September 17, 2019
Postpaid, Prepaid or Port Out: How to Decide
Updated September 2026: in 2019 I requested a port-out from my postpaid plan because of high bills, and a retention call persuaded me to convert to prepaid instead. I have rewritten it into a guide to choosing between postpaid, prepaid and switching operators, with what to check before you decide.
My original complaint was high postpaid bills. When I generated a porting code to move to another operator, the retention team called within minutes and suggested converting to prepaid on the same network, including my child's number. The offer sounded sensible, and I stayed. The decision I faced is one many households face, so it is worth setting out properly.
Is prepaid actually cheaper than postpaid?
Often, but not always. Prepaid plans with long validity usually cost less per month for similar data and calls. Postpaid plans can come out ahead for families, because a single bill with add-on connections shares data across members, and some include streaming or roaming benefits. Compare your last three months of actual usage against both, not the headline plan price.
What changes when you convert postpaid to prepaid?
- Billing: you pay upfront for a validity period instead of monthly in arrears.
- Outstanding dues: any unpaid postpaid bill must be cleared before conversion.
- Family add-ons: each add-on number usually has to be converted separately into its own prepaid connection.
- Benefits: bundled subscriptions and priority support on postpaid plans typically end.
Conversion is normally done through the operator's app, store or customer care, and you keep your number.
When is switching operator the better move?
When coverage or network quality is the real problem, not price. A cheaper plan on a network that drops calls at home is not a saving. Porting your number to another operator is done by generating a unique porting code by SMS and taking it to the new operator, with your number staying the same. Check the new network at your home and office for a few days, with a borrowed SIM if possible, before porting.
Should you accept a retention offer?
Only if it solves the problem that made you want to leave, and only once you have it in writing. Retention teams can often offer a better plan or a conversion quickly, and that can be a good outcome. Ask for the exact plan name, price and what happens to every number on the account, and wait for the confirmation message before cancelling your port request.
What should you check before deciding?
Your real monthly usage, the number of connections in the family, network quality where you spend your time, and which bundled benefits you actually use. With those four in hand, the choice between staying postpaid, going prepaid or porting out is usually obvious.