Recent research suggests that by simply changing your mobile provider, you have a 50% chance of reducing your monthly bills dramatically. This shows that most people who enter into mobile contracts either do it with little knowledge or are just too complacent to notice when rates increase or when their discounts lapse. This guide will take your through the options you need to consider first before taking on a new mobile phone plan.
Evaluating All Options Before Making A Decision
One of the dangers of making a decision on mobile plans without sufficient research is you will end up with a bad deal. Mobile phone companies offers a wide variety of tariffs to cater to people’s individual needs. Some tariffs may prioritize data over calls, and others may be SMS-driven with fewer incentives for data or calls. So, make sure you carefully evaluate all the available options before settling on one particular one. One of the most important things to consider first is your average monthly usage. This factor will determine what option you eventually choose when you evaluate all the offers there are. These offers are many and will confuse you if you don’t already know what you want.
Discounts and Rewards
With every new mobile phone that is released, carriers will jump on the opportunity to offer the phone to their clients. This is expected and as a customer, you might be tempted to jump from your trusted mobile phone plan to the shiny new one that has just been announced. However, you need to carefully read the fine print to see just how much you will need to pay to get the extra benefits. Whether these benefits come in the form of extra call minutes, more data, or extra SMS bundles, ensure that any offer you take is exactly what you need.
Travelling On a Mobile Phone Plan
The trickiest bit with mobile phone plans is when you are travelling. Different carriers will require you to pay roaming charges and these may depend on the control of certain carriers over others. For examples, AT&T is popular because it has less carrier charges while roaming as this is due to its very extensive coverage in North America. However, other local carriers may face bigger rates due to their smaller bargaining power. So make sure your carrier has partnerships with several other major and minor service providers to ensure they can leverage on lower costs.
Prepaid Plans for Better Versatility.
A prepaid plan is optimal especially where you don’t intend to stick to one carrier for long. With an unlocked phone, a prepaid plan allows you to just purchase any SIM card and use data, calls or SMS in small batches which don’t require a contract. This option is cheaper if you consider that you are only going to use it if and when you need it. For international travelers, this option is great because it allows you to quickly use the local carrier and continue communicating as normal. However if you have a mobile phone on a contract, the phone will be locked to a particular carrier and won’t be able to work in another carrier location.
