Koodo Customers: Save Money On Your Cellular Bill

While we are very travel-focused at Frugal Flyer, we believe in optimizing your personal finance situation as much as optimizing your travel. Fixed monthly costs, such as cell phone bills or internet service, are always worth looking at to see if you can lower costs.

Historically, Canadians have been fleeced when it comes to telecom services. However, that is slowly starting to change as prices lower and plans improve for the better, partly driven by increased competition from low-cost providers While things are improving, it is unlikely that your cell phone provider would ever proactively reach out to offer a lower-cost plan, and instead, it is on you as the customer to seek out those deals and optimizations.

If you are an existing Koodo customer, let’s take a look at a few ways you can save money on your current cell phone bill.

Check For Cheaper Plans on Self-Serve

The simplest way to potentially lower your monthly Koodo bill is something you can do right now: check for cheaper plans when logged into Koodo’s self-serve online platform.

To do so, log into the Koodo website and click on “Self Serve Overview”. From there, click “Manage Plan and Add-ons” and click “Change My Plan” to see all other plans that you can switch to without needing to speak with a Koodo customer service representative. These plans do change regularly, so it doesn’t hurt to check monthly to see if any better deals are available.

The below screenshot is what I see in my account. As you can see, I am paying $45 per month for 75 GB of 5G data along with unlimited Canada-wide minutes and messaging. The other plans available are an incremental upgrade at best for significantly more money, so none of them are worth switching to.

However, I have seen some significantly better deals with sharing this simple method with friends and family in the past. For example, I recently shared this with a family member and they were able to change their plan in which they were paying $55 per month for 9 GB of data to a plan in which they are now paying $34 per month for 50 GB of data. 

This is a massive win as not only are they now on a better plan, but are also paying $21 less per month. That adds up to $252 saved per year which is not an insignificant amount of money.

On the other hand, you might check what plans you can change to and find a plan that is the same cost and has better features. For example, you might be able to switch to a plan with more data, 5G data speeds instead of 4G, or one with additional benefits like unlimited calling and texting. While saving money is the ultimate goal, it is also nice to switch to an even better plan for the price that you are already paying.

Call In & Speak to Customer Service For a Better Deal

While not as simple as selecting a better plan through the self-serve portal, sometimes you might be able to obtain a better plan by calling in and speaking to a Koodo customer service representative.

This is especially effective around key times during the year, such as back to school and Black Friday when cell phone plan deals run rampant. While many of these deals are for new customers, custom service reps often have the power to use them as a retention offer. Either way, it is always worth inquiring and seeing what they can do, as the worst you will end up with is the same plan you already have.

For example, the below screenshot is pulled from the Koodo homepage where they are offering 50 GB for $44 per month for new customers who are bringing their own cellular device. If this is better than your existing plan with Koodo, there is no harm in calling in and seeing if they can match it or improve upon your existing plan with a lower monthly fee or a better overall plan.

It is often worth citing what other mobile service providers are offering as a negotiation tactic. If somewhere else is offering a stellar plan, tell the customer service rep you are considering switching if they can’t match what is being offered elsewhere. If they can’t match it, you are most likely better off porting your number out and switching, as we will cover in a section below.

Save on International Usage While Traveling

If you are doing any traveling outside of Canada, using your Koodo plan through their “Easy Roam” service is expensive and one of the worst deals for you as a customer. 

Koodo charges $14 CAD per day spent in the United States and $16 CAD per day to use your existing plan including all data, calling to Canadian numbers and to numbers within your destination country, and all incoming and outgoing texts anywhere in the world. This can add up significantly over a week or two-week-long trip and is simply an excessive fee.

Fortunately, there are a couple of great alternatives for Canadians who are still looking to save money and still use their cell phone while traveling.

Airalo offers data-only eSIMs for any location worldwide. Customers who have an eSIM-compatible phone can purchase an eSIM for their destination country or region and have access to a set amount of data for a set period of time. These prices are significantly lower than Koodo; for example, you can purchase 3 GB of data to be used in Asia over 30 days for only $13 USD. The prices are often much lower if you choose a specific country instead of a region as well.

I’ve used Airalo in the past for many vacations where I only required data and was impressed with the ease of set-up and use coupled with the reasonable price point. If you are interested in using Airalo on your next vacation, you can sign-up here.

Google Fi is another strong alternative if you have a US mailing address available (including through a service such as 24/7 Parcel). Google Fi is similar to mobile providers in Canada as it provides customers with a permanent US cell phone number that can be used worldwide. There is no additional cost for using a Google Fi plan internationally and coverage is very good. 

Customers can also pause service for up to 3 months at a time when not traveling, meaning they will only pay when actually utilizing the plan. When the plan automatically resumes after 3 months, you can re-pause it to not incur any costs. With that in mind, Google Fi is a great option for travel-focused needs thanks to its low cost and flexibility.

If you are using Google Fi, I recommend signing up for the “Flexible” plan to keep costs low. What you are charged will be pro-rated based on the days of service in each billing period, so you won’t need to pay the full charge monthly unless you are actively traveling and using the service. Personally, I am set up for the “Flexible” plan for two people which gives both myself and my significant other a unique US number plus a shared pool of data.

This is my current preferred option for international travel as I have both myself and my significant other set up on Google Fi under the same plan. With Fi, a long weekend trip to the United States only costs a few dollars thanks to their cheap plans as I utilize free WiFi connections as much as possible with little data and calling usage. If you are interested in using Google Fi, you can sign-up here.

Finally, when you are traveling, it may also be cheaper to purchase a SIM once you arrive at your destination. Many countries offer SIMs at a cheap cost with incredible plans, so if you are ok with the slight inconvenience of having to go out of your way to purchase a SIM card, this is a great option.

Ultimately it doesn’t matter what solution you choose, but absolutely avoid using Koodo internationally else you will get scalped on their fees which can add up to a substantial amount over a longer trip.

Switch to Another Mobile Plan Provider

You might find that you simply can’t secure a cheaper or better plan with Koodo. It happens, and thankfully, there are other mobile service providers in Canada that are worth switching to.

Ultimately, loyalty isn’t typically rewarded in the mobile provider space, and as a result, sometimes the best option is to switch. If you aren’t happy with your current provider, whether it be due to the price or the plan that you have, we highly recommend looking at other providers to see if there is a better option available. Switching and porting your existing number has never been easier, so don’t let that hold you back.

Public Mobile is a Frugal Flyer favorite for its low costs and flexible plans. You do have to bring your own device to use their plans, but for those who already have a cellular device they are happy with this can be a great option. You can sign-up or switch to Public Mobile by clicking here and new customers will receive a $10 credit on their first statement.

The idea of switching also goes in reverse, as you may already be a customer of another service and find that Koodo has a plan that you are interested in. With that in mind, switching to Koodo might be a good way to save money especially if they are offering a good deal during Black Friday or during other promotions throughout the year.

If you are interested in becoming a Koodo customer, click here as new customers will receive $5 off their bill for the first 5 months.

Conclusion

Lowering what you pay for your cell phone bill is one of the best ways to save on fixed costs month-over-month. Whether you are able to employ one of the above strategies to save on your monthly Koodo bill, reduce costs when traveling internationally, or find yourself switching to another provider for a better deal, being a smart consumer and taking advantage of opportunities is a great feeling in a world that consistently continues to become more expensive.