Nowadays there are more choices than ever when it comes to choosing cellphone plans and provider. If you compare cell phone contracts vs. prepaid you can get a good idea of which option best suits your budget and your needs. Every person has different cellphone situations and can choose between a contract and a prepaid cellphone accordingly.
Contract Pros
- A contract is convenient and you won’t have to keep topping up your airtime.
- Call rates are often cheaper
- Depending on the contract, you sometimes have access to free minutes, SMS bundles and other benefits and value-added services such as data bundles.
- It is good to have contract in an emergency situation as you won’ face the danger of finishing your airtime.
- Your calls won’t get cut off due to insufficient airtime.
- You will get a monthly statement with itemized billing.
Contract Cons
- You are tied to a 2-year commitment and what worked for you a year ago may not be what you need now.
- You can run up a high phone pay that you will have to pay at the end of the month.
- Contract charges usually come off a debit order, so any mistakes made by the service provider can be difficult to fix.
- Someone else can spend money on your phone if it gets stolen or lost.
- You will be charged a monthly service fee.
- You will have to keep the same phone for two years and you will have to buy a new one if your phone gets lost or stolen.
Prepaid Pros
- You are not contracted to any commitments.
- You will only pay for what you use, paying as you go for your airtime.
- It is easy to register for a prepaid phone and you won’t need a proof of income and other such documents.
- You can control your call costs.
- Prepaid vouchers are readily available at a number of retailers.
- No monthly service fees.
- You can sometimes make emergency calls to certain numbers if you have no airtime.
Prepaid Cons
- You won’t be offered a free phone or other phone equipment so you will have to buy your own phone.
- You may run out of airtime when you need it and buying airtime isn’t as convenient as having an unlimited contract.
The best way to decide and compare cell phone contracts vs. prepaid is to examine your own cellphone habits. Record your cellphone usage for a few weeks so that you can get an idea of how much time and money you spend talking on the phone, how much data you use, how often you SMS, and the times of of day that you do so.
If you talk on your cellphone a lot or use it for business, it may be advisable to sign up for a contract so that your calls are cheaper and you may get some free talking minutes. If you talk on your phone during off-peak times (when free minutes apply) it can be advantageous to get a contract that includes this free talk time. If you don’t use your cellphone a lot, however, it would be better to use prepaid plan so that you don’t pay unnecessary monthly fees that you are not taking advantage of.
If you would like fancy phone, getting a contract is a good way of getting this phone for free. You can see a contract as a way to pay off the phone on a monthly basis. If you get tired of phones quickly, however, you may get tired of having the same phone for two years.
It’s also important to shop around; not all contracts are the same and you may find one better suited to your needs if you keep looking around. Visit different service provider shops and tell them about your cellphone habits so they can suggest the right plan for you.