Anually billed phone carrier subscriptions

[kasdashd]

What are ya’lls thoughts on anually billed phone carrier subscriptions, just like it’s already the case with many streaming services, where you pay for a whole year in advance, but then get a 10-15% discount in return, for binding yourself to a specific carrier and subscription for that long?

[Fasauceome]

1 minute ago, kasdashd said:

for binding yourself to a specific carrier and subscription for that long?

Phone carrier is something that not a lot of people want to have to think about, myself included. I pay my mint subscription once a year, get something like a month or so for free, and don't worry about it until the next year. I have had mint for multiple years now so it works out pretty well.

[kirashi]

1 hour ago, kasdashd said:

What are ya’lls thoughts on anually billed phone carrier subscriptions, just like it’s already the case with many streaming services, where you pay for a whole year in advance, but then get a 10-15% discount in return, for binding yourself to a specific carrier and subscription for that long?

Given that most people who need a cell phone / data plan / etc. usually need it for years if not their whole lives once they have one... receiving a small discount for paying for a year in advance kinda makes sense to me, so long as the service works reliably everywhere you need it.

 

I wouldn't blindly pay for a year in advance until I verify the service works well with both my phone and the geographical locations I need coverage in, but if the service functions well for my needs, I'm down to lock in for a year if it means I save 10-15% or more on car insurance my phone bill.

[kasdashd]

13 hours ago, kirashi said:

Given that most people who need a cell phone / data plan / etc. usually need it for years if not their whole lives once they have one... receiving a small discount for paying for a year in advance kinda makes sense to me, so long as the service works reliably everywhere you need it.

 

I wouldn't blindly pay for a year in advance until I verify the service works well with both my phone and the geographical locations I need coverage in, but if the service functions well for my needs, I'm down to lock in for a year if it means I save 10-15% or more on car insurance my phone bill.

I don't get why car insurance shouldn't be billed annualy as well, unless that's already the case, don't own a car, so know nothing about it.

 

But can't see why everything possible shouldn't have an option for annual billing. Phone subscriptions are some of the cheapest things, where it would make sense, but if you have 100's, or even 1000's or dollars to spare, why not just pay in advance, and get that discount, on whatever it would be. It's like paying in advance on a loan, and decreasing the interest that way, I assume, still living at home, so again, know nothing about all that stuff. Or it could be something like a monthly public transit card, where the public transit companies could benefit from getting some large amounts of "cash" in advance, which they could use to invest in better service, and quickly gain new riders, covering their bills at the end of the year where they could otherwise lack that money they already spent at the beginning of the year. 

[Dillpickle23422]

18 hours ago, kasdashd said:

What are ya’lls thoughts on anually billed phone carrier subscriptions, just like it’s already the case with many streaming services, where you pay for a whole year in advance, but then get a 10-15% discount in return, for binding yourself to a specific carrier and subscription for that long?

I have mint mobile. I pay for a year in advance, which I like, because it's one lump sum and I know where that money went, and not some random charge every month. Also, I get a better deal if I pay up front versus every 1/3/6 months.

[Dillpickle23422]

3 hours ago, kasdashd said:

I don't get why car insurance shouldn't be billed annualy as well, unless that's already the case, don't own a car, so know nothing about it.

My car insurance is billed yearly, which is super nice. It does help that my insurance isn't through some massive corporation and is a smaller company, which I assume is why I can pay by the year

[Salted Spinach]

I think overusage and non payment are concerns for phone carriers

[Donut417]

On 3/18/2024 at 5:15 AM, kasdashd said:

don't get why car insurance shouldn't be billed annualy as well, unless that's already the case, don't own a car, so know nothing about it.

Here in Michigan they do 6 month policies. Generally the insurance company will give a discount if you pay in full.