Over the years MTN has introduced and reintroduced lot of tariffs, and with each tariff presenting ambiguous and ‘sugar-coated’ offers, most of us end up settling for the one that doesn’t fit our lifestyle. And after using the tariff for a couple of months and a friend or a colleague tells you how he usually gets 21 minutes for ₦100, you want to change to his tariff without considering weather it suits your style.

You keep migrating from one tariff to the other because you don’t find contentment in one.

The fact is, MTN tariffs are not designed the same way. A tariff that is perfect for Mr. A might not be perfect for Mrs. A; therefore no one can categorically say one tariff is better than the other.

MTN itself is not helping in the way it presents the benefits of its tariffs, making it hard for subscribers to know the one that suits them.

So in order to shed more light on the grey areas in MTN tariffs and help you choose the one that is best fit for you, I have brought all MTN tariff plans together, presented their pros and cons, and analyzed the total call time for ₦100 and ₦200 worth of credit.

The results from my analysis were then used in making conclusion and recommendation that will guide you to selecting a tariff that complement your calling behaviour.

If you find my analysis confusing, just skip to the result, which I have put in a red box for each tariff.

Ready to explore the grey areas in MTN tariffs with me? If yes follow me and let’s get started step by step.

MTN tariff Plans, Pros, Cons and Analysis

NB: I excluded the 10MB data given on first recharge in a week on some tariffs. I did this because I don’t think this data is significant in this smartphone age.

MTN Pulse

The Pros:
* Flat call rate of 11k/s to all networks in Nigeria.

* ₦25 for 500MB data, usable between 12p.m. — 4a.m.

* ₦500 for 1GB data, valid for 7 days.

* Share and sell is available.

The Cons:
* No credit bonus on recharge.

* No defined charges for international calls.

* First 50 seconds on call in a day are charged at 20k/s.

The Math:


With Pulse you get 14 minutes 28 seconds for ₦100 and 29 minutes 37 seconds for ₦200. Migration code to MTN Pulse is *406*1# or text 406 to 131.

MTN BetaTalk

The Pros:
* 200% (3 times) bonus on recharges starting from ₦100.

* No first call charges.

The Cons:
* Call rate to all networks at 40k/s.

* Share and sell not available.

* ₦25 for 500MB night data not available.

* ₦500 for 1GB data not available.

* No defined charges for international calls.

The Math:


With BetaTalk you get 12 minutes 30 seconds for ₦100 and 25 minutes for ₦200. Migration code to MTN BetaTalk is *123*2*6# or text BT to 131.

MTN XtraPro

The Pros:
* Call rate to all networks at 11k/s.

* Share and sell is available.

The Cons:
* No bonus credit on recharge.

* ₦5 charges before you can enjoy the 11k/s rate.

* ₦25 for 500MB night data not available.

* ₦500 for 1GB data not available.

* No defined charges for international calls.

The Math:


With XtraPro you get 14 minutes 24 seconds for ₦100 and 29 minutes 30 seconds for ₦200. Migration code to MTN XtraPro is *401*1# or text 401 to 131.

MTN XtraSpecial

The Pros:
* Call rate to all networks at 15k/s.

* Call to some selected international countries also charged at 15k/s.

* No daily access charges.

* Share and sell is available.

The Cons:
* ₦500 for 1GB data not available.

* ₦25 for 500MB night data not available.

The Math:

With XtraSpecial you get 11 minutes 6 seconds for ₦100 and 22 minutes 12 seconds for ₦200. Migration code to MTN XtraSpecial is *408*1# or text 408 to 131.

MTN TruTalk

The Pros:
* 150% bonus on every recharge starting from ₦100.

* MTN to MTN call at the rate of 20k/s.

The Cons:
* MTN to other networks at the rate of 26k/s.

* ₦25 for 500MB night data not available.

* ₦500 for 1GB data not available.

* No defined charges for international call rate.

The Math:

With TruTalk you get 20 minutes 48 seconds for ₦100 and 41 minutes 42 seconds for ₦200 on calls from MTN to MTN.


With TruTalk you get 16 minutes 1 second for ₦100 and 32 minutes 3 seconds for ₦200 on calls from MTN to Other Networks. Migration code to MTN TruTalk is *123*2*1# or text 400 to 131.

