Mobile Plan Promotions: Useful Tips

As part of their efforts to onboard new customers and convert existing customers into plan holders, Swiss mobile service providers run numerous promotional offers. These promotions often include relatively high discounts – sometimes as high as 40 or 50 percent or even higher.

Mobile plans with discounted flat fees are most commonly offered as special promotions. But promotions are not limited to flat fees. They may include one-time discounts, additional mobile data, free SIM cards, discounted package deals, coupons and gifts.

Here, you can find useful tips for managing mobile promotions.

1. Keep an eye out for outstanding deals

While some mobile service providers rarely or never run special promotions, many run a whole range of promotional offers throughout the year. Because discounts attached to promotional offers can be significant, promotions are an important factor to consider when choosing mobile plans.

2. Look at total costs

Do not let yourself get taken in by discounts and avoid subscribing on a whim. Always check the terms and conditions attached to the mobile plan or prepaid offer first.

How much does the discount actually save you? Are there other deals which may be more suitable? Depending on your telecom habits, it is possible for heavily discounted plans to still be more expensive than other, non-discounted offers. You can easily find the total costs of standard priced offers using the mobile plan comparison on moneyland.ch.

3. Check the validity terms of special offers

Not all promotions are valid for the life of contracts. The most customer-friendly offers apply the promotional discounts for the entire time that you keep your mobile plan.

But many of the special promotions offered by Swiss service providers are only introductory offers which are valid for the first 6, 12 or 24 months of the contract term. When promotional discounts are very high, the cost of plans can more than double at the end of the introductory promotional term.

When promotions are only valid for an introductory term, it is important to get informed about the costs which apply one the introductory period expires. That also applies to promotions for additional mobile data. Make sure you understand what you will have to pay for mobile data after the promotional offer expires.

Ideally, stick with promotional offers which remain valid for the life of the plans, or at least for 24 months.

4. Varying availability

Promotions only run for limited periods of time. Some promotions run for as long as several months, but many only last for a few days. A favorite marketing trick is to include a countdown or a time limit in advertising in order to motivate consumers to sign up fast.

In other cases, mobile service providers do not clearly state how long promotions and special prices will run. Another common trick is for service providers to extend the end dates of special promotions.

Avoid getting psychologically pressured into making a speedy decision. Always take time to compare before you make your decision. A good strategy is to simply select a plan which matches your telecom needs and then wait until that plan is offered as a special promotion.

5. Avoid long minimum terms

Avoid long minimum contract terms for mobile plans whenever possible. That also applies to promotional offers. Some promotional offers can only be gotten in connection with long minimum contract terms. The disadvantage of getting a long-term contract is that you cannot switch to cheaper plans as they come up. Fortunately, there are also special promotions which are not linked to long contract terms.

Before changing to a new mobile plan, always check whether or not the contract term of your existing plan has expired. Swisscom and Salt customers, in particular, must carefully check that the terms of their existing contracts have fully expired. Failing to do so can have serious consequences. Some telecom service providers charge penalties as high as several thousand francs when you terminate their contracts ahead of schedule.

6. Consider smaller telecom brands

Telecom service providers often run special promotions for their subsidiaries rather than their primary brands. Swisscom, for example, runs frequent special promotions for its Wingo, M-Budget mobile (Migros collaboration) and Coop Mobile brands. Sunrise often runs promotions for its Yallo and Lebara brands. Salt, on the contrary, runs special promotions under its primary brand.

7. Beware of baited offers

Occasionally, Swiss mobile service providers offer gifts as part of special promotions. These may include laptops, televisions, tablets or gift cards for popular merchants like Zalando.

In many cases, these baited offers have nothing to do with the mobile plan. Never sign up for a mobile plan simply on account of the free gifts offered. There is no such thing as a free gift in this regard. The cost of the “gift” is covered by your ongoing phone bills.

8. Negotiate or migrate

Many promotions are only offered to new customers. When this is the case, new customers have an advantage over existing customers. Because of this, regularly migrating to a different mobile service provider can pay off.

Some service providers like Digitec Connect, Lebara, Yallo, and Wingo also let existing customers take advantage of special promotional offers.

In some cases, telecom service providers may be willing to accommodate existing customers, so negotiating with your telecom service provider before migrating can pay off. If your service provider is not willing to bend, you can simply move to a more affordable telecom company.

9. Wait for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Singles Day and Co.

Marketing gags like Singles Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become a steady fixture of the Swiss online shopping scene. Singles Day (November 11), Black Friday (upcoming dates: 29.11.2024, 28.11.2025, 27.11.2026) and Cyber Monday (2.12.2024, 1.12.2025, 30.11.2026) often come loaded with special promotions.

Swiss mobile service providers often get in on the action as well, offering special deals on these days only. Checking for special offers for mobile plans on these shopping holidays can pay off.

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