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SIM-Only Plans: Hidden Costs To Watch Out For

Hidden costs and fees to watch out for when choosing a SIM only plan
While SIM-only plans offer unparalleled flexibility and cost-effectiveness, it’s crucial to stay vigilant. Uncover any hidden fees that could take you by surprise before committing to a subscription. This is a must-do not only for general consumers but also for professionals, shoppers, mobile gamers, and video streamers, all of whom have distinct usage patterns and priorities when it comes to their mobile plans. Read on to explore the potential pitfalls of choosing SIM-only plans, guiding you, whether you’re a professional needing reliable connectivity on the go, a savvy shopper looking for the best deals, a mobile gamer who requires seamless online gaming experiences, or a video streamer seeking uninterrupted content streaming. Making an informed choice is essential to ensure your mobile plan aligns with your specific needs and budget, regardless of your mobile usage habits.

1. Activation Fees

When considering a SIM only plan in Singapore, the enticing monthly rate can appear like a bargain at first glance. However, the fine print can reveal additional costs that might surprise you. Activation fees, for instance, are charged when you activate a new SIM card or switch carriers. To ensure full transparency, always check if your chosen plan includes activation fees or if they’re waived as part of a promotion. At MyRepublic Mobile, Caller ID, SIM Card activation and registration are all included free. Moreover, there is no lock-in contract commitment for our mobile plans.

2. Early Termination Fees

Even if you’ve been using a mobile plan for some time, unforeseen situations, such as a relocation may compel you to prematurely cancel your plan. Unfortunately, some providers may impose early termination fees in such cases. This is relevant not only to mobile users but also to shoppers who may have initially signed up for plans bundled with special discounts or offers. Hence, it’s wise to opt for a plan with flexible terms or lower termination charges to steer clear of being bound to a commitment you cannot fulfil, whether you’re a mobile user or a shopper taking advantage of a special promotion. Understanding the terms and conditions of your plan can save you from unexpected expenses and ensure you have the flexibility you need in case your circumstances change.

3. SIM Card Fees

You should also keep an eye out for SIM card fees. Some providers make you pay for the physical SIM card itself, which can add to your initial setup costs. To keep your expenses in check, look for plans that offer free or subsidised SIM cards.

● Free SIM Cards

Selecting a plan that includes a complimentary SIM card allows you to use the money to upgrade other essential aspects of your mobile plan, like data and call allowances. This strategic choice ensures you get more value from your plan.

Learn more: What You Need to Know About Data Allowances and Add-Ons for Data-Only Postpaid Plans

● Subsidised SIM Cards

While not all providers offer free SIM cards, many provide them at a reduced rate compared to standalone purchases. This can lead to significant savings, considering that standalone SIM cards can be relatively expensive.

4. Roaming Fees

While SIM-only plans often offer excellent deals for local use, these costs can quickly escalate when you’re abroad, which is a concern not only for individuals but also for professionals. Data roaming fees apply when you use your phone outside of your country of residence, and for professionals who travel frequently for work, these charges can significantly impact their budgets. To avoid unexpected bills that could affect both individuals and professionals, it’s essential to inquire about your provider’s roaming rates and consider adding a roaming data plan if you are a frequent traveller for either personal or business purposes.

5. International Call Charges

International call charges can add to your bill, impacting your budget. Here’s why they can be a concern:

● Cost Per Minute

International call rates can vary widely depending on the destination country and your mobile provider. Some countries may have relatively low rates, while others can be quite expensive per minute.

● Unpredictable Expenses

International calls can be necessary for various reasons but their unpredictability makes it challenging for accurate budgeting. Understanding your provider’s rates helps you to save on monthly bills.

● Alternative Communication Methods

You may leverage cost-effective alternatives to making traditional international calls. Apps like WhatsApp, Skype, or Zoom enable you to make voice and video calls over the internet, typically at lower or even no cost when connected to Wi-Fi.
Alternative Communication Methods

6. Data Usage Limits and Excess Data Charges

Unlimited data is a powerful feature, but not all SIM-only plans offer this. Some plans come with data usage limits, and exceeding them can result in unexpected costs. This is particularly crucial for mobile gamers and video streamers who tend to consume more data than the average user. To avoid any unpleasant surprises, make sure you are clear about your plan’s data limits and the charges payable for excess data usage.

While SIM-only plans are ideal for most cost-conscious consumers, including mobile gamers and video streamers, it’s important to look out for hidden costs and fees to make the most of these plans, especially considering the data-intensive nature of gaming and streaming. Understanding your plan’s data limitations and any potential overage charges is essential for ensuring a seamless and budget-friendly mobile experience for all types of users. MyRepublic’s 5G mobile plans allow subscribers to enjoy surfing at managed speeds, even beyond the plan’s quota. The best part: There are no hidden charges and no binding contracts
MyRepublic provides a wide array of mobile and internet services such as roaming data plans, mobile plans and more. We are proud to be voted Singapore’s #1 Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Provider by readers of HardwareZone and HWM for 4 years running.

