The Beginners Guide to Pay-As-You-Go Mobile Broadband

There are new pay-as-you-go mobile broadband deals available on a daily basis, making it very difficult for consumers to compare and choose packages. When you are faced with so many different deals it is difficult to identify exactly what is being offered, let alone understand it. Some people go for the first option for simplicity’s sake, but this is not the best course of action. You must explore and compare pay-as-you-go deals before purchasing one.

What are Pay-as-you-go Mobile Broadband Deals?

There are various types of pay as you go (PAYG) broadband deals which one should be aware of before making any decisions. The majority of these deals are merely an update of an old PAYG package, but they still need to be compared to determine which is ideal for your needs. To identify which is best, it is recommended that you ask yourself a set of questions:

1. What are your needs at the present moment? When you are purchasing a broadband connection you must ensure it is appropriate to your current life situation. If there are specific demands you should identify packages which meet these needs and choose from them.

2. How much are you willing to pay? In order to connect to the internet via a pay-as-you-go broadband connection you will need a dongle. These providers will offer these dongles free of charge when you purchase a bundle or fixed term package; however, the PAYG term will require that you pay for your dongle. The amount you will have to pay depends on the service provider.

3. How much data are you getting? The amount you need to pay for data will differ from provider to provider. As can be assumed, some service providers are more expensive than others; therefore, you must clarify price before purchasing your package.

4. How long is the data valid? A little known fact is that pay-as-you-go data has an expiration date and must be used before that date. If you do not utilise the data within this period you will lose access to the unused allowance. Furthermore, you will not receive a refund for any wasted data. The majority offer 30-day deals, while some others will offer 1-day deals.

How do I Pay for my Data Allowance?

Originally, you could only purchase the data you were using at that point in time. However, the modern pay-as-you-go contract allows you to purchase both data you are using now and data you wish to use in the future. This data can be bought using various methods; unfortunately, this adds to consumer confusion instead of contributing to convenience and simplicity.

Data can be purchased in advance or using a pay per day method. It is important you understand the details of each method so you don't end up paying more than you have to. There are certain factors to consider when purchasing data allowance. You need to consider the logistics of your purchase. As providers no longer offer the old-fashioned vouchers, most people will buy their data via an online payment.

Which is Better: Pay-per-Day or Pay per GB?

By doing some research you will discover several PAYG packages which will allow you to purchase data per day instead of per GB. Although this seems an ideal option, there are some factors to consider before committing to it.

1. Will you be using all the data in a single day? Data has a set validity period and once this expires the data is no longer accessible. If you are going to access all the data within a 24 hour period then this would be a good option. However, if not, this would be a waste of money.

2. Pay-per-day deals are not truly unlimited options. While the pay-per-day deals do not stipulate a data limit, they may not be truly unlimited. The option of downloading as much as you wish must be approached with caution as you should consider the fair usage and traffic management policies. These policies state that PAYG services will be affected the most, making your broadband experience unpleasant.

3. When does the "pay-per-day" day end? Different service providers will have different policies on the length of the "pay-per-day" day. The majority have the day begin upon purchase of the dongle; thus, if you only purchase the dongle the next day you will not be able to use all the data allowance.

When presented with these two data package options, one must consider the practicalities of data usage. It is not a simple procedure to choose which option to purchase. However, if you feel the pay-per-day time limit is not long enough for you, providers have presented consumers with the option to purchase data for up to three months in advance.

What about the One-month Rolling Contract?

While PAYG is a convenient option, many individuals prefer the home broadband connection. However, these individuals may find their needs are not met by a fixed-term contract either. Should you find yourself in this situation, a monthly rolling contract may be a solution. These contracts are ideal for most people as they offer flexibility and choice. Furthermore, if you are not pleased with your current service provider you will be able to change at the end of a month.

Yet, as with all contracts, there are advantages and disadvantages. The two primary pitfalls of the one-month contract are the rates and the dongle. Firstly, this type of contract will not offer the best rates when compared to various other PAYG rates. Secondly, you will be required to pay for this dongle. As you are not in a long-term fixed contract, the provider will not offer the dongle free of charge.

What about Pay-as-you-go and MiFi?

MiFi is an advancement on the Wi-Fi phenomenon. It refers to a mobile wireless broadband connection and is the latest trend within the broadband industry. However, it is not highly compatible with PAYG. This is due to the fact that PAYG requires you to keep track of your data usage - and wireless connections make that difficult to do.

Getting pay as you go mobile broadband was easy for Sam Jones.  He knew how to make the most of comparison sites such as uSwitch to make sure that he got a great deal.