Introduction

It’s an age-old dilemma for mobile phone users to choose between postpaid or prepaid plans. Both options have their pros and cons, but it’s really up to you to choose which one suits your lifestyle better.

You may be considering a postpaid plan for the convenience of having available texts and calls every month. But there might also be a tiny voice at the back of your mind telling you to choose the prepaid option and simply get a regular load top-up when you need it most.

Here at DITO Telecommunity, we can help you make a more informed decision. We’ve listed the advantages and disadvantages of both mobile plan options to help you determine the one that works best for you.

Postpaid

Postpaid is a mobile subscription option offered by major telecom companies. As the name suggests, it requires the subscriber to pay for the service after using it, and the amount is usually fixed and billed every month.

Pros

More and more people are subscribing to postpaid services because these plans offer a great deal of benefits to the user. Here are a few examples:

Easier To Budget

Postpaid plans are often marketed as

In some cases, postpaid plans come with a smartphone, too. There are options where you can get the phone for High-end gadgets and the latest models from popular phone brands are also typically offered at discounted prices. If you want one of these devices, you will have to pay for it in installments, and the amount will be added to your monthly postpaid bill for a set period.

Convenient

Convenience is another great advantage of postpaid plans. Have you ever experienced being in an emergency but not having enough mobile load to make a call? That won’t happen to postpaid subscribers because these plans usually come with unlimited texts and sometimes calls to the same network. This means you don’t have to run to the nearest loading station in case you need to send a text or make a call.

Another plus side of postpaid plans is they automatically renew every month as long as you’re paying your bills. You don’t even have to go to their office to make your payment because you can do it using your online banking app or e-wallet.

Upgradeable

Postpaid plans are usually upgradeable, as well. This gives flexibility to subscribers to switch to better options in the future if they think their current one is no longer serving their needs. Upgrading, however, usually means you have to pay a higher monthly bill to cover the additional benefits and features of your new plan.

Cons

Of course, like most things, postpaid plans also come with a few disadvantages. Here are some of the most common factors that people usually don’t like about their postpaid

Bill Shocks

It’s a sad truth that many postpaid subscribers experience bill shock or that frustrating feeling when they are forced to pay a higher amount than their plan. It usually happens when a user accidentally leaves their mobile data on and spends more than their plan’s capacity.

Lock-In Period

Imagine subscribing to a postpaid plan and realizing it just wasn’t for you after a few months. You went back to the telco, and they told you that you couldn’t unsubscribe just yet. It’s a common scenario among postpaid subscribers because plans typically have a 24-month lock-in period. This means you have to wait for two years for the contract to expire if you want to end your subscription.

Prepaid

Prepaid is the preferred option by more Filipinos, according to 2020 data by Statista, an independent think tank. Even though this is the case, it’s important to note that prepaid plans still have pros and cons.

Pros

Statista’s data shows that over 140 million phone numbers are currently registered as prepaid. That’s significantly higher than the less than 5 million using postpaid. This is likely because of the many advantages of sticking to prepaid plans, such as:

Affordable

Postpaid plans might be marketed as “budget-friendly,” but let’s face it: many ordinary Filipinos cannot shell out nearly a thousand pesos monthly for their mobile phone bills. With prepaid plans, you can send messages, make calls, and even access the internet for just a few pesos. Level-Up 99, which costs ₱99 valid for 30 days.

You can also buy regular load, which gives you the flexibility to choose what services to spend

Easy To Buy

Another great thing about prepaid load is its accessibility. If you run out of credit to send texts, make calls, or access the internet, you can simply go to the nearest sari-sari store to buy load.

It’s even easier if you’re a DITO subscriber. You can browse the app to buy regular top-up load and then use it to make texts or calls. It’s hassle-free because you can connect your bank account or e-wallet to the app to purchase your load.

Consumable

One benefit of using prepaid load is it’s consumable. Unlike postpaid, regular load doesn’t usually expire in 30 days, so you have a few months to consume all your credit by sending messages, making calls, or subscribing to different promos. In a nutshell, this gives you the flexibility to use your load however you like without feeling like any of it gets wasted.

Cons

Prepaid plans have a few drawbacks, as well. Here are a few examples:

Frequent Reloading

Regular load lasts long and doesn’t expire quickly, but that’s not the case for all prepaid plans. In many cases, promos only last a few days to a week. This means you have to buy load again if you wish to resubscribe.

No Free Device

Who doesn’t want a free phone, right? Even if it’s a low-end device, it will still be usable if you just want to send texts, make calls, and occasionally access the internet. Sadly, free gadgets aren’t usually offered with prepaid plans.

Conclusion

There are many differences between postpaid and prepaid, so it’s up to you as the user to choose which is better for you. However, if you’re a DITO subscriber, you can enjoy the best of both worlds!

With DITO, you can get affordable mobile load through our promos, and the best thing is you don’t have to worry about reloading every now and then. That’s because we have AutoPay and Advance Pay options that can make it easier for you to replenish your credit.

We also offer a convenient way to get a regular load top-up. All you have to do is use your DITO app and make your purchase by following the instructions on the screen.

Subscribe to DITO today! Contact us for more information about our products and services.