Compare tariffs across all networks and virtuals via Check24↗: filter by network and skip phone bundles — SIM-only is more honest than any installment plan.
Contracts: When to Switch and How Not to Get Trapped
Contracts beat prepaid on volume — but they bind. Since 2021: monthly cancellation after the minimum term, and your number moves in a day.
✓ Verified: 15/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
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Max recommends:
Every 2 years I switch tariffs taking my number along: existing customers never get the good prices. Porting is a legal right and must be completed within one working day (§ 59 TKG).
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Lea recommends:
Signed at a promoter stand? The 14-day withdrawal often applies there too — and honestly test coverage at home in the first days.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If I forget to cancel — trapped for another year? ▾
Not anymore: after the minimum term every contract is cancellable monthly with one month notice. Still set a reminder for month 22 — switching beats renewing.
An instalment phone from the operator — worth it? ▾
Almost never: over 24 months the markup versus buying separately reaches hundreds of euros. Calculate the bundle total, not the monthly rate.
Price hike mid-term — do I have to accept it? ▾
No: a unilateral increase triggers the special termination right — cancel effective when it kicks in. The provider must point out that right.
How do I keep my number when switching? ▾
The NEW provider files the porting request — do not cancel the old contract yourself prematurely. Porting works even from prepaid (withdraw the balance first).