For the past decade, I’ve always been on prepaid mobile subscription and the first time I switched to postpaid was when I bought the iPhone 3G last year.
Having had some billing issues on my postpaid account lately made me think if I should go back to prepaid again (besides, I’m no heavy texter or caller). Obviously, there are some advantages and disadvantages between the two.
This brings us to our poll of the week — are you on prepaid or postpaid? Why?
Please do send your answers to our Poll section on the right side and/or add a comment below.
i go wed d prepaid, mas madami promos LOL, n besides i can buy a load wed my 10 pesos, much cheaper dan postpaid..
Prepaid.
Nag ask na ako sa globe kung pwede i port ang number sabi hindi daw
bad trip heavy user pa naman ako. I spend around 4 to 6k per month sa load.
Nakaka bad trip hindi pwedeng i port ang number. Sayang din ang mga libreng phones na natatanggap ko sana. tsk tsk.
Hello! I hope the author of this blog read this.
Im a techie and gadget freak. Im always updated when it comes to gadgets and even their service providers. Im using all telecom providers Globe, Smart and Sun.
GLOBE, SMART and SUN are the country’s current telecom providers. They compete for the service but what they offer is different from each other.
GLOBE:
Globe is known for being “the leader in postpaid” and honestly they offer the best postpaid service. International Roaming is Globe’s best service so far. Globe is now concentrating more on their prepaid market by offering “unlimited service”. What is interesting is that they offer the same “unlimited service” to their postpaid subscibers. So, if you are worried about your bill, switch to Globe postpaid. For me its “tipid sulit”. I am a Globe postpaid subscriber by the way.
SMART:
Smart is known for having the prepaid service among the 3 players. Its true indeed. Another thing that Smart is proud of is their “Nationwidest Coverage” which is also true. Even in far flung areas Smart has a signal. Smart also has the best 3G coverage too.
Smart has the most number of subscribers but its odd because out of my 500 contacts, I only have 20 smart contacts.
Smart, however has a poor postpaid service. I used to be a Smart Gold user before and I find their customer service and service offers terrible. They don’t offer “unlimited” services on postpaid not like their prepaid service. Smart instead introduce low cost calls and text thru their Smart Gold Lite postpaid service. The Gold Lite offers on 2 pesos per minute of calls Smart to Smart.
If you want a “tipid sulit” service with a Nationwidest coverage, Smart Buddy prepaid service is the best for you. But please count your contacts who are Smart users first before you use Smart.
SUN CELLULAR:
For me Sun has the best of both worlds. They have the best prepaid and postpaid offers. Sun also has the cheapest regular postpaid plan on 350 per month and you can get a free phone when you apply.
Sun is truly the “HARI NG UNLIMITED” and truly the most “tipid sulit” among the 3 players. But between postpaid and prepaid service, I think Sun postpaid is more “tipid sulit” for me. I am a Sun postpaid user and my bill only reaches 500 a month maximum because I use my sun for sun to sun calls and texts only.
Many complained about Sun’s poor service and lack of coverage areas. I experiences Sun’s poorest service during the year 2007. Its Sun’s worst year for me. Its hard to call and text even to my fellow sun contacts. I almost gave up my postpaid line before but I had faith that someday Sun will improve their system and they did.
Sun now has better coverage and improved service. It may not as 100% best like Globe or Smart but I think they are getting there na. Most of my contacts now have Sun aside from their main line Globe and good thing is I can manage my telephone expenses more because of sun.
FINAL WORDS:
I think prepaid vs postpaid is not an issue here. Its the telecom service you use. If you are a wise user you won’t have explosive bills.
Personally, I recommend that you get a Globe postpaid service as main line and Sun postpaid service as a secondary or back up line.
That still depends on your contacts if they are using Globe more or Smart.
