24-month contract, monthly cancellable or prepaid?
What a contract with a minimum term still saves today, what German law says about cancelling and renewal, and when prepaid is cheaper.
All prices in this guide come from our comparison of 274 German mobile tariffs and are average prices per month over 24 months, one-time costs included. As of .
What a minimum term still saves today
A 24-month contract used to be almost always cheaper. Today many tariffs without a minimum term cost the same or less. The table shows the cheapest tariff of each kind for each data size. The last column shows how much more the cheaper of the two flexible options costs per month than the tariff with a minimum term; a minus means no term is even cheaper.
| Data | With minimum term | Monthly cancellable | Prepaid | Extra without term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| from 5 GB | Lyca Mobile Global Connect XS 5 GB, Ø €3.50 |
Lebara Allnet 20 GB Flex 20 GB, Ø €5.82 |
Lyca Mobile Lyca Easy XS 5 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €5.41 |
+€1.91 |
| from 10 GB | Lebara Allnet 20 GB 20 GB, Ø €5.20 |
Lebara Allnet 20 GB Flex 20 GB, Ø €5.82 |
Lyca Mobile Lyca Flat 20 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €6.49 |
+€0.62 |
| from 20 GB | Lebara Allnet 20 GB 20 GB, Ø €5.20 |
Lebara Allnet 20 GB Flex 20 GB, Ø €5.82 |
Lyca Mobile Lyca Flat 20 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €6.49 |
+€0.62 |
| from 50 GB | Lebara Allnet 50 GB 50 GB, Ø €9.20 |
Lebara Allnet 50 GB Flex 50 GB, Ø €9.82 |
Lyca Mobile Lyca Extra 60 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €9.74 |
+€0.54 |
What German law says about terms and cancellation
- The first minimum term may be at most 24 months. Providers must also offer you a contract with a term of at most 12 months.
- After the minimum term, a contract no longer renews for a whole year. You can then cancel it at any time with one month’s notice (§ 56 of the Telecommunications Act, TKG, since December 2021).
- Monthly cancellable tariffs and prepaid can be ended at any time at the end of the billing period.
If you have had your old contract for more than 24 months, you often pay more than you need to: new tariffs usually give much more data for the same money. You can switch with one month’s notice and keep your number for free.
Prepaid: watch the billing period
Many prepaid tariffs charge every 4 weeks, so 13 times a year. A €9.99 package then costs €129.87 a year instead of €119.88, or about €10.82 a month. We include this in every average price so that you can compare prepaid and contracts directly. Yearly packages pay off if you need little data and want to pay once a year.
What suits whom
- No minimum term if the price difference is small, you want to try a network first or you do not know how long you will stay in Germany.
- Minimum term if the tariff is clearly cheaper over 24 months and you are happy with the network.
- Prepaid if you want full control of costs, for example for children, or want to sign up without a credit check (SCHUFA).
To the comparisons: no minimum term, prepaid, with contract.
Quick answers
Can I cancel a German mobile contract monthly after 24 months?
Yes. Since December 2021, a contract that runs past its minimum term continues indefinitely, and you can cancel it at any time with one month’s notice (§ 56 TKG).
Is a tariff with a minimum term cheaper than a monthly one?
With at least 20 GB, the cheapest tariff with a minimum term costs €5.20 a month today, the cheapest without one €5.82. The difference is +€0.62 a month; a negative value means no term is even cheaper.
Why is prepaid sometimes dearer than it looks?
Many prepaid tariffs charge every 4 weeks, so 13 times a year instead of 12. A €9.99 package therefore costs about €10.82 a month.