Prepaid vs. Postpaid in Malaysia: Which one is for you?
In the digital age we live in where people are always glued to their phones, you need to choose wisely between prepaid and postpaid. Both plans offer various pros and cons, and each one caters to different needs and preferences.
The question is: Which one should you choose? Thankfully, you won’t have to decide on your own, as we’re here to help you pick the best one for you!
To end up with the best solution for your daily data consumption, we’ve listed down the advantages that one plan has over the other. We’ll ultimately leave the decision to you but we’ll give our two cents about the comparison, so stick by until the end!
Why is prepaid better than postpaid?
Prepaid plans require payment first before users can enjoy using their mobile plans (SMS, mobile data, calls). There are no contracts involved and users are free to purchase mobile plans whenever they want.
Here are some of the main reasons why some may prefer prepaid better than postpaid plans:
It’s cheaper
One of the main reasons why some people prefer prepaid plans over postpaid is because they’re generally cheaper, overall. To put things into perspective, prepaid mobile plans will only range around RM30 for a month, and this can already come with unlimited data, calls and SMS.
On the other hand, postpaid plans will typically charge upwards of RM65, which can even reach up to RM100 depending on the coverage. Not to mention that some postpaid plans will also charge you an upfront fee.
If you don’t consume that much data and don’t need to make several calls and texts, then this plan isn’t necessarily advised for you. Furthermore, you can get the same inclusions for a much cheaper price if you opt for a prepaid plan.
Lastly, it’s worth noting that postpaid plans are subject to a 6% Service Tax while prepaid reloads are exempted.
It doesn’t require a contract
If you’re someone who isn’t big on commitment, then you’d be better off with prepaid plans. This way, you won’t be bound to a contract period that usually lasts around one to two years, leaving you in control of when to reload again.
With how many bills you got going on every month, you wouldn’t want to add another expense that you need to worry about, right?
Lastly, this also gives you the choice to stop using your prepaid mobile number at any given time. This is because, in postpaid plans, you can just easily switch numbers, as you have to finish the duration stated on the contract.
It gives you control over your mobile plans
The thing about postpaid plans is that it’s based on a contract. In this agreement, you’re set to pay a specific amount of money every month and receive a set of inclusions that you can use every day.
But what if you want to switch it up a little and you find that the inclusions you have every month are a bit of an overkill? You can’t just change your plan and the amount of money that you’ll pay monthly because you have to finish the contract.
With prepaid plans, you’ll get full control of what you want to reload 24/7. This way, you won’t have to live with a plan that you don’t necessarily get the most use out of.
For instance, if you just want internet connectivity without having to pay for unlimited calls, then you can find a prepaid mobile plan that only offers 8GB of data.
It doesn’t charge late fees
One thing about being committed to a postpaid plan is that you have to consistently make payments on time throughout the whole contract. This may not seem like a huge deal at first, but some providers charge late fees when you miss the due date.
These fees are usually charged via interest rates. Let’s take one of the biggest postpaid providers in Malaysia, Celcom, for example.
Celcom will charge an additional 1.5% interest rate on top of your monthly dues when you miss the due date.
With prepaid plans, you can pay whenever you like and the only catch is that you have to pay upfront, which isn’t that bad. This makes owning a mobile phone less stressful because you won’t have to worry about an upcoming due date every month for one to two years.
It makes it easier to switch to another telco
Switching to another telephone company is something that happens more often than you think in Malaysia. However, this can be unnecessarily difficult if you’re currently under a postpaid contract because you’d have to head to the nearest customer service first.
With prepaid plans, you don’t have to leave your house just to switch to another telco. In fact, you can easily go through the entire process online!
It doesn’t feature surprise charges
Sometimes, postpaid users will be shocked to find that their monthly bill is charging more than what their original plan costs. This occurrence is what we call “bill shock”, and unfortunately it happens to several postpaid users.
This occurrence can be caused by a variety of things. However, one of the most common reasons for this is over-consuming the allotted data limit of the plan.
Why is postpaid better than prepaid?
Postpaid plans are contract-based and they require their users to pay a fixed amount per month for one to two years. They offer a variety of inclusions within the plan including SMS, internet and calls.
Here are the main reasons why some people may think postpaid is better than prepaid:
It offers great bundles
Arguably the best thing about postpaid plans is the different bundles that they offer for their clients. For instance, one of the most famous bundles postpaid companies offer is family lines wherein your plan can cover your family members as well.
If you think about it, having this type of line will help you manage your expenses better because you only have to worry about a single due date. This can even be a better option than having each of your family members subscribe to different prepaid plans.
It provides consistent services
Another great thing about postpaid services is that the inclusions in their plans will always be accessible. They will never cut off your mobile plans even when you exceed the inclusions, which of course, charge extra.
But still, this is a great feat, especially for corporates who can’t afford to lose their SMS, calls and internet capabilities in the middle of the day. This brings us to our next point.
It doesn’t require you to reload
Running out of your mobile load in the middle of the day is one of the most frustrating things you can experience. Sometimes, you’d have to head outside of your house or office, while other times you need to access a mobile app to reload.
With postpaid plans, you won’t have to do anything, as your plan will continue to provide you with their services 24/7.
It can come with smartphones
Remember when we said that the best thing about postpaid plans is their bundles? Well, a huge part of why we say this is because they can sometimes come bundled with a brand-new smartphone.
The great thing about this is that you won’t have to pay for the entire price of the smartphone itself. Instead, they’ll charge it like an instalment plan on top of your monthly postpaid dues.
As much as we love these kinds of bundles, we still recommend doing your research online to find the best price for you out there. Furthermore, you’d want to make sure that you can afford the monthly dues that the bundle will come up with when you eventually decide to subscribe.
Our Final Verdict
The choice between prepaid and postpaid all boils down to personal preference. If you prefer to have more control over your internet, calls and sms, and you don’t want to be obligated in a contract, then prepaid is for you.
Meanwhile, if you want and need to be connected via sms, calls and the internet 24/7, you may prefer getting a postpaid plan.