28-day recharges: why you pay for 13 months a year

Most prepaid plans in India don't last a month. They last 28 days. Four weeks feels like a month and the price reads like a monthly price, but the calendar keeps going.

The thirteenth recharge

A year has 365 days. Divide that by 28 and you get 13.04. So a 28-day plan doesn't renew 12 times a year, it renews 13 times. That thirteenth recharge is the one nobody budgets for, and it costs a full plan.

Prices checked on 6 October 2026. Operators change them often, so confirm yours in your operator's app before you recharge.

Compare the cost per day, not the price

A plan's price means little until you divide it by its validity. Two plans that look ₹30 apart can cost exactly the same per day:

The calendar month plan isn't cheaper per day than the 28-day one. It's easier to live with, because it renews on the same date every month.

Calendar month plans exist because of a rule

In 2022, TRAI, the telecom regulator, required operators to offer plans with 30 days of validity and plans that renew on the same date every month, alongside their 28-day plans. That's why most operators now list a "calendar month" or "30 days" option. It's usually a short list, so look for it in your operator's app if you'd rather pay on a fixed date.

Longer validity usually wins

If you know you'll stay with your operator, longer plans cost less per day and mean fewer recharges:

• 84 days instead of 28. Jio's ₹949 plan costs ₹98 less than three recharges of the ₹349 plan, with the same 2 GB a day and unlimited 5G.
• A whole year at once. Jio's ₹3,599 plan gives 2.5 GB a day and JioHotstar for 365 days. Thirteen recharges of the ₹399 plan, which has the same data and JioHotstar, cost ₹5,187: ₹1,588 more.
• The catch. A long plan is money paid upfront, and it ties you in if you want to switch operators or a better plan comes along.

Check what your plan already includes

Many plans bundle streaming apps. Jio's ₹399 and ₹449 plans include JioHotstar, its ₹349 plan includes it for 3 months, and its ₹445 plan comes with Sony LIV, ZEE5 and FanCode. If you also pay for one of these apps on its own, you're paying twice. JioHotstar's mobile plan is ₹79 a month by itself: ₹948 a year for something your recharge may already cover.

Let your phone count the days

A 28-day cycle is hard to track in your head because it drifts: it lands on a different date every month. Recuro handles 28, 56 and 84-day recharges alongside monthly, quarterly and yearly bills. It reminds you before your plan runs out, counts every recharge in your yearly total, and with Pro, flags apps your recharge already includes.