| Choosing a mobile phone used to be an easy feat - | | | | if you exceed this limit in a month. The free minutes |
| you'd have a plain choice between pay-as-you-go or | | | | text packages can vary greatly; one package may |
| monthly contract, and either a standard brick or a | | | | give 1000 free minutes and just 200 free texts, |
| standard brick with a keypad flap. But nothing stays | | | | another package could give 500 texts but only 200 |
| simple for long. | | | | minutes. Your primary use for your phone will help to |
| There are now almost as many different phone tariffs | | | | determine which type of package to go for. |
| as there are handsets, making it a lengthy task | | | | A monthly package is good if you use your phone |
| deciding which tariff to go for. Fortunately, it's quite | | | | quite regularly, and is the best option for gadget lovers |
| easy to understand what the different packages offer. | | | | - the latest handsets with all the fancy features are |
| The first choice is; do you want to pay for a monthly | | | | usually available free or cheap on monthly contract |
| contract, or top up when you need it? Having a PAYG | | | | before coming out on PAYG for a high price. The bad |
| phone gives you more financial freedom, as you can | | | | news is, you'll more than likely be tied to a fixed term |
| put on as much or as little credit as you like; but the | | | | contract - 12 or 18 months - with the provider. But at |
| handsets can be costly and less varied. With some | | | | the end of this term there's usually an option to trade in |
| networks the call and SMS charges are slightly higher | | | | your phone for a newer model. Again, handy if you like |
| too. But if you have poor credit, a pay as you go | | | | having the latest techy toys. |
| phone might be your only option, as phone companies | | | | Then of course there's a third option which is being |
| perform credit checks on those customers applying | | | | seen more often - SIM only. This is good if you're |
| for monthly contracts. | | | | happy with the handset you have, but want a better |
| With a monthly contract, the standard practice is to | | | | deal than the one with your current mobile phone |
| pay a fixed amount per month, plus extra depending | | | | provider. Buying the SIM card alone, and inserting that |
| on the amount of calls, SMS or surf-time you use up. | | | | into your phone, can work out cheaper than a monthly |
| Most contract packages allow you so many texts or | | | | contract. |
| minutes free, and you then pay a per minute/text fee | | | | |