MOBILE RECHARGE: Popular Plans, Talktime, and Comparison

The mobile phone in your hand needs to access telecom networks to make calls, search or browse something, download documents, etc. To access such services, you need to pay your mobile operators. Mobile operators provide you with a SIM card that needs to be recharged regularly to maintain their services. If you don’t recharge your SIM, your access to all network services will be deactivated. There are primarily two types of mobile recharge, prepaid and postpaid. Prepaid bills are always slightly higher than prepaid charges. The additional cost in prepaid is because it provides OTT access and other benefits. In postpaid, you have to pay for the services after you have used them.
Last updated in: November 2022

Currently, Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone-Idea (Vi), and BSNL are the major companies in the Indian telecom industry. In this blog, we have compiled the best recharge plans offered by Airtel, Jio, Vi, and BSNL for you.

What is mobile recharge?

Mobile recharge refers to paying your mobile operator to use telecom services such as data, voice calls, and SMS. In prepaid recharge, the subscriber has to pre-pay for the plan offered by the telecom operator. Telecom operators provide a variety of plans; the subscriber can choose the one that meets his requirement and pre-pay for the services offered in the plan.

How does mobile recharge work?

Recharging a mobile phone is easy. It can be done via any payment app such as Paytm, Phonepe, Gpay, Bharatpe.

Follow these steps to recharge your mobile number:

  1. Launch any payment app of your choice.
  2. Click on the mobile recharge icon (or Prepaid mobile recharge).
  3. Enter your 10-digit SIM number and select your plan.
  4. Proceed to pay securely via credit/debit card or wallet.


 

To recharge your mobile offline, you have to visit a recharge centre and pay for the recharge plan to the store person. The store will then recharge your phone.

What is Talktime in mobile recharge?

Talktime in mobile recharge refers to a value in minutes or money. The subscriber consumes this value by using telecom services such as voice calls. For instance, if a company offers a plan to get a talk time of ₹ 99 at 1p/sec, you can use the voice call service for no longer than 9900 seconds (or 165 minutes). However, the rate may vary in case of STD and international calls.

Who are the popular recharge service providers?

Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone-Idea, and BSNL are the popular recharge service providers. Some of the best-selling plans by the service providers are as follows:

Airtel logo
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Truly Unlimited ₹ 299 1.5 GB/day Unlimited 100/day 28 days Xstream mobile pack, Hellotunes, Amazon prime videos and Wynk music
Jio logo
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Cricket Plan ₹ 499 2 GB/Day Unlimited 100/day 28 days Free subscription to Disney+ Hotstar, Jio TV, JioSecurity, JioCloud, and JioCinema
Vi logo
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Cricket Pack ₹ 299 1.5 GB/Day Unlimited 100/day 28 days VI Movies/V, Weekend Data Rollover, Data delight, and Binge All Night*
BSNL logo
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
₹ 186 2 GB/day Unlimited 100/day 28 days N/A

Airtel Mobile Recharge Plans

Airtel is one of the leading telecom companies in India. It has an extensive portfolio of plans with different benefits. Airtel offers four types of plans: Truly Unlimited plans, Data package plans, Talktime plans, and International Roaming Plans.

Check out the popular recharge plans from Airtel!

What are the popular Airtel recharge plans?

The most popular and recommended Airtel recharge plans are as follows:


Popular Airtel Recharge Plans
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Truly Unlimited ₹ 299 1.5 GB/day Unlimited 100/day 28 days Xstream mobile pack, Free Hellotunes, Amazon prime videos ME* and Wynk music free
Truly Unlimited ₹ 359 2 GB/day Unlimited 100/day 28 days Xstream mobile pack, Free Hellotunes, Amazon prime videos ME* and Wynk music free
Truly Unlimited ₹499 2 GB/day Unlimited 100/day 28 days Disney+ Hotstar, Xstream mobile pack, Free Hellotunes, Amazon prime videos ME* and Wynk music free
Truly Unlimited ₹ 666 1 GB/day Unlimited 100/day 84 days Xstream mobile pack, Free Hellotunes, Amazon prime videos ME* and Wynk music free


Note that Truly Unlimited ₹499 provides a one-year subscription of Disney+ Hotstar.Airtel itself recommends these plans. Amazon prime videos Mobile Edition (ME) is available for 30 days as a free trial.