MTN Zone
Couple of years back, MTN Zone used to be one of the best tariffs. At that time you can get call rate as low as 1k/s. The plan later degenerated to 40k/s and people opted out. Even though the tariff is still listed on Migration code (when you dial *123*2*7#), MTN has finally discontinued it.

By combining the pros, the cons, and the math of each of the listed MTN tariffs, you must have seen that all the tariffs come with goodies and baddies. However depending on your calling behaviour, one is better than the other; and here is my recommendation in choosing the best for you:

* MTN Pulse: this suits you if you are a heavy data user and also make call regularly. ₦500 for 1GB data and 14 minutes 28 seconds for ₦100 are excellent offers you can’t get on the other tariffs.

* MTN BetaTalk: the bonus of this tariff is cosmetic. The 40k/s rate kills both the bonus and your main credit; however it is a good tariff to consider if you only call people within Nigeria.

* MTN TruTalk: this is best suit for you if 95% of the people you call are on MTN.

* MTN XtraPro: this tariff is almost like MTN Pulse; however with the cheap data offers on MTN Pulse, MTN Pulse is better.

* MTN XtraSpecial: this tariff is perfect for you, if you regularly do both local and international calls.

Now you have the facts (the pros and the cons) and also the figures (the math). The onus is on you to choose the best for yourself.

Source: http://howtotechnaija.com/best-mtn-tariff-plans-facts-figures/

nyce analysis

Thanks @OP
Been punishing myself on betaTALK, thinking I was getting a good bonus

Well detailed....Nice work

Pls how do I subscribe for the night data plan on mtn pulse

@tunisbaba, l love your detailed analysis on the pros and cons of each tariff plan.

Am going to bookmark this page.

Nice info here...Good post

Nice work Op. Pls, can u give us facts and figures on Airtel tarriff?

babarazy:
Nice work Op. Pls, can u give us facts and figures on Airtel tarriff?

I will see what I can do about that bro.

Nice one op,.... Expecting that of Airtel too. Bookmarked!

hayzed1090:
Pls how do I subscribe for the night data plan on mtn pulse

Send NIGHT to 131

[quote author=tunisbaba post=53096939]

Thanks boss. Pls wat if I want 1gb and also, I got a message that fair usage policy applies

@ op sorry to cut you short but MTN zone doesn't charge 40k/sec .it's only on rare occasions or selected areas. However they charge 12k/sec between 9p.m to 6a.m and 9a.m to 6p.m.

Mtn pulse is still the best anyday anytime....

Really helpful. But please how many days does 500mb last

asuustrike2009:
@ op sorry to cut you short but MTN zone doesn't charge 40k/sec .it's only on rare occasions or selected areas. However they charge 12k/sec between 9p.m to 6a.m and 9a.m to 6p.m.

Yea MTN Zone depends on area, and during its heyday you don't get 40k/sec. It was at a point in the time past that everything changed to worst, and now MTN has stopped the tariff.

nice. rich. detailed.

tunisbaba:


Yea MTN Zone depends on area, and during its heyday you don't get 40k/sec. It was at a point in the time past that everything changed to worst, and now MTN has stopped the tariff.

Really! But am it anyway. So MTN zone is gone? Hmmmm

Can u borrow airtime and transfer airtime on Mtn TruTalk?

@admin, this is educative it deserves front page pls.

This (your original post) is an excellent piece of work and so handy, OP @tunisbaba, many thanks.

For me, I was using iPulse for both voice and data. Following your above analysis, I will henceforth use [i]Pulse only for my MTN data needs on a dedicated line, and TruTalk only for MTN-to-MTN calls on another line.

MTN's XtraSpecial is indeed good for calling some international destinations; it could have been smoked by Glo's equivalent offer at about 11k/s if ₦1k is committed, unfortunately that must be used up in 30 days or any balance on it is forfeited. Hmm.

Do you or other folks know whether or not MTN's G750 (₦750 at 11k/s or so to some usual suspects overseas destinations) still subsists?

P34c3
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Lalasticlala, which platform u dhey use?

babarazy:
Nice work Op. Pls, can u give us facts and figures on Airtel tarriff?

Detailed analysis of Airtel tariff plan is now on Airtel Tariff Plans: A Guide to Choosing The Best Plan That Suits You

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