Switching from a Prepaid Phone to a Contract One?

With the mobile phone industry at constant war within itself, it can be difficult to find the ideal network with the most suitable pay monthly rate. The ever-changing market mean’s that tariffs change on almost a weekly basis. Like with most things, pay monthly contracts have their positive and negative sides.

What are the positive’s of a pay monthly contract?

• There is a much wider range of handsets to choose from when deciding on a pay monthly contract.
• The overall cost of a handset is greatly reduced. Instead of having to fork out anywhere up to £600 for the latest handset, many networks will offer the phone for free depending on the contract of your choosing.
• Abolishes the need to constantly check your credit balance and to buy phone credit on a daily basis. This means you can make calls and send text message’s whenever you please.
• It’s cheaper to make a call and send a text.

What are the negative’s of a pay monthly contract?

• Having to sign a contract means you are tied to that particular network and tariff rate until your contract expires. This means you may not be able to take advantage of better rates throughout your contracts duration.
• You sign a contract for two years and that contract is legally binding. The only way to opt out of your contract is to buy yourself out of it at great expense.
• In order to purchase a pay monthly phone you may be required to undergo a credit check. This may incur additional costs or even prevent you from being able to purchase the phone of your choice.
• Depending on your usage, you may see your data package go to waste or over spend which would mean additional charges. If you do not use up your set limit on your monthly package, you cannot carry them forward to the next month. If you go over your monthly package you may incur hefty charges.

What phones are available on pay monthly contract’s?
The majority of top of the range handsets are available to purchase on a pay monthly contract. The most popular of these are the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy series and Blackberry models.

How do I go about picking the right pay monthly deal for me?
Pick the right contract that suits your lifestyle is the tough part of buying any contract phone. Think about your current phone usage; if you find yourself frequently making phone calls then obviously a package with a high number of call minutes is for you. Similarly, if you send numerous text messages go for a high number of included texts.

What happens when my contract expires?
In the lead up to your contract’s expiry date it is recommended that you research the available tariffs and handsets on offer. This can be done by contacting your current provider or going online and using the services of uswitch.com and which.co.uk. Remember, the market will have changed a lot since your original contract started.

Cathy Atherton was persuaded to buy pay monthly phones for her two daughters. At the moment it is working out because the girs pay their own bills.