Nowadays nobody has to spend a lot of money for a mobile phone contract. Numerous mobile phone providers lure you in with tariffs that are cheap and have a lot to offer at first glance – such as a high data volume. But is such an offer really worth it or are there hidden costs?

Paying a lot of money unnecessarily for a mobile phone contract? It doesn’t have to be. Many mobile phone providers now offer tariff options for ten, 15 or 20 euros per month, including high data volume as well as telephone and SMS flat rates in all German networks. However, it is worth taking a closer look before concluding a contract, because compromises often have to be made with cheap tariffs. We show you what you might be doing without and how good the benefits are.

20 gigabytes of data volume for 9.99 euros at Sim.de

The mobile phone provider Sim.de has a particularly tempting-sounding deal on offer for the carnival: a tariff with 20 gigabytes of LTE data volume for 9.99 euros per month instead of 14.99 euros. If you opt for a contract with a term of two years, you also save the connection fee of 19.99 euros. If you like it more flexible and want to keep the option open of being able to terminate the contract on a monthly basis, you have to pay the connection price.

This includes the offer from Sim.de:

Click here for the offer from Sim.de

The disadvantages: You have to be quick because the offer is only available for a very short time. After that, the tariff costs 14.99 per month again. In addition, the deal is aimed at anyone who already has a smartphone at home, because a telephone is not included in the price. You also have to do without the new 5G mobile phone standard with this offer.

Freenet: Green LTE with maximum flexibility

At Freenet you can currently find a tariff that includes 18 gigabytes of data volume and costs 14.99 euros per month plus a connection price of 29.99 euros. A bad deal at first glance? But it’s worth taking a closer look, because with the green LTE 18 GB tariff you are not tied to a specific contract period, but can cancel monthly – perfect for anyone who prefers flexibility with their mobile phone contract. In addition to 18 gigabytes of data volume, an all-network flat rate for SMS and telephone calls and EU roaming, there is also the option of taking the old phone number with you.

This includes the offer from Freenet:

Click here for the offer at Freenet

Alternative: double the data volume with the o2 Grow tariff

The o2 Grow tariff offers significantly more data volume and higher surfing speed. With a fee of 19.99 euros per month, this is also significantly more expensive and is also aimed exclusively at people under the age of 29. If you take out the tariff for a term of at least two years, you also save on the connection price, which would otherwise be EUR 39.99. Every twelve months there is an extra ten gigabytes on top of the data volume.

What o2 offers includes:

Click here for the offer from o2

Cheap mobile phone tariffs: for whom are they worthwhile?

Inexpensive mobile phone tariffs are primarily aimed at young people who only have a limited budget anyway, and at those who do not want to spend a lot on their mobile phone contract and do not need to get the most out of it. In addition to a flat rate for telephoning and texting, there is a limited data volume with a lower surfing speed, which is sufficient for WhatsApp messages, YouTube videos, e-mails and social media. If you need more, you should look for another tariff. Because: Many cheap tariffs offer automatic data, with which additional gigabytes are automatically booked for a surcharge after the data volume has been used up – and that can quickly become expensive.

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