You know your business mobile phone bills could be lower, but with hundreds of tariffs where do you start? Our business buyer’s guide shows you how to quickly find the service you need and still control costs.
Choosing the right business mobile phones is all about picking the right tariff. There are two principal types of tariff to consider: pre-pay and pay as you go (PAYG). If you pay more than £15 a month then a pre-pay tariff will probably cost less.
But don’t write off pay as you go too quickly – especially if you need a phone that will be shared by several people, you’re worried about phones being lost or stolen or you have low call volumes.
Pre-pay tariffs
These include a set number of call minutes and text messages for a fixed monthly fee, with any usage over that amount charged extra. Important factors include:
- How much data do you use (sending and receiving emails and accessing the Internet)?
- Do you need more than one mobile phone for your business?
- How many international calls do you make (to or from abroad)?
Business buyer's tips
- Data charges can become very expensive unless you choose a tariff with a data allowance.
- Some networks offer free calls between phones owned by the same company, and many will include extra handsets as part of the tariff.
- Many tariffs include reduced rate calls to or from specific countries.
- Review your mobile phone deal every 12 months – don't just renew your contract without seeing what else is available.
Pay as you go (PAYG) tariffs
If you are buying a phone that will be used infrequently, pay as you go can be a good option. Although calls tend to be more expensive, you only pay for the calls you make.
Business buyer's tips
- Some pay as you go tariffs offer very cheap calls to mobiles on the same network which you can take advantage of by signing up to the same network as the one you make the majority of your calls to.
- If you pay more than £15 per month using a PAYG tariff then you will probably be better off moving to a pre-pay contract.
- If you’re spending some time abroad it can be worth buying a pay-as-you-go phone once you’re there.
Independent business mobile phone providers
If your business needs fewer than five mobile phones, signing each employee up to a separate contract can make sense; but if you’re paying for more than five business mobiles then analysing bills can get complicated.
You may be better off using an independent business mobile phone provider like Jelly. These companies specialise in getting the best deals for businesses, and have their own software tools to identify your usage patterns.
Business buyer’s tip: Bundled deals
Depending on how many people you have in your business and the amount of calls you make on your fixed and mobile phones you may be able to save money with a package which combines a mobile phone monthly tariff with a landline call plan.
The main attraction of these “bundled” deals is that they typically offer very low-cost calling between your business phone and your business mobile, as well as lower landline charges than BT's standard rates.
Business mobile phones: action plan
1. Get an idea of your basic needs and current prices with the checklist on this page.
2. If you’re buying several business mobile phones, contact an independent provider and see if they can offer you a better deal
3. Call your current business and home mobile phone providers and tell them you are thinking of moving. See if they’ll beat your preferred quote or if they can offer you a bundled deal.
How uSwitch for Business can help
Click here to find out more about saving money on your business mobile phones