Pay As You Go Phones

Pay As You Go Mobile Phones- as flexible and easy to use as you wish.

Pay as you go mobile phones are very popular in the UK and in most other European countries as they provide a very flexible mode of usage. Unlike contract phones where one has to enter into a contact with the service provider for a fixed period of time, there are absolutely no such obligations with pay as you go mobile phones.

Pay as you go mobile phone (also commonly referred to as pre-paid mobile phone) is a mobile phone for which the user pays the charges for the services in advance of use. One has to purchase credits to use a mobile phone to access the phone network without the generation of any ongoing bill. Users can keep using the mobile phone network as long as they don't run out of credit, upon which he/she has to purchase more credits. This is in contrast to the other popular alternative called the contract mobile phone where the users are charged at fixed intervals to pay for the services, the amount depending upon usage.

The concept of pay as you go was first developed and initiated by Eircell(by Telecom Eireann, now owned by Vodafone) in Ireland in 1997. Despite high call rates and a constant service charge on every operation, the system heralded success. This system was soon replicated in many other countries and now every network in every country of Europe has it's own pay as you go version.

In some aspects pay as you go mobile phones prove to be a better option that contract mobile phones. With pay as you go phones one is less prone to indebtedness that might result when using contract phones. It is a very good option for people who are unable to take up a contract due to the unavailability of a fixed address or a credit card. Moreover one can easily monitor and regulate one's spendings for using a mobile and making calls. There are also no obligations on the part of the user as one is free to use the services of a particular service provider as long as one' wish. There are no penalties on early termination, unlike contract deals.

Although it is a very flexible option it is not without disadvantages. Often the rates or tariffs for the calls or text messages are higher than those available in contract phones, so that Pay as you go users end up paying more. Also there are extra charges to avail the roaming facility in their phones. In most cases user are unable to make international calls. It also involves buying credits regularly to maintain enough balance and one has the added risk of running out of balance at an odd time and place which might be very frustrating.

In UK, presently there are numerous service providers with pay as you go mobile phone offers. Virgin, Orange, O2, Vodafone, Three and T-Mobile are some of the leading ones. Users can select any handset from the different manufacturers like Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson etc.with a pay as you go mobile phone offer. Depending on the specific requirements, budget and choice of style, a user can select any handset. This system is really great for those who don't require a mobile phone for a very long time or don't have such plans. For example a tourist visiting a country can use the phone for as long as his stay. This scheme is also very ideal for students and housewives. We may sum it up as one of the best mobile phone deals.