Why do we have to argue about the right or wrong way to speak english ba? Atleast nga kahit unti may tamang english eh. Why bother reading other people’s comments if it’s “NAUSEATING” for you? The poll is not about him, so why the hell do you pay attention to his comments. It’s a free country, so let people speak. At least THOSE people who can’t speak fluently tries to speak fluently. Not like THOSE other people who can’t do anything with their lives but discriminate other people’s interpretation of the English Language. So don’t bother reading others comments if you “CAN’T STAND IT”.
PS: Who’s that other zj who sounds like he/she is pretending to be bisaya. That’s not nice, not nice at all.
@ZJ Morales
Sayang naman bugso ng damdamin mo. Relax ka lang. People, including you, have been taken for a ride. If you were smart enough, you would have realized this after reading most of that guy’s posts.
Sir Abe:
Please indulge us once again, for going off-topic. Think we should clear some smoke here.
@ZJMorales:
Thanks for taking the cudgels for us, the Bisaya in this site. I know Edgar share your thoughts/indignation for that zj. Guess we can’t really help it if some people are insensitive, or callous at worst.
Twitter: eguar51
says:
@jill:
Precisely. Some people could be obnoxious without really trying. Nothing much we can do. BREEDING or plain GENES? Arghh!
Im on prepaid now with Globe after Globe Postpaid billed me 150,000pesos for internet usage. Time browsing is not applicable in my Plan thats why my bill reach like that. Globe CSR didn’t warn even you reach your limit already. In Globe Prepaid even if i lost my Phone they can replace my SIM Card with the same number. Just submit Affidavit of Lost and a Valid ID.
It will depend on your service provider and their promotion. I am using prepaid for almost 6 years here in Qatar but now I changed it to postpaid because of their promotion for low international calls.
i agree with mark. postpaid service with Smart is not that good. imagine a month after my contract started i already have billing issues! kakaumpisa ko pa lng panget agad service. and also their CSR’s- should undergo another training. lousy and pathetic. wla man pkialam or should at least take responsibility on handling your issues with the company. hindi yung “e ganun po kasi tlaga un…” comment without fully explaining what to do.
lastly– magulo ang billing ng Smart, i wonder how do they come up with the charges. parang minsan my mga hidden charges sa computation.. wla.. ill keep my globe postpaid service and after my contract with smart expires ill shift to suncel na. i like both sun and globe =)
so guys better choose globe or sun– both have good service and value for you money..
Kaya nga hindi ko nalang niread yung comments niya eh. I just gave it a LAUGH. Pero na offend lang ako nung pinagtulungan na siya. Tinawanan na nga lang namin English niya eh. Wag niyo na lang pansinin.
I used to be a Globe postpaid user from 1998 to just last January. Noticed some billing discrepancies…got tired of complaining so I switched. I now have Sun postpaid which at first I thought I’d just try..since its cheaper also for the kids…but so far it’s good. Tried it in Bacolod ok din naman. Di ko lang alam kung sa bundok meron. Sa bagay, Globe nga Village East lang in antipolo wala ng signal eh. Sun & Smart only.
Thinking of trying Smart too.
pepaid
hooray for prepaid!
Post paid pros: 1. No scrambling for load during emergencies. That’s when one always runs out. 2. Calls per minute are cheaper on post paid. 3. No disappearing load dilemna. 4. If you lose your phone you get to keep the same number. 5. No worries about load expiring.
I have had my Globe postpaid since 1997. Started with plan 100 and now at Plan 800 + Duo. I keep a Smart prepaid so my husband can call me or if i go to a place where globe has lousy signal.
Tip for pre paid: Buy a bunch of load cards not just one. I always carry at least 2 load spares. 100 w/c now lasts 30 days is best value for money. Load every 30 days and you get 90 days instead of 75 with 300 load card.
Twitter: bobbyjonc
says:
I’m planning to get Globe’s My SuperPlan where I can choose my preferred unlimited service every month. This is cheaper than a prepaid line if you’ll subscribe to an unlimited service for a complete month. SP’s SuperUnli would cost you P599/1 month, versus prepaid’s SuperUnli for P150/5 days.