Which is the cheapest Airtel recharge plan?

The cheapest Airtel recharge plan under the category of Truly Unlimited is ₹155.


Cheapest Airtel Recharge Plan
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Truly Unlimited ₹ 155 1 GB/day Unlimited 300 24 days Hellotunes, Amazon prime video, Wnyk music


The cheapest Airtel recharge plan under the category of Data package is ₹19.


Cheapest Airtel Data Package
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Data Package ₹ 19 1 GB N/A N/A 1 day N/A


The cheapest Airtel recharge plan under the category of Talktime package is ₹155.


Cheapest Airtel Talktime Package
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Data Package ₹ 10 N/A ₹ 7.47 N/A N/A N/A


What is the Airtel smart recharge plan?

In some situations, a subscriber doesn't want to recharge but wants to keep their number active, maybe to use it as a secondary number. However, all the incoming calls, and other services will be deactivated if they don't recharge their number.To avoid such inconvenience, Airtel has launched a smart recharge plan designed to keep the number active with minimum services for 28 days.


Airtel smart recharge plan
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Smart Recharge ₹ 99 200 MB ₹ 99 N/A 28 days N/A


How to recharge your Airtel number?

You can recharge your Airtel number via Airtel Payment App, Paytm, Gpay, Phonepe, Bharatpe, or any other payment app. Follow these simple steps to recharge your Airtel number:

  1. Open your payment app.
  2. Click on the mobile recharge icon (or Prepaid mobile recharge).
  3. Enter your 10-digit SIM number and select your plan.
  4. Proceed to pay securely via credit/debit card or wallet.


 
To recharge your Airtel number online using website, follow the steps below:

  1. Vist airtel’s website www.airtel.in and log using the MPIN.
  2. Go to payment and recharge tab and select ‘prepaid recharge’.
  3. Enter your number and pick your suitable plan.
  4. Enter the recharge amount and click ‘proceed’.


 
To recharge your Airtel number online using AirtelThanks app, follow the steps below:

  1. Download the AirtelThanks app and go to payment bank option.
  2. Go to ‘Recharge’ and select ‘Mobile’.
  3. Enter your number and select the operator.
  4. Choose fromt he available list of plans and pick the suitable one.
  5. Enter the amount of the recharge and click ‘Pay now’.


 

Jio Mobile Recharge Plans

Jio offers six featured recharge plans at affordable prices with elevated services. Jio offers cricket plans, smartphone plans, Jiophone plans, talktime plans, ISD, International roaming. Cricket plans start at ₹ 499. Some of these plan also offer OTT benefits such as Disney+Hotstar.

What are the categories of Jio recharge plans?

Jio provides six categories of recharge plans. They are as follows:

  • Cricket Plans
  • Smartphone Plans
  • Jiophone Plans
  • Talktime Plans
  • ISD
  • International Roaming

What are the benefits of the Jio Recharge plan?

Jio Recharge plan offers the following benefits:

  • Unlimited calling
  • Free Jio-to-Jio calls
  • Free access to complimentary apps of Jio
  • High-value plans at low cost

What are the popular recharge plans by Jio?

The bestselling and hence popular plans are listed below. They are popular because they provide the best value for money and excellent benefits.


Jio Popular Plans
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Cricket Plan ₹ 499 2 GB/Day Unlimited 100 28 days Free subscription to Disney+ Hotstar, Jio TV, JioSecurity, JioCloud, and JioCinema
Smartphone Plan ₹ 209 1 GB/Day Unlimited 100 28 days Free subscription to Jio TV, JioSecurity, JioCloud, and JioCinema
Smartphone Plan ₹ 239 1.5 GB/Day Unlimited 100 28 days Free subscription to Jio TV, JioSecurity, JioCloud, and JioCinema
Smartphone Plan ₹ 666 1.5 GB/Day Unlimited 100 84 days Free subscription to Jio TV, JioSecurity, JioCloud, and JioCinema


Which is the best recharge plan of Jio?

