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Which mobile provider is right for you - Prepay plans

The classic pay as you go system still holds strong and it’s popular for a very good reason.

A MORE CONTROLLED VERSION of bill pay, prepay plans usually encourage you to top up by certain amounts every month for additional perks, making it more like an optional version of bill pay.

The good part is there’s no obligation for the user to follow this process, meaning they can avail of these perks and allow their credit to last longer.

While the initial payment for a phone is higher than usual, the likelihood of you spending the same amount as on bill pay is lower as your credit may last longer.

Here is how the prepay plans for the major providers stack up.

Note: Add-ons are paid with the credit you have on your phone. Some may be monthly and will be deducted from your total amount. Total cost is in brackets.

Read first: Here’s what you should consider before signing up for a plan >

Looking for a breakdown of bill pay deals? Go here.

Looking for a breakdown of SIM-only deals? Go here.

Vodafone

€20 every 30 days
Data Extra - €10 goes to 5GB data, 4G speeds, unlimited Vodafone calls and texts.
Any network texts and data - 250MB data, unlimited any network texts.
Vodafone calls texts and data - 250MB data, unlimited Vodafone calls and texts.

€30 every 30 days
Any network texts and data - 500MB data, unlimited any network texts, 100 international minutes.
Vodafone calls texts and data - 500MB data, unlimited Vodafone calls and texts, 100 international minutes.

Add-ons 
Unlimited calls, texts and 3GB data (€30), unlimited calls (€20), unlimited texts (€15), 3GB of 4G data (€15)

Fiver add-ons
500MB data (€5), 30 minutes to Irish mobiles/landlines (€5), 100 texts to any network (€5), 30 international minutes.

Red extra (monthly)
Spotify Premium and 500MB extra data (€5),  TV Pack 1 - Sky Sports 1 & 2 (€5.99), TV Pack 2 - Sky Sports 1, 2, 3 & 4, F1, Sky Sports News (€12.99).

*Unlimited generally means 5,000 texts per month, and 5,000 minutes. 

90344483 Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Three

Note: Perks below are added on top of current credit. Eg: Topping up by €5 adds 100MB data and 4G access on top of €5 credit.

€5 every 30 days - 100MB, 4G access.
€10/15 every 30 days - 200MB, 4G access, 50 texts to any network, 50 minutes to Three numbers.
€20 every 30 days - All you can eat, 4G access, Unlimited any network texts, unlimited weekend calls for any network, unlimited calls to Three numbers.

Add-ons (monthly)

500MB of data (€4.99).

*Unlimited refers to 3,000 minutes per month regarding Three to Three calls, 10,000 flexi-units, and All you can eat data has a cap of 15GB where going over it could result in limited access. 1 flexi-unit is equal to 1 call minute, 2 text messages or 500KB internet.

90354478 Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Meteor 

€10 every 30 days - 7.5GB data or unlimited calls
€20 every 30 days - 4G speeds, unlimited calls & 15GB data or unlimited texts and 15GB data or unlimited calls and texts.
€30 every 30 days - 4G speeds, unlimited calls and texts and 15GB data

*Unlimited means 45,000 minutes and 10,000 texts.

00088574 Graham Hughes / Photocall Ireland Graham Hughes / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Tesco Mobile

€5 per month - Free texts to Tesco Mobile numbers.
€10 per month - Free calls and texts to Tesco Mobile numbers, 250 free webtexts.
€15+ per month - Unlimited calls to all mobile and landline numbers, free calls and texts to Tesco Mobile numbers, 250 free webtexts.

Add-ons 
Monthly bundles: 1GB data (€1), 5GB (€10), Unlimited texts (€10)
One-off bundles: 50MB – 1 day (€0.79), 350MB – 1 day (€2.99), 1GB – 30 days (€5), 5GB 30 days (€10).

*Unlimited means up to 10,000 minutes, 10,000 texts, and 15GB of data.

90313950 Sam Boal / Rollingnews.ie Sam Boal / Rollingnews.ie / Rollingnews.ie

iD Mobile

Due to the nature of ID’s plans, there are numerous variations to choose from so listing all of the possible combinations would be both long and impractical.

All SIM-only bill pay plans are 30-day contracts and all amounts (minutes, calls and data) offered are listed alongside their cost.

Minutes - 100 (€3.50), 250 (€5), 500 (€6.50) 1,000 (€7.50) and 5,000 (€8).
Texts - 100 (€3.50), 250 (€5), 500 (€6.50) 1,000 (€7.50) and 5,000 (€8).
Data - 125MB (€3) 500MB (€5), 1GB (€7), 3GB (€10), 20GB (€13).

