No More Mega Combo 250 for Smart Postpaid

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MEGA250 NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR SMART POSTPAID

I received a notification from Smart yesterday telling me that Mega250 is no longer available. The message reads:

“Mega Combo 250 is no longer available effective May 11.”

MegaCombo250 No More

What a bummer!  Especially for those of us who availed of the Freedom Plan. When the Freedom Plan was phased out, Smart also offered a SIM-only Plan P250 that also basically offered the same thing as Mega250. I don’t think other Smart postpaid plans had access to the Mega250 flexibundle.

I am not sure if Mega 250 is still available for prepaid users.

The Mega250 combo was actually the best fit for my cellular needs, and I think, for many other non-heavy users. For P250, it already included 180 minutes of calls to Smart/Sun/TNT, unlitext to all networks, and 100 MB of data. It was actually a pretty good deal, and it was the combo I used every month since it was first offered.

I hardly ever exceeded the 180 minute allocation. At this point in my life, telebabad is just not a thing anymore. I keep my calls to the point, short and sweet. Everybody’s busy. As for texts, I don’t think I even send out more than 30 texts a day unless there’s something major going on. It’s the 100 MB data that is the limitation, which I get around by subscribing to Gotscombodd70 on my Globe (I have a Huawei P9 dual-sim phone that can switch 4G between both SIM slots).

The removal of Mega Combo 250 is sudden. I’m left scrambling for a similar offer from Smart but I just can’t seem to find a good replacement. So what alternative does Smart offer in Mega250’s stead?

I am still subscribed to Mega 250 until my current registration expires in June. Smart is encouraging me to use Trinet 399 instead. Sure, I’ve used Trinet 399 before, but I have gotten so used to paying only P250 a month that basically being forced to pay an extra P150 for something I don’t need feels like a hold-up.

I have wracked my brain looking at Smart’s current flexibundle / add-on offers, and there is just no viable alternative to Mega 250 that will provide calls and texts within that price range of P200-300.

These are the alternatives that Smart offered:

MegaCombo250 Not Available Alternatives

You can read Smart’s upgrade FAQ here: https://help.smart.com.ph/article/smart-postpaid-plan-upgrade-faqs

On the upside, we do get access to the following bundles that we didn’t have access to before:

New and enhanced offers available to you:

Offer Description Validity Keyword
Unli Call & Text 599 Unlimited calls and texts to Smart, TNT, and Sun Renews every billing period UCT
Unli Talk 499 Unlimited calls to Smart, TNT, and Sun Renews every billing period TALK
All Net Talk 149 40 minutes worth of calls to SMART, Globe and Sun Renews every billing period TALKALL149

The All Net Talk 149 sounds interesting until I realized that Trinet 399 + All Net Talk 149 = P548. I would only be using the All Net Talk 149 to call Globe numbers, anyway, at P3.75 per minute. It would be much cheaper for me to subscribe to GOCTCOMBOAKA9 on my Globe instead during those few days when I need to call Globe numbers, fast and easy for me since I use GCash to reload 10 to my account any time I need to. GOCTCOMBOAKA9 is only 9 pesos and includes 10 minutes to Globe/TM valid for 1 day.

And anyway, if I find myself needing to call Globe numbers a lot, Globe’s myStarter 300 Plan looks good on paper, if only it was possible to get it line only with no lock-in period and no phone because I don’t want their cheap-ass “free” phone that I would just end up selling at Greenhills at a loss.

I feel pissed off at Smart for junking the Mega 250 for Freedom Plan subscribers. The Mega 250 was the thing I was proud of and always telling people about that getting a postpaid plan is cheaper than maintaining a prepaid. Now it’s gone and this really sucks. After the great value that was Mega 250, I’m just not really happy about going back to Trinet 399.

I get it, business-wise, they want force us cheapskates to fork over a bigger monthly payment than the meager P250. I was seriously considering dumping my Smart Freedom Plan and going back to Smart prepaid, but so many people already know my Smart postpaid number. When I got my Smart Freedom Plan, I thought it would be my “forever” number. Switching to a Sun prepaid and using TU200 is actually a very good alternative, except that I would have to change numbers. The whole changing numbers thing is the only thing keeping me from switching to Sun TU200, otherwise, I would switch in a heartbeat, because that’s how upset I am that Smart is forcing me back to Trinet 399.

What’s worse is that I had convinced so many of my friends and relatives to switch to Smart’s Freedom Plan or Plan 250 in the past few years from their previous prepaids. Now my immediate circles all use Smart Freedom or Plan 250. And now we’ve all been screwed. We’re now all forced to pony up more money a month and I feel like it’s my fault for convincing them to switch to Smart. An extra P150 a month is not really a lot of money, but if you don’t really need to spend it, why should you? And getting all of them to switch to another number and cellphone provider again? Way too much hassle for everyone, and that’s probably what Smart is banking on.

I think my friends who have maintained their old Sun prepaid numbers since Sun started the unli craze had the right idea. They’re all just using a combination of a Globe primary number and a Sun Cellular prepaid on TU150 or TU200 for all these years. I really should have stuck with prepaid for all my cellphone needs. Learn from me, think it over many, many times before getting any postpaid plan.

