Prepaid Plan vs Postpaid Plan: Which Cellphone Plan Do We Get For Kids?

With cellphones becoming a necessity, we need to choose for our kids: Do we get our kids a postpaid plan or a prepaid plan?

When cell phones first came out, we all sighed in relief. Not only was it easier to contact colleagues and business partners, but our kids too! If the school suddenly had to suspend classes or if our kids got sick, then all they had to do was whip out a cell phone and call. Telecom companies like Smart, Globe, and even Sun Cell then began offering numbers through SIM cards, which would dictate how accessible the networks were. We’re now familiar with the accessibility through two kinds of plans: a prepaid plan or a postpaid plan.

As we gift our kids their very first cellphone or smartphone, how do we know if prepaid or postpaid plan works best for them? Here’s a guide that can help you decide!

Do the kids text a lot?

With most phones capable of connecting to Wi-Fi, SMS or text messaging has become rather obsolete. However, we still think that text messaging still has its merits, especially when the internet is slow or spotty in certain areas.

But it all boils down to whether or not the kids text their friends a lot. If they text or call a lot to the point they burn through PHP1000.00 worth of load a month, it might be time to get them a postpaid plan or put a limit on their phone use.

Is the internet easy to get in the area?

While the internet is a necessity, it doesn’t make sense to have mobile data if the place we live in is connected everywhere. This is probably true for highly urbanized cities like Makati which had ordinances that focus on making sure almost every structure was updated in the latest internet technology.

So, if the net is spotty, a postpaid plan might be more practical. Most postpaid plans come with an internet plan, which is pretty useful for kids should their primary internet source get cut. All they have to do is turn their phone into a mobile hotspot, put in a complicated alphanumeric password with special characters (so that no one hacks it), and they’re good to go!

Are they getting addicted to their phones?

Do your kids use their phones when they go out? Is the gamer-level desktop or laptop they begged us to buy them collecting dust? If yes to both, then maybe it’s time to rethink what kind of plan their phones are on. Postpaid plans usually have big mobile data packages since streaming sites like YouTube and activities such as watching Facebook and Instagram reels consume a lot of data. So, if we want to wean them off, either get the cheapest postpaid plan or put the kids back on Prepaid.

Are they due for a better phone?

Smartphones nowadays age quickly, so most postpaid plans offer free phones to sweeten the deal. Although it means that the phone is “locked” to the network we’re availing the plan from, what matters is the phone can contact almost anyone the user chooses to. Because also of the SIM Card law, it’s already registered to their name and even if they renew their plan or sim card, they still retain the same number.

Making sure that smartphone use is more kid-friendly

With smartphones becoming more common and their users getting younger by the day, telecom companies have been trying to develop ways to keep the use safe and kid-friendly. Some have developed a platform like Smart, who recently came up with the Junior Plan. It serves as an extension to an existing line while offering the Child Protection Platform, installing safety measures to prevent our kids from stumbling into illegal sites.

So before we avail a plan for our kids, always choose the one that best suits their needs. Or at least, it doesn’t have many connectivity issues and has a lot of stores near our homes.

More about technology and kids?

10 Commandments for Every Kid and Teen Netizen
Types of Netizens That Kids or Teens Meet On Social Media
Desktop vs Laptop: Which should we get our kids?