Why Do Recharge Plans Have 28 Days Validity?

By: Aman Singh

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Updated on: 18-May-2023

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Telecom companies typically provide three types of plans: 28 days for one month, 56 days for two months, and 84 days for three months. Initially, only a few companies offered such plans, but now many companies have followed suit. As a result, customers opting for monthly plans have to recharge their accounts 13 times in a year instead of the usual 12.

The 28-day plan strategy employed by telecom companies is a cunning profit-making tactic. Initially, recharge plans were offered for a full 30 days. However, some companies devised a scheme to offer plans for only 28 days, effectively saving themselves around 30-31 days per year by trimming 2-3 days from each month. Since most months have 30 or 31 days, the companies benefit from this practice.

Consequently, customers are forced to recharge their accounts 13 times a year instead of the expected 12, allowing companies to unethically extract more money from their pockets without their knowledge. However, it's important to note that not all companies engage in this practice. The public sector company BSNL still offers monthly plans with a 30-day validity, meaning BSNL customers only need to recharge their phones 12 times a year.

The role of TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), the government department responsible for monitoring and regulating telecom companies, seems somewhat ineffective in addressing this issue. While TRAI had previously stated its intention to issue guidelines regarding this matter, no updates or actions have been taken thus far. As a result, all telecom companies continue to offer 28-day recharge plans, and customers are left to bear the brunt of their arbitrary practices.