For a long time, getting a postpaid plan in the Philippines was considered a milestone. It meant you were financially stable enough to commit to a monthly bill, and it came with the perks of convenience, bigger allocations, and often, a new phone. Prepaid was seen as second-tier, for those who couldn’t handle the responsibility of a locked-in contract.
But that was years ago. Today, the landscape looks very different. Prepaid offers have not only caught up, but they’ve surpassed postpaid in flexibility, value, and relevance to how Filipinos actually use their mobile connections. This raises the question: In 2025, are postpaid plans even worth it anymore?
A Brief History of Postpaid’s Appeal
Back in the early 2000s, having a postpaid line was a status symbol. Mobile phones were expensive, promos were limited, and prepaid users constantly worried about running out of load. Postpaid was positioned as the premium option—no more topping up, no more reloading at sari-sari stores, and you got priority service. Telcos bundled devices with two-year contracts, making it easier to own the latest Nokia, BlackBerry, or, later, an iPhone.
In short, postpaid meant convenience, exclusivity, and access. Prepaid was “pang-masa,” good enough for call-and-text but not much else.
The Rise of Prepaid Flexibility
That gap, in the later years, has vanished. Today, prepaid has evolved into something much more powerful. With GOMO, you can buy data that doesn’t expire and convert it into calls and texts whenever you want. DITO offers generous data allocations at lower costs, attracting budget-conscious users. Globe and Smart both regularly push unlimited 5G promos on prepaid, giving subscribers access to fast speeds without commitments.
On top of this, prepaid internet is no longer just about mobile phones. Converge, Globe, and PLDT now offer their versions of prepaid fiber Internet services where households can load up internet like a mobile plan. This opens affordable broadband to families who don’t want or can’t afford a long-term postpaid contract.
The difference is control. Prepaid users decide when and how to spend. If you don’t need much data this month, you don’t pay. If you suddenly need more, you can upgrade instantly. This is the kind of flexibility postpaid still doesn’t offer.
The Lock-in Trap
One of postpaid’s biggest weaknesses is the contract lock-in. Most postpaid lines come with a 24-month commitment, sometimes even 36 months if you’re getting a high-end device. This means you’re stuck paying the same amount every month, regardless of whether you still find the plan useful.
If coverage in your area worsens, or if your needs change, you can’t simply walk away. You’ll face hefty pre-termination fees. With prepaid, you’re free to switch anytime. Many Filipinos today carry two or more SIMs, choosing which one to use depending on which telco offers the best signal or promo in their location.
The Device Subsidy Myth
One of the biggest draws of postpaid is the “free phone” bundled with your plan. But the truth is that these devices are never really free. The cost of the phone is spread out over the contract period, often at a higher total than if you bought the phone outright.
For example, a flagship phone priced at PHP 60,000 might be offered for a smaller cashout under a PHP 2,499 monthly plan. Throughout the 24-month contract, you’ll end up paying around 1.5x the amount just for the service, plus the hidden cost of the device built into that amount. Compared to buying the phone in cash and pairing it with a prepaid unlimited data promo, you might end up spending far less in the long run.
How it all adds up
I still maintain a postpaid plan right now, and it’s been with me for years. But looking at the numbers today, I’m already thinking of cutting it off. Here are also some examples in which I find current postpaid plans disadvantageous for those who want to get them.
Take Globe’s SIM-only GPlan 599. For PHP 599 a month, you only get 6 GB of data plus unlimited calls and texts to all networks, including landlines. Now compare that to Globe’s prepaid Go+149. For PHP 149, you get 12 GB open access data, an additional 8GB exclusively for 5G, and another 8 GB more for selected apps, plus unlimited calls and texts to all networks valid for 7 days. Stack four of those in a month and you’re paying PHP 596, which is basically the same as postpaid—but getting 48 GB (or more) instead of 5 GB.
Smart has a similar issue. Their Signature SIM-Only Plan 599 gives you around 10 GB of data per month with unlimited calls and texts. But their prepaid PowerAll 449 promo already gives you 30 GB data, unlimited all-net calls and texts, and costs less than postpaid for 28 days. Even if you add another promo for the remaining two or three days to complete the month, the price is still cheaper than the SIM-Only plan. If you want even more flexibility, Smart’s Magic Data promos give you large allocations of non-expiry data, which postpaid doesn’t offer at all.
Reloading also has its perks. Online reloading, such as on Shopee, gives you discounts for reloading bigger amounts of money for your prepaid phone by as much as 20%. That also adds more to one’s savings.
Looking at those comparisons, it feels like I’m paying more for less with my postpaid line. The only real thing tying me to it is habit—and maybe the convenience of not topping up every week.
Changing Consumer Habits
The way Filipinos use mobile connections has also shifted. We’re no longer limited to one SIM card. Dual-SIM smartphones have made it easy to jump between prepaid networks, choosing whichever promo works best at the moment. This “mix and match” behavior is far more aligned with prepaid than postpaid.
Younger consumers, in particular, value flexibility. They’re not as interested in locking themselves into a two-year deal when they can hop between promos that offer more data for less. Even professionals, once the main market for postpaid, now often prefer prepaid because of its simplicity and adaptability.
Postpaid in 2025: What’s Left?
This doesn’t mean postpaid is completely obsolete. For some users, the convenience of not having to worry about topping up is still appealing. Corporate accounts and families who want a single bill might still find postpaid useful. Some also prefer the structured nature of a monthly plan.
But in terms of raw value, prepaid is winning on almost every front. Unlimited data, no expiry, cheaper prices, and the ability to cancel anytime make it hard to justify sticking with postpaid unless you’re after a bundled device or need it for work requirements.
Unless telcos rethink their postpaid strategies, the gap will only widen. True and unthrottled unlimited data, meaningful loyalty rewards, or device financing that saves money could make postpaid relevant again. But as things stand, prepaid is positioned as the smarter option for most consumers.
Postpaid’s old allure of status, stability, and free gadgets doesn’t resonate as strongly anymore. Today, consumers want flexibility, transparency, and control over their spending. And prepaid delivers exactly that.
The Rundown
The idea of postpaid as the “premium” choice no longer holds up in 2025. With prepaid plans offering more freedom and better value, many Filipinos are realizing they don’t need to be locked into a contract just to stay connected.
I’ve been hanging on to my postpaid line for convenience, but the truth is, I don’t see the value anymore. I could save money, get more data, and stay flexible by shifting to prepaid. Maybe it’s time I finally make that switch, and you too.
If prepaid can give you the same perks without the chains of a monthly bill, is there still a reason to stick with postpaid?
