Telecoms

Smart Freedom Plan: The Zero-Balance Postpaid Plan

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief July 27, 2012 · 2 min read

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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).

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Abe Olandres

Editor-in-chief

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and is considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines.

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104 Comments

Kelvin · 12 years ago

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.

John · 13 years ago

Kailangan po ba na fully paid yung cellphone or monthly babayaran yung sa freedom plan?

JayLord · 13 years ago

In freedom plan, do you need to pay the phone fully? Or is it monthly?

JKisaragi · 13 years ago

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! :)

JKisaragi · 13 years ago

*5C and 5S

gwyneth bel · 13 years ago

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.

warfrik77 · 13 years ago

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

Sheila Pino · 13 years ago

Hi Abe,
what are the requirements needed kaya to avail the Freedom plan?

Thanks for the complete list of handsets =)

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief · 13 years ago

Proof of billing, ID and credit card should suffice.

ANNLM · 13 years ago

I still have an existing plan with smart can I convert it to freedom plan?

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief · 13 years ago

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.

Delbert Ednave · 13 years ago

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?

Blue · 14 years ago

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.

Lance · 14 years ago

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!

Blue · 14 years ago

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.

Alexander Duca · 14 years ago

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.

anonymous · 14 years ago

If may unpaid balance ka sa SUN will this affect your application sa SMART? diba sister companies sila?

Bob · 14 years ago

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.

Rex · 14 years ago

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.

Rex · 14 years ago

Not working. Invalid keyword when trying to load thru 9990.

mrt · 14 years ago

hope globe comes up w/ something similar or better …

CarlosJhunie · 14 years ago

The good thing here is that, you don’t have MSF which you need to pay even if you didn’t maximize it for the billing period. You only pay what you use.

Jerwin Paglicawan · 14 years ago

ito ba yung Smart Plan Zero long time ago by SMART?? I remember my brother-in-law using a JRC (analog) mobile phone under plan zero. No usage, no bill for the month…i mean, may bill yes, pero walang babayaran.

leny · 14 years ago

hi …. i’ve a one question above regarding sa di pag gamit ng freedom sim…. actually ma re – redirect ang sim pag di siya na gamit for 2 months like prepaid.

and there’s no free text on your first month you’re entitled for the 40 minutes free call to all network including land lines.

Ryan · 14 years ago

This is great! :-) makapag smart na

Grace · 14 years ago

Would like to give this a try for my parents. They’re currently using prepaid (one on Globe, other on Smart) and are not heavy users.

Para sa kanila, hassle magreload para lang makagamit. Tapos kung nagreload naman ng malaki para 75 days validity, usually nag-e-expire lang kasi nakakalimutan nila mag-topup ulit. Maraming nasasayang.

roiji · 14 years ago

Also, kapag hindi ka nagconsume ng at least piso in 60 days macucut yung line mo…

roiji · 14 years ago

I’d like to add that for applying directly to Smart Wireless Centers, you still have to bring 2 months previous billing statement from Globe or Sun only.
But if you apply on kiosks or promo stands only 1 valid ID is needed.

I went directly to Smart Wireless Center and I was barred from application because I did not bring my billing statement.

tmi · 14 years ago

I applied in a smart wireless center, they did not require billing statements, only a valid id.

jay · 14 years ago

so what if di ko sya gagamitin for a time like a pre paid plan, mageexpire ba yung sim? or kelangan may service “buckets” every month?

Lloyd Dee · 14 years ago

nice alternative, ok xa for globe subscribers na kailan ng smart line pa minsan minsan :)sana pwedi mag cash out ng phone unit…

chinitoguy · 14 years ago

I still prefer GLOBE.

Jonjon · 14 years ago

May free text din kaya ito tulad ng nakukuha mula sa mga prepaid cards(i.e., 500 peso prepaid card gives you 83 free text) ?

Tim · 14 years ago

there’s no free text like what they offer in prepaid cards, check their site http://www1.smart.com.ph/postpaid/plans/freedom-plans for the full details

Eizan · 14 years ago

Nice! This is really great! You only pay for what you consume. I think this is a good plan because you never have to worry about not getting enough credits when you need to text or call someone.

