Prepaid Phones: The Secret to Saving When Studying Abroad

Studying abroad opens up new opportunities and experiences that enhance your education and future career. While you’ll be certain to make new professional connections and build skills you’ll use for the rest of your life, you may face some budgetary challenges for now. Traveling abroad often involves additional expenses that impact your personal finances. But, you have options to avoid having your education cut into your savings. Prepaid phones are one of the top secrets to saving money when studying abroad, and these tips will help you add this option to your planning list.

Understand How Prepaid Phones Work

A prepaid phone works a lot like the name suggests. You’ll simply pay off your phone service up front, instead of signing up for a monthly plan like you would with traditional cellular services. Although the plans can vary, you’ll be in charge of purchasing a specific amount of minutes, data usage and texts from the very beginning. Once you hit the limit of your purchase, you then have the option of buying more time or data to keep using your phone. This type of phone plan is often the go-to choice for people who prefer to have more control over their phone expenses in general. As an international student, you’ll find this plan also helps you avoid surprise charges due to rate changes.

Explore the Benefits of Using a Prepaid Phone

At first glance, you might wonder if it’s worth having to prepay for your phone usage. Taking a look at why prepaid plans are beneficial for traveling students helps you see the positive impact this option can have on your financial standing and stress levels.

Gain Access to Local Rates

Most traditional mobile phone plans involve adjustable international rates that are often much higher than what you pay for domestic use. With a prepaid phone plan, you can get access to local rates for the area where you are staying for your education. This is due to the fact that most prepaid plans work with local carriers to provide you with service. Being able to get rates that are similar to the locals allows you to adjust to the new location’s cost of living. After all, you’re likely staying in the area long enough to feel like a local resident by the time you complete your studies.

Opt Out of Binding Contracts

Some study abroad programs only last for a few weeks or months. In this case, it might not make sense to sign up for a lengthy plan that holds you to the terms with a signed contract. Prepaid plans provide you with more independence and flexibility regarding how long you use the phone. Once your minutes or data usage is up, you can review how well your plan is working. While many students continue to use prepaid phones for the duration of their education, it is also nice to be able to choose a different option when you stop traveling internationally, if that works best for you.

Enjoy Greater Customization

While you’re studying abroad, you may know that you’ll only need your phone for emergency purposes or to contact specific people on occasion. Paying for a full-service plan with a domestic carrier may not make sense when you’re only using your phone for unexpected reasons. Prepaid plans allow you to have control over your payments to the very minute that you need. On top of knowing that you can pay specifically for time when you need it, you’ll also be able to add additional services as they become necessary. Essentially, you can always add on to your prepaid plan, but you aren’t required to pay for more services than you use.

Use These Tips to Select the Best Phone for Your Needs

Finding the right prepaid plan is also essential for ensuring your satisfaction. You’ll want to start by making sure that the plan offers the coverage you need for the locations you’ll be calling from and to during your time abroad. It’s also important to make sure that the plan offers a high enough data speed for you to accomplish your tasks, such as streaming lectures for school. Finally, you’ll also want to choose a prepaid plan with excellent customer support that can help you navigate the transition to the new plan.

As a student studying abroad, you have a lot of decisions to make to prep for your trip. While you don’t want to go without a phone, you also don’t have to spend top dollar for pricy international rate plans. Choosing to use a prepaid phone allows you to benefit from upfront pricing and the ability to have more control over your experience. Now, all you need to do is select your best plan and add your contacts to your phone to feel confident about being able to communicate through each step of your travels.