Pay as you go mobile phones

Pay as you go mobile phones

What are pay as you go mobile phones?

Unlike owners of contract phones, who pay a set fee every month for a pre-determined amount of texts and minutes, pay as you go mobile phones are handsets that let users add airtime by buying vouchers from shops. Alternatively, they can call their network provider on a freephone number and pay for airtime directly with their credit card.

Using a voucher will typically require the owner of the pay as you go mobile phone to make a free phone call to their network and enter a specially generated number. The newly purchased airtime will then be added to their pay as you go mobile phone instantly, allowing them to make calls and send texts straightaway.

Some networks that offer pay as you go mobile phones apply a time limit during which time the customer must use up the airtime they have added, while others stipulate a cut-off time after which point the voucher becomes invalid. However, many do not impose time limits on pay as you go mobile phone usage at all.

Once owners of pay as you go mobile phones run out of airtime, they will need to top up again. However until such time as they add credit to their pay as you go mobile phone, they will still be able to receive calls. They are usually also able to pick up voicemails, although this varies between providers.

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Why choose a pay as you go mobile phone?

Pay as you go mobile phones can offer a host of advantages over contract mobile phone deals.

First and foremost, when you choose a pay as you go mobile phone you are free from lengthy and sometimes very expensive contracts. That means that if you’re not happy with the service you can walk away instantly. Alternatively, if a new cut-price tariff appears, you’re free to take advantage of it straightaway.

Just as important is that you can upgrade your pay as you go mobile phone whenever you like. This is in contrast to some 24-month contract deals when a mobile phone can be of out of date by the time you have finished paying for it.

Opting for a pay as you go mobile phone also means that you only pay for the calls you make. That means you won’t suffer the frustration of feeling like you’ve wasted money when you’re left with lots of unused minutes and texts at the end of the month. Or that you’ve paid for a service which you barely make use of. This makes pay as you go mobile phones a brilliant option for users who do not require hundreds of minutes of talk time every month, but need a mobile phone so they can be reached by their friends and family.

Another advantage with pay as you go mobile phones is that you know exactly how much you’re spending on mobile phone calls, texts and other services. That means that you can cut down on your usage accordingly if you’re overspending.

Pay as you go phones can now be bought for as little as £5. Consequently, they are an excellent choice for people who do not feel they need the high-tech functions that feature on more expensive models.

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Pay as go mobile phones you versus contract mobile phones

Unfortunately, call charges and tariffs tend to be higher with pay as you go mobile phones than with contract mobile phones, so you can often pay much more for making the same call.

There is also the disadvantage that pay as you go phones require that you buy the mobile phone outright. This means that your initial costs are higher than if you were signing up for a contract.

Furthermore, pay as you go mobile phone owners can run a higher risk of running out of credit than consumers who have opted a contract mobile phone deal.

You may also find that the choice of pay as go handsets is not as wide as those on contract deals. This is especially true with the latest handsets. These are typically available only on contract deals when they first hit the market and often do not arrive as a pay as you go mobile phone deal until some time later.

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