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© 2024 MyRepublic

Privacy Policy

At MyRepublic, we are committed to maintain the security and confidentiality of the personal information held by us. This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) describes how we look after the personal information we obtain or you provide us with when you use our Website ([insert Card Con URL]), attend Card Con, or correspond with us relating to Card Con.

1. Your Privacy

We will take reasonable care to ensure that your personal information is accurate, complete, up-to-date and stored in a secure environment, protected from unauthorised access, modification, loss or disclosure. 

2. Personal Information

a. “Personal Information” refers to your personal particulars obtained by us in the course of our dealings with you. Personal Information collected may include personal contact details, interests, comments and feedback, and communication preferences.

b. We may use “cookies” or other similar tracking technologies (“Cookies”), when you visit our Sites or use our products and services to distinguish you from other users. Through Cookies, it might also include how you use our Website to help us develop and improve our website, including details of your domain name and Internet Protocol (IP) address, operating system, browser version, cookie details, how long you stayed on a page, the route you took to navigate through the pages and the website that you visited prior to accessing our site.

c. We collect your personal information through the following means: 

– From you directly:
1. Data submitted through our web forms (including registration forms)
2. Data collected onsite during our exhibition(s), this includes personal information and activities
3. Data collected by  employees when in direct communication with persons / organisations

– By automated technologies / services, including:
1. Data gathered from services which use IP address to determine where the visitors to our site originate from
2. Information from actions made by an individual in response to direct marketing campaigns, including when an individual opens any emails or follows any links originating from our email communications
3. Information related to website navigation and usage
4. Data used to provide personalised marketing / user experiences while visiting our sites

– From third party sources, including:
1. Personal information or supplementary information from partners who we engage with in joint marketing efforts
2. Public data sources used to supplement or validate our existing datasets
3. Data services / suppliers used to obtain or supplement our existing datasets
4. Data which has been acquired as part of an acquisition or merger

3. How we use Your Personal Information

a. We may collect and use your Personal Information to:
1. Provide you with information and updates relating to Card Con.
2. Respond to you in relation to any enquiries you may have
3. Produce analytics relating to your usage of our products and response to our marketing activities
4. Improving our services and user experience
And where you have opted-in:
5. Deliver targeted promotional messaging relating to our services

c. MyRepublic will not use your Personal Information for any purpose not permitted by law or beyond the stated purpose you have consented to.

d. The Card Con Website contains links to other sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of other websites. 

4. Who do we share your Personal Information to

a. Apart from our staff, we may share your personal information with third parties to perform obligations or carry out services to us, related to the provision our products or services to you. Those entities may include:
(i) companies related to us;
(ii) our business partners, marketing partners and authorised service providers;
(iii) our professional advisors; and
(iv) our suppliers.

b. We are required to disclose your Personal Information to the parties described above so that they may carry out their obligations to us, and to you. Our disclosure of your Personal Information may, at times, be subject to their privacy policies. To every extent possible, we require these parties to act consistently with the personal information protections we have put in place.

c. We also reserve the right to disclose your Personal Information to law enforcement agencies, government regulators and our professional advisers, to the extent necessary as required by appliable laws.

d. If you post information on any of our Websites or social media platforms, any information on your post, such as your user name, may be seen by other visitors. 

5. How long do we retain your Personal Information

We retain your Personal Information for as long as it is necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, for legal or business purposes of MyRepublic, or as required or allowed by law. We will cease to retain such Personal Data when it is no longer required for the foregoing purposes. 

6. How you can access and update your Personal Information

a. You must ensure your listed customer details are current, complete and accurate. You may correct or update your customer details by contacting our Customer Support.

b. If you require access or a copy of your Personal Information within our possession, please contact us according to Clause 11 and we will assess your request. In some cases, we may impose a reasonable charge for making copies of Personal Information available to you. If so, we will advise you of the charge prior to making the information available to you. 

7. Withdrawing your Consent

a. You may request to withdraw your consent by contacting us according to Clause 11. Your request for withdrawal of consent will take effect within 30 days upon receipt of your request. Please note that use of your personal data may be essential for us to provide the product or service that you subscribed. Therefore, your withdrawal of consent may impair our ability to continue providing the product or service to you. Your withdrawal of consent does not affect our right to continue to collect, use and disclose personal data where permitted or required under applicable laws.

b. If you wish to withdraw your consent to receive marketing messages about our exclusive offers from us or our business partners, please contact our Customer Support or unsubscribe from our newsletter. Your request will be processed within 30 days. Non-marketing messages including product and service updates and notices will not be affected by your consent withdrawal. 

