Back in 2013, O2 shook up the contract market here in the UK with ‘Refresh’. It’s a clever way to split your airtime and your device plan. This meant that (unlike some others) you could separate the phone cost out and upgrade anytime.
This allows customers to move plans every month for their airtime, whilst still paying the same for their device.
As an example, if a customer has a busy December ahead, they can whack their data up from 4GB to 50GB and then back down again in January.
And of course…. You keep the benefits of Refresh so you can upgrade anytime.
O2 meets the needs of ‘Generation Flex’ with revolutionary tariffs that customers can change every month
O2 will tomorrow launch new tariffs that will allow customers to move their bills up or down each month. The freedom to adjust how much data they expect to use means customers now have even greater flexibility and control over their monthly bills.
The launch strengthens O2’s position as the UK’s fair tariff pioneer, having also launched O2 Refresh in 2013 ensuring customers don’t continue to pay for a phone they already own, unlike other major UK network operators. O2’s new flexible tariffs are yet another example of O2 offering outstanding customer choice, value and freedom.
With inflation at a five year high, customers who are worried about the cost of living now have another easy way to change their outgoings according to their needs. Just as consumers want to control and vary their personal spend closer to payday, today’s customers are also looking to match their spend with their data requirements. O2’s ambition is to lead the industry in responding to the needs of ‘Generation Flex’, by giving back control to the customer.
O2’s flexible tariffs offer customers control by enabling them to increase or decrease the cost of their plan once every billing month. As an example, customers will be able to access enough data to take full advantage of sharing special videos with friends one month, then reign in their data usage and cut their bill accordingly the next.
O2 CEO Mark Evans said: “Today’s customers want even greater flexibility and control over what they’re spending. Generation Flex expect more from their services and we believe mobile contracts should be no different.
“In 2013 O2 transformed the way consumers could purchase the latest mobile phones with the launch of O2 Refresh. With O2 Refresh customers don’t have to pay for a phone they already own, unlike customers of other networks. Now we’re going even further, offering customers complete flexibility by also giving them the ability to control the amount of data they use and pay for each month.”
Recent research from Citizens Advice found that other mobile network operators are continuing to charge customers for handsets they had already paid off – a practice O2 has long campaigned against.
Mark Evans added: “Forcing customers to continue to pay for a phone they already own not only hits their pockets but undermines trust and the reputation of the industry. We’d like to see the other operators review their position and follow our lead with transparent tariffs that put customers in control.
“Mobile is one of the UK’s most powerful opportunities to enrich our society, stabilise the economy and create a better life for British citizens. The mobile industry must take this responsibility seriously and treat customers fairly so Britain can enjoy all that mobile has to offer.”
O2 Refresh customers don’t pay for a phone they already own. Originally launched in April 2013, the pioneering tariff changed the way people buy mobile phones by separating the cost of their phone from the cost of their minutes, texts and data. As well as giving customers greater transparency over what they are charged, O2 Refresh also allows customers to change devices whenever they want and automatically lowers their bills once they’ve paid for their phone.
O2’s new flexible tariffs are available to existing O2 Refresh customers and new customers choosing selected handsets from 27th October 2017. All the benefits of O2 Refresh remain, allowing customers to change their handsets before their contract ends provided they have paid off their device plan. Free screen replacement cover will also be available for the latest handsets at selected tariff prices within the plan.
The detail:
Customers on flexible tariffs who want 50GB of data one month can do so on a £41 tariff, then switch to pay only £19 a month if they want to decrease their data allowance. Customers can change their tariff once every billing month via the MyO2 app, in store or over the phone.
A supporting advertising campaign for the new tariff will go live on Monday 6th November.
