# Running a small fleet of SIMs

> Simple habits for keeping track of ten or twenty SIMs, from labels and tags to usage alerts and ceasing what is no longer used.

Fleets & developers · 7 May 2026

One SIM looks after itself. Ten or twenty, spread across sites and vans and installers, need a little organisation, or you end up paying for a SIM in a device that was thrown away last spring. A few habits from day one keep a small fleet tidy.

## Label every SIM when it goes in

Each SIM can carry a **label** and any number of **tags**. Use the label for the one thing that identifies the device, such as "Unit 4 gate camera" or "Van KX21", and tags for the groupings you will want to filter by later: the site, the customer, the device type. Set them as the SIM is installed, while you still know where it went.

Good tags answer the questions you will ask in six months: which SIMs are at this site, which belong to this customer, which are cameras.

## Keep an eye on usage

The portal shows usage for each SIM. Set **usage alerts** there so you hear about a SIM heading for its allowance before it pauses, and look at the fleet's usage once a month. Two patterns are worth acting on:

- **A SIM using far more than its siblings.** Often a misconfigured device, a camera with motion triggers firing all day, or occasionally something compromised.
- **A SIM using almost nothing.** It may be on a larger plan than it needs, or in a device that is no longer in service.

## Match plans to what each device uses

Plans can differ SIM by SIM. Once you have a few weeks of real usage, move each SIM to the plan it actually needs. An upgrade takes effect straight away; a downgrade takes effect at renewal. See [how much data your device needs](/how-much-data-does-my-device-need).

## Cease what you no longer use

A switched-on SIM is billed every month, including while it is paused, until it is ceased. When a device is retired, cease its SIM. Ceasing is permanent, so check the label first; if you need a SIM there again later, a new one is £2.00. SIMs that have never been switched on cost nothing, so keep a few spares unactivated in the drawer rather than active in a cupboard.

## A monthly ten-minute check

| Check | Action |
|---|---|
| Any SIM near or at its allowance? | Upgrade it, or fix the device using the data |
| Any SIM using almost nothing? | Confirm the device is still in service; downgrade or cease |
| Any SIM without a label or tags? | Label it while someone still knows where it is |
| Any retired devices? | Cease their SIMs |

## When it is worth automating

Past a handful of SIMs, or when you are installing them for customers, the same controls are available through the API: label and tag SIMs, read usage, change plans and receive webhooks when a SIM nears its allowance. See [activating SIMs with the API](/activate-sims-with-the-api) and [usage webhooks](/usage-webhooks). Up to 25 SIMs can be ordered online; for larger fleets, see [ordering online or setting up a fleet](/ordering-sims-online-vs-fleet).

## Common questions

### Can I name my SIMs?

Yes. Each SIM can have a label and tags, set in the portal or through the API, and the SIM list can be filtered by tag or searched.

### Does pausing a SIM stop the charge?

No. A switched-on SIM is billed each month, including while paused. Cease a SIM to stop its charge; ceasing is permanent.

### How do I find SIMs I am paying for but not using?

Look for SIMs with very low usage in the portal, confirm whether the device is still in service, and cease the ones that are not.

## Recommended plan

250 MB, UK 4-network: £1.20 a month per active SIM, ex VAT.

Source: https://thingsim.com/running-a-small-sim-fleet