Choosing the right network provider as well as the appropriate data plan are equally important tasks when considering buying a new mobile phone. Buying the latest and best phone would have no value if a person chooses the wrong plan. Network providers have introduced many different plans and now there are so many to choose from where do you begin? The customer should carefully consider their needs before looking to see what is available.

Basically there are 3 types of plans available to the customer;

• The first option is the single line plan. These plans are suitable for people who want to activate services only for a single handset. These plans are usually the cheapest as there is only one user.
• The second option is the family plan. These plans are perfect for a family with personal mobile phones for each member or it can be used for a bunch of devices owned by a single member that are clubbed into one bill. These are more expensive than the single line plans but are cheaper than taking several single line plans. All the devices on the plan share the total data, texts and minutes available. Family plans have a higher number of texts, minutes and data available as compared to the single line plans.
• The last option is the prepaid plan. With prepaid plans no contract is entered into and the customer pays in advance for the services he wants to use.

Another important reason to choose the right tariff plan is the contractual agreement between the network provider and customer. Usually in a contracted plan, a contact is entered into for one or two years.

Contracts are Binding
During this period, a customer cannot terminate the contract even if he is not satisfied with the services. As a result, he may suffer inconvenience and financial loss for a long period of time. Handset prices are often discounted with a contract as the company recoups some of its money over the duration of the contract period. However, if the contract was to end early the customer would be liable to pay all the line rental of the existing months of the contract.

While choosing a tariff plan various factors need to be considered. The most important things to think of when selecting a plan are the number of devices to be included in a plan and maximum usage expected. The usage may vary from device to device or person to person. Some people may want plans with unlimited calling while some people who own a smartphone would prefer a plan with unlimited data.

The plan should be selected after evaluating the usage requirements. Unlimited calls and data plans are usually more expensive than other plans. An important point to be considered is that when the allotted usage is used in a plan, any further usage will be charged separately. The rate at which further usage is charged is significantly higher than the normal rates. So it is worthwhile taking time to select the right plan.

The Right Plan Will Cut Your Bills
Now, it is clear that choosing the right plan helps us in saving a lot of money and inconvenience. It also maintains peace of mind. Many people are shocked with loads of extra charges on their bill at the end of the month which they ultimately have to pay to the network providers. A little bit of forethought while choosing the right plan will help you, the customer, in avoiding all these hassles later on.

Phil Turner has been looking at phone contracts recently and was surprised to find how reasonable some of them appear to be.