Crickette · 14 years ago

Yup! I think that this is one of the best things about this plan. You can be tipid or pwede ka di mag-buckets or avail ng registration and services but with the assurance that you will never run out of “load” in case there’s an emergency and you need to call or sms someone.

Good second plan as well esp dun sa mga irita na sa serbisyo ng Globe and who are contemplating on getting a Smart acct. Hehehe! Been a Smart user for more than 5 years now and data is really gud.

Eizan · 14 years ago

@Crickette: Exactly! I’m also after the non-expiry period of the SIM card (unless you don’t consume any load at all for 2 months). I’m really not a heavy texter. Sayang din kasi minsan na maglo-load ako para lang di mag-expire ang SIM ko. It’s really like a hybrid of postpaid-slash-prepaid. Will be inquiring about the Freedom Plan at my nearest Smart Center tomorrow. Sana available na siya!

kaye · 14 years ago

how to apply for the said plan? can you tell me how please..tnx

Jeff · 14 years ago

Please read the article first before asking questions

alloneaian · 14 years ago

bakit ang daming ganito?

kaye · 14 years ago

how to apply for the said plan?

Mac Pablo · 14 years ago

Can we get this then get a Blackberry plan with it?

Tim · 14 years ago

you can get BB services too, just check http://www1.smart.com.ph/postpaid/plans/freedom-plans for the offerings

dave · 14 years ago

hey tim,
why doesnt the new bb pricing for unlimited internet apply for the freedom plan? the 599/ month is still 1200php/month for BB

Tim · 14 years ago

good question, but sorry i don’t know the answer… =)

btw, when i looked at the yugatech post about the BBM services, i realized that they’re offering 1 month unli surfing with the BB UNLI DATA plan priced at 599, that’s waaay cheaper than the usual 1 month unlimited internet that we get from anywhere (assuming that they also provide speeds of up to 7.2 mbps in this plan). I’m currently paying 1k for their unlimited surfing in the freedom plan and i get speeds up to 4.6 mbps, if indeed they’re offering a 599 unlimited surfing, that would be unfair to their other clients that are not BB users, hmm.. i think i need to clear this up with a smart rep soon…

sir abe, can you shed some light into this? hehe..

Prinz · 14 years ago

The reason why the BB plan is cheaper because the internet is subsidized by RIM. It’s not unfair to non BB subscribers like me because the unlimited internet on BB is slower than a turtle.

JKisaragi · 14 years ago

I’ve read from somewhere (I think the BB thread in TipidCP) that tethering is not allowed with Smart’s BB Plan 599.

Although I am still wondering as to why surfing is cheaper on a BlackBerry. Prolly have something to do with how it handles data? Hmm…

momoy · 14 years ago

I’m on Globe’s Load Tipid Plan ang my credit limit is 2K. And I can retain my prepaid number.

JKisaragi · 14 years ago

You can retain your prepaid number because essentially, Load Tipid Plan is just a loading service for Prepaid subs where they are sent a fixed amount of load (depends on the plan) on a set date, monthly.

With Freedom Plan, it’s Postpaid because you can use it without load (it starts from zero) and you only pay what you use. I also read a comment from another blog (from a SMART personnel) that your CL will increase if you provide them with financial docs. :)

Although I have to admit, since Load Tipid Plan is still essentially Prepaid, once you’re out of load, you can just reload at your suking tiangge or reloading station.

With this kasi, if you’ve reached your CL, my only guess is that they’ll temporarily DC your service until you’ve paid what you owe them. Unless of course, if you made use of their “bucket services”. I think 2k texts to all networks for one month would be quite difficult to deplete (for regular users that is).

(Sorry sa tl;dr post. I’m on the fence kasi on getting one and I’m really trying to weigh the pros and cons).

Tim · 14 years ago

I have been a subscriber of this plan for about 3 months now and i think its good that they offer this kind of flexibility to their users. Just a note though, i think they adjust the credit limit accordingly to the type of “service” you enroll to, if for example you enroll to the 1 month unlimited internet service which would amount to 1k, your credit limit would be 1.2k