Maganda sana magpostpaid kasi may mga times talaga na kailangan mong may makausap sa cellphone tapos biglang mapuputol yung call or kung nsa bus ka galing probinsya at papunta ka ng maynila pero hindi makapagtawag kasi nasa biyahe at walang mabilhan ng load.
Problema nga lang sa postpaid, walang network ngayon na sulit ang offer.. I mean ang mamahal ng starting amount na babayarin. May P350 sana yung Globe kaso globe to globe text lang yon. Di makatawag. patong pa sa bill.
I am currently a SMART Gold Lite subscriber and a Globe prepaid subscriber and REALLY REALLY would want to switch to Globe Postpaid pero I want to keep my number! I have had my number for almost 7 years already.
Mahirap mag-change ng cellphone number. Kung i-aallow sana ng networks na magshift from prepaid to postpaid and vice-versa, magshishift ako to postpaid…DEFINITELY, kahit may bayad pa yan na 1000 na conversion fee or whatnot.
I am keeping my Smart Gold Lite for emergency situations but I find it a waste kasi wala akong kakilalang naka-SMART or kung meron man, ang mahal ng rates pagtawag sa other networks—7.64 per minute (dahil hindi inabsorb ng Smart ang 12% VAT..peste).
I think another PRO in using a prepaid service of any carrier is that pwede mo syang gamiting alibi.
Friend: Ba’t di mo ko tinext kagabi?
Me: Wala na ‘kong load eh. (kahit meron)
and you simply cannot do that on a regular postpaid subscription, else YARI KA! LOL.
Also, sa prepaid, you can buy a 300 peso call card for just 285 (285 I think is the lowest that I’ve seen so far). Oh diba sulit XD
But kidding aside, kaya ako nag-post dito kasi I’m planning on getting a postpaid subscription (from Globe. May Fully Loaded plan kasi for 299). Just checking if it’s worth it and if it’ll really be of use sa katulad kong hindi naman heavy user.
Hmmm…
Postpaid. Kasi di ka maiipit sa situation na bigla kang mauubusan ng load dahil na-consume mo na or dahil biglang kinain ng network. May times kasi na kailangang kailangan mo makatawag or makapagtext man lang pero di mo magawa dahil, out of prepaid credits ka na at wala ka pang mapaloadan. And imagine, may per day unlimited nga, pero if you arre to compute it to 30 days kung gusto mong unli ka araw araw, eh lagpas pa sa maaari mong baaran sa postpaid. Wala kang free phone after getting their service for 2 years or more, sa postpaid mayroon. Both prepaid and postpaid subscription ay pweedeng mag avail ng number portability. Pag nawala, pasa lang ng affidavit of loss na notarized at proof of identity at proof of number ownership, then pay for the amount na need para sa SIM replacement.
Kung tatanungin naman ako kung Globe or Smart, I’d go for Globe, mapa prepaid man o postpaid. Before naka-prepaid ako, SmartBuddy, always nawawala load (tiniis ko yung ng 5 years), tapos tried Globe Prepaid, okay naman, di nakakainan ng load, kaso masyadong magastos. Observe ako and nag-tala ng mga prepaid cost, mahal masyado inaabot kahit may unli, hay.. Haha.. Kaya switch ako sa postpaid ng Globe. Plan 999, Fully Loaded Plan, consumable, di man ako unli(kasi on-top of the bill at isa lang option na monthly sub), and freebies ko naman patok.. Ahaha.. Imagine, bigat ko mag text pero di ko nauubos yung 600 free text sa combination of 3A’s.. May 30 Min free call pa ako.. Plus yung 999 na pwede mong gamitin sa tawag, text, internet, at kung anu-ano pa. Di lang ako gumagamit ng share-a-load, kasi on top din yun. Pero who needs SAL? mas okay kung magpaload ka nalang kung willing ka. Mababa ang mobile rates sa Globe compare sa Smart. Nasubukan na namin Smart, malulula ka. Sa Globe kahit kaunting disiplina lang check na.
Post paid – cheaper if you’re a heavy user plus there’s always load.