February 25, 2004 | Category:

ThreePay

Finally there is a prepay 3G mobile plan in the UK. Three have unveiled their top-up based system, no longer requiring huge contracts for the new features.

As expected, there is a catch. Or two.

It’s expensive compared to other mobile companies. If you have no motivation to constantly use the video features, it might not work out well. It’s 15p per text message to other networks, and with added complications (the first £1.50 of your credit is priced differently), the pricing structure is bloated.

The other main set-back is that all credit has to be used within 30 days of activating it or it gets removed. That’s right, you’re effectively having your money swiped out from under you if you’re a little lax one month. This is the same trick the first prepay mobile plans tried to use to leverage wallets. It failed. You would think Three had learned the lessons of the past.

Seems like a good idea on the surface, but hold off another few months and maybe they’ll get the pricing under control and remove the restraints.