How much will you actually cover?

Depends on three things: the service (broadband / VoIP — never mobile), whether the new line lands on-net for broadband, and how much of your previous contract was left at the moment you switched. We quote the exact cap at order time, in writing, so you can decide whether the maths works before committing — never a 'we'll see what we can do' verbal.

What proof do I need to send?

The final invoice from your old provider showing the Early Termination Fee as a line item — amount, date, your account number, their company name. Screenshots are fine; PDFs are better. If they send you the ETF via letter, snap a clear photo. We don't need their full contract — just the charge.

How quickly does the credit appear?

Once we've got the invoice, the credit posts to your Giant account within 5 working days. It shows up on your next monthly bill — either zero-ing it out, or reducing it. If the credit exceeds one month's bill, the excess rolls forward.

What's 'on-net' for broadband?

Lines we run on networks where Giant has a direct commercial agreement and runs end-to-end support. Off-net lines are ones we deliver via a wholesale chain through someone else's network — fine for delivering broadband, but the margin structure doesn't let us absorb an ETF. Whether your specific address is on-net depends on the postcode and the network coverage at it — we tell you before you order, never after.

Does One Touch Switch waive the ETF automatically?

Sometimes. Under Ofcom's One Touch Switch rules (effective September 2024) you don't pay ETF if you're switching at the natural end of your contract; if you're mid-term, the old provider can still charge an early-termination fee — that's the bit our buyout covers. We file the OTS-side admin (cancelling the old line) for you; the ETF math is what this page is about.

If I cancel Giant inside my new contract, do I keep the buyout credit?

If you leave us inside the first 12 months, any unused buyout credit is recoverable — i.e. the credit is amortised over the first year of your Giant contract; cancel halfway through and half the credit gets clawed back via your final invoice. Stay the full first year and the credit is yours unconditionally regardless of what you do afterwards. Fair both ways.

Business contracts — is it the same scheme?

Same shape, ex-VAT pricing on the cap. Business broadband (especially leased lines) often comes with bigger ETFs than residential — we cover them on-net up to the quoted cap. For multi-site businesses with a mix of on-net and off-net sites, we cover the on-net side; the off-net sites just don't earn the buyout. Multi-site quotes are bespoke; ring 0330 043 0056 to talk it through with the business team.

What if my old provider tries to bill me after I've left?

Happens occasionally — some carriers keep sending direct-debit attempts after a cease. Pre-emptively cancel the DD with your bank once the new Giant service is live; then chase the carrier directly to refund any final pull. If they bill you for the ETF after you've already left, that's still a valid invoice for the buyout — send it through and we'll credit you the same way.

Switch · Contract buyout

We'll coverthe breakup.

Stuck mid-contract elsewhere? Send us the ETF receipt. We'll credit your Giant account.

If you're paying off the last of someone else's contract to get to us, we'll help — the credit covers your old provider's Early Termination Fee, applied to your Giant account against future invoices. Not every line qualifies (broadband buyouts only apply on selected networks in our own footprint), and we don't do mobile, but where we do offer it we're explicit about the cap before you commit. Pair it with One Touch Switch and the rest of the move is on us.

See how to claim Ring us first · 0330 043 0056

3 steps

Order, send us the invoice, credit lands on your bill.

No claim form, no hold music, no 'we'll see what we can do'. The cap is quoted at order time so you know what you're getting before you commit.

See the steps

01The claim flow

How to actually get the credit.

Three steps, end-to-end. Most claims complete inside 5 working days of us receiving the invoice.

Step 01

Order your new service

Pick the broadband or VoIP plan you're moving to. At order time, tick 'I'm mid-contract' so we know to expect an ETF invoice from your old provider.

Step 02

Send us the ETF invoice

Once your old provider hits you with the early-termination charge, forward the final invoice to us via the portal or email. We need the line item, the amount, and the old provider's name.

