Jio’s new recharge plans can be confusing — here’s how to figure them out

• Jio’s new tariffs have users in a tussle about having to top-up in order to make calls to other numbers.
  
• Even though Jio has introduced new ‘all-in-one’ data plans, they do not include unlimited calling minutes — only limited IUC minutes at a discounted price.
  
• Long term plans, exceeding ₹999, aren’t privy to unlimited calling either.
  

Last month, Jio hiked its tariffs. But that’s not the only issue its users are facing. The plans, which were fairly simple earlier, are being perceived as complicated.

The data recharge plans normally included unlimited local calling. But now users need to use top-up vouchers to cover the ‘interconnect usage charge’ (IUC) — or calls to other networks. And, even then, the minutes are limited.

The recent changes have left users confused and frustrated unaware that even Jio’s new ‘all-in-one’ plans don’t necessarily include unlimited calling — just unlimited calling to other Jio numbers.




How are traditional data plans different?

Traditional daily data plans that sell for ₹449 for 91 days, ₹399 for 84 days and ₹349 for 70 days don’t come bundled with any minutes whatsoever. All Jio-to-Jio calls will be free but you’ll need additional balance in order to make calls to under networks. These calls will be charged at 6paise/minute.



How can I get free calling to other networks with data?

In case, you don’t want to recharge with balance, Jio does give users to option to top-up their plans with IUC vouchers — ₹10 gets you 124 IUC minutes, while ₹100 can provide 1362 IUC minutes.

The IUC voucher, however, has to be applied alongside the data recharge. It is not a standalone option that can be added later.

Even the long-term plans for ₹999, ₹1999, ₹4999 and ₹9999 don’t have free calling to other networks and need to be supplemented with IUC vouchers.

What do Jio’s new ‘all-in-one’ plans include?

Jio’s ‘all-in-one’ plans don’t actually include everything but are more budget-friendly for people who need to make calls to outside networks.

The cheapest plan at ₹149 includes 300 minutes of IUC calls and 1.5GB of daily data for 24 days.

Once the IUC minutes run out, you will be charged for calls at 6 paise/minute.

Subsequent plans of ₹222, ₹333, and ₹444 — lasting 28, 56, and 84 days respectively — all come with 2GB daily data and 1000 IUC minutes.

How can I protect myself against future price hikes?

Jio and other telecom companies in the market are expected to increase tariffs again after December 1. But Jio — and Airtel — are now allowing users to queue up their data recharges at the current price to activate in the future.

If you’re a Jio subscriber, all you have to do is go into the MyJio app and recharge with any of the plans that you wish to activate at a later date.

After you’ve made the payment, the plan will automatically show up under the ‘My Plans’ section of the app. Once your current plan expires, you’ll have to manually implement it by selecting the ‘activate’ option.