Did you know that Americans pay an average of $50.17 per month for their cell phone plans?
Prepaid or postpaid plans are the most common options for consumers looking for a new cell phone plan (also known as a contract plan). However, if you’ve never owned your own cell phone plan or did any comparison shopping, you might not be aware of the specific pros and cons of each type.
No worries. In this guide we have everything you need to choose between prepaid and postpaid cell plans. Read on for our full list of prepaid and postpaid plans.
What is a prepaid plan?
You can use a prepaid mobile subscription to make phone calls, send messages or use mobile data in a variety of ways, depending on the subscription. Prepaid plans can be preloaded with a few minutes, text messages or megabytes. Or they can be pay-as-you-go (PAYG), in which case you only pay for the minutes, text messages or megabytes you spend.
The main difference between the data inclusion plans is how much you’ll pay on prepaid plans with unlimited speech and text. Pay-as-you-go plans are popular with those who don’t want surprise fees or unexpected fines at the end of the month.
On the downside, if you use all of its features before your plan’s expiration date (usually 28-30 days), you’ll have to re-purchase. If you use consistently before your inclusion ends, you may end up paying more money each year than if you were on a more expensive or postpaid plan.
What is postpaid plan?
The advantage of having a postpaid cell phone plan is that you pay a fixed monthly rate. In return, you get a certain amount of minutes, messages and megabytes of data that you can use during the billing period.
Retrospective invoicing works on the premise that customers can exceed their plan limits if they wish, and are then charged for. This means that even if you have exceeded your monthly allowance, you can still use your phone. Keep track of how much data you use, because if you don’t, your bill could be higher than you expected.
Switching from Telstra, Optus or Vodafone plans that charge extra for exceeding your data surcharge will help you avoid the dreaded “shocking bill”. These plans allow you to continue using your data even after you have used up all the included data, albeit at a lower rate.
Month-to-month and 12-month contracts are the two most common postpaid plan lengths (some plans have lengths of 24 months or more). Only a few telephone companies offer a 12-month postpaid contract. This makes monthly plans more exclusive (often with more data from month to month than counterparts for your money).
Prepaid vs Postpaid: Compare and Contrast
Mobile phone contracts that allow customers to buy minutes or airtime and then use them whenever they want are called prepaid cell phone contracts. On the other hand, postpaid mobile network contracts require customers to repay their coverage at the end of each month and receive the final bill.
So far, let’s take a look at each of the features offered or bundled with one of the two phone subscriptions.
Plan period
Postpaid plans are intended to last longer than their prepaid counterparts. Unlike the 30-day billing cycle for postpaid contracts, prepaid plans are available for at least one month.
With a prepaid connection, you can choose between a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly subscription. As a result, prepay has a clear advantage over postpay, as it offers users a more excellent range of customization options.
Customer service quality
Another well-known experience is the VIP service. If you have a postpaid mobile network contract, you will get a better and more accurate answer to your concerns when you call customer service.
On the other hand, prepaid customers face long wait times for customer service calls and long lines at branches. In return, postpaid customers get VIP treatment when it comes to customer service.
Recharge connection
Using prepaid plans requires that you first complete your account. On the other hand, postpaid plans allow you to make and receive calls, messages and various types of communications at any time you choose, with the added benefit of a monthly fee.
Prepaid plans allow you to choose from a wide range of prices and additions as you fill up, and you can switch between several options each time you fill up. If you wish to use these services again, you will need to top-up your credit after the package you purchased expires.
Postpaid plans are similar to contracts in many ways. Your mobile phone network charges you monthly for the selected package and automatically updates your subscription surcharge on the first day of your billing cycle.
A postpaid contract allows you to continue using the services on your telecommunications network even after you have exhausted all your permissions; The cost will be deducted from the next month’s payment. We return to postpaid plans for this round as they offer more flexibility and stability.
Changes and changes in tariff plans
If you have a prepaid package, switching to a different pricing plan is as easy as a few simple steps.
However, users of postpaid subscriptions do not have this option; They have to switch to another scheme, which is more complex and time-consuming than the previous one.
It is only necessary to charge your phone to change your current prepaid service plan. When it comes to changing your postpaid subscription, contact a customer service representative first. They need a lot of information from you.
After you upgrade, you will need to wait until the current payment cycle is complete before the new plan is activated. lot of work. Prepaid plans win this round for their simplicity and ease of use.
Cost and easy payment
However, customers of prepaid mobile network services should be aware of the expiry date of their subscription as they can recharge the SIM card on their mobile phone at any time.
Though the postpaid plans cost a little more than the prepaid plans, they are more popular and offer a higher amount of benefits to the customers. There is no expiry date or withdrawal right for postpaid packages, however your telecom company will extend the time slightly if you do not make your payment on time at the end of each month.
But if you are trying to get the best of both worlds, then you can always go for Boost Mobile and its wide range available in the market.
Add a new connection
It is completely flexible to switch prepaid SIM services and subscriptions.
SIM cards can be obtained virtually anywhere from stores to roadside stands. The main entrances to the shopping malls also sell goods. A new calling card can be accepted at any time if you wish to change your phone number or lose your old one. Changing your network provider is also a simple process.
When you insert your new SIM card into your phone you are ready to go.
On the other hand, canceling a postpaid connection, upgrading or changing plans requires various legal and technical adjustments. As a result, the winner of this round has already been compensated for his resilience.
Data consumption
Most mobile service providers offer different pricing and data plan options to postpaid and prepaid consumers, ensuring that everyone can buy a plan. Prepaid plans usually have a data limit. However, most postpaid connections allow unlimited data usage.
If you do not use all your data within the allotted time with a postpaid subscription, you can transfer the remaining data. For example, if you only use 20 in a month, a postpaid subscription with 30GB of data per month will transfer the remaining 10GB of data to the next month. Prepaid plans do not have this feature, and when your package expires, you will lose all remaining data.
Prepaid vs Postpaid Plans: Simple and Clear
You may be disappointed with your current phone subscription or search for the right plan the first time around. It doesn’t matter where you are in this broad circle. Knowing whether you want to opt for a prepaid or postpaid cell phone subscription is the key to your satisfaction over your choice.
We hope that our guide to prepaid vs postpaid phone plans has made your search more accessible. And remember, there’s always something to learn when it comes to managing your cell phone finances. You should check out our Technology & Business section for all the additional tips and explanations you need.
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