Last updated on Mar 4, 2024
- All
- Cellular Communications
Powered by AI and the LinkedIn community
1
Prepaid plans
2
Postpaid plans
Be the first to add your personal experience
3
Pros of prepaid plans
4
Cons of prepaid plans
5
Pros of postpaid plans
6
Cons of postpaid plans
7
Here’s what else to consider
If you own a smartphone, you probably use cellular data to access the internet, stream videos, or use apps on the go. But how do you choose the best cellular data plan for your needs and budget? There are two main types of plans: prepaid and postpaid. In this article, we will explain what they are, how they differ, and what are the pros and cons of each option.
Top experts in this article
Selected by the community from 7 contributions. Learn more
Earn a Community Top Voice badge
Add to collaborative articles to get recognized for your expertise on your profile. Learn more
- Suriya Devalan A R Associate-I @ Capgemini Engineering| CSWA MD | CSWA SUSTAINABILITY | CERTIFIED LSSBB | ISO 9001 | ISO 14001 | ISO 45001 8
- Ravi Agrawal Content Analyst, Dubbing Enthusiast, Dialogue Writer 1
1 Prepaid plans
Prepaid plans are pay-as-you-go plans that let you buy a certain amount of data, minutes, and texts for a fixed period, usually a month. You can activate them online or at a store, and you can switch or cancel them anytime without a contract or penalty. Prepaid plans are ideal for people who want to control their spending, avoid credit checks, or use multiple SIM cards for different purposes.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Suriya Devalan A R Associate-I @ Capgemini Engineering| CSWA MD | CSWA SUSTAINABILITY | CERTIFIED LSSBB | ISO 9001 | ISO 14001 | ISO 45001
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
In simple words, Prepaid is suitable for people who networks less frequently. Payment need to be done before using the service.
UnhelpfulLike Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny
2 Postpaid plans
Postpaid plans are monthly plans that let you use as much data, minutes, and texts as you want, and then pay a bill at the end of the cycle. You usually need to sign a contract for a year or two, and you may get a discount on a new phone or device. Postpaid plans are ideal for people who want unlimited or high-speed data, access to premium features, or family or group discounts.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
3 Pros of prepaid plans
One of the main advantages of prepaid plans is that they are flexible and affordable. You can choose the plan that suits your usage and budget, and you can change or stop it anytime without fees or hassles. You also don't need to worry about overage charges, hidden fees, or credit checks. You only pay for what you use, and you can easily track your balance and usage.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Suriya Devalan A R Associate-I @ Capgemini Engineering| CSWA MD | CSWA SUSTAINABILITY | CERTIFIED LSSBB | ISO 9001 | ISO 14001 | ISO 45001
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
No fear of extra usage, lot of options with OTT and without OTT.You can have more data compared to postpaid in cheaper price.
UnhelpfulLike Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny 8 - Saumya Chaturvedi Senior Design Engineer at Skyy Skill Academy
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
In prepaid bills at least we can have control over spending with no surprise bills. But as for the downside it's always higher rates than a postpaid plan and that too with limited features of course.
UnhelpfulLike Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny
4 Cons of prepaid plans
One of the main drawbacks of prepaid plans is that they may offer less data, speed, or coverage than postpaid plans. You may also miss out on some perks, such as free streaming, roaming, or hotspot. You may also have to pay upfront for your phone or device, or use an unlocked one that is compatible with your carrier. You may also have to deal with lower customer service or support.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Suriya Devalan A R Associate-I @ Capgemini Engineering| CSWA MD | CSWA SUSTAINABILITY | CERTIFIED LSSBB | ISO 9001 | ISO 14001 | ISO 45001
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
See AlsoEuropeNeed to top-up the plan regularly, you will receive lot of spam call asking you to recharge. Internet data plans are quite cheap compared to postpaid but they use to attach OTT platform fee and increase the pricing of the plan
UnhelpfulLike Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny 5
5 Pros of postpaid plans
One of the main benefits of postpaid plans is that they offer more data, speed, and coverage than prepaid plans. You can enjoy unlimited or high-speed data, as well as features like HD video, 5G network, or international roaming. You may also get a discount on a new phone or device, or upgrade it more frequently. You may also benefit from family or group plans that share data and save money.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Suriya Devalan A R Associate-I @ Capgemini Engineering| CSWA MD | CSWA SUSTAINABILITY | CERTIFIED LSSBB | ISO 9001 | ISO 14001 | ISO 45001
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
We have a new option to link all family members in a single bill especially for post paid users where still pre paid users need to recharge separately.
UnhelpfulLike Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny 7
6 Cons of postpaid plans
One of the main disadvantages of postpaid plans is that they are more expensive and less flexible than prepaid plans. You have to sign a contract that locks you in for a certain period, and you may face early termination fees or penalties if you want to switch or cancel. You also have to pay a monthly bill that may include taxes, surcharges, or overage fees. You may also need to pass a credit check or provide a deposit to get a plan.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Suriya Devalan A R Associate-I @ Capgemini Engineering| CSWA MD | CSWA SUSTAINABILITY | CERTIFIED LSSBB | ISO 9001 | ISO 14001 | ISO 45001
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Need to pay for the data which you have not used for. Few internet providers give roll on options for next month but mostly they don’t.
UnhelpfulLike Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny 4
7 Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Ravi Agrawal Content Analyst, Dubbing Enthusiast, Dialogue Writer
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Telecom companies like Airtel also has a differentiator in terms of taking an esim connection for your cellular smart watch, they offer it for postpaid only and not for prepaid, however they've now started providing esim for mobile phones in both prepaid and postpaid plans, which were earlier also restricted to only postpaid plans, this is a deliberate differentiator between the postpaid and prepaid connections which should not be there as even Jio offers esim for smart watches in both postpaid as well as prepaid connections
UnhelpfulLike Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny 1
Cellular Communications
Cellular Communications
+ Follow
Rate this article
We created this article with the help of AI. What do you think of it?
It’s great It’s not so great
Thanks for your feedback
Your feedback is private. Like or react to bring the conversation to your network.
Tell us more
Tell us why you didn’t like this article.
If you think something in this article goes against our Professional Community Policies, please let us know.
We appreciate you letting us know. Though we’re unable to respond directly, your feedback helps us improve this experience for everyone.
If you think this goes against our Professional Community Policies, please let us know.
More articles on Cellular Communications
No more previous content
- How do you optimize cellular communication performance and security in a remote work environment?
- How do you balance diversity and multiplexing gains in cellular networks?
- How do you apply cellular planning principles to different environments and scenarios? 5 contributions
- How do you optimize battery life and power consumption of cellular IoT devices?
- What are the current research gaps and future directions of resource allocation and scheduling for 5G?
- What are the benefits and drawbacks of using cloud-based VoIP solutions? 2 contributions
- How can cellular communications integrate with other wireless technologies and standards? 4 contributions
No more next content
More relevant reading
- Internet Services What are the most effective ISP business models and strategies for emerging markets?
- Electronic Funds Transfer How do you use EFTs for cashback rewards in different categories and merchants?
- 3G How does 3G VoIP affect the interconnection and roaming agreements between operators?
- Internet Services What are the advantages of choosing a smaller internet service provider?
Help improve contributions
Mark contributions as unhelpful if you find them irrelevant or not valuable to the article. This feedback is private to you and won’t be shared publicly.
Contribution hidden for you
This feedback is never shared publicly, we’ll use it to show better contributions to everyone.
