Which Mobile Phone Plan?
Choosing a mobile phone plan can be a daunting prospect for anyone but especially newbies. There are all these advertisements promising this and that but what they fail to advertise is some of the conditions in fine print, and who reads that?
So Which Type Of Mobile Phone Plan Do I Choose
There are many different mobile phone plans today; however, they usually fall into one of three main categories. The three categories that a mobile phone user can choose from are prepaid, pay as you go and fixed contract. Each category has different advantages to address the changing needs of customers. How much you are willing to spend and the amount of coverage you need you can choose the plan that is closest to filling that need.
Prepaid is the option chosen by many students and first time users. This plan requires that you purchase your mobile phone airtime up front, everything you do on this phone will come out of your initial balance including text messages, video messages and voicemail. In order to put time on your phone you must by a reload pack available in several different amounts that are good over a specified amount of time. This means that the user will need to replenish their account either before the time frame is up or once they have used all their minutes. The plus side of prepaid is there are no surprise bills; you know exactly what you have and how long it will last you. This is a great benefit to someone trying to manage a strict budget because there are no hidden fees that will add up and surprise you. The downside is prepaid mobile phone plans are more expensive on a per call basis than contract phones.
Pay as you go plans differ from prepaid in that customers get a monthly bill, but are not bound to a fixed rate contract. What this means is the customer is free to change or end the phone plan at any time with no penalties. The charges for calls are generally less than prepaid mobile phone plans. The bad thing about these plans is the customer must wait for the bill each month in order to know exactly what you have spent. Today many pay as you go plans will offer their customers a free notification via text message on the standings of their current bill. Pay as you go customers can also opt to send a text message to the provider in order to get their usage information any time.
The last typical cell phone plan is the fixed rate contract. These plans require the user to sign a contract for a specific amount of time anywhere from one year to two. Should the customer decide to end their contract early they are required to pay penalties and extra fees. The allure of these plans is first you usually do not have to purchase your phone; the service provider will have a selection of mobile phones that are free or very cheap. Of all the options available this plan has the cheapest per call cost, however like pay as you go you will not know the exact bill until you receive it.
No matter which plan you chooses the best idea is to access your needs and budget. Look at the amount of calls you make in a day, if they are many you may want to get a plan that is unlimited or offers rebates on usage. A person who uses a lot of text messages will want the plan that offers the cheapest option on texting. When you choose a plan that fills all your needs, you will be happier and able to utilize the mobile phone completely.
Prepaid is the option chosen by many students and first time users. This plan requires that you purchase your mobile phone airtime up front, everything you do on this phone will come out of your initial balance including text messages, video messages and voicemail. In order to put time on your phone you must by a reload pack available in several different amounts that are good over a specified amount of time. This means that the user will need to replenish their account either before the time frame is up or once they have used all their minutes. The plus side of prepaid is there are no surprise bills; you know exactly what you have and how long it will last you. This is a great benefit to someone trying to manage a strict budget because there are no hidden fees that will add up and surprise you. The downside is prepaid mobile phone plans are more expensive on a per call basis than contract phones.
Pay as you go plans differ from prepaid in that customers get a monthly bill, but are not bound to a fixed rate contract. What this means is the customer is free to change or end the phone plan at any time with no penalties. The charges for calls are generally less than prepaid mobile phone plans. The bad thing about these plans is the customer must wait for the bill each month in order to know exactly what you have spent. Today many pay as you go plans will offer their customers a free notification via text message on the standings of their current bill. Pay as you go customers can also opt to send a text message to the provider in order to get their usage information any time.
The last typical cell phone plan is the fixed rate contract. These plans require the user to sign a contract for a specific amount of time anywhere from one year to two. Should the customer decide to end their contract early they are required to pay penalties and extra fees. The allure of these plans is first you usually do not have to purchase your phone; the service provider will have a selection of mobile phones that are free or very cheap. Of all the options available this plan has the cheapest per call cost, however like pay as you go you will not know the exact bill until you receive it.
No matter which plan you chooses the best idea is to access your needs and budget. Look at the amount of calls you make in a day, if they are many you may want to get a plan that is unlimited or offers rebates on usage. A person who uses a lot of text messages will want the plan that offers the cheapest option on texting. When you choose a plan that fills all your needs, you will be happier and able to utilize the mobile phone completely.
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by Mobile-Madness
Mad tech head that loves gadgets phones, computers etc. My lens will focus on mobile technology and in particular mobile technology in Australia. (more)