The best recharge plan of Jio is for ₹ 299. It is the best-selling prepaid recharge plan of Jio.


Best Jio Recharge Plan
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
₹ 299 2 GB/Day Unlimited 100 28 days Free subscription to JioTV, JioSecurity, JioCloud, and JioCinema


What are the benefits of the Jio Recharge plan?

Jio Recharge plan offers the following benefits:

  • Unlimited calling
  • Free Jio-to-Jio calls
  • Free access to complimentary apps of Jio
  • High-value plans at low cost


Note that outgoing SMS will be charged as ₹ 1/₹ 1.5/₹ 5 for local/ STD/ ISD. Each category has a buddle of plans for different requirements. We have compiled only the popular ones in each category.

Vi (Vodafone-Idea) Mobile Recharge Plans

Vi has various prepaid plans specially designed to meet the requirements of customers. Vi Mobile has many types of recharge plans for all kinds of services. You can recharge your Vi mobile number by following simple steps. Read ahead to know more.

What are the categories of Vi recharge plans?

Vi offers seven categories of recharge plans for different requirements as follows:

  • Cricket Plans
  • Smartphone Plans
  • Jiophone Plans
  • Talktime Plans
  • ISD
  • International Roaming

Vi offers five categories of recharge plans for different requirements:


Vi Cricket Packs
Cricket Packs Data Talktime SMS/day Validity Benefits
Cricket pack ₹ 499 2 GB/Day Unlimited 100 28 days Free subscription to Disney+ Hotstar, along with VI Movies & TV, Weekend Data Rollover, Data delight, and Binge All Night
Cricket pack ₹ 1066 2 GB/Day Unlimited 100 84 days Free subscription to Disney+ Hotstar, along with VI Movies & TV, Weekend Data Rollover, Data delight, and Binge All Night*



Vi Truly Unlimited Packs
Truly Unlimited Packs Data Talktime SMS/day Validity Benefits
Truly Unlimited ₹ 269 1 GB/day Unlimited 100/day 28 days Free access to Vi movies and TV
Truly Unlimited ₹ 299 1.5 GB/Day Unlimited 100/day 28 days Free access to VI Movies and TV, Weekend Data Rollover, Data delight, and Binge All Night*



Vi Combo Packs
Combo Packs Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Combo ₹ 99 200 MB ₹ 99 @1p/sec N/A 28 days N/A
Combo₹ 107 200 MB ₹ 107 @1p/sec N/A 30 days N/A



Vi Talktime Packs
Talk time packs Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Talk time ₹ 10 N/A ₹ 7.47 N/A Unrestricted N/A
Talk time ₹ 100 N/A ₹ 81.75 N/A Unrestricted N/A
Talk time ₹ 500 N/A ₹ 423.73 N/A Unrestricted N/A



Other Vi Recharge packs
Other packs Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Roaming ₹ 295 N/A 40 min. N/A 28 days N/A
Plan Voucher ₹ 128 N/A 10 min. @ 2.5p/sec Will Charged* 28 days N/A


What are the popular Vi recharge plans?

The most popular Vi recharge plan is Cricket Pack ₹ 299.


Popular Vi Recharge Plans
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Cricket Pack ₹ 299 1.5 GB/Day Unlimited 100 28 days VI Movies and TV, Weekend Data Rollover, Data delight, and Binge All Night*


Which is the cheapest recharge plan by Vi?

The cheapest recharge plan by Vi under the category of Truly Unlimited Packs is ₹ 129.


Cheapest VI Unlimited Recharge Plan
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Truly Unlimited Pack ₹ 129 200 MB Unlimited N/A 18 days N/A


The cheapest recharge plan by Vi under the category of Combo Packs is ₹ 99.


Cheapest Vi Combo Pack Recharge plan
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Combo Pack ₹ 99 200 MB ₹ 90 @ 1p/sec N/A 28 days N/A


The cheapest recharge plan by Vi under the category of Talktime Packs is ₹ 129.


Cheapest Recharge Vi Plan Talktime
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
Talktime Pack ₹ 10 N/A ₹ 7.47 N/A Unrestricted N/A


How to recharge your Vi number?