24 responses to “No More Mega Combo 250 for Smart Postpaid”

  1. It is too bad that Smart discontinued MEGA250 and Plan250. That was the best and most economical flexibundle/plan. For now, the cheapest prepaid “plan” is probably Sun Fixed Load P300 with unli all network texts and unli calls to Sun, Smart/TNT. Plus free FB and Viber. Globe Starter Plan P300 is still somewhat expensive in terms of its inclusions (300 texts and 300mins only) If this also has unli all network texts then maybe it is already reasonable. But that’s just me 🙂

    I would probably rather maintain a regular Globe prepaid number and register to their combos. I now realize that Globe sakto combos are still the cheapest among all networks. Not to mention that it is flexible too since it allows users to register based on their call, text or data needs.

    So I suppose it really depends on one’s needs, whether maintaining just a Globe combo would be enough. If I had a Freedom Plan, I will probably just keep this as a back up and use it “on demand” since MEGA250 is no longer available. And then just use Globe’s sakto combos. For as low as P250, this combo includes 1000 all network texts, 500mins Globe calls and 1gb data which is more than enough usage already for most people. I have also seen a combo for all network calls for a total of P386. This includes 1000 all network texts, 100mins all network calls, 1gb data. But I have not tried this though. Anyway, hope you find something that’s suitable for you and here’s hoping that Globe will keep their combos this way and not make the same mistake as Smart 🙂

    Reply

    • True! Globe’s Gosakto is the best right now for light to medium usage, the Gosakto combo that’s around 250 is the best deal.

      I am already considering doing it your way but not everyone in my circle uses a dual sim phone so they can’t switch to globe and still maintain their old smart freedom sim because they would need to buy a new phone. Haay. Next time, I have to insist that they choose dual sim phones all the time 🙂

      There really is no good reason to go postpaid as far as plans are concerned, imho. Prepaid offers are better and give more flexibility.

      Reply

  2. My husband hung his head in shame when I started ranting at Powerplant Mall because I got the no more MegaCombo250 text. Like you, I convinced 4 family members to get the Freedom plan as a second line alternative to Globe’s lousy signal.

    Reply

  3. Thanks to your Blog I discovered Talk n texts plan 150 for 30 days with 120 hours TRINET calls (smart, sun and TNT) and unlitext to all networks. I just use my smart freedom plan for 299 internet now. I also use a dual sim phone so when they text my freedom number I respond with my TNT. Now I wish TM would match this. Their EasyPlan will cost 300 a month. So I will just keep extending their combo20 daily.

    Reply

    • Thank you very much for sharing, Kinny! I am so happy that my blog was able to help you, knowing that makes all the effort to blog worthwhile 🙂

      Yeah, sa TM, you would think they would make a better offer than Globe, but the Globe Gosakto offers are so much better 🙂

      Reply

  4. Hi BQ,

    Mega250 is out BUT ALL TALK 299 is in! 300mins of all net calls for 30 days. Not sure if this is good for all types of postpaid plans

    Regards
    Tom

    Reply

    • Thanks for the heads up, Tom! That’s a new promo. I haven’t seen it before. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know about it!

      Some googling, I found this:

      All Talk 299
      300 minutes worth of calls to all networks for Plans 1499 and up, valid for 30 days.

      Unfortunately, it’s for Plans 1499 and up only. 🙁 Hope something to replace Mega250 comes out soon!

      Reply

  7. I have seen that its also available in thier online add-on shop but haven’t tried it because i dont know how to unsubscribe to trinetplus399 which is auto renewed every month. I am also a freedom plan user and previously subscribed to mega250 but i was forced to switch to plan 399 because its the only one nearly similar to plan mega250. I dont know if their present add-on choices is updated. Please keep me posted. Thanks.

    Reply

  8. All Net Talk 249 (“TALKALL”) is now available via *121#. You will have 80 minutes worth of calls to all networks. I already tried and subscribed my Freedom account to it last month. That is *121#, choose [3], then [5. All Net Talk 249]. But I unsubscribe from it afterwards, bec the “TALKALL149” is much better although it is only 40 mins call to all network. TALKALL149 is only available by sending that keyword to 9999.

    Reply

  9. I’m also a freedom plan subscriber, do I need to present other requirements if I need to switch for the Plan 399?

    Reply

    • Hello Jan,

      I have the plan 250. would you be interested to swap your freedom plan with me? Or can I purchase your old freedom plan if you plan to disconnect it.

      thanks,
      Rex

      Reply

      • Hi, I’d want to but sorry I can’t change my number, unfortunately. Have too many accounts tied to this number. Can’t wait for the number portability law to finally take effect!

        Reply

    • Thanks! 🙂 I saw that too when I logged in to my.smart. Unfortunately, it’s a bit too late. Once I stopped using my Smart as my main number and started using Globe, it ended up being more convenient for me. I use the Gosakto tricks and more people I know use Globe so I never looked back… I still keep my Smart Freedom plan as a backup plan, and to call people on Smart, but it’s now just plain pay-what-you-used nalang per month and sometimes I only use 2 minutes per month.

      Reply

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