8. Protecting Your Personal Data

We take reasonable physical, technical and administrative steps to help prevent loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure or modification of Personal Information. However, please understand that the transmission of data over the Internet or any other public network may be subject to loss, interception and misuse. We do not represent, warrant or undertake that your Personal Information transmitted through online means will remain secure, and disclaim all liability arising from such transmission. 

9. Overseas Transfers

We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your personal information is treated securely and in accordance with this Policy and the data protection legislation when it is processed in, or otherwise accessed from, a location outside Singapore. In order to ensure the highest level of protection. MyRepublic abides by PDPA data standards. 

10. Cookies

a. Cookies helps us to provide you with a better customer experience, when browsing our Sites. Cookies are small data files and may contain unique identifiers stored on your device by an online site. When you use our Site, we may collect standard information that is sent from your browser to our Website, including technical and statistical information.

b. You can usually choose to set your browser settings to manage Cookies. If you choose to remove or reject Cookies, you may not be able to access all or parts of our Website or services. 

11. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may review, amend or update this Privacy Policy from time to time without prior written notice. Updates to the Privacy Policy will be published on this page. We recommend that your review this page periodically for updates. Your continuous use of our Websites, products and services, will be deemed acceptance of any changes or additions to this Privacy Policy. 

12. Contacting Us

If you have any query or feedback regarding this Privacy Policy, you may contact our Data Protection Officer at: [email protected].

Last updated 26 March 2025 

Card Con – Visitor Terms and Conditions

By registering for Card Con, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms and Conditions.

1. Introduction

1.1 These Terms and Conditions (“Terms“) govern the registration and participation of attendees (“Attendees“) in Card Con by MyRepublic (“Card Con“), organised by MyRepublic (“Organiser“).

1.2 By registering for Card Con, Participants agree to comply with these Terms and the Card Con Privacy Policy.

2. Registration

2.1 Registration for Card Coins free of charge.

2.2 Attendees must provide accurate and complete information during the online registrationon the Card Con website at https://myrepublic.net/sg/card-con/ (“Website”) and must present their QR code upon registration at Card Con.

2.3 MyRepublic reserves the right to refuse or revoke an Attendee’s registration at its sole discretion.

3. Event Conduct

3.1 Attendees shall conduct themselves respectfully and follow all rules set by the Organiser.

3.2 Any disruptive, illegal, or inappropriate behaviour, including but not limited to harassment, cheating or other misconduct, may result in immediate removal from the Event.

3.3 Attendees must adhere to all venue rules and regulations.

4. Intellectual Property

4.1 Attendees shall not infringe on any third-party intellectual property rights during Card Con.

4.2 Unauthorised reproduction, distribution, or possession of copyrighted or trademarked materials is strictly prohibited.

4.3 The Organiser may take appropriate action against any Attendeefound violating intellectual property laws, including but not limited to removal from Card Con.

4.4 The Organiser disclaims all liability to the Attendees and any third parties for the infringement of laws, regulations, intellectual property rights, and venue requirements by the exhibitors, vendors and Attendees.

5. Liability Disclaimer

5.1 Subject to applicable law, the Organiser, the venue, the vendor, and the exhibitors disclaim all liability for any injury, damage or loss of any kind, including but not limited to personal injury, loss, or damage to property suffered by Attendees during the Event, even if it is caused by the negligence, omission, or fault of the Organiser, its employees, officers, agents, or sub-contractors in connection with the Website, or Card Con.

5.2 The Organiser shall not be responsible for any disputes, damages, or losses arising from transactions or interactions between Attendees, or between Attendees and the exhibitors at Card Con.

5.3 Attendees attend Card Con at their own risk and are responsible for their own personal belongings.

6. Photography and Media Release

6.1 The Organiser may take photographs, videos, or other recordings during Card Confor promotional purposes.

6.2 By attending Card Con, Attendeesconsent to the use of their likeness in such media without compensation.

7. Tournament & Prize Terms (If Applicable)

7.1 Tournament participants must follow official tournament rules and regulations.

7.2 Prizes are non-transferable, and non-exchangeable.

7.3 Any disputes will be resolved by the Organiser or its appointed vendors, and their decision will be final.

8. Amendments and Cancellation

8.1 The Organiser reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time without prior notice.

8.2 The Organiser may cancel, postpone, or modify Card Conat its sole discretion without liability.

9. Governing Law

9.1 These Terms shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of Singapore.

9.2 Any disputes arising from or related to these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Singapore.