Mobile plans for students and apprentices: What young-people discounts really offer

"I'm starting uni after Easter and everyone's telling me something different: my parents swear by Telekom, my brother says just get whatever for five euros, and online everyone's advertising Young plans. So what's actually true?" – This email from Lena in Münster landed in our inbox recently, and since the summer semester is just starting, we're answering it here for everyone. Because mobile plans for students and apprentices are an area where the mobile industry has been working with the same two ingredients for years: real discounts and clever marketing. You just need to be able to tell them apart.

What's behind the young-people plans

All three network operators – Telekom, Vodafone, O2 – have special offers for young people, usually up to age 27 or 28. The principle is similar everywhere: you either get a few euros off the standard plan or, more often, significantly more data allowance for the same price. 20 GB becomes 40, 50 GB sometimes doubles. You have to prove your age with ID, sometimes your date of birth at order time is enough; a certificate of enrolment isn't needed for most Young plans anymore, since they're simply tied to age.

Sounds generous. And in part it is. But – and this is the point the advertising leaves out – the discount applies to plans that were pretty expensive to begin with. A MagentaMobil contract regularly starts at €29.95 for 20 GB. If the Young discount turns that into, say, €24.95 with more data, that's still five times what a discounter plan costs.

That doesn't make going with a network operator wrong. You get the best possible network experience there, full 5G speed, often extras like hotspot allowances or streaming perks. Anyone who commutes a lot, lives in the countryside, or needs their phone for work is buying real quality here. It's just that you have to pay for it too.

The discounter math: what's possible under €10

Now the other side. On the shelf of budget providers, the world looks like this: WinSIM from €4.99 for 3 GB, Lidl Connect Smart S for €4.99 with 5 GB, Penny Mobil for €5.99, Blau Allnet M with 8 GB for €7.99, the 1&1 All-Net Flat Basic with 10 GB for €9.99. If you want the Telekom network, congstar has you covered from about €10. And Lycamobile currently even offers 25 GB for €4.50 on the O2 network during the promotional period – more data for less money is hard to beat.

Let's run through Lena's case. Assuming she needs around 15 to 20 GB a month – realistic for someone who's mostly on university Wi-Fi and streams on the go. A Young plan from a network operator will quickly cost her €500 to €700 over the typical 24-month contract term. A discounter plan with comparable data allowance comes in at €150 to €250. The difference is a semester ticket. Or three months' rent for a shared room, depending on the city.

So why do so many young people still pay the higher price? Honestly: habit and convenience. The contract has been running through their parents since school days, nobody's ever switched, and the network operators know it. The Young discounts are also a tool to lock in exactly this customer group early – if you have a Telekom contract at 19, statistically you'll still have it at 35.

Prepaid: the underrated third option

Between a Young contract and a discounter plan there's a third path, and it's especially appealing for first-semester students and first-year apprentices: prepaid. No contract, no credit check, no notice period – you top up what you spend, and if money's tight at the end of the month, the card just sits in basic mode for a couple of weeks. For anyone whose income still fluctuates between BAföG, child benefit and a part-time job, this built-in cost brake is worth its weight in gold.

The price difference to plans with no minimum term has become small in the meantime, as discounters have largely brought both worlds into line. When which model fits better, we compared in detail in February: Prepaid or contract – who benefits from which. Quick summary for students: if you already have your budget under control, a flex plan works out slightly cheaper; if you're still trying to get it under control, go with prepaid.

How to spot a good student plan

Before you sign up anywhere, go through these points:

• Network quality where you actually are, not nationwide. What matters is reception in your university town, in your shared flat, and on your commute. Which strengths the three networks have where is covered in our comprehensive network comparison.
• No minimum term beats 24 months – especially during a phase of life with a semester abroad, moves, and internships. The surcharge for flexible plans is usually small, and the freedom is great.
• Keep an eye on the age limit. Many Young benefits end automatically on your 28th birthday, after which the plan continues at the standard price. Set a calendar reminder, or you'll end up quietly overpaying at some point.
• EU roaming is included everywhere – even with the €5 discounter. A "benefit" that expensive plans advertise, but which is actually a legal standard. Watch out though: Switzerland isn't included.
• Assess extras soberly. A streaming subscription thrown in sounds good, but it only pays off if you would have paid for it anyway.

The honest answer for Lena

For most students and trainees, an affordable plan between €5 and €10 is the right choice – that money is simply better spent elsewhere. The cheap plans use the same three networks as the expensive contracts, just usually with capped speed and no frills. What the discounters are really worth in everyday use, we tested in detail in January: Unlimited calls under €10 – how good are cheap plans? Spoiler: more than their reputation suggests.

The network operator's Young plan is worth it in two cases. First, if you genuinely need large amounts of data – anyone burning through 50 GB or more a month sometimes actually comes out cheaper per gigabyte with the beefed-up Young packages. Second, if you live in a region where only one network works reliably, and it happens to be the expensive one. In that case, the discount is a fair bridge.

Everyone else: a quick trip through the plan comparison Click, honestly estimate your data allowance, choose no minimum term, done. And if you're torn between two candidates, put them side by side in the Side-by-Side Comparison – the decision usually makes itself.