Making Your Data Plan Pay for ItselfMobile Shopping

Data Plans

A required component of most smartphone contracts, these include Web access, streaming media, and application-specific (client-server and peer-to-peer) communications

How We Use Mobile Data• Adults

– E-mail– Social media– Web– Professional, health, and lifestyle apps

• Teen and young-adult children– Social media– Streaming media (music, video)– Web– E-mail

• Young children– Entertainment and learning

The Mobile Data Bill• Based on

– Per account• One price for family phones, tablets, and/or mobile hot-spots

– Per device• Data for each mobile phone, tablet, and wireless modem is billed

separately

• Agreement types– Time-limited

• One-time or short-term users (e.g., business trips)• Pre-paid plans

– Ongoing contract

• Data limits• Access may be capped at limit, or overage charges may apply• Price may also depend on maximum connection speed

Cost of Mobile Data• The following table lists AT&T Wireless monthly

individual data costs plan as of 9/18/2012. – (Does not include basic phone and text costs)

Device Plan Cost Running total

Parent (smartphone) 3Gb $30 $30

Spouse (smartphone) 3Gb $30 $60

Teen Child (smartphone) 3Gb $30 $90

Pre-Teen Child (text phone)

300Mb

$10 $100

Cost of Mobile Data• The following table lists AT&T Wireless Shared Access

data costs as of 9/16/2012.• (Does not include basic phone and text costs)

Device Plan Cost Running total

Parent (smartphone)

4Gb $70 $70

Spouse (smartphone)

shared $40 $110

Teen Child (smartphone)

shared $40 $150

Pre-Teen Child (text phone)

(no data)

$150

Reasons We Need Data

Professional and Workplace• Sales

– Access to corporate Web site for pricing data, order entry, customer satisfaction

• Professional– Access to research, e-mail, etc. without having to leave a

patient or lab, or interrupt a computer routine– Ability to take notes remotely

• Developers– Ability to test an application outside of simulators and

emulators, in a “real” environment

• Media– Real-time, remote reportage– Teleconferencing (Face Time, Skype, etc.)

Personal• Home Security

– Apps to check home alarm system

• Home Automation– Remotely change the heat, air-conditioning, and lighting

levels.– TiVO/DVR management

• Child Safety– Home automation cameras– Phone locator apps

• Medical– Mobile health records– Access to cloud-based EHR– Mobile-specific health applications

It’s Payback Time!

Save Money Shopping

Managed Loyalty• Many stores offer loyalty programs to encourage

customers to come back more often.– Personalized tag (card, key fob, phone number, e-mail

address) to track purchase history) in exchange for:• Special discounts • Special offers• “Rewards” (including store credit)

• Free apps store your loyalty tags for scanning or input by cashiers– Key Ring (Android, iOS)

Store-Specific• Store sites

– View current circular– Mobile coupons– Log into loyalty program

• Store branded apps– Information on current sales– Loyalty program tie-ins

• Load coupons to loyalty cards– Mobile coupons– Ideas using currently on-sale projects

Not-So-Extreme Couponing• Coupon Club Apps

– Location-based– Accumulate, sort, and review coupons– Send alerts via SMS or e-mail– Examples

• The Coupons App• Best Coupons and Deals• Groupon• Cellfire (links in to other mobile apps)

• Comparison Shopping Apps– Primarily (but not exclusively) for grocery shopping

• Grocery Smarts Coupon Shopper• Shop Savvy Barcode Scanner• Gas Buddy

Social Saving• Share Sites, Coupons via Facebook or Twitter

– Location-Based Apps (see previous slide)• The Club (Shopping Mall-based)

– “Like” or “RT” a product to get coupons– Couponing Forums

• Possibly more extreme than the average coupon-clipper• Examples:

– We Use Coupons; Raining Hot Coupons » Mobile companions to desktop Web site

• Review and Endorse Products for Money– Endorse

• Facebook-linked product-endorsement app

A Month’s Potential SavingsStore Deal Original

CostFinal Cost Saved

Shop-Rite (via Cellfire)

$6.25 in coupons

$6.25

Stop & Shop (store app and card)

$2.25 in assorted coupons

$2.25

Sears (via ShopSavvy)

$12 off oil change

$29.99 $17.99 $12.00

Staples (store app

Triple Recycling Rewards

$2 rebate per ink cartridge

$6 rebate per ink cartridge (x 4 colors)

$16

Michaels 50% off any one regular-priced item

$19.99 + tax $10.69 $10.70

Total $47.20

Cautions• Your choice of data plan should not depend on savings

– The sample savings represents one customer with one data plan, in a random month. Your savings may vary.

– Not all stores accept scanned cards or mobile coupons– Some coupon-sharing sites may border on “abusive” use of

coupons

• Some apps want too much permissionBoth of these could send spam, destroy your calendar, or steal

your, and your contacts’, identities:– “Add or modify calendar events and send email to guests

without owners’ knowledge”– “Discover known accounts”

Summary

With the appropriate apps and precautions, the real cost of your data plan can be much lower than the bill you pay each month