You can recharge your Vi number via Paytm, Gpay, Phonepe, Bharatpe, or any other payment app. Follow these simple steps to recharge your Vi number:

  1. Open your payment app.
  2. Click on the mobile recharge icon (or Prepaid mobile recharge).
  3. Enter your 10-digit SIM number and select your plan.
  4. Proceed to pay securely via credit/debit card or wallet.

You can also recharge via the official website of Vi by following similar steps.

BSNL Mobile Recharge Plans

BSNL provides a variety of prepaid recharge plans with ample data incentives. The company has coverage throughout India.

What are the popular BSNL recharge plans?

Below mentioned are the most popular plans by BSNL. The most popular recharge plan offered by BSNL in Kolkata is for ₹ 186.


Popular BSNL Recharge Plans
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
₹ 186 2 GB/day Unlimited 100 28 days N/A
₹ 499 1 GB/day Unlimited 100 90 days N/A
₹ 1999 3 GB/day Unlimited 100 365 days Free subscription to Eros Now, BSNL tunes, and Lockdown content service

Note that prepaid plans of BSNL and service coverage vary from place to place.

Which is the cheapest BSNL recharge plan?

The cheapest BSNL recharge plan is for ₹ 97*.


Cheapest BSNL Recharge Plan
Plan Data Talktime SMS Validity Benefits
₹ 97* 2 GB/day Unlimited N/A 18 days N/A


*Note that prepaid plans of BSNL and service coverage vary from place to place.
Recharging your phone plan at a cafe

What are long term mobile recharge plans?

All mobile operator companies offer an annual plan as a long-term recharge plan. You can compare all the annual plans offered by different telecom companies.

Airtel, Jio, Vi, and BSNL long term recharge plans

Airtel, Jio, and Vi offer long-term recharge plans that give premium subscriptions to OTT platforms and telecom services. Check out the best annual plans from all the leading mobile operators.


Airtel, Jio and Vi Longterm Recharge Plans
Airtel logo
Annual Plan Data Talktime SMS/day Validity Benefits
₹ 2999 2 GB/day Unlimited 100 365 days Free subscription to Disney+ Hotstar, Prime video Mobile Edition Free Trial, Airtel Xstream Premium, Wynk Music Free, and Free online courses
Jio logo
Annual Plan Data Talktime SMS/day Validity Benefits
Cricket Plan ₹ 2999 2.5 GB/day Unlimited 100 365 days Free subscription to Disney+ Hotstar, Jio TV, JioCloud, Jiosecurity, and JioCinema
Vi logo
Annual Plan Data Talktime SMS/day Validity Benefits
₹ 2899 1.5 GB/day Unlimited 100/day 365 days Vi Movies & TV Classic access, Binge all night, and Data Delights
BSNL logo
Annual Plan Data Talktime SMS/day Validity Benefits
₹ 1999 3 GB/day Unlimited 100 365 days Free subscription to Eros Now, BSNL Tunes, and Lokdhun content service


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FAQ

How can I check my recharge plan details?

You can check your recharge plan details and track data usage on an app (or on the website) that your operator provides. Airtel Thanks App, My Jio App, and Vi App are the apps often used to check balance, data usage, and current plan.
BSNL users have to dial the USSD code *123# to find out about their current plan, balance, and other information.

What is the validity of a mobile recharge?

The validity of mobile recharge depends on the plan. Different plans have different validities.

How to find out my recharge balance?

Your mobile operator has provided a personalized app (such as Airtel Thanks App, My Jio App, and Vi App) in which you can check your recharge balance, data usage, and much more just by logging in with your number. BSNL users have to dial the USSD code *123#, and they will receive a text message about their balance and other information.

Where can I find the latest mobile recharge offers?

You can find the latest mobile recharge offers on any payment app because they keep all the plans up-to-date.

Updated on 20 May, 2022

Kathryn Ryan

Energy Specialist & Copywriter

Canadian content writer living in Barcelona, Spain dedicated to researching the best tips and tricks in everything broadband. I'll be the information hunter to your information gatherer.