48 

€10 per month - 1GB data, 300 minutes to any mobile network, unlimited texts to any mobile network, unlimited WhatsApp messaging, 60 landline minutes
€15 per month -  15GB data, 50 minutes to any mobile network, 100 texts to any mobile network, unlimited WhatsApp messaging
€20 per month - 8GB data, 1,000 minutes to any mobile network, all texts to any mobile network, unlimited WhatsApp messaging, 60 landline minutes.

Add-ons

60 minutes to mobile network (€3)
1GB of data (€3)
10 minutes of landline calls (€3)
50 texts to any mobile network (€3)

Read: What should you keep in mind when buying a smartphone or tablet? >

Read: What you should consider before purchasing a laptop? >

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8 Comments
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
    Favourite Tweety McTweeter
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    Oct 6th 2019, 1:11 PM

    Non story. He expressed his concerns about some design elements of the proposal. It doesn’t necessarily mean he is against the principal of the development. So what…

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Oct 6th 2019, 1:23 PM

    @Tweety McTweeter: Look at what the builders did to some schools here, many were afraid a strong breeze might knock the front of them down?

    48
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    Mute Irish Spider-Man
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    Oct 6th 2019, 2:04 PM

    @Tweety McTweeter: another two faced Blueshirt

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Oct 6th 2019, 2:07 PM

    @Irish Spider-Man: Why ?!

    21
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    Mute Pavel Marianski
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    Oct 6th 2019, 2:25 PM

    @Tweety McTweeter: principle

    17
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    Mute Seamus Ryan
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    Oct 6th 2019, 1:21 PM

    I’m surprised he didn’t mention that when FG came into power the country was broke. Seems to be his opening answer to any question I’ve ever heard him asked.

    73
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    Mute Grainnewhale
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    Oct 6th 2019, 1:22 PM

    That’s all very fine but where are the jobs for these people – the roads and public transport are full to capacity.

    53
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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Oct 6th 2019, 1:25 PM

    @Grainnewhale: The builders probably came from the North…

    37
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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
    Favourite Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Oct 6th 2019, 3:59 PM

    @Grainnewhale: if their buying houses , they probably already have jobs, so at a Minnesota it’s pumping extra cash into clane, driving demand for more services, yes but driving opportunities to provide services too.

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    Mute Grainnewhale
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    Oct 7th 2019, 10:41 PM

    @TamuMassif2019: I’m talking about the people who are going to live in those houses in Clane!

    1
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    Mute Grainnewhale
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    Oct 7th 2019, 10:42 PM

    @Shawn O’Ceallaghan: Not at all they will be heading for Dublin to work!

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    Mute Damon16
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    Oct 6th 2019, 1:41 PM

    Typical NIMBY ism. Either we want affordable housing or not, adding onerous planning regulations to new housing developments 1. increases the costs of the housing that is built and 2. disincentivises the construction of new projects as they are not financially viable at least at a cost that most average people can afford. Well intentioned policies are often the most damaging to ordinary people. The onerous regulations in place for apartment construction for example has meant that it costs more to build them than they can be sold for in many cases for all but the most high end developments.

    23
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    Mute EillieEs
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    Oct 6th 2019, 2:47 PM

    @Damon16: oh I missed where it was mentioned it’s affordable housing. In any event any housing built should be suitable as long term residences where people will want to live and become part of the local community. You seem to be saying it’s ok to just throw anything up anywhere irrespective of design or suitability to a given area. Are you involved in the building trade?

    12
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    Mute Willy Mc Bride
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    Oct 6th 2019, 1:31 PM

    Gotta suit the FFG agenda. Otherwise build somewhere else. ..

    28
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    Mute Den Sullivan
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    Oct 6th 2019, 2:48 PM

    We want more houses .not near me some where else. Built old way with all mod cons but must be cheap as well and add few hundred new rules each year at no cost it all work out

    17
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    Mute TamuMassif2019
    Favourite TamuMassif2019
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    Oct 6th 2019, 1:24 PM

    Hay at least here they didn’t build in a winter flood zone as they have in other parts of the country?

    17
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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Oct 6th 2019, 3:45 PM

    So a local TD represented his constituents over a planning issue. Shock horror. Whats so strange about that. TD’s from all parties have done the same.
    Its about the support services in place for these extra people moving into the area.
    Building housing is great but the ancillary services must be there as well.
    That has happened too many times before

    11
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    Mute Paul Dooley
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    Oct 6th 2019, 4:02 PM

    Was it Liam lawlor or Ray Burke that said ,I have nothing to hide’
    Mr durkin is in that class

    10
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    Mute John Tobin
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    Oct 6th 2019, 10:49 PM

    Light touch regulations and bad designs has people out of their homes at the moment. Here we have a wonderful politician with concerns about the design and other aspects of the project and when he beings it to the attention of the relevant authorities he is slated. You are dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t.

    5
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