Prepaid phones are great when you’re looking for the cheapest way to stay in touch. There’s no contract involved, so you won’t be locked down into paying it for one or two years. Plus, you get to control how much you spend on prepaid load.

But sometimes, we end up buying too much on load without realizing it.

We send Viber messages, make phone calls, update our Instagram, and check Facebook several times a day. And before we know it, the prepaid load that’s supposed to stretch for another week is gone.

So, we casually buy more prepaid load, thinking that it’s just P50. No big deal.

Until we realize that an extra P50 a month translates to P600 a year – an amount that we could have added to our emergency fund. We can even buy a nice meal for two with that cost.

Staying connected may be necessary today, but they don’t have to put a strain on our finances. Here are some nifty tricks to saving money on load.

1. Check your network for load promos

The best way to maximize your prepaid load? Avail of a huge array of discounts and promos that mobile networks offer.

If you’re a heavy texter, you can get an unlimited text promo with Globe for as low as P49 a week. Smart has an all-in call, text, and surf promo for P250, valid for a month.

No matter what kind of cellphone user you are, Smart, Globe, and other mobile providers have prepaid promos that can match your needs. Check out our analysis of Globe internet promos to see which one is worth the money.

2. Switch to low-cost cellular services

Smart and Globe may be the country’s premier mobile networks, but did you know that they also offer low-cost options for the same services?

PLDT owns Smart, TNT, and Sun Cellular, while Globe has TM. These low-cost cellular services use the same infrastructures as their mother network, so you get roughly the same service at a fraction of the cost.

For instance, you can get an unlimited text promo from Globe for P80 valid for five days. But if you switch to TM, you can get the same promo for only P30. Sweet, right?

3. Use free Wi-Fi instead of data

The Philippines is notorious for its sky-high data and Internet rates, so an unlimited data plan can be rather costly.

Minimize your data usage by connecting to free Wi-Fi whenever possible. You can find Wi-Fi hotspots in offices, malls, coffee shops, and even train stations.

You should also make sure that you turn off your mobile data connection when you’re not using it to avoid apps from unknowingly draining your bandwidth.

4. Use free messaging apps

Why pay for every text you send if you can do it for free?

Almost all smartphones are compatible with Viber, WhatsApp, LINE, Skype, and Facebook Messenger – all of which allow you to send messages and even do video calls with your friends and family at no cost. You just need a Wi-Fi connection to access them.

If your message isn’t urgent, use these apps instead of your regular phone to save on prepaid load.

5. Buy Load through Coins.ph

Besides being convenient, using Coins to buy load online can also save you a lot of money.

Get a 10% rebate* when you use your Coins.ph wallet to top up your cellphone load. This means you get P10 for every P100 load, which can pile up over time.

It’s an effortless way to save and stay in touch!

*10% rebate on your first Php 2000 worth of Buy Load transactions. After reaching this reward limit, you get 5% rebate every time you Buy Load. The 10% reward limit resets every month.



