Earlier today, Smart introduced their new hybrid postpaid plan called the Freedom Plan. The idea combines the status of a postpaid subscriber but the non-commitment of a prepaid user.
Meaning, you only pay at the end of the month like any other postpaid subscriber but the amount is based on what you actually consumed (this type of plan used to be available to Smart employees, referred to as Plan Zero).
Smart is also making the application process easier compared to the regular postpaid plan. This means no more proof of billing, just a regular valid ID.
The Freedom Plan has a credit limit of only Php600 a month and you can subscribe to any of the following bucket services:
The Smart Postpaid Freedom Plan enables users to purchase service “buckets” such as Trio Talk 150 which offers 150 minutes of calls to Smart, Sun, and Talk N Text subscribers good for 15 days for only P150, and All Text 200 which includes 2000 texts to all networks and 150MB of mobile surfing good for 30 days for only P200.
Oh, and you get to switch the bucket services every so often (since you just text in your service subscription just like in prepaid).
The Freedom Plan is Smart’s strategy to convert prepaid subscribers to postpaid subs and, in the process, gather some sort of credit history (payment behavior) of the subs that might eventually upgrade to the regular postpaid plans.
Some caveats though — you cannot bring your prepaid number when you shift to the Freedom Plan (new SIM and number) and you cannot also downgrade your regular postpaid plan to the Freedom Plan (requires a new subscription).
Good morning.
There’s really a MAJOR flaw dito sa freedom. Let’s say your monthly cut off date is every 15th of the month and you subscribed to a 30-month promo what happens is, you’ll only be enjoying the first half of the promo but once cut offs started, you’ll be charged according to your usage. Syempre, di ka papayag, well, the procedure would be to contest your bill every month. Maganda sana, but may problema talaga ang freedom.
Freedom user po ako that’s the problem I’m having.
Kailangan po ba na fully paid yung cellphone or monthly babayaran yung sa freedom plan?
In freedom plan, do you need to pay the phone fully? Or is it monthly?
AFAIK, SMART’s Freedom Plan is SIM-only. They’re not usually bundled with phones.
Although SMART is offering the new iPhones (5C and 5C) under this plan, I believe you’ll have to pay for the phone in full, and prices are the same as getting it under Prepaid.
Ask SMART if you can avail of the phones via CC installment. Prices start at 29,500 for the 16GB 5C, and it all goes north from there.
Good luck! :)
*5C and 5S
My cousin gave me a Smart postpaid Freedom Plan sim , pero dko alam pano i- register para magamit na. please teach me how to do it !! thanks in adv.
hello po. how long does this plan last? i mean ung contract period nya. if ever i won’t use my number after i get my desired handset/phone, would i be charged of a certain amount? i’m a student and would a valid school id suffice for the application of this plan? tnx po
Hi Abe,
what are the requirements needed kaya to avail the Freedom plan?
Thanks for the complete list of handsets =)
Proof of billing, ID and credit card should suffice.
I still have an existing plan with smart can I convert it to freedom plan?
Nope, you can’t. Freedom Plan isn’t really part of the Postpaid plans. It’s a separate category so you need to get a new one.
I look the Smart Freedom Plans, but something tricky on my mind.
It is a Freedom Plans right, why do you have to choose your own bundle? For example like the above comment about his Trinet400, what if, if you consumed that in one week, what will happen?
I applied for a Freedom Plan in August (one of the firsts, I think, after their formal launch), and what can I say? Di pa ako nawalan ng signal ever. Hehe.
I barely use my Globe number now kasi I got the Trinet400 (unli calls to Sun, Smart, TNT + 2000 texts to all net + 150MB data) bucket. Para lang din akong nakaprepaid in terms of expenses (less than 500), may data pa.
Can i use this as a data sim on iPad? I’m currently using Smart Bro microsim. Ok naman, pero minsan hassle magload. I want to avail the freedom plan for more convenience.
Followup question:
If i use this as iPad data Sim, can i manage the account on the web (http://my.smart.com.ph)?
Thanks!
I think pwede. When I applied, tinanong ako kung regular SIM or micro-SIM ang kailangan ko. Data-wise, pwede talaga kasi you can choose the buckets na data lang.
Yup, account can be managed at my.smart.com.ph. Classified siya as under Smart Gold.
Admittedly, nakakatemp ang offer na ito. So far this is the SMART’s most innovative and most practical offer.
This is not the same as Globe Tipid Plan because what you have here is not the same as reular load value but they have this so-called “buckets” na naka-package na. Unlike sa Globe Tipid Plans, parang nilo-loadan ka lang ng regular load and you still have to compete with other users to register for a certain service.
I’m a Globe/TM user right now and I’m using SUN to get in touch with a few people on my phonebook who are using Smart. That’s my problem, I would love to avail of the Freedom Plan but I only have like 20% of my contacts under Smart.
If may unpaid balance ka sa SUN will this affect your application sa SMART? diba sister companies sila?
I got mine yesterday and I was able to use the sim after an hour.
A Smart representative (different from @SmartCARES) even tweeted me and offered assistance if I have further inquiries.
What I like more about it is that the prefix of my number is 0908. Yeah, it matters to me.
So far the signal is good, the indicator is either 4/5 or 5/5; unlike with Globe, from 3/5 to No Service.
Last March pa ito, if I remember right, pero tinanggal nila sa website at ads nila at ngayon lang nakabalik. Last April pa ako naka-freedom plan. Kaso ngayon, whhen I’m trying to ‘reload’ ay hindi na working yung sim services menu for freedom plan. At tapos none of the new keywords work, even ‘keywords’ and ‘status’ when sent to 9990 yields an invalid.