Switching from Prepaid Mobile to Postpaid (and vice-versa)
Mobile networking and telecommunications have become one of the most prominent businesses worldwide and an industry that is rapidly increasing. There are billions of SIM cards in rotation all over the world and billions of subscribers using them worldwide.
The industry of cell phone networks has also been proliferating at a high pace thanks to the increasing affordability of devices. Many people now have two mobile phones with two different prepaid SIM plans.
Offices, corporates and many other kinds of business establishments thrive on the concept of having multiple ways customers can reach them. Just like toll-free numbers, most businesses now have private connections that are simple mobile numbers that anyone can reach on the phone or via WhatsApp or other messaging apps. In many countries, WhatsApp is one of the primary means of connecting with people and this service is SIM dependent as well, making the use of sim cards that much more important. Overall, the industry has been on a roll and increasing multifold.
Prepaid and Postpaid Services
There are two terminologies with SIM cards that most people are aware of: Prepaid SIM cards and postpaid SIM cards. One SIM offers networking capabilities as and when the user pays and recharges the phone whereas the other type of connection requires the user to pay the bill for its services on a monthly basis.
A prepaid SIM card offers plenty of options for the user to choose a plan based on their preferences and usage. It also gives the freedom for budget allocation on mobile services. Prepaid SIM cards can be purchased at one of the many POC stores of the mobile network.
The customer is offered a plethora of options for prepaid plans based on the amount of recharge, the services such as national calling, international calling, messages, internet facility and roaming charges. Based on the requirements of the customer, they may choose a plan which is then activated on the SIM card by the POC. Recharges can be done online or via an app that is now provided with every SIM connection as well.
The postpaid SIM connection offers the freedom to make calls or access the internet without having to recharge at the beginning. A statement of usage and bill is generated at every billing period or cycle which is to be settled by the user.
Both these plans have their own advantages and disadvantages. Prepaid SIMs give control over what is to be used and how much is to be used. There are many kinds of prepaid SIM plans that are available to users, which help them in choosing what they require and the freedom to switch between the plans as and when needed.
Prepaid SIM cards can be procured easily and is the most budget-friendly option as most network companies now do not charge any fee for the SIM connection. They require very little paperwork and therefore are the preferred type of SIM for travellers and tourists.
Postpaid SIM cards are more suited for professionals and business people who cannot keep recharging or choosing plans each time. More and more people are now moving to postpaid as it gives the user the freedom to make calls, send messages, access the internet however they want and are sent a bill at the end of the month.
There are a few plans that a postpaid customer can choose from but services can be activated more easily on postpaid SIM cards than prepaid SIM cards. The downside is that they are more expensive and the paperwork to activate a connection is time consuming and meticulous.
Switching between Plans
Many people opt for changing networks these days and every network competes to get new subscribers using various marketing techniques through the network switching process. Many mobile network companies have now introduced an option to import a customer from their home network to the network of their choice. This is facilitated by the host who is welcoming a new connection into their network. The user needs to identify the customer care number for the new network and reach an operator who may assist with all the proceedings that go into changing a network.
If a customer wishes to switch between one plan to another (prepaid to postpaid and vice-versa), all they need to do is dial the customer care number. The operator or the customer relationship team will assist the user with the paperwork, the proofs and the documents that are needed to make the switch.
Just like purchasing a new SIM, when a user changes their network, all the paperwork needs to be iterated again. This means that the same set of proofs such as Identity proof, address proof, photograph etc that was initially submitted to the home network provider will once again be audited by the new network in order to authorise the connection.
Once all the paperwork is through, the mobile network would replace the prepaid SIM with a postpaid SIM without changing the phone number. The paperwork should be authorised within a few working days based on the network and the proceedings. Once all the details are verified, the user would be notified that the home network will soon be cut off on the sim card.
Once the SIM card is non-functional, the user can then switch to the new SIM card provided by the new network. Within a few hours, the new network is identified by the SIM card and connects automatically. The phone number of the user remains unchanged. This helps the user continue the service with the network as usual within a few days of the process. Most companies do not charge for this transition as well and the transition itself only takes about a few days.
