Everyone knows these days that simply remaining on a contract for months after the contract expires isn’t great value, however millions of people around the country do exactly that. In the same way, many people opt for pay as you go, when a well chosen sim only plan will likely be more appropriate.
How Mobile Contracts Are Charged
Your monthly payment contains two elements, the first is the calls and texts you make that are included in your monthly allowance, and the second pays for the handset itself. This is why the latest iPhone contract will be more expensive than a cheap older model – it is more expensive for the network to buy.
When Your Mobile Is Yours
The consequence of this pricing model is that you pay for the handset as part of your monthly line rental throughout your minimum contract period. Once this period expires, your handset is effectively paid for, but your mobile network will not be likely to reduce the fee they charge without you taking action.
Sim Only Saves Money
One great opportunity is sim only, which means you pay a monthly fee, much like a contract. The difference is that you don’t get a new phone, so only have to pay for the first part of the monthly fee described above.
Finding the best sim only deals is quite easy, compared to contract offers, as you don’t have to think about a handset. Decide how many minutes and free texts you need each month, and check the best price from each network – simple!
Compare Your Sim Only Options
To make things really easy, we maintain a comparison table on sim only deals, where you can see the available plans based on price, minutes, texts etc. You can then click through to buy the plan either direct from the network, or through a third party where a better price is available.
The best sim only deal for one person will not necessarily be the same for another. It very much depends on your usage pattern. The best way to assess your needs is to get together your last six months (or more) mobile bills. Look at the number of minutes and texts you use and see if they are consistant. If so, that’s the level of use you need. If they vary dramatically, you can take one of three approaches.
The Sim Only Plan For You
If you want a steady monthly payment, assume your use to be the highest amount of calls and texts you have used in any one month. If you, on the other hand, want the minimum fee as a commitment and to pay for the rest as you use it, the lowest monthly usage is your base figure.
For best value, the final option is to aim somewhere between these figures, so that most months you will have enough minutes and texts included, and on the occasional heavy use month you pay a little more.
Generally the second option works out most expensive, but many people do prefer to commit to as little as possible. Once you have decided how many minutes and texts you need, head over to our sim only deals page.
