The pros and cons of prepaid mobile phones

With the convenience of no monthly bill, prepaid mobiles are a popular choice. Prepaid mobile can be much cheaper to use in the long run, especially if you are a low volume user. Phone Buddy gives you the lowdown on mobile prepay options.

The prepaid upside

One of the main advantages of a prepaid mobile phone is cost. They are a very cheap way to manage a mobile - especially when you don't rely heavily on your phone day in, day out. Some good reasons to go with prepaid are:

more control over expenditure
easy to set up
no contract obligations
no termination fees if you switch networks

Prepaid is ideal for those who don't rely solely on their mobile for their phone use, as prepaid users have the freedom to pay as they need to (avoiding the dreaded monthly bill). For some, this is a far more cost effective way of phone management.

Disadvantages of prepaid mobile

For all the advantages of prepaid mobile, there are some negatives. For example, prepaid mobile can have higher call charges than contract plans, and prepaid mobile may also have restricted network services. Obviously there is the need to always “recharge” your phone credit, which can be annoying – especially when you are out of credit and need to make a call (something postpaid users never have to worry about). Also, minimum prepaid recharge amounts could cause frustration, although users can get a “text only” recharge for around $10.

Some prepaid accounts allow your credit to roll over to the next month if you recharge before the expiry date, but if you miss the date you will lose all unused credit and be entirely without credit until you recharge. If this doesn't seem too inconvenient and you feel that checking your prepaid credit regularly isn't too great a chore, prepaid mobile may be for you.

Prepaid mobile isn't for everyone - whether you choose it will hinge on what you want from a mobile phone and how you use it. Once you've decided that, you can start the fun of searching for the best mobile deals on the market, something Phone Buddy makes super easy – just choose your product type, hit “Search” and you're away.