Step 03

We credit your Giant account

The credit lands on your Giant account against future invoices — typically applied in full to your next bill, or spread over a couple of bills if the credit exceeds your monthly. Not a cash refund.

02What's covered, what isn't

Honest version, per service.

Different services have different commercial maths behind them. Here's where the buyout works, where it kind of works, and where we just don't run a scheme.

Selected networks only

Broadband

Covered when your new Giant line is on-net (our own footprint — Openreach FTTP + selected alt-nets we run direct on).
Credit scales with how much of your previous contract was left when you switched — the longer your remaining commitment, the bigger the buyout.
Off-net postcodes (lines we resell from third-party carriers without our own commercial agreement) aren't eligible — we'll flag this at the postcode check before you commit.
There's a maximum cap; we quote it explicitly at order so there are no surprises.

Easy to cover

VoIP / VoiceCloud

Most VoIP contracts have low termination charges — usually just outstanding call balances and / or one month's hosting.
We cover whatever your old provider charges, up to a reasonable cap on the ETF receipt.
No on-net / off-net split — VoIP is software-defined, the credit applies regardless of where the SIP traffic routes.
Bring the call-data ledger if you can; speeds up the credit calculation.

Not covered

Mobile

We don't run a mobile-contract buyout scheme — the headline savings on mobile plans usually don't leave us room to cover ETFs.
If you're mid-contract on your old mobile carrier, the choice is yours — pay the ETF and switch early, or wait until your contract ends.
Mobile uses text-to-switch (Ofcom's gaining-/losing-provider PAC process) — the port itself is fast and free. One Touch Switch is the broadband/landline process, not mobile. Either way, only the ETF with your losing mobile carrier is the cost to weigh up.
Need help working out whether to switch now or later? Ring us — happy to do the maths with you.

03Why credit, not cash

We can be more generous in credit form.

A direct cash refund would have to come out of the margin we make in your first month of service — which is small. Credit comes from the lifetime of the relationship, which is much bigger. The result: we can cover a chunkier ETF as credit than we'd ever cover as cash.

Bigger cap

Credit is paid against future months, so we can absorb a meaningful chunk of an ETF without taking it on the chin in month one. How much depends entirely on how much was left on your existing contract — we quote the exact cap at order, before you commit.

Auto-applied

Nothing to chase. The credit posts to your account, reduces your next invoice automatically, and rolls forward if it exceeds the bill. No claim form, no waiting for cheques.

Fair clawback rules

Credit is amortised over your first 12 months with us. Stay the full year and it's yours unconditionally. Leave inside 12 months and any unused portion gets clawed back on your final invoice. Symmetric — same as we'd treat any account credit.

Working days from sending us the ETF invoice to credit on your account.

Same UK team that handles your order processes the buyout. No outsourced claims partner, no third-party comparator.

Talk to a human

04Check eligibility

On-net is the question. Postcode answers it.

Broadband buyouts depend on whether your address is on our own footprint or one we resell from a wholesale partner. The postcode checker tells you immediately — if you're eligible, the buyout cap shows alongside the broadband packages.

No coverage yet? Mid-contract elsewhere? Join the waitlist or set a contract-end reminder — we'll ping you when it's the right moment to switch.

05FAQ

Real questions, honest answers.

Credit lets us be more generous with the cap — a cash refund would have to come out of the margin we make in your first month, which is small. Credit comes from the lifetime of the relationship, which is much bigger, so we can cover more. It also means there's nothing to chase, claim, or wait for — it just reduces your next bills automatically.

All switching options

Pair withHow One Touch Switch works·Leaving Giant·Number porting (£12 ex VAT)·Residential broadband

Stuck on someone else's bill? We can help.

Check your postcode for on-net eligibility, then ring us with the rough size of your ETF and we'll quote the cap before you commit to anything.

See broadband packages Ask us first 0330 043 0056

Credit · Auto-applied · Quoted at order, never after