated the timetable. Around 2,900 staff lost their jobs and the closures were completed in April 2020.
Yes. Every Currys store now has Carphone Warehouse-trained mobile experts on the shop floor who can help you compare Pay Monthly tariffs, take out a new contract or troubleshoot an existing order. There are roughly 300 Currys stores in the UK. Use the Currys store finder to locate the nearest one.
For existing orders and complaints call 0370 111 6565, open Monday to Friday 9AM to 6PM. To place a new order, call the sales team on 0330 678 1447, open Monday to Friday 9AM to 7PM and Saturday 9AM to 5:30PM. For repairs and Currys Care & Repair insurance, the free phone line is 0800 276 1373.
Orders placed before 8pm Monday to Saturday qualify for free next-day delivery via DPD. Bank holidays are excluded. Click and collect from any Currys store is also free, with same-day collection on most items ordered before 4pm. Pay Monthly orders include the SIM in the same box and the SIM is usually activated within 24 hours of arrival.
Carphone Warehouse runs the same Pay Monthly prices as the four host networks because the contract is signed directly with the network, not with the retailer. However, dedicated aggregators such as Mobile Phones Direct and Affordable Mobiles frequently beat both Carphone Warehouse and the networks on flagship handset contracts thanks to cashback-by-redemption schemes, with typical 24-month savings of £100 to £400. Always compare the total cost over the full contract length.
In April 2019, the FCA fined Carphone Warehouse £29,107,600 for mis-selling Geek Squad mobile-phone insurance and tech-support policies between 2008 and 2015. Investigators found staff had been incentivised to sell the cover to customers who already held equivalent insurance; around 35% of buyers cancelled within three months. The company did not contest the findings, which earned a 30% discount on the original £41.5m penalty. Geek Squad has since been retired and mobile insurance is now sold under the unified Currys Care & Repair brand.
Find the right UK mobile retailer
Compare every UK mobile retailer in one place
Aggregators, network shops, supermarkets and manufacturer stores side by side. The right retailer can save you up to £400 on the same handset and tariff over 24 months.